Rafferty Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path

If you are ready to dive into the neon-lit, noir-soaked streets of Dallas with Rafferty, the best starting point is undisputedly the very first book: Rafferty's Rules (1987). Reading the series in publication order is highly recommended. The books are mostly episodic detective cases, but starting at the beginning allows you to experience Rafferty’s introduction, watch his long-term relationship with antique shop owner Hilda Gardner develop naturally, and witness the introduction of his dangerous gun-dealing associate, Cowboy, and Cowboy's equally lethal wife, Mimi.

The Complete Publication Order of Rafferty Books

The Rafferty universe is split into two distinct publishing eras. The original run was penned by W. Glenn Duncan in the late 1980s, while the revival era was launched in 2018 by his son, writing as Glenn W. Duncan Jr. (and later credited simply as Bill Duncan). In 2023, the entire series was relaunched and rebranded under the single author name Bill Duncan to unite the legacy of both father and son.

Here is the complete reading order based on the official publication sequence:

1. Rafferty's Rules (1987) – The novel that starts it all. Rafferty is hired to hunt down a biker gang that kidnapped a girl he saved years prior.
2. Last Seen Alive (1987) – Wrongly accused of murder in a small Texas town, Rafferty must clear his name while uncovering a web of local secrets.
3. Poor Dead Cricket (1988) – A case involving a murdered woman draws Rafferty into a dangerous web of corporate cover-ups and environmental conspiracy.
4. Wrong Place, Wrong Time (1989) – Rafferty finds himself caught in the crosshairs of a high-stakes case where timing is everything and survival is not guaranteed.
5. Fatal Sisters (1990) – Rafferty searches for a missing husband, leading him into a lethal maze of deception. This book won the prestigious Shamus Award in 1991.
6. Cannon's Mouth (1990) – Rafferty takes on a gritty case where he must shoot first and ask questions later to survive the Dallas underbelly.
7. False Gods: A Rafferty P.I. Mystery (2018) – The revival book that brought Rafferty into the modern era, penned by W. Glenn Duncan Jr.
8. Wright & Wrong (2020) – A complex case of murder and missing persons that tests Rafferty's classic rules in a changing world.
9. Down The Barrel (2022) – The ninth installment where Rafferty faces down old ghosts and new threats with his trademark sarcasm intact.

Reading Caveats: The 1990 Same-Year Releases

Because both Fatal Sisters and Cannon's Mouth were published in 1990, readers will occasionally find databases and online listings that swap their order. Some bibliographic lists place Cannon's Mouth as Book 5 and Fatal Sisters as Book 6, while other platforms (including the Bookwrapt database) list Fatal Sisters as Book 5 and Cannon's Mouth as Book 6. Fortunately, because of the standalone, episodic nature of these hardboiled mysteries, swapping these two books will not spoil any major overarching plots or character development. You can safely read them in either order, though keeping Fatal Sisters (the Shamus Award winner) close to Cannon's Mouth completes the classic era perfectly.

The Core Elements of Rafferty's Dallas

To truly appreciate this series, readers should understand the elements that made W. Glenn Duncan's creation stand out from other late-1980s detective fiction:

• A Working-Class Protagonist: Standing at 6'2" and weighing 220 pounds, Rafferty is a former cop turned private investigator who describes himself as a "thug." He has no qualms about playing dirty, famously noting that he hasn't fought fair in twenty years.
• Heavy Artillery: Rafferty carries a Colt .38 Cobra in a shoulder holster, backs it up with a military Colt .45 in his car, and keeps a sawed-off Ithaca shotgun in his trunk alongside a collection of garage door openers.
• Hilda Gardner: Unlike many neurotic or helpless noir love interests of the era, Hilda is an independent, smart, and sexy antique store owner who acts as a strong anchor in Rafferty's chaotic life.
• Cowboy and Mimi: Cowboy is a gun shop owner whom Rafferty considers the most dangerous man alive. He is often joined by his wife Mimi, who is short in stature but exceptionally violent, acting as the ultimate backup when things go south.

Spin-offs, Novellas, and Collections

For completionist readers, there are a few extra pieces of Rafferty media to track down:

• Three-in-a-Box (2017): A digital collection that bundles the first three novels (Rafferty's Rules, Last Seen Alive, and Poor Dead Cricket), making it an affordable entry point for newcomers.
• "Show Me the Money" (2021): A standalone novella written by Bill Duncan. This short story is not sold in traditional retail stores and is exclusively available as a promotional gift to members of the official Rafferty Reader Club.

What to Know Before You Start: "Rafferty's Rules" Explained

The title of the first book and the recurring theme of the series is a clever play on words. In Australian rules football (and general Australian slang), the phrase "Rafferty's rules" means "no rules at all" or a state of complete chaos. This is a nod to W. Glenn Duncan's time living in Australia. In the books, Rafferty has a running list of his own personal rules—such as Rule #39: "Smiting the wicked sounds biblical, but mostly it's good clean fun"—which he frequently quotes to justify his unorthodox and often violent methods. The series is highly recommended for fans of Robert B. Parker's Spenser or Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer who want a fast-paced, action-oriented PI story set in the heart of Texas.