Thomas Perry Books In Order – Complete List

Thomas Perry is a bestselling author known for his thirty-one novels, including the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series and The Butcher’s Boy series, which have won him a significant readership and critical praise. He also co-authored two Clive Cussler novels in the Fargo book series.

Here are the Thomas Perry books in order for all his books, series, standalone books, and anthologies.

Latest Thomas Perry Books

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Butcher’s Boy Books in Publication Order

The series focuses on Michael Schaeffer, an anonymous hitman working in Las Vegas and later in England who has been betrayed and hunted by the Mafia.

1. The Butcher’s Boy, 1982
2. Sleeping Dogs, 1992
3. The Informant, 2011
4. Eddie’s Boy, 2020

Jane Whitefield Series in Publication Order

Jane Whitefield is a Native American ‘guide’ who helps people in need disappear.

1. Vanishing Act, 1995
2. Dance for the Dead, 1996
3. Shadow Woman), 1997
4. The Face-Changers), 1998
5. Blood Money, 1999
6. Runner, 2009
7. Poison Flower, 2012
8. A String of Beads, 2015
9. The Left-Handed Twin, 2021

Other Jane Whitefield Books

• Jane Whitefield: A Mysterious Profile, 2022

Jack Till Books in Publication Order

Jack Till is a retired homicide detective with the LAPD, who is now working as a private investigator, working routine, and not-so-routine cases.

1. Silence 2007
2. The Boyfriend, 2013

Sam and Remi Fargo Adventures in Publication Order

series started by Clive Cussler

• The Tombs, 2012 (#4)
• The Mayan Secrets, 2013 (#5)

Standalone Novels in Publication Order

• Metzger’s Dog, 1983
• Big Fish, 1985
• Island, 1987
• Death Benefits, 2001
• Pursuit, 2001
• Dead Aim, 2002
• Nightlife, 2006
• Fidelity, 2008
• Strip, 2010
• Forty Thieves, 2016
• The Old Man, 2017
• The Bomb Maker, 2018
• The Burglar, 2019
• A Small Town, 2019
• Murder Book, 2023
• Hero, 2024
• Pro Bono, 2025

Short Stories in Order of Publication

• The Book of the Lion, 2015 (part of Bibliomysteries)

Anthologies in Order of Publication

• The Killing Spirit: An Anthology of Murder for Hire, 1996
• Secret City, 1997
• A Study in Sherlock, 2011
• Suspense Magazine March 2012, 2012
• Silent Night, Deadly Night, 2016
• Bibliomysteries: Volume Two: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores, 2018
• Christmas Crimes at The Mysterious Bookshop, 2024

Thomas Perry Biography

The author Thomas Perry was born in 1947 in Tonawanda, New York. From a young age, he was interested in stories, be it written or told. He attended Cornell University where he received his B.A. in 1969 and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974.

Over the years he held several jobs, being a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, weapons mechanic, along with being a popular mystery writer and producer of prime-time network television shows (including Simon and Simon, 21 Jump Street, Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Many of these jobs actually helped him gain a lot of knowledge, talent, and relevant skills in his later writing career. For example, based on his TV writing, when he writes dialogue in his books, he write in a way that people can relate to it, i.e. in the way people actually talk.

The debut novel I’ve read by this author was The Butcher’s Boy (followed by Metzger’s Dog), both of which made quite an impression on me at the time. Published in 1982, it was his debut novel, which won an Edgar Award in 1983. When he first wrote the book, he was around the same age as the character in the novel. Around 10 years later, he revisited the character, speculating on how the 10 years changed him and what his new direction in life would be.

In the 1980s, he moved with his family to Los Angeles, which is a city that also features heavily in many of his books. In 1984, both he and his spouse were working at the University of Southern California, when he got a call from an executive from Universal Studios with an offer to write TV scripts.

Then some of the scripts for TV they wrote over the years were Simon & Simon, Sidekicks, The Oldest Rookie, Snoops,  Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, three 21 Jump Street episodes, after which Perry went back to writing book full time.

Reading the Thomas Perry books in order means picking up The Butcher Boy series, which includes 4 books, and his biggest series to date, Jane Whitefield which includes currently 9 books (with the latest novel, The Left-Handed Twin, published in 2021.

To date, I have read most of his books and I recommend them to anyone who loves a good noir crime/thriller (sometimes funny) novel with strong characters that you can easily get attached to. There is also the Jack Till series with two books published to date, and two novels in Clive Cussler’s original Fargo series.

As to my favorite novel written by him, it’s got to be Metzger’s Dog. It is a standalone novel, but I think it was the first book that introduced me to the concept of ‘comic thriller’ and my newfound love for this genre.

The author likes to create seemingly ordinary people with hidden depths. For example in Pro Bono, the main character is rather unassuming and gentle, which makes everyone, including the readers, let their guards down.

When he writes, he doesn’t outline but goes mostly by feel, in a seat-of-the-pants sort of way. The only thing he knows for sure at the beginning is who is in the book and who will still be there at the end.

In 2025, he took place in several interviews, including with Writer’s Digest, CrimeReads, The Big Thrill, and WYSO’s Book Nook. Also, in promoting his book Pro Bono, he had a one-hour Youtube interview with the Tewksbury Public Library, where he mentioned he book’s premise, which basically involves a lawyer with a personal history of financial fraud who was now helping a new client who was facing, just like him before, a similar scheme.

But what I was most interested about was him mentioning here that a new Jane Whitefield novel might be in the works. He also discussed his book adaptation into the two seasons of the same-titled TV series.

The author is married to Jo Perry, who is also a writer.

What Is the Latest Thomas Perry Book?

The latest Thomas Perry novel is Pro Bono, a standalone crime thriller published in January 2025. The story follows Charles Warren, a Los Angeles attorney, who likes to help people in need. Thus, he specializes in recovering stolen, hidden, or embezzled financial assets.

How Many Books Has Thomas Perry Written So Far?

Thomas Perry has written a total of 36 works. These include 4 publications from the Butcher’s Boy series, 2 from Clive Cussler’s Fargo Adventure series, 2 from the Jack Till series, 9 from the Jane Whitefield book series, 17 stand alone novels, 1 short story/novella, 1 from the Mysterious Profiles Series, and 1 from the Bibliomysteries Series.

Thomas Perry Books Adaptations

The Old Man was adapted into an action TV series with the same title featuring Jeff Bridges as Dan Chase, and John Lithgow as Harold Harper. It was developed by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, and it premiered June 16, 2022 on FX, followed by six additional episodes, for a total of seven first-season episodes.

At some point in 2020, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic difficulties and Jeff Bridges’ health issues (cancer treatment), production was put on hold. Later, however, it was restarted.

The series was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2024 from September to October, for a total of 8 episodes. This second season wasn’t without hiccups either, as it was halted when the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike happened. Thus, after two seasons, in December 2024, the series was cancelled.

Thomas Perry Awards and Nominations

• The Butcher’s Boy was nominated for the New Blood Dagger Award in 1982. It also won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from Mystery Writers of America in 1983
• Death Benefits and Pursuit won a Gumshoe Award in 2002
• Silence was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller in 2008
• The Informant was nominated for the Hammett Prize for Best Crime Novel in 2011
• The Informant won the Barry Award for Best Thriller in 2012
• The Old Man was nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller and for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel in 2018
• Eddie’s Boy won the Barry Award for Best Thriller in 2021
• Vanishing Act was added to Parade’s list of “101 Best Mystery Books of All Time” in 2021 and was chosen as one of the “100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century” by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association
• The Burglar was nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller in 2020
• Perry was honored with the Founders Award at the Tucson Festival of Books, recognizing his significant contributions to literature, in 2022
• Murder book was nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Novel in 2024