Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last Good Kiss | 1978 | James Crumley | Buy |
| 2 | The Mexican Tree Duck | 1993 | James Crumley | Buy |
| 3 | Bordersnakes | 1996 | James Crumley | Buy |
| 4 | The Right Madness | 2005 | James Crumley | Buy |
| 5 | Una vera follia | 2005 | James Crumley | N/A |
C.W. Sughrue is James Crumley’s other series detective, a Vietnam veteran turned private eye based in Montana. The Last Good Kiss (1978) is widely considered a masterpiece of hardboiled fiction, and its reputation has grown steadily since publication. The Mexican Tree Duck (1993) continues Sughrue’s story, Bordersnakes (1996) pairs him with Milo Milodragovitch, and The Right Madness (2005) was the last novel Crumley published before his death.
Sughrue is tougher and more direct than Milo, a working-class PI who gets the job done through persistence and a willingness to take punishment. Crumley’s writing in the Sughrue novels is lean and vivid, with the Western landscape playing a major role.