Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kill Zone | 1984 | Loren D. Estleman | Buy |
| 2 | Roses are Dead | 1985 | Loren D. Estleman | Buy |
| 3 | Any Man’s Death | 1986 | Loren D. Estleman | Buy |
| 4 | Something Borrowed, Something Black | 2002 | Loren D. Estleman | Buy |
| 5 | Little Black Dress | 2004 | Loren D. Estleman | Buy |
The Peter Macklin series is Loren D. Estleman’s take on the hitman novel. Macklin is a professional killer working in and around Detroit, and the five books in the series follow his career from Kill Zone (1984) through Little Black Dress (2004). Unlike the Amos Walker books, which operate in the hardboiled detective tradition, the Macklin novels sit firmly in noir territory.
Macklin is a cold professional, but Estleman gives him enough personal life to keep him from being a simple villain. Roses are Dead (1985) and Any Man’s Death (1986) followed quickly after the debut, while Something Borrowed, Something Black (2002) and Little Black Dress (2004) returned to the character after a long gap. The series offers a look at Detroit’s criminal world from the other side of the law.