Black Lizard Books

I’m a huge fan of the Black Lizard imprint from Vintage Books. Some of the very best mysteries are published here, especially in the noir category. The authors include some of the legends–Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ross McDonald, Jim Thompson, James Cain, Eric Ambler, Ruth Rendell, Andrew Vachss, David Goodis, and Charles Williford. Then there are contemporary stars like Henning Mankell, Jeff Lindsey (the Dexter books), Don Winslow, and Joe Lansdale. Not to mention Stieg Larsson, he of the “Dragon Tattoo” blockbusters.

When I cruise used bookstores, I look for the little black lizard along the spine. If I don’t have the book, I get it. Because I’m very rarely disappointed.

Here are the Black Lizard books I’ve read so far. (A bunch more await on my bookshelves at home.)

1. Eric Ambler — A Coffin for Dimitrios
2. Eric Ambler — Epitaph for a Spy
3. Eric Ambler — State of Siege
4. John Burdett — The Last Six Million Seconds
5. James M. Cain — Double Indemnity
6. James M. Cain — The Postman Always Rings Twice
7. James M. Cain — Jealous Woman
8. Paul Cain — Seven Slayers
9. Francis Carco — Perversity
10. Raymond Chandler — The High Window
11. Raymond Chandler — Farewell, My Lovely
12. Raymond Chandler — The Big Sleep
13. Raymond Chandler — The Long Goodbye
14. Raymond Chandler — Trouble Is My Business
15. Raymond Chandler — The Little Sister
16. Raymond Chandler — The Lady in the Lake
17. Raymond Chandler — The Simple Art of Murder
18. Raymond Chandler — Playback
19. James Crumley — The Last Good Kiss
20. James Crumley — The Wrong Case
21. Michael Dibdin — The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
22. Michael Dibdin — Thanksgiving
23. Robert Ferrigno — Flinch: A Novel
24. Robert Ferrigno — Scavenger Hunt
25. Robert Ferrigno — The Wake-Up
26. Dan Fesperman — Small Boat of Great Sorrows
27. Dan Fesperman — Lie in the Dark
28. David Goodis — Black Friday
29. David Goodis — Shoot the Piano Player
30. David Goodis — Night Squad
31. Joe Gores — Spade and Archer
32. Dashiell Hammett — The Continental Op
33. Dashiell Hammett — Red Harvest
34. Dashiell Hammett — The Maltese Falcon
35. Dashiell Hammett — The Thin Man
36. Michael Harvey — The Chicago Way
37. Michael Harvey — The Fifth Floor
38. Michael Harvey — The Third Rail
39. Vicki Hendricks — Miami Purity
40. Carl Hiaasen, Bill Montalbano — Powder Burn
41. Carl Hiaasen, Bill Montalbano — A Death in China
42. Carl Hiaasen, Bill Montalbano — Trapline
43. George Higgins — Cogan’s Trade
44. Patricia Highsmith — The Talented Mr. Ripley
45. Patricia Highsmith–Ripley Under Ground
46. Joe R. Lansdale — Lost Echoes
47. Joe R. Lansdale — Leather Maiden
48. Joe R. Lansdale — Savage Season
49. Joe R. Lansdale — Mucho Mojo
50. Joe R. Lansdale — The Two-Bear Mambo
51. Joe R. Lansdale — The Bottoms
52. Stieg Larsson — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
53. Stieg Larsson — The Girl Who Played with Fire
54. Stieg Larsson — The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
55. Jeff Lindsay — Dearly Devoted Dexter
56. Jeff Lindsay — Darkly Dreaming Dexter
57. Jeff Lindsay — Dexter in the Dark
58. Jeff Lindsay — Dexter by Design
59. Ross Macdonald — The Moving Target
60. Ross Macdonald — The Way Some People Die
61. Ross Macdonald — The Ivory Grin
62. Ross Macdonald — The Galton Case
63. Ross Macdonald — The Wycherly Woman
64. Ross Macdonald — The Chill
65. Ross Macdonald — Black Money
66. Ross Macdonald — The Underground Man
67. Ross Macdonald — The Drowning Pool
68. Henning Mankell — Faceless Killers
69. Henning Mankell — One Step Behind
70. Henning Mankell — The White Lioness
71. Henning Mankell — Firewall
72. Henning Mankell — The Fifth Woman
73. Henning Mankell — The Dogs of Riga
74. Henning Mankell — The Return of the Dancing Master
75. Henning Mankell — Before the Frost
76. Henning Mankell — The Man Who Smiled
77. Henning Mankell — Kennedy’s Brain
78. Henning Mankell — The Pyramid
79. Henning Mankell — Sidetracked
80. Henning Mankell — The Man from Beijing
81. Henning Mankell — The Troubled Man
82. Dan J. Marlowe — Never Live Twice
83. Dan J. Marlowe — The Name of the Game is Death
84. Dan J. Marlowe — Strongarm
85. Gregory Mcdonald — Carioca Fletch
86. Gregory McDonald — The Buck Passes Flynn
87. Gregory McDonald — Flynn’s In
88. Richard Neely — Shattered
89. Jo Nesbo–The Snowman
90. Jo Nesbo–The Leopard
91. Hakan Nesser — Borkmann’s Point
92. Hakan Nesser — The Return:
93. Hakan Nesser — Mind’s Eye
94. Hakan Nesser — Woman with Birthmark
95. Jim Nisbet — The Damned Don’t Die
96. David Peace — Tokyo Year Zero
97. Justin Peacock — A Cure for Night
98. Ruth Rendell — No More Dying Then
99. Ruth Rendell — Some Lie and Some Die
100. Ruth Rendell — A Demon in My View
101. Ruth Rendell — A Judgement in Stone
102. Ruth Rendell — The Lake of Darkness
103. Ruth Rendell — Shake Hands Forever
104. Ruth Rendell — A Sleeping Life
105. Stella Rimington — Secret Asset
106. Bernhard Schlink — Self’s Deception
107. Bernhard Schlink — The Gordion Knot
108. Murray Sinclair — Only in L.A.
109. Murray Sinclair — Tough Luck in L.A.
110. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — Roseanna
111. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — The Man Who Went Up in Smoke
112. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — The Man on the Balcony
113. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — The Laughing Policeman
114. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — Murder at the Savoy
115. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — The Abominable Man
116. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — The Locked Room
117. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — The Fire Engine that Disappeared
118. Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo — Cop Killer
119. April Smith — Judas Horse
120. April Smith — North of Montana
121. Apri Smith — Good Morning, Killer
122. Peter Spiegelman — Black Maps
123. Jason Starr — Hard Feelings
124. Jim Thompson — The Getaway
125. Jim Thompson — The Grifters
126. Jim Thompson — A Hell of a Woman
127. Jim Thompson — Pop. 1280
128. Jim Thompson — The Killer Inside Me
129. Jim Thompson — The Transgressors
130. Jim Thompson — After Dark, My Sweet
131. Jim Thompson — Savage Night
132. Andrew Vachss — Flood
133. Andrew Vachss — Strega
134. Andrew Vachss — Blue Belle
135. Andrew Vachss — Hard Candy
136. Andrew Vachss — Blossom
137. Andrew Vachss — Sacrifice
138. Andrew Vachss — Down in the Zero
139. Andrew Vachss — Footsteps of the Hawk
140. Andrew Vachss — False Allegations
141. Andrew Vachss — Safe House
142. Andrew Vachss — Choice of Evil
143. Andrew Vachss — Dead and Gone
144. Andrew Vachss — Pain Management
145. Andrew Vachss — Only Child
146. Andrew Vachss — Down Here
147. Andrew Vachss — The Getaway Man
148. Andrew Vachss — Shella
149. Andrew Vachss — Mask Market
150. Andrew Vachss — Born Bad
151. Andrew Vachss — Terminal
152. Minette Walters — The Devil’s Feather
153. Lionel White — The Killing
154. Harry Whittington — The Devil Wears Wings
155. Harry Whittington — Fires That Destroy
156. Harry Whittington — A Moment to Prey
157. Charles Willeford — Pick-Up
158. Charles Willeford — The Burnt Orange Heresy
159. Charles Willeford — Cockfighter
160. Charles Willeford — Miami Blues
161. Charles Williams — Hot Spot
162. Don Winslow — The Death and Life of Bobby Z
163. Don Winslow — The Winter of Frankie Machine
164. Don Winslow — Dawn Patrol