Philip Marlowe books in order

Philip Marlowe collects the original Raymond Chandler novels alongside later continuation titles associated here with John Banville / Benjamin Black.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Big Sleep 1939 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
2 Farewell, My Lovely 1940 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
3 The High Window 1942 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
4 The Lady in the Lake 1943 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
5 The Little Sister 1949 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
6 The Long Goodbye 1953 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
7 Playback 1958 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
8 Poodle Springs 1989 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
9 Perchance to Dream 1991 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
10 The Black-Eyed Blonde / Marlowe 2014 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
11 Only to Sleep 2018 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
12 The Goodbye Coast 2022 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy
13 The Second Murderer 2023 John Banville / Benjamin Black Buy

The Philip Marlowe page is broader than a normal single-author series page because it joins the classic Raymond Chandler novels to the later continuation entries tied to John Banville / Benjamin Black. That creates one continuous reading order for readers who want the full Marlowe sequence rather than just one author’s contribution.

For that reason, publication order is especially helpful here. It preserves the historical development of the character and clearly separates the original era from the modern revival titles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Philip Marlowe series?

There are thirteen books in the Philip Marlowe series, published between 1939 and 2023.

What is the first book in the Philip Marlowe series?

The first book in the Philip Marlowe series is The Big Sleep, published in 1939.

Why does this Philip Marlowe page include older books as well as recent ones?

This page functions as a broader reading-order guide for the Philip Marlowe books, combining the original classic novels with the later continuation titles linked to John Banville / Benjamin Black. That makes it useful as a franchise reading list as well as an author page cross-link.

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