Bill Crider Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Sheriff Dan Rhodes Books
Publication Order of Sheriff Dan Rhodes Collections
| The Blacklin County Files | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Carl Burns Books
| One Dead Dean | (1988) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Dying Voices | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Dangerous Thing | (1994) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Dead Soldiers | (2004) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Truman Smith Private Eye Books
| Dead on the Island | (1991) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Gator Kill | (1992) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| When Old Men Die | (1994) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Prairie Chicken Kill | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Murder Takes a Break | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Mike Gonzo Books
| Mike Gonzo and the Almost Invisible Man | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Mike Gonzo and the Sewer Monster | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Mike Gonzo and the UFO Terror | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Stanley Waters Books
| Murder Under Blue Skies | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Murder in the Mist | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Professor Sally Good Books
| Murder is an Art | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Knife In The Back | (2002) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Bond with Death | (2004) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Humphrey Bogart Books
| We'll Always Have Murder | (2003) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Ted Stephens Books
| Houston Homicide | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Mississippi Vivian | (2010) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Ellie Taine Books
| Outrage at Blanco | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Texas Vigilante | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Ryan Rides Back | (1988) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Keepers of the Beast | (1988) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Galveston Gunman | (1988) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Goodnight Moom | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Blood Dreams | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Time for Hanging | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Rest in Peace | (1990) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Medicine Show | (1990) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Vampire Named Fred | (1990) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Just Before Dark | (1990) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Blood Marks | (1991) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Texas Capitol Murders | (1992) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Girl Who Wanted to Be Sherlock Holmes | (2011) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
| My Heart Cries For You | (1992) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| How I Found a Cat, Lost True Love, and Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo | (1995) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| At the Hop | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Chocolate Moose | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Death's Brother | (2011) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| What a Croc! | (2011) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| A Werewolf Named Wayne | (2011) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Cranked | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
| The Nighttime is the Right Time | (1991) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Raining Willie & Cranked | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| I am a Roving Gambler | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Eight Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | (2017) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Adventures of Wishbone Books
| The Prince and the Pooch | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Hunchdog of Notre Dame | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| The Mutt in the Iron Muzzle | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Salty Dog | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Be a Wolf! | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Digging Up the Past | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Robinhound Crusoe | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Muttketeer! | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| The Pawlioned Paper | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| A Tale of Two Sitters | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Dog Overboard! | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| A Pup in King Arthur's Court | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Moby Dog | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Homer Sweet Homer | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Dog | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| The Last of the Breed | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Digging to the Center of the Earth | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Terrier of the Lost Mines | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Gullifur's Travels | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Ivanhound | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Huckleberry Dog | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
+ Show All Books in this Series | ||||
Publication Order of The Dead Man Books
Publication Order of MX New Sherlock Holmes Stories Books
| Part I: 1881 to 1889 | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part II: 1890 to 1895 | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part III: 1896 to 1929 | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part IV: 2016 Annual | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part V | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part VI | (2017) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part VII | (2017) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part VIII: Eliminate The Impossible: 1892-1905 | (2017) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part IX: 2018 Annual | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part X: 2018 Annual | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XI: Some Untold Cases | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XII: Some Untold Cases | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XIII: 2019 Annual 1881-1890 | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XV: 2019 Annual | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XIV: 2019 Annual | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XVII: Whatever Remains . . . Must Be the Truth | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XVIII: Whatever Remains . . . Must Be the Truth 1899-1925 | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XVI: Whatever Remains . . . Must Be the Truth | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XX: 2020 Annual | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXI: 2020 Annual | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XIX: 2020 Annual | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Some More Untold Cases Part XXII: 1877-1887 | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXIII: 1888-1894 | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXIV: 1895-1903 | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXV: 2021 Annual 1881-1888 | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXVI | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXVII: 2021 Annual 1898-1928 | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXX: More Christmas Adventures 1897-1928 | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXIX: More Christmas Adventures 1889-1896 | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXVIII: More Christmas Adventures 1869-1888 | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXVIII: More Christmas Adventures 1869-1888 | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| XXXI: 2022 Annual 1875-1887 | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXII: 2022 Annual 1888-1895 | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XIII: 2022 Annual | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXI: 2022 Annual | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXIII: 2022 Annual 1896-1919 | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXIV: However Improbable | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXV: However Improbable | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXVI: However Improbable | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXVII: 2023 Annual | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXVIII: 2023 Annual | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXVIII | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XXXIX | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLII: Further Untold Cases 1894-1922 | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLI: Further Untold Cases - 1887-1892 | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLIII: 2024 Annual 1874-1888 | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLIV: 2024 Annual 1889-1897 | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLV: 2024 Annual 1898-1917 | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLVI: Occupants of the Canonical Realm 1861-1889 | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
| Part XLVII: Occupants of the Canonical Realm 1890-1898 | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon | ||
+ Show All Books in this Series | ||||
Publication Order of Nick Carter: Killmaster Books
Publication Order of Anthologies
About Bill Crider
American author Bill Crider wrote crime fiction and other books. He won an Anthony Award for his Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, which includes titles like Red, White, and Blue Murder. Another popular series featured Professor Sally Good, with books such as A Knife in the Back. His short story Cranked, published in Damn Near Dead, was nominated for an Edgar Award.
Crider had a talent for writing characters that felt real and interesting. His protagonists, like Sheriff Rhodes and Professor Good, were engaging and easy to root for. The stories he created were fun to read, with plots that kept readers hooked. He knew how to balance humor and suspense in a way that made his work stand out.
Readers enjoyed his books because they were well-paced and full of life. His storytelling was sharp, with just enough twists to stay exciting. Whether writing about small-town sheriffs or college professors, he made ordinary settings feel fresh. His work remains a great choice for anyone who likes clever, entertaining mysteries.
His books found fans across the globe because they were easy to enjoy. His mysteries mixed humor, suspense, and everyday life in a way that felt genuine. Whether writing about a small-town sheriff or a sharp-witted professor, he kept things relatable. Readers everywhere connected with his down-to-earth style and likable characters.
He stayed true to his own voice, never forcing trends or gimmicks into his work. His stories reflected his love for classic mystery setups with a modern, personal touch. Even as his books entertained, they never lost their authenticity. That honesty made his writing stand out in a crowded genre.
Fans appreciated that his books were fun without being shallow. He crafted clever plots but always kept the focus on characters and their quirks. His ability to blend lighthearted moments with solid crime-solving made his work widely appealing. That balance is why his stories remain enjoyable years later.
Bill Crider’s books continue to attract new readers who appreciate well-crafted mysteries. His memorable characters and engaging storytelling ensure his work stays relevant. Fans still revisit his series for their wit, charm, and clever plots. His influence remains clear in the crime fiction genre he loved.
Early and Personal Life
Bill Crider was born in Mexia, Texas, in 1941. He developed a love for reading and writing early on, which led him to earn a Master of Arts degree at the University of North Texas. His passion for storytelling and literature shaped his future as both a teacher and an author.
After teaching English at Howard Payne University, he pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied hardboiled detective fiction. This research deepened his appreciation for crime writing and influenced his own work. Later, as Chair of the Division of English and Fine Arts at Alvin Community College, he balanced teaching with writing before retiring in 2002 to focus on his books.
Crider wrote across multiple genres, including mysteries, westerns, and horror, under his name and a pseudonym. His popular series, like the Sheriff Dan Rhodes mysteries, showcased his skill for engaging plots and relatable characters. Though he passed away in 2018, his books remain a testament to his dedication to storytelling.
Writing Career
Bill Crider built a successful career writing mystery novels, most notably his long-running Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. The first book, Too Late to Die, won the 1987 Anthony Award for Best First Novel, launching a beloved series that spanned over 20 novels. He also created other memorable detective series, including the Carl Burns mysteries, the Truman Smith P.I. novels, and the Professor Sally Good books, showcasing his versatility in the genre.
Beyond mysteries, Crider wrote westerns, horror novels under the pen name Jack MacLane, and contributed to the Stone: M.I.A. Hunter series as ‘Jack Buchanan.’ He also penned young adult books, such as A Vampire Named Fred and the Golden Duck Award-winning Mike Gonzo and the UFO Terror. His short stories, collected in The Nighttime is the Right Time, further demonstrated his skill in crafting engaging, fast-paced fiction.
Murder Among the OWLS
Bill Crider’s Murder Among the OWLS was published on January 9, 2007, by Minotaur Books. It is the fourteenth installment in his popular Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery series. The novel continues Crider’s tradition of blending small-town charm with engaging crime-solving.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes knows something’s wrong when his neighbor’s cat, never allowed outside, darts into his house. Finding Helen Harris dead on her kitchen floor, Rhodes questions if her death was truly accidental. Helen was active in the Older Women’s Literary Society (OWLS) and often searched for buried treasures with friends, occasionally finding valuable items. The case grows complex as Rhodes discovers Helen had multiple suitors while dealing with a persistent reporter chasing the story.
This Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery delivers an engaging small-town case with just the right mix of curiosity and charm. Readers will enjoy following the clever feline clue that kicks off this satisfying investigation. The story balances local color with genuine mystery as Rhodes pieces together the puzzle. Fans of cozy crime novels will find this installment thoroughly entertaining.
When Old Men Die
Bill Crider’s When Old Men Die was published on January 1, 1994, by Walker & Company. It is the third installment in his Truman Smith Private Eye series. The novel continues Crider’s tradition of blending hardboiled detective fiction with Texas-set crime storytelling.
Truman Smith reluctantly agrees to help his friend Dino search for a missing man named Outside Harry, despite bad experiences with past missing person cases. His investigation turns dangerous when the first person he questions is murdered and someone shoots at him. These events remind Smith why he dislikes such cases, but he’s now determined to see it through. He vows to uncover Harry’s secrets before it’s too late, committed to protecting the old-timer’s life.
Crider delivers another satisfying Truman Smith mystery with tight pacing and authentic Texas atmosphere. Readers will enjoy the reluctant PI’s dry humor and dogged determination as the case grows more dangerous. The escalating stakes create genuine tension while maintaining the series’ hardboiled charm. Mystery fans will appreciate this solid entry in the private eye genre.
Book Series In Order » Authors »


Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I just finished my first Bill Crider book “Dead, to begin with”. Sherriff Rhodes mystery. Totally enjoyed and intend to find more of Bill Crider’s books to enjoy!
So glad you enjoyed it, Pat!
Bill Crider died of cancer in February 2018. His last Sheriff Dan Rhodes book, That Old Scoundrel Death, was published in February 2019.