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
Too Late to Die | (1986) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Shotgun Saturday Night | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Cursed to Death | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Death on the Move | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Evil at the Root | (1990) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Booked for a Hanging | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder Most Fowl | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Winning Can Be Murder | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Death by Accident | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Ghost of a Chance | (2000) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Romantic Way to Die | (2001) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Red, White, and Blue Murder | (2003) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Mammoth Murder | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder Among the OWLS | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Of All Sad Words | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder in Four Parts | (2009) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder in the Air | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Wild Hog Murders | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Compound Murder | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Half in Love with Artful Death | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Between the Living and the Dead | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Survivors Will Be Shot Again | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dead, to Begin With | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
That Old Scoundrel Death | (2019) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Sheriff Dan Rhodes Collections
Publication Order of Carl Burns Books
One Dead Dean | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dying Voices | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Dangerous Thing | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dead Soldiers | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Truman Smith Private Eye Books
Dead on the Island | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Gator Kill | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
When Old Men Die | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Prairie Chicken Kill | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder Takes a Break | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Mike Gonzo Books
Mike Gonzo and the Almost Invisible Man | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mike Gonzo and the Sewer Monster | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mike Gonzo and the UFO Terror | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Stanley Waters Books
Murder Under Blue Skies | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder in the Mist | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Professor Sally Good Books
Murder is an Art | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Knife In The Back | (2002) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Bond with Death | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Humphrey Bogart Books
Publication Order of Ted Stephens Books
Houston Homicide | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mississippi Vivian | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Ellie Taine Books
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Ryan Rides Back | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Keepers of the Beast | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Galveston Gunman | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Goodnight Moom | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Blood Dreams | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Time for Hanging | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Rest in Peace | (1990) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Medicine Show | (1990) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Vampire Named Fred | (1990) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Just Before Dark | (1990) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Blood Marks | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Texas Capitol Murders | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Girl Who Wanted to Be Sherlock Holmes | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
My Heart Cries For You | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
How I Found a Cat, Lost True Love, and Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo | (1995) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
At the Hop | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Chocolate Moose | (2001) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Death's Brother | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
What a Croc! | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Werewolf Named Wayne | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Cranked | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
The Nighttime is the Right Time | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Raining Willie & Cranked | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
I am a Roving Gambler | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Eight Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Adventures of Wishbone Books
The Prince and the Pooch | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Hunchdog of Notre Dame | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Mutt in the Iron Muzzle | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Salty Dog | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Be a Wolf! | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Robinhound Crusoe | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Digging Up the Past | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Muttketeer! | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Pawlioned Paper | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Tale of Two Sitters | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dog Overboard! | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Pup in King Arthur's Court | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Moby Dog | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Homer Sweet Homer | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Dog | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Last of the Breed | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Digging to the Center of the Earth | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Terrier of the Lost Mines | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Gullifur's Travels | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Ivanhound | (2000) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Huckleberry Dog | (2000) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of The Dead Man Books
The Death Match | (0) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Face of Evil | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Ring of Knives | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Hell In Heaven | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Dead Woman | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Blood Mesa | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Dead Woman | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Kill Them All | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Beast Within | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Fire and Ice | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Carnival of Death | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Freaks Must Die | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Slaves to Evil | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Midnight Special | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Death Match | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Black Death | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Killing Floor | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Colder than Hell | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Evil to Burn | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Dead Man Vol 5: The Death Match, The Black Death, and The Killing Floor | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Streets of Blood | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Crucible of Fire | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Dark Need | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Rising Dead | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Reborn | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Anthologies
Obsessions | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dark Destiny II: Proprietors of Fate | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Truth Until Paradox | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dark Destiny | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Partners in Crime | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
How the West Was Read, Volume 2 | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
White House Horrors | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Holmes for the Holidays | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Once Upon a Crime | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Best of the American West II | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
More Holmes for the Holidays | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder, Mayhem and Mistletoe | (2001) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Death Dines at 8:30 | (2001) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 3 | (2002) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Murder, My Dear Watson | (2002) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 4 | (2003) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Cross Plains Universe | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Spider Chronicles | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Many Bloody Returns | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Gift of Murder | (2009) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Discount Noir | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Beat to a Pulp: Round 2 | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Lone Ranger Chronicles | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Wolf Creek: Kiowa Vengeance | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Showdown at Demon's Drop | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dead But Not Forgotten | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part II: 1890 to 1895 | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Nine Deadly Lives: An Anthology of Feline Felonies | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Tales from the Otherverse | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Sherlock Holmes The Lady on the Bridge and other Stories | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Crime Cafe Short Story Anthology | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Silent Night, Deadly Night | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Further Crossovers of Sherlock Holmes | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Down & Out: The Magazine Volume 1 Issue 2 | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Down and Out the Magazine, Vol 2, Issue 2 | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Bill Crider was one of the best mystery novel authors in America today. His work has won different awards like the Antony award (1987) for the best first novel. He is the author of multiple book series such as The Carl Burns series, Truman Smith series, Stanley Waters Sires, and the sally good sires. His books are filled with neck gripping suspense, something that will keep you craving for more.
Bill passed in February 2018 of cancer.
Early life
Bill Crider was born in Texas, Mexia (1941). He attended the university of Texas at Austin where he attained his undergraduate degree. He later went to the university of North Texas where he received his Masters in Arts Literature. Teaching has been his love. He taught English at the Howard Payne University for 12 years before writing a dissertation on the hard-boiled detective novel that earned him a PHD at the Texas University at Austin. After earning his degree, he moved his family to Alvin in Texas. Here he served as the chair of the Of Division English and fine arts at the AVIN community collage. He retired in 2003 to focus more on his writing career. This led him to establishing himself as a full term writer. He is the author of Professor Sally Good Sires, the Sheriff Dan Rhodes, Truman Smith PI series, books that he wrote under the pen name Jack Buchanan. In this article, I am going to sample some of his characters and books from his series. He has written very many mystery books, it is difficult to write a complete review of all his books so I will choose randomly.
Professor Carl Burns Series.
This series is based on the life of professor Carl Burns, A college tutor at the local Gorman collage. In Bill Crider’s book, “A dangerous thing”, Professor Carl Burns knows that the dean will to going to get worked up when she bought her two goats. This is the least problem in the dean’s mind since the school is being attacked. The attack is from political forces. The dean is new on top of being a hippie. The new dean comes with new policies and ideas, courses have to be rewritten, everyone has to watch their manners, unless they want to step on the dean’s toes, something that will have to be paid for dearly. Every one was expecting Burns to be the next dean since she was the most qualified candidate. The drama thickens as Tom Henderson’s falls through the window and sustained fatal injuries. This was not part of the curriculum and leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Burns takes it upon himself to figure out who did it, as this was far more interesting than grading boring developmental papers for his English class. Through this series, Bill Crider manages to shed some light on the daily life of a collage professor. He manages to show the world that being a professor is more that wearing an oxford sweater, some geeky glasses and spending your entire life in a library. He makes being a proffesor fun!
PI Truman Series.
This series is based on the life and adventures of one Galveston PI Truman Smith. He is a private detective and in the fourth book of the series “When old men die”, he is hired by his old high school class mate, the unpleasant Lance Garrison, to investigate the shooting incident involving a prairie chicken in his federally protected estate. Though Smith is reluctant to accept the assignment, his defenses crumple and he undertakes to uncover the secrets behind the shooting. The main reason why smith accepts the assignment is because his high school lover, Anne Lindeman is now living in Picket Ville. The prime suspect of the shooting is an anti government talk-radio host, Ralph Evans who airs his concerns for endangered species by advertising a spotted Owl in A can. The plot thickens when Smith and Red Lindeman get shot at as they explore the scene of chime. Red is Anne’s father in law. The owner of the radio station where Ralph works, who is Anne’s husband, is shot to death. A local bird watcher, Martin York is charged with the murder by the police chief Ward Peavey. Things begin falling in place when Smith discovers that a number of prisoners have already died in wards cell. He discovers deception, lies and treachery.
For those looking for a good book to read, a book to keep you glued to its pages from beginning to the end, the Crider is the man to read. He manages to weave suspense, reality and irony in his books. His hero’s are as smart and sharp as they come. He will keep you smiling with his Texas talk. Each new Crider book comes out better than the last, the characters more developed, the plot and setting more defined and the scene more realistic. He will give you one mean murder story that will end with the hero walking tall or even sometimes crawling! That is how unpredictable Crider is. His books are faced paced; he manages to leave the reader breathless as he takes you through the daily adventures of his heroes. He also has a very good command of the English language. His sentences are well structured with a musical touch. You will find your self-singing along instead of reading.
Book Series In Order » Authors »
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.