Order of Book Series
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James Preller Books in Order

James Preller has written 38 books, published between 1998 and 2019. The first book is The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster (1998) and the newest is The Case of the Hat Burglar (2019). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
38
Published
1998–2019
Total pages
3,021 across 38 books
Reading time
50–76 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 3,021 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute.

See all 38 books in order Printable James Preller checklist

James Preller writes for readers in grades 1 to 3, and the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries are the core of the list: most titles begin The Case of, from The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster (1998) to The Case of the Hat Burglar (2019). Preller worked as a copywriter at Scholastic before publishing his first book in 1986, and has used the pen names Mitzy Kafka, James Patrick and Izzy Bonkers. Bystander and Six Innings sit outside the mystery series. The 38 catalogued books run to a median of 74 pages.

Theodore "Jigsaw" Jones, the protagonist of James Preller's Jigsaw Jones Mysteries, solves small mysteries with his best friend Mila Yeh in and around their school and neighborhood.

How many James Preller books are there?

James Preller has 38 books, released between 1998 and 2019.

James Preller Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 38 James Preller books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of The Case of the Christmas Snowman by James Preller (1998)
  2. Cover of The Case of the Secret Valentine by James Preller (1999)
  3. Cover of The Case of the Spooky Sleepover by James Preller (1999)
  4. Cover of The Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards by James Preller (1999)
  5. Cover of The Case of the Mummy Mystery by James Preller (1999)
  6. Cover of The Case of the Runaway Dog by James Preller (1999)
  7. Cover of The Case of the Great Sled Race by James Preller (2000)
  8. Cover of The Case of the Stinky Science Project by James Preller (2000)
  9. Cover of The Case of the Ghostwriter by James Preller (2000)
  10. Cover of The Case of the Marshmallow Monster by James Preller (2000)
  11. Cover of The Case Of The Class Clown by James Preller (2000)
  12. Cover of The Case of the Detective In Disguise by James Preller (2001)
  13. Cover of The Case of the Bicycle Bandit by James Preller (2001)
  14. Cover of The Case of the Sneaker Sneak by James Preller (2001)
  15. Cover of The Case Of The Disappearing Dinosaur by James Preller (2002)
  16. Cover of The Case of The Bear Scare by James Preller (2002)
  17. Cover of The Case Of The Golden Key by James Preller (2002)
  18. Cover of The Case Of The Buried Treasure (Super Special 1) by James Preller (2002)
  19. Cover of The Case of the Million Dollar Mystery (Super Special 2) by James Preller (2002)
  20. Cover of The Case of the Race Against Time by James Preller (2003)
  21. Cover of The Case of the Rainy Day Mystery by James Preller (2003)
  22. Cover of The Case Of The Best Pet Ever by James Preller (2003)
  23. Cover of The Case of the Perfect Prank by James Preller (2004)
  24. Cover of The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost by James Preller (2004)
  1. 1
    The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster1998 · 76 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199876
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Case of the Christmas Snowman1998 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199874
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The Case of the Secret Valentine1999 · 76 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199976
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Case of the Spooky Sleepover1999 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199974
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards1999 · 73 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199973
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Case of the Mummy Mystery1999 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199974
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Case of the Runaway Dog1999 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199974
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Case of the Great Sled Race2000 · 72 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200072
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Case of the Stinky Science Project2000 · 80 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200080
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    The Case of the Ghostwriter2000 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200074
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    The Case of the Marshmallow Monster2000 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200074
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The Case Of The Class Clown2000 · 73 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200073
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    The Case of the Detective In Disguise2001 · 72 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200172
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    The Case of the Bicycle Bandit2001 · 74 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200174
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    The Case of the Haunted Scarecrow2001 · 72 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200172
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    The Case of the Sneaker Sneak2001 · 76 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200176
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    The Case Of The Disappearing Dinosaur2002 · 79 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200279
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    The Case of The Bear Scare2002 · 72 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200272
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    The Case Of The Golden Key2002 · 72 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200272
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    The Case Of The Buried Treasure (Super Special 1)2002 · 106 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2002106
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    The Case of the Million Dollar Mystery (Super Special 2)2002 · 106 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2002106
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    The Case of the Race Against Time2003 · 84 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    The Case of the Rainy Day Mystery2003 · 71 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200371
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    The Case Of The Best Pet Ever2003 · 71 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200371
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    The Case of the Perfect Prank2004 · 66 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200466
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost2004 · 70 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200470
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    The Case of the Vanishing Painting2004 · 78 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200478
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    The Case of the Missing Falcon (Super Special 3)2004 · 103 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2004103
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    The Case of the Double Trouble Detectives2005 · 79 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200579
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    The Case of the Frog-jumping Contest2005 · 73 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200573
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  31. 31
    The Case of the Food Fight2005 · 75 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200575
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  32. 32
    The Case of the Snowboarding Superstar2005 · 71 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200571
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  33. 33
    The Case of the Santa Claus Mystery (Super Special 4)2006 · 101 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2006101
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  34. 34
    Jigsaw Jones' Detective Tips2006 · 112 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2006112
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  35. 35
    The Case of the Kidnapped Candy2007 · 72 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200772
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  36. 36
    The Case Of The Spoiled Rotten Spy2007 · 80 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200780
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  37. 37
    The Case Of The Groaning Ghost2007 · 96 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200796
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  38. 38
    The Case of the Hat Burglar2019 · 96 pages · confirmed 1/4
    201996
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

James Preller books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Standalone books

38 books

38 James Preller titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read James Preller books in order?

No. No source lists any of the 38 James Preller books here as part of a series. The numbered table above gives them by publication date.

Where to start with James Preller

Start with The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster (1998), the earliest published title.

What is the newest James Preller book?

The Case of the Hat Burglar (2019) is the newest James Preller book released so far.

Is there a new James Preller book coming?

No next James Preller book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

James Preller at a glance

No recent titles
The newest James Preller title on record dates from 2019, 7 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
James Preller books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
3,021 pages across all 38 books with a recorded length, a median of 74 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most James Preller books, 30 of 38, were published in the 2000s.

What the James Preller books are about

37 of the 38 James Preller books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: mystery & detective is tagged on 36 of 37. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.