Order of Book Series
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Ralph Compton Books in Order

Ralph Compton has written 72 books, published between 1992 and 2022. The first book is The Goodnight Trail (1992) and the newest is Stagecoach Revenge (2022). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
72
Published
1992–2022
Confirmed
72 of 72 titles
Pages on record
13,280 in 38 of 72 books
Reading time
221–332 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 13,280 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 38 of 72 titles with a page count on record.

See all 72 books in order Printable Ralph Compton checklist

Ralph Compton is the name on 72 catalogued Western novels published between 1992 and 2022. The Goodnight Trail (1992) opens the run, which continues through The Western Trail (1992), The Bandera Trail and The Chisholm Trail (1993), and closes with Stagecoach Revenge (2022). Subject tags cover Western stories, cattle drives and cattle trails, outlaws, revenge and historical fiction. Trail Drive and Sundown Riders are recurring headings, alongside Gunfighter, Border Empire, Danny Duggin and the Buck Fletcher Series. The Ralph Compton listing is dormant.

How many Ralph Compton books are there?

Ralph Compton has 72 books, released between 1992 and 2022. They include 5 separate series.

Ralph Compton Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 72 Ralph Compton 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 Goodnight Trail by Ralph Compton, book 1 of the Trail Drive series (1992)
  2. Cover of The Western Trail by Ralph Compton, book 2 of the Trail Drive series (1992)
  3. Cover of The Chisholm Trail by Ralph Compton, book 3 of the Trail Drive series (1993)
  4. Cover of The Bandera Trail by Ralph Compton, book 4 of the Trail Drive series (1993)
  5. Cover of The California Trail by Ralph Compton, book 5 of the Trail Drive series (1994)
  6. Cover of The Shawnee Trail by Ralph Compton, book 6 of the Trail Drive series (1994)
  7. Cover of The Dawn of Fury by Ralph Compton, book 1 of the Trail of the Gunfighter series (1995)
  8. Cover of The Dodge City Trail by Ralph Compton, book 8 of the Trail Drive series (1995)
  9. Cover of The Oregon Trail by Ralph Compton, book 9 of the Trail Drive series (1995)
  10. Cover of The Killing Season by Ralph Compton, book 2 of the Trail of the Gunfighter series (1996)
  11. Cover of Autumn of the Gun by Ralph Compton, book 3 of the Trail of the Gunfighter series (1996)
  12. Cover of The Border Empire by Ralph Compton, book 1 of the Border Empire series (1997)
  13. Cover of The Santa Fe Trail by Ralph Compton, book 10 of the Trail Drive series (1997)
  14. Cover of Six guns and Double Eagles by Ralph Compton, book 2 of the Border Empire series (1998)
  15. Cover of Train to Durango by Ralph Compton, book 3 of the Border Empire series (1998)
  16. Cover of The Old Spanish Trail by Ralph Compton, book 11 of the Trail Drive series (1998)
  17. Cover of Death Rides a Chestnut Mare by Ralph Compton, book 1 of the Danny Duggin series (1999)
  18. Cover of The Green River Trail by Ralph Compton, book 12 of the Trail Drive series (1999)
  19. Cover of The Deadwood Trail by Ralph Compton, book 13 of the Trail Drive series (1999)
  20. Cover of The Shadow of a Noose by Ralph Compton, book 2 of the Danny Duggin series (2000)
  21. Cover of Riders of Judgement by Ralph Compton, book 3 of the Danny Duggin series (2001)
  22. Cover of Doomsday Rider by Ralph Compton, book 1 of the Buck Fletcher Series (2003)
  23. Cover of Showdown at Two-Bit Creek by Ralph Compton, book 2 of the Buck Fletcher Series (2003)
  24. Cover of Death Along the Cimarron by Ralph Compton, book 4 of the Danny Duggin series (2003)
  1. 1
    The Goodnight TrailTrail Drive #11992 · 368 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1992368
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Western TrailTrail Drive #21992 · 368 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1992368
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The Chisholm TrailTrail Drive #31993 · 364 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1993364
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Bandera TrailTrail Drive #41993 · 359 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1993359
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The California TrailTrail Drive #51994 · 384 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1994384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Shawnee TrailTrail Drive #61994 · 368 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1994368
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Virginia City TrailTrail Drive #71994 · 339 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1994339
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Dawn of FuryTrail of the Gunfighter #11995 · 496 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1995496
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Dodge City TrailTrail Drive #81995 · 337 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1995337
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    The Oregon TrailTrail Drive #91995 · 336 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1995336
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    North To The BitterrootSundown Riders #11996 · confirmed 3/4
    1996–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The Killing SeasonTrail of the Gunfighter #21996 · 448 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1996448
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Autumn of the GunTrail of the Gunfighter #31996 · 432 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1996432
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    The Border EmpireBorder Empire #11997 · 346 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1997346
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    The Santa Fe TrailTrail Drive #101997 · 320 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1997320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Six guns and Double EaglesBorder Empire #21998 · 352 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1998352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Train to DurangoBorder Empire #31998 · 320 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1998320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    The Old Spanish TrailTrail Drive #111998 · 288 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1998288
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Death Rides a Chestnut MareDanny Duggin #11999 · 320 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1999320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    The Green River TrailTrail Drive #121999 · 292 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1999292
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    The Deadwood TrailTrail Drive #131999 · 289 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1999289
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    The Shadow of a NooseDanny Duggin #22000 · 311 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2000311
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Riders of JudgementDanny Duggin #32001 · 314 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2001314
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Runaway StageSundown Riders #32002 · confirmed 3/4
    2002–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Doomsday RiderBuck Fletcher Series #12003 · 376 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2003376
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Showdown at Two-Bit CreekBuck Fletcher Series #22003 · 413 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2003413
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Death Along the CimarronDanny Duggin #42003 · 424 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2003424
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Vengeance RiderBuck Fletcher Series #32004 · 278 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2004278
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Nowhere, TXSundown Riders #52004 · confirmed 3/4
    2004–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Across the Rio ColoradoSundown Riders #62004 · confirmed 3/4
    2004–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Ralph Compton 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.

Gunfighter in order

20 books
  1. 1. Reunion in Hell
  2. 2. Blood of the Hunters
  3. 3. Broken Rider
  4. 4. Return to Gila Bend
  5. 5. Death Valley Drifter
  6. 6. Ride for Justice
  7. 7. Ride the Hammer Down
  8. 8. Frontier Medicine
  9. 9. Face of a Snake
  10. 10. Dalton's Justice
  11. 11. Shot to Hell
  12. 12. Hell Snake
  13. and 8 more in the table above

Trail Drive in order

15 books
  1. 1. The Goodnight Trail
  2. 2. The Western Trail
  3. 3. The Chisholm Trail
  4. 4. The Bandera Trail
  5. 5. The California Trail
  6. 6. The Shawnee Trail
  7. 7. The Virginia City Trail
  8. 8. The Dodge City Trail
  9. 9. The Oregon Trail
  10. 10. The Santa Fe Trail
  11. 11. The Old Spanish Trail
  12. 12. The Green River Trail
  13. and 3 more in the table above

Ralph Compton Western in order

15 books
  1. 6. Texas Empire
  2. 7. By the Horns
  3. 13. Blood Duel
  4. 14. Death of a Bad Man
  5. 16. Blood on the Gallows
  6. 17. Bullet for a Bad Man
  7. 18. The Convict Trail
  8. 20. Rawhide Flat
  9. 24. Stryker's Revenge
  10. 25. Death of a Hangman
  11. 35. One Man's Fire
  12. 38. Brimstone Trail
  13. and 3 more in the table above

Sundown Riders in order

9 books
  1. 1. North To The Bitterroot
  2. 3. Runaway Stage
  3. 5. Nowhere, TX
  4. 6. Across the Rio Colorado
  5. 8. The Winchester Run
  6. 9. Whiskey River
  7. 10. Skeleton Lode
  8. 11. Devil's Canyon
  9. 22. Flames of Silver

Danny Duggin in order

4 books
  1. 1. Death Rides a Chestnut Mare
  2. 2. The Shadow of a Noose
  3. 3. Riders of Judgement
  4. 4. Death Along the Cimarron

Trail of the Gunfighter in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Dawn of Fury
  2. 2. The Killing Season
  3. 3. Autumn of the Gun

Border Empire in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Border Empire
  2. 2. Six guns and Double Eagles
  3. 3. Train to Durango

Buck Fletcher Series in order

3 books
  1. 1. Doomsday Rider
  2. 2. Showdown at Two-Bit Creek
  3. 3. Vengeance Rider

Do you have to read Ralph Compton books in order?

You only need to read Ralph Compton books in order within each series: the books listed here span 5 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Ralph Compton

Start with The Goodnight Trail (1992), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Ralph Compton book?

Stagecoach Revenge (2022) is the newest Ralph Compton book released so far.

Is there a new Ralph Compton book coming?

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

Ralph Compton at a glance

Paused
No new Ralph Compton title has appeared for 4 years. The last was published in 2022.
Release pace
Ralph Compton books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
13,280 pages across the 38 of 72 books with a recorded length, a median of 342 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Ralph Compton books, 23 of 72, were published in the 2020s.

What the Ralph Compton books are about

41 of the 72 Ralph Compton books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: westerns is tagged on 31 of 41. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.