Order of James Sallis Books
James Sallis is an American author best known for writing and creating the Lew Griffin series of books. He is also the author of Drive which was later adapted into a film that was recognized at the Cannes film festival.
James grew up in Arkansas on the banks of Mississippi. His brother, John, is a philosopher who has also published numerous books. In addition to writing, James worked as a reviewer for numerous periodicals over the years. Sallis is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from Bouchercon, the Hammett Award for literary excellence in crime writing, and the Grand Prix de Littérature policière
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Publication Order of Lew Griffin Books
| The Long-Legged Fly | (1992) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Moth | (1993) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Black Hornet | (1994) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Eye of the Cricket | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Bluebottle | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Ghost of a Flea | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Turner Books
| Cypress Grove | (2003) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Cripple Creek | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Salt River | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Drive Books
| Drive | (2005) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Driven | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Renderings | (1995) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Death Will Have Your Eyes | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Killer Is Dying | (2011) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Others of My Kind | (2013) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Willnot | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Sarah Jane | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
| More Light | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| What You Were Fighting For | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Collections
| Sorrow's Kitchen Poems | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Time's Hammers: The Collected Short Fiction of James Sallis | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| A City Equal to My Desire | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Limits of the Sensible World | (2003) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Potato Tree | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Rain's Eagerness | (2013) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Black Night's Gonna Catch Me Here | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Night's Pardons | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Dayenu and Other Stories | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Bright Segments: The Complete Short Fiction | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
| The Guitar Players: One Instrument and Its Masters in American Music | (1982) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Guitar in Jazz: An Anthology | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Ash of Stars | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Difficult Lives | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Gently into the Land of the Meateaters | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Chester Himes: A Life | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Difficult Lives Hitching Rides | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Akashic Noir Books
Publication Order of Anthologies
If You Like James Sallis Books, You’ll Love…
Drive is the book by Sallis that later became a hit movie starring Ryan Gosling. The book tells the story of Driver, a man who does stunt driving by day and then spends his night driving for criminals. He’s one of the best drivers you will ever see as he maintains laser focus on the job and lives completely in the moment. He doesn’t participate in violence, he just drives, but when he is double-crossed by those who hired him for a job – he will end up breaking that rule.
Sallis is also the author of Sarah Jane. The title character has a complicated history, but she doesn’t let that get in the way of being a good cop. This book is an interesting character study as it covers Sarah’s life from her early days on the chicken farm, to running away, to a stint in the army, and a failed marriage. Ultimately, the story leads her to how she become the sheriff of this small town and her investigation into the disappearance of the sheriff she replaced. This is another classic noir from Sallis that tells of the tender aspects of human nature.