Jonathan Kellerman Books in Order - Complete List

Jonathan Kellerman is a New York Times bestselling American author best known for the long-running Alex Delaware series. His novels often draw on his background in clinical psychology.

This page lists all Jonathan Kellerman books in order, including the Alex Delaware series, other series, standalone novels, short stories, and non-fiction books, organized primarily by publication order.

Table of Contents

Latest Jonathan Kellerman Books

**Jigsaw** (Alex Delaware #41), February 2026

Alex Delaware Series (Books in Order)

The Alex Delaware series follows psychologist Alex Delaware as he consults on criminal investigations in Los Angeles.

Reading Order

When The Bough Breaks, 1985
Blood Test, 1986
Over The Edge, 1987
Silent Partner, 1989
Time Bomb, 1990
Private Eyes, 1992
Devil’s Waltz, 1993
Bad Love, 1994
Self-Defense, 1995
The Web, 1996
The Web, 1996 (graphic novel)
The Clinic, 1997
Survival of the Fittest, 1997
Monster, 1999
Doctor Death, 2000
Flesh and Blood, 2001
The Murder Book, 2002
A Cold Heart, 2003
Therapy, 2004
Rage, 2005
Gone, 2006
Obsession, 2007
Compulsion, 2008
Bones, 2008
Evidence, 2009
Deception, 2010
Mystery, 2011
Victims, 2012
Silent Partner, 2012 (graphic novel)
Guilt, 2013
Killer, 2014
Motive, 2015
Breakdown, 2016
Heartbreak Hotel, 2017
Night Moves, 2018
The Wedding Guest, 2019
The Museum of Desire, 2020
Serpentine, 2021
City of the Dead, 2022
Unnatural History, 2023
The Ghost Orchid, 2024
Open Season, 2025
Jigsaw, 2026

Petra Connor Series (Books in Order)

The Petra Connor series follows LAPD detective Petra Connor in a small group of novels that branch off from Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware universe.

Reading Order

Billy Straight, 1998
Twisted, 2004

Detective Jacob Lev Series (Books in Order)

The Detective Jacob Lev series follows detective Jacob Lev in a small series co-authored by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman.

Co-authored with Jesse Kellerman.

Reading Order

The Golem of Hollywood, 2014
The Golem of Paris, 2015

Clay Edison Series (Books in Order)

The Clay Edison series follows former star basketball player, Clay Edison, who now works as a deputy coroner.

Co-authored with Jesse Kellerman.

Reading Order

Standalone Novels

The Butcher’s Theater, 1988
The Conspiracy Club, 2003
Double Homicide, 2004 (with Faye Kellerman)
Capital Crimes, 2006 (with Faye Kellerman)
True Detectives, 2009
The Murderer’s Daughter, 2015

Novellas and Short Stories

The Right Thing to Do, 2015

Short Story Collections and Anthologies

Daddy, Daddy, Can You Touch the Sky?, 1994
Great Writers and Kids Write Mystery Stories, 1996
Murder for Love, 1996
Law and Order, 1997
The Best American Mystery Stories, 1997
Diagnosis Dead, 1999
The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, 2000

Non-Fiction Books

Helping the Fearful Child, 1981
Savage Spawn, 1999
The Best American Crime Reporting, 2008 (with Thomas H Cook and Otto Penzler)
With Strings Attached, 2008
Alex Delaware: A Mysterious Profile, 2022

Jonathan Kellerman Biography

Jonathan Kellerman is an American crime novelist and former clinical psychologist whose work is best known for the Alex Delaware series. He has published more than 40 books since his debut novel When the Dough Breaks in 1985.
Official website: jonathankellerman.com

Born in 1949, in New York City, Jonathan Kellerman later moved to Los Angeles, California where he majored in psychology at the University of California Los Angeles. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 1971, and completed a Ph.D. In Clinical Psychology in 1974 at the University of Southern California.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Jonathan Kellerman worked as an editorial cartoonist, a freelance musician, as well as an editor. Later, he worked as a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, he he specialized in pediatric psychology and oncology. His academic work included research on the psychological effects of serious illness in children, and he later founded the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology within the hospital’s Division of Oncology.

Jonathan Kellerman’s first book was non-fiction titled Psychological Aspects of Childhood Cancer, published in 1980. He transitioned to full-time writing in the mid-1980s. His debut novel was When The Bough Breaks, published in 1985, which became the first book in the Alex Delaware series.

He also co-authored books with his son, Jesse Kellerman, including the Clay Eddison series. He has also written multiple non-fiction books related to psychology and child development.

Jonathan Kellerman is married to the writer Faye Kellerman, and one of his four children, Jesse Kellerman is also an accomplished writer.

The author lives with his family in the Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California.

Jonathan Kellerman Book Adaptations

When the Bough Breaks – adapted into an NBC TV movie (1996)

Jonathan Kellerman Awards and Nominations

Awards

When the Bough Breaks – Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel (1986)
When the Bough Breaks – Anthony Award for Best First Novel (1986)

Nominations and Shortlists

Monster – Shamus Award for Best PI novel (2000)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.