Books On Board
series Reading Order

Crang Books in Order

7 Books
1987 – 2017 Published
Jump to reading order
Affiliate links: We may earn a commission on purchases made at no extra cost to you.
Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

For the best experience, readers should follow the Crang mystery series in publication order. Because the narrative progresses chronologically alongside real-world decades, reading them in order allows you to see both Crang's personal life and the city of Toronto evolve over time.

Crang Publication Order

The series consists of seven novels published across two distinct eras:

  • Crang Plays the Ace (1987) – Crang investigates a shady waste-management firm and gets pulled into a web of fraud and murder.
  • Straight No Chaser (1989) – A search for a missing jazz saxophonist leads Crang into the local jazz scene (Nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award).
  • Riviera Blues (1990) – Crang and his girlfriend Annie travel to the French Riviera, only to get caught up in a high-society fraud scheme.
  • Blood Count (1991) – Crang investigates the murder of a close friend, navigating Toronto's hidden gay community during the early 1990s AIDS crisis.
  • Take Five (2013) – Marking the series' revival, Crang tracks down a client who skipped sentencing in a massive marijuana cultivation case.
  • Keeper of the Flame (2016) – Crang is blackmailed by a rising hip-hop star over old offensive lyrics, uncovering a dangerous extortion ring.
  • Booking In (2017) – Crang enters the world of rare book forgery to find stolen first editions of Jane Austen novels.

Chronological Caveats and the 22-Year Gap

The chronological order of the series matches the publication order exactly. However, there is a notable 22-year gap in publication between Blood Count (1991) and Take Five (2013). When the series resumed in the 2010s, Jack Batten successfully updated Crang's world to reflect modern technology, cell phones, and contemporary music scenes (like hip-hop in Keeper of the Flame), while maintaining Crang's signature old-school love of jazz and Polish vodka. Starting with the first book ensures you appreciate this transition.

Frequently Asked

QWhere should I start reading the Crang series?

You should start with the first novel, Crang Plays the Ace (1987), to properly introduce yourself to the character and his core relationships.

QHow many Crang books did Jack Batten write?

Jack Batten wrote seven Crang mystery novels in total, starting in 1987 and concluding the run with Booking In in 2017.

QWhy is there a large publication gap in the series?

Author Jack Batten took a 22-year hiatus from the character after 1991's Blood Count to focus on non-fiction writing, returning to revive Crang in 2013 with Take Five.

QAre the Crang books set in a real city?

Yes, the books are heavily set in Toronto, Canada, featuring real neighborhoods like Kensington Market and Forest Hill as integral parts of the stories.

QWho is the protagonist of the series?

The protagonist is Crang (who goes only by his last name), a witty, jazz-loving criminal defense attorney who often acts more like a private investigator.