S.S. Van Dine Books in Order
S.S. Van Dine has written 12 books, published between 1926 and 1939. The first book is The Benson Murder Case (1926) and the newest is The Winter Murder Case (1939). Publication order is the reading order below. All 12 books listed here are in the Philo Vance series, which has its own page: Philo Vance books in order.
- Books
- 12
- Published
- 1926–1939
- Pages on record
- 2,862 in 11 of 12 books
- Reading time
- 48–72 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 2,862 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 11 of 12 titles with a page count on record.
S.S. Van Dine is the pen name of Willard Huntington Wright, an American art critic born 15 October 1888 who died on 11 April 1939. Wright moved in avant-garde cultural circles in New York before the First World War and took the name to hide his identity when he turned to detective novels. Philo Vance, the sleuth and aesthete Wright created, first appeared in The Benson Murder Case (1926) and went on to films and radio. Twelve books run through to The Winter Murder Case (1939), and every title follows one pattern - the Canary, Bishop, Greene, Scarab, Kennel, Casino, Dragon, Garden and Kidnap murder cases.
How many S.S. Van Dine books are there?
S.S. Van Dine has 12 books, released between 1926 and 1939.
S.S. Van Dine Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 12 S.S. Van Dine 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.
- 119262751/4
- 2192711/4
- 319283361/4
- 419282881/4
- 519293281/4
- 619333121/4
- 719343221/4
- 819342831/4
- 91935–1/4
- 1019363161/4
- 1119382271/4
- 1219391741/4
S.S. Van Dine series and characters in order
Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.
- Philo Vance books in order 12 books
- Philo Vance Murder Cases books in order 12 books
Do you have to read S.S. Van Dine books in order?
You only need to read S.S. Van Dine books in order within the Philo Vance series, which holds 12 of the 12 S.S. Van Dine books listed here. The numbered table above gives every book in publication order.
Where to start with S.S. Van Dine
Start with the first book of the S.S. Van Dine series you want to read: Philo Vance starts with The Benson Murder Case (1926) and Philo Vance Murder Cases starts with The Benson Murder Case (1926). The earliest catalogued title overall is The Benson Murder Case (1926).
What is the newest S.S. Van Dine book?
The Winter Murder Case (1939) is the newest S.S. Van Dine book released so far.
Is there a new S.S. Van Dine book coming?
No next S.S. Van Dine book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
S.S. Van Dine at a glance
- Died
- S.S. Van Dine died in 1939, according to Wikidata.
- Last book
- The newest book credited to S.S. Van Dine on record dates from 1939.
- Release pace
- S.S. Van Dine books have appeared about one a year on average.
- Length
- 2,862 pages across the 11 of 12 books with a recorded length, a median of 288 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most S.S. Van Dine books, 7 of 12, were published in the 1930s.
What the S.S. Van Dine books are about
11 of the 12 S.S. Van Dine books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: philo vance (fictitious character) is tagged on 11 of 11. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Philo Vance (Fictitious character) 11 of 11 books
- Private investigators 11 of 11 books
- Mystery & detective 8 of 11 books
- New York (N.Y.) 4 of 11 books
- Vance, philo (fictitious character) 4 of 11 books
- Investigation 3 of 11 books
- Murder 3 of 11 books