Philip Marlowe Books in Order
Part ofRaymond Chandler Books in OrderThe continuation of Raymond Chandler's iconic detective series, including the authorized entry by John Banville (writing as Benjamin Black).
Last updated: June 7, 2026
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Publication Order
12 books
The Big Sleep
by Raymond Chandler
1939
Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by aging General Sternwood to stop a shady bookseller from blackmailing the general’s reckless daughter. What begins as a simple shakedown spirals into murder, pornography, and a tangle of secrets in seedy 1930s Los Angeles.
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Farewell, My Lovely
by Raymond Chandler
1940
While chasing a routine missing-persons case, Philip Marlowe watches hulking ex-con Moose Malloy storm into a nightclub looking for his vanished sweetheart. The search for Velma pulls Marlowe through gambling dens, crooked cops, and spiritualist rackets in a violent Los Angeles.
The High Window
by Raymond Chandler
1942
Called in by tyrannical widow Elizabeth Murdock, Philip Marlowe is asked to recover a priceless Brasher Doubloon supposedly stolen by her flighty daughter‑in‑law. The hunt for the missing coin uncovers murder, blackmail, and rot at the heart of a wealthy Pasadena family.
The Lady in the Lake
by Raymond Chandler
1943
Businessman Derace Kingsley hires Philip Marlowe to track down his missing wife, who may have run off with a lover. Marlowe’s search leads from a quiet mountain resort back to Los Angeles, where multiple bodies and police corruption surface beneath the placid lake water.
The Little Sister
by Raymond Chandler
1949
A prim young woman from Kansas hires Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother in Los Angeles. The job plunges him into Hollywood’s low-end studios, ruthless fixer types, and a tangle of blackmail and sibling betrayal that strips away any glamour the movies promise.
The Long Goodbye
by Raymond Chandler
1953
Philip Marlowe befriends damaged war veteran Terry Lennox, then drives him to Mexico on the night Lennox’s wife is found brutally murdered. Refusing to accept the easy answers, Marlowe digs into Hollywood wealth, publishing scandals, and the price of loyalty and self-respect.
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Playback
by Raymond Chandler
1958
An anonymous client hires Philip Marlowe to shadow an attractive woman traveling under an alias to a seaside town called Esmeralda. As he learns why she’s being hunted, Marlowe must decide whether to betray his employer or help her outrun a dangerous past.
Poodle Springs
by Robert B Parker
1989
Newly married to heiress Linda Loring, Philip Marlowe tries to keep his independence by opening a small agency in the desert enclave of Poodle Springs. His first case—finding a photographer tied to a huge gambling debt—exposes local corruption and strains his uneasy new marriage.
Perchance to Dream
by Robert B Parker
1991
Philip Marlowe returns in a case that pulls him back into the orbit of powerful people and old trouble. Hired to untangle what’s been hidden, he follows leads through Los Angeles shadows, where every answer comes with a price and a threat.
The Black-Eyed Blonde
by John Banville
2014
Philip Marlowe returns in this authorized mystery set in the heat of a California summer. Hired by a wealthy heiress to find her former lover, Marlowe uncovers a trail of deceit that leads from high society to the dangerous underworld.
Only to Sleep
by Lawrence Osborne
2018
The Goodbye Coast
by Joe Ide
2022
Series background & context
Raymond Chandler didn’t just write detective novels; he invented a specific mood that changed crime fiction forever. Philip Marlowe is the quintessential private eye, a solitary figure navigating the corrupt underbelly of Los Angeles with nothing but his wits and a distinct code of honor. For a long time, the original novels stood alone, defining the noir genre for the mid-20th century. However, the Chandler estate eventually decided that those mean streets were too quiet, opening the door for contemporary authors to revive the iconic detective.
John Banville stepped up to the challenge, though he did it under his crime-writing pseudonym, Benjamin Black. It was an intriguing pairing from the start. Banville is known for high literary art, but as Black, he has always indulged a love for dark, atmospheric storytelling. Taking on Marlowe wasn’t just a job; it was an act of literary ventriloquism. He had to slip into a voice that millions of readers already knew by heart.
The resulting novel, The Black-Eyed Blonde, drops us right back into the early 1950s. Marlowe is still in his office, listening to the sounds of the city and waiting for the phone to ring. He is a little older and perhaps a bit wearier, but the sharp tongue remains intact.
Then comes the client. Clare Cavendish is a wealthy heiress to a perfume dynasty, and she arrives with a classic request: find a missing lover. The man in question is supposed to be dead, but Clare insists she saw him alive.
It’s the kind of job Marlowe knows he should refuse, but he takes it anyway.
The investigation drags him through the familiar geography of Bay City and the Hollywood Hills. We meet the usual suspects—tough guys, shady doctors, and families with too much money and not enough morality. Banville elevates the standard tropes with his precision, capturing the specific texture of Chandler’s world, from the smell of stale tobacco to the quality of the light hitting the pavement.
What stands out most is the respect for the original voice. Writing a revival can easily turn into a parody of wisecracks and fedoras, but this entry feels grounded. Banville mimics the famous similes and the cynical philosophy without mocking them. He understands that Marlowe’s cynicism is actually a form of disappointed romanticism.
This addition to the Marlowe library bridges the gap between literary fiction and hardboiled crime. It proves that the character is durable enough to survive the decades. Whether you are a purist who has read every Chandler novel or a newcomer looking for a mystery with style, this revival offers a fresh look at a legend who refuses to stay retired.
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Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
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