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Standalone Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Standalone books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: April 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Standalone series? Start with "The Truth of the Matter" (1971) and follow publication order through all 23 books.
The complete Standalone reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Truth of the Matter
1971
Bonegrinder
1977
Lazarus Man
1979
Jericho Man
1980
The Shadow Man
1982
Single White Female
1990
Dancing with the Dead
1992
The Ex
1996
Final Seconds (With: David August)
1998
Single White Female Seeks Same
2022
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
1982
Only One Way To Land
1983
The Romantics
1994
High Stakes
1997
Nightcrawlers
1997
Second Story Sunlight
2002
The Desert
2018
Better Mousetraps
1988
Shadows Everywhere
1994
Until You Are Dead
1998
Endless Road, and Other Stories
2003
Tough and Other Short Stories: Tough, High Stakes, The Real Shape of the Coast
2014
The President's Cat Is Missing & Other Stories
2014
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