Order of Philip Marlowe Books
Philip Marlowe is a fictional detective created by American author Raymond Chandler, and was later written by Robert B. Parker and Benjamin Black. The Philip Marlowe series is a hardboiled detective fiction series that actually started out as a series of short stories. Chandler would later cannibalize these stories into the first (and most famous) novel of the series, The Big Sleep. In 1946, The Big Sleep would be adapted into a film directed by Howard Hawks starring Humphrey Bogart as Marlowe. Other actors who would play the character in adaptations were Dick Powell, Robert Montgomery, James Garner, Elliot Gould and Robert Mitchum.
The Philip Marlowe series would begin in 1939 with The Big Sleep. Chandler’s final completed Marlowe novel was Playback in 1958, although he would leave Poodle Springs unfinished. Parker would finish that novel in 1989 and then go on to write Perchance To Dream in 1991 – the only authorized sequel. Below is a list of all of the Philip Marlowe novels in order of when they were originally published (which is also their chronological order):
Publication Order of Philip Marlowe Books
| The Big Sleep | (1939) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Farewell, My Lovely | (1940) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The High Window | (1942) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Lady in the Lake | (1943) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Little Sister | (1949) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Long Goodbye | (1953) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Playback | (1958) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Poodle Springs | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Perchance to Dream | (1991) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Black-Eyed Blonde / Marlowe | (2014) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Only to Sleep | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Goodbye Coast | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Second Murderer | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Philip Marlowe Collections
Notes: Poodle Springs was finished by Robert B. Parker, while Perchance to Dream was written entirely by Parker. Beginning with The Black-Eyed Blonde, the series is written by Benjamin Black.
If You Like Philip Marlowe Books, You’ll Love…
What were Raymond Chandler’s feelings about his detective? I’m asking because I’m listening to Philip Marlowe episodes on Youtube. Also because I’m trying to figure out (without success) why Hercule Poirot was so HATED by his author? What was so bad about him that he was the object of such poisonous animosity.
“Why oh WHY did I EVER create that DETESTABLE, bombastic creature?” The word DETESTABLE is defined as “DESERVING of INTENSE DISLIKE/ HATE” . But there needs to be a REASON that someone is so LOATHED? Hopefully, Mr. Marlowe was spoken of in kinder words than poor Mr. Poirot. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e15c873cf4890db7ca81bb143f2fec4326acbf5b4c2706d7e12a2dc73a76d144.jpg
If you like Philip Marlowe try Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout.