Benny Cooperman Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Benny Cooperman

For the best experience, start with the very first novel, The Suicide Murders (1980). This book introduces Benny Cooperman, his fictional hometown of Grantham, Ontario (modeled on St. Catharines), his signature aversion to violence, and his supportive, albeit nosey, family. Reading the series in order is highly recommended to appreciate Benny's evolution as a detective and to trace the real-life medical journey of his creator, Howard Engel.

Benny Cooperman Books in Publication Order

Here is the complete sequence of Benny Cooperman novels and novellas in order of publication. While the core series consists of 12 novels, there are two key novellas that enrich the Cooperman universe:

1. The Suicide Murders (1980)
2. The Ransom Game (1981)
3. Murder on Location (1982)
4. Murder Sees the Light (1984 / 1985)
5. A City Called July (1986)
6. A Victim Must Be Found (1988)
7. Dead And Buried (1990)
8. The Whole Megillah (1991 / 2012) — A special commission novella originally printed for Book City's 15th anniversary.
9. There Was an Old Woman (1993)
10. Getting Away With Murder (1996)
11. My Brother's Keeper (2001) — A crossover novella co-authored with Eric Wright, featuring Inspector Charlie Salter.
12. The Cooperman Variations (2001)
13. Memory Book (2005) — Written after the author suffered a stroke; Benny Cooperman undergoes a parallel head injury.
14. East of Suez (2008)

Crossovers and Special Novellas

Howard Engel wrote two significant shorter works featuring Benny Cooperman that tie into the broader Canadian crime fiction scene:

• The Whole Megillah: First printed in 1991 as a promotional run of 2,000 copies for Toronto's Book City bookstore chain, this story follows Benny to Toronto to solve the theft of an antique Jewish manuscript. It was later widely released digitally and in paperback in 2012.
• My Brother's Keeper: This 2001 novella is a rare crossover co-authored with fellow Canadian mystery novelist Eric Wright. It unites Benny Cooperman with Wright's own famous detective, Charlie Salter, as they search for a missing chief of staff at a Toronto hospital.

Key Reading Caveat: Memory Book

The eleventh novel, Memory Book (2005), holds a unique place in detective fiction. In 2001, Howard Engel suffered a stroke that left him with alexia sine agraphia—meaning he could write, but could no longer read his own words. Rather than retiring, Engel wrote this novel about Benny Cooperman experiencing a matching head injury and trying to solve a murder while dealing with the exact same condition. Because of this profound narrative shift, it is crucial not to skip ahead to Memory Book before familiarizing yourself with Benny’s usual detective methods in the earlier novels.