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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 "Do Not Disturb" (1943) and follow publication order through all 23 books.
The complete Standalone reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
Do Not Disturb
1943
Panic
1944
She Walks Alone / Wish You Were Dead
1948
Better Off Dead
1951
He Never Came Back
1954
Unfinished Crime
1954
The Slayer and the Slain
1957
Before I Die
1963
Further Side of Fear
1967
A Question of Time
1971
A Change Of Heart
1973
The Sleepwalker
1974
Minotaur Country
1975
Cruel as the Grave / The Changeling Conspiracy
1976
The Impostor
1977
The Smoking Mirror
1979
Life Is a Brutal Affair
1960
Surprise, Surprise / The Singing Diamonds And other stories
1965
20 Great Tales of Murder
1952
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July 1958
1958
100 Malicious Little Mysteries
1981
Alfred Hitchcock's Your Share of Fear
1982
Tales of the Occult
1989
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