Brian Garfield Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Brian Garfield

With a career spanning over seventy novels under his own name and various pseudonyms, navigating Brian Garfield’s bibliography can seem daunting. For readers new to his work, the best starting point depends entirely on your preferred genre:

• For Thrillers and Suspense: Start with Death Wish (1972). It is his most famous and culturally significant novel, presenting a gritty, grounded look at vengeance that stands in stark contrast to its cinematic adaptations. If you prefer a lighter, more intellectual game of cat-and-mouse, the Edgar Award-winning standalone Hopscotch (1975) is an absolute masterpiece of espionage fiction.
• For Westerns: Start with the Marshal Jeremy Six series, beginning with Mr. Sixgun (originally published in 1964). These books offer a cohesive, episodic look at frontier justice in the Arizona Territory and display Garfield’s mastery of traditional Western tropes.

The Paul Benjamin (Death Wish) Duology

Garfield’s most lasting legacy is the character of Paul Benjamin, a mild-mannered advocate who turns to vigilante justice after a brutal attack on his family. The series consists of two tightly written thrillers that should be read in order of publication:

1. Death Wish (1972) – Introduces Paul Benjamin as he descends into a personal crusade against crime on the streets of New York City.
2. Death Sentence (1975) – Written partly as a response to the Charles Bronson film adaptation (which Garfield felt glorified the violence he intended to critique), this sequel follows Benjamin to Chicago and focuses heavily on the psychological fallout and moral futility of vigilantism.

The Sam Watchman Series

For readers who enjoy crime fiction set in the American Southwest, Garfield created Sam Watchman, a Navajo state trooper working in Arizona. Watchman must navigate complex tribal dynamics, racism, and harsh wilderness conditions while pursuing criminals.

1. Relentless (1972) – Watchman tracks a highly trained band of bank robbers and murderers through a brutal winter blizzard in the Arizona mountains.
2. The Threepersons Hunt (1974) – Watchman is tasked with capturing Joe Threepersons, an escaped Apache prisoner, leading to a complex web of reservation politics and hidden motives.

The Marshal Jeremy Six Series (Spanish Flat)

Originally published under the pen name Brian Wynne (a play on the author’s middle names), this classic Western series centers on Jeremy Six, the pragmatic marshal of Spanish Flat, Arizona. These stories are traditional, action-packed frontier tales that benefit from being read in chronological or publication sequence:

Note: Modern digital and print reissues (dating around 2018–2020) have restored Garfield’s real name to these covers, making them much easier for modern collectors to find.

The Lawbringers Series

This series captures the lawless transition of the Arizona frontier, focusing heavily on historical elements including the formation of the Arizona Rangers. These books were originally published under Garfield’s name as well as his Frank Wynne pseudonym:

1. The Lawbringers (1962) – A fictionalized look at Burton "Cap" Mossman and the birth of the Arizona Rangers.
2. Arizona (1969) – A highly acclaimed frontier historical novel that was nominated for a Golden Spur Award.
3. The Big Snow (1962) – A survival Western set in an isolated mountain town.
4. High Storm (originally published in the 1960s)
5. Vultures in the Sun (1963) – A tense tale of a town plagued by bandits and the lawman brought in to restore order.
6. Call Me Hazard (1966) – Centered on Jason Hazard, a man framed for crimes in Stinking Springs, Arizona.

The Outlaws Series

Originally written under the pseudonym Frank Wynne, this loose collection of Western adventures has been repackaged for modern readers as the Outlaws series. They can be read as standalones, but the publication order is recommended:

1. The Last Outlaw (1964)
2. Dragoon Pass (1963)
3. Arizona Rider (1962)
4. Lynch Law Canyon (1965)
5. The Lusty Breed (1966)

The Cattlemen Series

Similar to the Outlaws, the Cattlemen series brings together early frontier novels written under various pseudonyms (such as Bennett Garland and Frank Wynne) that focus on the rugged cattle drives and range wars of the Southwest:

1. Trail Drive (1964)
2. Rio Chama (1967)
3. Massacre Basin (1961)
4. The Arizonans (1961)

What to Know Before You Start

Brian Garfield was a meticulous researcher, which is particularly evident in his historical fiction and non-fiction. His Pulitzer-finalist history of the Aleutian campaign in World War II, The Thousand-Mile War (1969), is highly recommended for history buffs. Because Garfield wrote during the heyday of the paperback Western market, many of his novels were originally published as "Ace Double" paperbacks under pen names to avoid flooding the market under a single name. When tracking down physical copies, keep an eye out for titles credited to Frank Wynne, Brian Wynne, Bennett Garland, or Alex Hawk.