How Do I Read Lawrence Block Books In Order By Series?
Finally diving into Lawrence Block's novels and got a bit lost figuring out which Matt Scudder or Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery to start with.
2026-07-30 14:58:51
263
Follow26
Share
BlueFox
Fictioneer
Assistant
ABO Personality Quiz
Take a quick quiz to find out whether you‘re Alpha, Beta, or Omega.
Scent
Personality
Ideal Love Pattern
Secret Desire
Your Dark Side
Start Test
7 Answers
MaxSun
Novel Fan
Sales
What about his collaborations? Like 'The Devil's Bible' with Caleb Carr? That's a standalone historical thriller. It's good to know that not everything he's written fits into a series. Exploring those standalones between series arcs can be a refreshing palate cleanser.
2026-08-01 21:40:51
5
LocalInk
Longtime Reader
Librarian
Online forums like the 'Mystery Writers of America' subreddit have deep-dive threads on Block. You can find passionate debates about whether to read the revised editions of early Scudder or the originals. It's a niche but fun consideration for purists. Most readers should just grab the most available version.
2026-08-02 00:39:23
8
DailyBee
Twist Chaser
Driver
The Keller series is short and brilliant—just five books starting with 'Hit Man'. You could binge that in a week and get a complete, self-contained experience. It’s a great entry point if the idea of a philosophical hitman debating stamp collecting and the meaning of life sounds appealing. It’s less about 'order' and more about the cumulative effect of the short stories and novels together.
2026-08-02 13:08:53
3
CarsonBee
Expert
Receptionist
I tried to get my book club to read a Scudder novel. They found the subject matter too dark. So maybe gauge your tolerance. The Bernie series is universally charming and clever—no graphic violence, just puzzling mysteries. That might be the best starting point for a broader audience, and order matters less there.
2026-08-03 14:12:22
21
Jenny
Book Scout
Electrician
Hmm, interesting question. I'm more of a sci-fi reader myself, but my dad loves these books. I'll have to ask him how he did it. He's got a whole shelf of them organized somehow.
2026-08-03 15:51:10
24
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
Sinful Alphas: A Dark Romance Collection
Allisonslau1986
10
1.1K
Power. Obsession. Pleasure. Pain.
Behind every Alpha lies a dangerous hunger—and these men don’t ask for permission. They take what they want.
Sinful Alphas is a scorching collection of interconnected dark romance stories featuring dangerously possessive Alphas, forbidden desires, obsessive love, and heroines who find themselves caught between temptation and destruction. From ruthless pack kings and morally gray billionaires to primal mates, secret arrangements, revenge seductions, and enemies who crave each other far too much, every story explores the intoxicating line between dominance and surrender.
These aren’t sweet love stories.
These are tales of obsession so consuming it burns. Passion so addictive it destroys. Desire so sinful it feels dangerous to crave.
Inside this collection, you’ll find:
* Possessive Alpha males
* Enemies-to-lovers tension
* Forced proximity
* Forbidden attraction
* Mates, secrets, betrayal, and obsession
* Explicit spice, emotional chaos, and addictive twists
Some loves save you.
Others ruin you beautifully.
Enter at your own risk.
Hot & Owned: Billionaire Edition(short story collection)
Flimxy vic
10
3.4K
Warning: This collection contains explicit adult content, including intense power dynamics, dominance/submission, dubious consent themes in fantasy context, BDSM elements, age-gap scenarios, breeding kink, group play undertones, and graphic sexual situations. All stories feature consenting adults in fictional scenarios.
In this scorching anthology, eight ruthless, ultra-wealthy billionaires each claim total ownership over the woman who enters their world—whether through debt, auction, obsession, or sheer predatory desire. Every novella stands alone, delivering a different flavor of erotic heat while threading the addictive "owned by the billionaire" fantasy throughout. Dive into whichever kink calls to you... or devour them all.
The 7 Gold Lifes are 7 Billionaires who rules America.
Aaron Samuel, Sky Locason, Alexander North, Maximillion Cesantio, Luke Hastington, Sebastian Cesborn and lastly the leader, Kenneth Domanco.
The work hard to get where they are. They have the money, the looks, the power and they can easily get women. They swore that they will never settle down but slowly one by one they're falling in love.
Will they decide to settle down or just fool around?
This series consist of 8 books in total.
Prologue: Loving Blake Coster
BLS #1: The Red String of Fate (Aaron Samuel and Sophia Celastio)
BLS #2: Challenging The Billionaire (Sky Locason and Janet Stanmore)
BLS #3: Dealing With Trouble (Alexander North and Angelia Selosvone)
BLS #4: Stabbed by Rose (Maximillion Cesantio and Rose Hastington)
BLS #5: Beautiful Nightmare (Luke Hastington and Hailey Anderson)
BLS #6: Locking Her Heart (Sebastian Cesborn and Alexis Sierra)
BLS #7: Breaking The Last (Kenneth Domanco and Chloe Regens)
The Billionaire Broken Wife (The Broken Series 1-3)
Diana Wolfe
9.7
216.1K
Raped, betrayed, and losing the most important thing to her, Alissa has to do whatever it takes to protect her future but what happens when Daniel, her estranged husband returns and dares to claim what is rightfully his?
....
Book 1 :
Reuniting with Daniel Walton after three long years forces Alissa Perez to recall the dark chapters of her life when she was raped by Daniel's twin brother, Clarke, and forced to marry Daniel when Clarke disappeared. When an accident made her lose her baby, fear push her to leave her nightmare with the only thing that matters to her. Her miracle baby, Hope.
Marrying sweet Alissa was never as bad as what others try to make it to be. However, on the verge of anger, he had hurt her and forced to watch her leave his life until she became his new assistant when he partnered with the company she works in. Knowing the life, she has hidden from him, Daniel swore to do whatever it takes to have the woman of his dreams back into his arms and in their home. Things become complicated when Clarke returns and just like his brother, he will do whatever it takes to mend his mistakes to the innocent woman he has wronged. Who will win back Alissa's heart? Warning: Sexual assault and violent scene
...
The Broken Billionaire Series comes in lists of gorgeous stories that dive into the craziest of emotions and heartfelt messages that will make sure to fully entertain you in the best way possible. Do take note that my first language is not English so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mishap. I will deal with that soon but please, enjoy your day and I hope you will have a great time reading:)
Rustlers and Romance:Desire in his eyes gave her a sense of power.Can life on his ranch be a fresh start from her volatile past?The flare of desire in his eyes filled her with a sense of power.An Uptown Girl and A Cowboy:A city slicker meets a world class outdoorsman.A rugged, stone-faced cowboy greets her with a mesmerizing stare. Will murderous evidence she innocently possesses kill her?Secrets and Deceptions:The years of separation have taken their toll, testing the strength of their love. Will she take the risk of revealing her secret? Can he leave the horrors of battle behind?The Saddle Creek Series is created by Lorelei Confer, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
BLSC series is the continuation of Billionaire Love Story Series.
This series contains of 15 books/stories the children of The 7 Gold Lifes.
All the books are stand alone of all the children from The 7 Gold Lifes.
BLSC #1: The Undercover Model
BLSC #2: His Secret Admirer
BLSC #3: Capturing The Locason
BLSC #4: The Thief to His Heart
BLSC #5: Dangerous Attraction
BLSC #6: Runaway Princess
BLSC #7: A Night To Remember
BLSC #8: Her Black Knight
BLSC #9: His Cold Heart
BLSC #10: His Bid On Her
BLSC #11: Billionaire's Girl
BLSC #12: Billionaire's Trouble
BLSC #13: Fall For Dylan Lemiere
BLSC #14: Love Spell
BLSC #15: The Dark Romance
Last point from me: Audiobooks. The narrator for the Scudder series, over many books, becomes the voice of Matt. Listening in order lets that performance mature alongside the character. It's an added layer of consistency you only get by following the sequence.
I tried starting with a later one, 'The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart', and felt a little disconnected from some of the banter with Carolyn. Went back to the first book and appreciated the foundation much more. The early ones have a slightly different pace, a bit more focused on the burglary mechanics, which I really enjoyed. The later ones sometimes feel more like pure puzzle mysteries. So for the full arc of Bernie’s… career, if you can call it that, start at the beginning.
The man wrote books on how to write mystery fiction. That level of self-awareness about the craft makes his publication history a case study. You can almost see him applying the lessons from 'Writing the Novel from Plot to Print' to his next manuscript. A chronological list becomes a record of a writer consciously honing his skills in public. The jumps in quality aren't random; they're the result of study and practice. That's a unique reason to care about the order—to witness the learning curve of a master.
I disagree with the 'any order' crowd for a first read. While each book is standalone, there's definite character development for Tanner and his circle. Minor characters recur, and his romantic life has a vague through-line. Reading 'Me Tanner, You Jane' before knowing who certain people are would lessen some moments. Publication order builds a subtle history. It's not crucial, but it enriches the experience. You feel like you're growing a history with this oddball spy. So, for maximum payoff, do the work and follow the list. It's only eight books. It's not a daunting task. You'll thank yourself later when a callback lands perfectly because you remember the earlier book.
I’m a stickler for this. Publication order, full stop. Block is seeding characters and themes that pay off books later. The first mention of Elaine is casual, but her return is momentous. The gradual introduction of TJ, the street-smart kid, is perfect in its original sequence. Even the shift from Scudder being an unlicensed 'inquirer' to getting his actual license happens organically when you read in order.
It’s a masterclass in serial character development. Here’s the list, spaced out a bit: 1. 'The Sins of the Fathers'. 2. 'In the Midst of Death'. 3. 'Time to Murder and Create'. 4. 'A Stab in the Dark'. 5. 'Eight Million Ways to Die'. 6. 'When the Sacred Ginmill Closes'. 7. 'Out on the Cutting Edge'. 8. 'A Ticket to the Boneyard'. 9. 'A Dance at the Slaughterhouse'. 10. 'A Walk Among the Tombstones'. 11. 'The Devil Knows You're Dead'. 12. 'A Long Line of Dead Men'. 13. 'Even the Wicked'. 14. 'Everybody Dies'. 15. 'Hope to Die'. 16. 'A Drop of the Hard Stuff'.
My book club did 'Black Out' last month, and half of us are now diving into the series. The debate about what to read next was fierce. The history buffs wanted 'Second Violin' next to go back in time. The character-driven readers wanted 'Old Flames' to continue Troy's story. We compromised: we're all reading 'Old Flames' for next month, but the history buffs can also read 'Second Violin' on the side if they want.
It was a fun, lively argument about what we value in a series. It showed that there's no single right answer. It depends on what you're after: continuous plot or historical sweep. Maybe ask yourself that before choosing an order. Do you want to follow a man's life, or a century's turmoil? Your answer will guide you to the right starting point and sequence. Both paths lead to excellent reading.