The World’s Best Mystery And Crime Fiction Book Series

Mystery and crime fiction books have always been popular among avid readers of all ages and backgrounds. These genres are intriguing and engaging, with plot twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Many authors have made a name for themselves in the mystery and crime fiction world by creating popular book series that follow the same protagonist or set of characters throughout multiple books. In this article, we will be exploring some of the most famous mystery and crime fiction book series.

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Mystery and crime fiction book series have captivated readers for generations, transporting them to thrilling worlds filled with suspense, intrigue, and complex characters. The following book series have become a staple in the literary world.

Here we’ll delve into the fascinating realm of mystery and crime fiction book series, exploring what makes them so addictive and why readers can’t get enough of them. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the genre, this post will be a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the world of mystery and crime fiction.

Best Mystery And Crime Fiction Book Series

The Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sherlock Holmes series is undoubtedly one of the most popular and beloved mystery book series of all time. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote five novels and 56 short stories about the legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his sidekick, Dr. John Watson.

The stories follow Holmes and Watson as they solve a series of complex cases, each with its own unique set of challenges and twists. The series has been adapted into countless movies, TV shows, and other media over the years.

Sherlock Holmes Novels In Order

• A Study in Scarlet & The Sign of Four
• The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Valley of Fear
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
• The Return of Sherlock Holmes & His Last Bow
• The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
• The Best of Sherlock Holmes
• Sherlock Holmes: The Dark Mysteries

The Millennium Series by Stieg Larsson

The Millennium series is a trilogy of books written by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The series follows the story of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander as they work to uncover a web of corruption and crime in Sweden.

The series deals with issues such as political corruption, sexual violence, and abuse of power. The books have been adapted into several movies and TV series, and they have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Millennium Novels In Order

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Girl Who Played with Fire
• The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest

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The Harry Bosch Series by Michael Connelly

The Harry Bosch series is a set of 24 books written by American author Michael Connelly. The series follows the story of LAPD detective Harry Bosch as he investigates various crimes in and around Los Angeles.

The series is known for its realistic portrayal of police work and the challenges that come with it. The books have been adapted into a TV series on Amazon Prime, and they have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Harry Bosch Novels In Order:

• The Black Echo
• The Black Ice
• The Concrete Blonde
• The Last Coyote
• Trunk Music
• Angels Flight
• A Darkness More Than Night
• City Of Bones
• Lost Light
• The Narrows
• The Closers
• Echo Park
• The Overlook
• Nine Dragons
• The Drop
• The Black Box
• The Burning Room
• The Crossing
• The Wrong Side Of Goodbye
• Two Kinds Of Truth
• Dark Sacred Night
• The Night Fire
• The Dark Hours
• Desert Star

The Alex Cross Series by James Patterson

The Alex Cross series is a set of 31 books written by American author James Patterson. The series follows the story of detective Alex Cross as he investigates a range of crimes, from kidnappings to serial killings.

The books are known for their fast-paced action and gripping suspense. The series has been adapted into several movies and TV series, and it has been translated into more than 45 languages.

Alex Cross Novels In Order:

• Along Came a Spider
• Kiss the Girls
• Jack and Jill
• Cat and Mouse
• Pop Goes the Weasel
• Roses Are Red
• Violets Are Blue
• Four Blind Mice
• The Big Bad Wolf
• London Bridges
• Mary, Mary
• Cross
• Double Cross
• Cross Country
• Alex Cross’s Trial
• I, Alex Cross
• Cross Fire
• Kill Alex Cross
• Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
• Alex Cross, Run
• Cross My Heart
• Hope to Die
• Cross Justice
• Cross the Line
• Cross Kill
• Detective Cross
• The People Vs. Alex Cross
• Target: Alex Cross
• Criss Cross
• Deadly Cross
• Fear No Evil
• Triple Cross
• Cross Out

The Inspector Gamache Series by Louise Penny

The Inspector Gamache series is a set of 17 books written by Canadian author Louise Penny. The series follows the story of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec as he solves various mysteries in the quaint village of Three Pines.

The books are known for their beautiful descriptions of the Canadian countryside and their complex characters. The series has won several awards, including the Edgar Award for Best Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Novel.

Inspector Gamache Novels In Order:

• Still Life
• A Fatal Grace
• The Cruellest Month
• A Rule Against Murder
• The Brutal Telling
• Bury Your Dead
• The Hangman
• A Trick of the Light
• The Beautiful Mystery
• How the Light Gets In
• The Long Way Home
• The Nature of the Beast
• A Great Reckoning
• Glass Houses
• Kingdom of the Blind
• A Better Man
• All the Devils Are Here
• The Madness of Crowds
• A World of Curiosities

The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich

The Stephanie Plum series is a set of 30 books written by American author Janet Evanovich. The series follows the story of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum as she solves a range of mysteries and crimes in and around Trenton, New Jersey.

The books are known for their humour and quirky characters. The series has been adapted into a movie, and it has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Stephanie Plum Novels In Order:

• One for the Money
• Two for the Dough
• Three to Get Deadly
• Four to Score
• High Five
• Hot Six
• Seven Up
• Hard Eight
• Visions of Sugar Plums
• To the Nines
• Ten Big Ones
• Eleven On Top
• Twelve Sharp
• Plum Lovin’
• Lean Mean Thirteen
• Plum Lucky
• Fearless Fourteen
• Plum Spooky
• Finger Lickin’ Fifteen
• Sizzling Sixteen
• Smokin’ Seventeen
• Explosive Eighteen
• Notorious Nineteen
• Takedown Twenty
• Top Secret Twenty-One
• Tricky Twenty-Two
• Turbo Twenty-Three
• Hardcore Twenty-Four
• Look Alive Twenty-Five
• Twisted Twenty-Six
• Fortune and Glory: Tantalizing Twenty-Seven
• Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight
• Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine
• Dirty Thirty

The Lincoln Rhyme Series by Jeffery Deaver

The Lincoln Rhyme series is a set of 16 books written by American author Jeffery Deaver. The series follows the story of forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme, who is paralyzed from the neck down but still manages to solve crimes using his intellect and expertise.

The books are known for their intricate plot twists and realistic depiction of forensic science. The series has been adapted into a movie and a TV series, and it has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Lincoln Rhyme Novels In Order:

• The Bone Collector
• The Coffin Dancer
• The Empty Chair
• The Stone Monkey
• The Vanished Man
• The Twelfth Card
• The Cold Moon
• The Broken Window
• The Burning Wire
• The Kill Room
• The Skin Collector
• The Steel Kiss
• The Burial Hour
• The Cutting Edge
• The Midnight Lock
• The Watchmaker’s Hand

The Pendergast Series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The Pendergast series is a set of 21 books written by American authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The series follows the story of FBI special agent Aloysius Pendergast as he investigates a range of crimes, from museum thefts to serial killings.

The books are known for their blend of mystery, horror, and supernatural elements. The series has been adapted into a movie and a TV series, and it has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Pendergast Novels In Order:

• The Relic
• Reliquary
• The Cabinet of Curiosities
• Still Life with Crows
• Brimstone
• The Dance of Death
• The Book of the Dead
• The Wheel of Darkness
• Cemetery Dance
• Fever Dream
• Cold Vengeance
• Two Graves
• White Fire
• Blue Labyrinth
• Crimson Shore
• The Obsidian Chamber
• City of Endless Night
• Verses for the Dead
• Crooked River
• Bloodless
• The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

The Kay Scarpetta Series by Patricia Cornwell

The Kay Scarpetta series is a set of 27 books written by American author Patricia Cornwell. The series follows the story of forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta as she solves a range of crimes, from murders to terrorist attacks.

The books are known for their realistic portrayal of forensic science and their complex characters. The series has been adapted into a movie and a TV series, and it has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Kay Scarpetta Novels In Order:

• Postmortem
• Body of Evidence
• All That Remains
• Cruel and Unusual
• The Body Farm
• From Potter’s Field
• Cause of Death
• Unnatural Exposure
• Point of Origin
• Scarpetta’s Winter Table
• Black Notice
• The Last Precinct
• Blow Fly
• Trace
• Predator
• Book of the Dead
• Scarpetta
• The Scarpetta Factor
• Port Mortuary
• Red Mist
• The Bone Bed
• Dust
• Flesh and Blood
• Depraved Heart
• Chaos
• Autopsy
• Livid
• Unnatural Death

The Wallander Series by Henning Mankell

The Wallander series is a set of 11 books written by Swedish author Henning Mankell. The series follows the story of detective Kurt Wallander as he investigates various crimes in Ystad, Sweden.

The books are known for their realistic portrayal of police work and their exploration of social issues such as immigration and xenophobia. The series has been adapted into several TV series, and it has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Wallander Novels In Order:

• Faceless Killers
• The Dogs of Riga
• The White Lioness
• The Man Who Smiled
• Sidetracked
• The Fifth Woman
• One Step Behind
• Firewall
• The Pyramid
• The Troubled Man
• An Event in Autumn

The Hercule Poirot Series by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series is one of the most iconic and beloved mystery book series of all time. The series follows the brilliant Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, as he solves complex crimes and murders with his unparalleled intellect and sharp wit. Poirot is a unique character, known for his fastidiousness, his quirky mannerisms, and his ability to see things that others can’t.

RELATED: Why You Should Read Agatha Christie: Her Best Novels

The series is a classic example of mystery and crime fiction at its best. Christie’s mastery of the genre, combined with the unforgettable character of Hercule Poirot, make for an immersive and thrilling reading experience that continues to captivate readers to this day.

Hercule Poirot Novels In Order:

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles
• The Murder on the Links
• Poirot Investigates
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• The Big Four
• The Mystery of the Blue Train
• Black Coffee
• Peril at End House
• Lord Edgware Dies
• Murder on the Orient Express
• Three Act Tragedy
• Death in the Clouds
• The ABC Murders
• Murder in Mesopotamia
• Cards on the Table
• Dumb Witness
• Death on the Nile
• Murder in the Mews: Four Cases of Hercule Poirot
• Appointment with Death
• Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
• Sad Cypress
• One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
• Evil Under the Sun
• Five Little Pigs
• The Hollow
• The Labours of Hercules
• Taken at the Flood
• Mrs McGinty’s Dead
• After the Funeral
• Hickory Dickory Dock
• Dead Man’s Folly
• Cat Among the Pigeons
• The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
• The Clocks
• Third Girl
• Hallowe’en Party
• Elephants Can Remember
• Poirot’s Early Cases
• Curtain

RELATED: “Review: Agatha Christie’s Outstanding “And Then There Were None”

Conclusion

Mystery and crime fiction book series have captivated readers for generations. The above-mentioned series are just a few examples of the vast array of books in these genres. Each series has its own unique style, characters, and themes, but they all have one thing in common – they keep readers on the edge of their seats. Whether you’re a seasoned mystery reader or just starting out, these book series are definitely worth checking out.

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