Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O Caso Benson | 1926 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 2 | O Crime da Canária | 1927 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 3 | The Canary Murder Case | 1927 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 4 | La fine dei Greene | 1928 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 5 | The Greene Murder Case | 1928 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 6 | L’enigma dell’alfiere | 1928 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 7 | The Bishop Murder Case | 1928 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 8 | La dea della vendetta | 1929 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 9 | The Scarab Murder Case | 1929 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 10 | Il caso del terrier scozzese | 1933 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 11 | The Kennel Murder Case | 1933 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 12 | The Dragon Murder Case | 1934 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 13 | Il mistero del drago | 1934 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 14 | The Casino Murder Case | 1934 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 15 | Il mistero di casa Garden | 1935 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 16 | The Garden Murder Case | 1935 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 17 | Sequestro di persona | 1936 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 18 | The Kidnap Murder Case | 1936 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 19 | Il caso Gracie Allen | 1938 | S.S. Van Dine | N/A |
| 20 | The Gracie Allen Murder Case / The Smell of Murder | 1938 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 21 | The Benson Murder Case | 1926 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
| 22 | The Winter Murder Case | 1939 | S.S. Van Dine | Buy |
The Philo Vance series consists of twelve mystery novels published between 1926 and 1939. Each title follows the pattern of “The [Something] Murder Case,” and each puts Vance at the center of a puzzling crime that requires his unusual combination of cultural knowledge and deductive ability. The Benson Murder Case and The Canary Murder Case established the formula, and the series hit its peak popularity with The Greene Murder Case and The Bishop Murder Case.
The series listing includes multiple foreign-language editions (Portuguese, Italian) alongside the original English titles. The Kennel Murder Case (1933) was adapted into what many consider the best of the Philo Vance films. The later novels, from The Dragon Murder Case onward, received more mixed reviews, though the series remained popular enough to keep producing sequels until Wright’s death.