Philip Marlowe Books in Order
Philip Marlowe is a Los Angeles private investigator in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, a tough, lonely man with a code of honour and a sharp line in wisecracks. Chandler’s seven novels shaped the hard-boiled detective story and are famous for their language.
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Series facts
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 1939 to 1958
- First book
- The Big Sleep
- Latest
- Playback (1958)
- Setting
- Set in Los Angeles
The reading order
Every Philip Marlowe book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Big Sleep1939With Philip MarloweGeneral Sternwood, an old and dying millionaire, hires Philip Marlowe to deal with a man blackmailing his wild younger daughter, Carmen.Buy on Amazon
- 2Farewell, My Lovely1940With Philip MarlowePhilip Marlowe watches a huge ex-convict, Moose Malloy, throw a man out of a bar on Central Avenue while looking for his old girlfriend, Velma.Buy on Amazon
- 3The High Window1942With Philip MarloweA rich, overbearing widow in Pasadena hires Philip Marlowe to recover a rare gold coin, the Brasher Doubloon, which she believes her daughter-in-law has stolen.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Lady in the Lake1943With Philip MarloweA businessman hires Philip Marlowe to find his wife, who disappeared from their cabin at Little Fawn Lake in the mountains a month ago.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Little Sister1949With Philip MarloweA prim young woman from Kansas hires Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother in Los Angeles, and the case leads Marlowe into the world of Hollywood studios and film stars.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Long Goodbye1953With Philip MarlowePhilip Marlowe befriends Terry Lennox, a charming drunk with a scarred face, and helps him get to Mexico.Buy on Amazon
- 7Playback1958With Philip MarlowePhilip Marlowe is hired to follow a young woman who has arrived in Los Angeles by train, and the trail leads to the seaside town of Esmeralda.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
The novels stand alone and can be read in any order, though The Big Sleep is the natural place to start and The Long Goodbye is often called his masterpiece.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Philip Marlowe | Bernie Ohls | Linda Loring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Big Sleep | LLead | MMajor | |
| 2 Farewell, My Lovely | LLead | ||
| 3 The High Window | LLead | ||
| 4 The Lady in the Lake | LLead | ||
| 5 The Little Sister | LLead | ||
| 6 The Long Goodbye | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 7 Playback | LLead | ·Minor |
Characters in the Philip Marlowe books
7 characters from Raymond Chandler’s chart, with the number of Philip Marlowe books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Philip MarloweLos Angeles private investigator | 7 | The Big Sleep 1939 |
| Bernie OhlsDistrict attorney’s investigator and Marlowe’s contact | 2 | The Big Sleep 1939 |
| Linda LoringWealthy divorcée | 2 | The Long Goodbye 1953 |
| Carmen SternwoodGeneral Sternwood’s wild younger daughter | 1 | The Big Sleep 1939 |
| Vivian ReganGeneral Sternwood’s elder daughter | 1 | The Big Sleep 1939 |
| Moose MalloyEx-convict searching for his old girlfriend | 1 | Farewell, My Lovely 1940 |
| Terry LennoxWar veteran and Marlowe’s friend | 1 | The Long Goodbye 1953 |