Order of Book Series
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Adam Steele Books in Order

Adam Steele by Terry Harknett contains 49 books, published between 1974 and 1989. The first book is The Violent Peace (1974) and the newest is The Long Shadow (1989). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
49
Published
1974–1989
Pages on record
2,480 in 16 of 49 books
See all 49 books in order Printable Adam Steele checklist

Adam Steele is a western series that ran to 49 books between 1974 and 1989. The Violent Peace (1974) opens the sequence and The Long Shadow (1989) closes it. Titles such as Bounty Hunter, Hell's Junction, Valley of Blood, Gun Run and Comanche Carnage mark out the violent register of the run. The median volume runs 160 pages, and the 1980s were the heaviest decade.

How many Adam Steele books are there?

Adam Steele has 49 books, released between 1974 and 1989.

Adam Steele Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 49 Adam Steele 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 Runaway by Terry Harknett, book 34 of the Adam Steele series (1983)
  2. Cover of Stranger in a Strange Town by Terry Harknett, book 35 of the Adam Steele series (1983)
  3. Cover of Rough Justice by Terry Harknett, book 39 of the Adam Steele series (1985)
  4. Cover of Sunset Ride by Terry Harknett, book 40 of the Adam Steele series (1986)
  5. Cover of The Big Gunfight by Terry Harknett, book 42 of the Adam Steele series (1987)
  6. Cover of The Outcasts by Terry Harknett, book 45 of the Adam Steele series (1987)
  1. 1
    The Violent Peace1974 · confirmed 2/4
    1974–
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  2. 2
    Bounty Hunter1974 · confirmed 2/4
    1974–
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  3. 3
    Hell's Junction1974 · confirmed 2/4
    1974–
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  4. 4
    Valley of Blood1975 · confirmed 2/4
    1975–
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  5. 5
    Gun Run1975 · confirmed 2/4
    1975–
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  6. 6
    The Killing Art1975 · confirmed 2/4
    1975–
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  7. 7
    Cross-Fire1976 · confirmed 2/4
    1976–
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  8. 8
    Comanche Carnage1976 · confirmed 2/4
    1976–
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  9. 9
    Badge in the Dust1976 · confirmed 2/4
    1976–
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  10. 10
    The Losers1976 · confirmed 2/4
    1976–
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  11. 11
    Lynch Town1976 · confirmed 2/4
    1976–
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  12. 12
    Death Trail1977 · confirmed 2/4
    1977–
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  13. 13
    Bloody Border1977 · confirmed 2/4
    1977–
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  14. 14
    Delta Duel1977 · confirmed 2/4
    1977–
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  15. 15
    River of Death1977 · confirmed 2/4
    1977–
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  16. 16
    Nightmare at Noon1978 · confirmed 2/4
    1978–
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  17. 17
    Satan's Daughters1978 · confirmed 2/4
    1978–
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  18. 18
    The Hard Way1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
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  19. 19
    The Tarnished Star1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
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  20. 20
    Wanted for Murder1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
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  21. 21
    Wagons East1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
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  22. 22
    The Big Game1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
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  23. 23
    Fort Despair1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
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  24. 24
    Manhunt1980 · confirmed 2/4
    1980–
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  25. 25
    Steele's War: The Woman1980 · confirmed 2/4
    1980–
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  26. 26
    Steele's War: The Preacher1980 · confirmed 2/4
    1980–
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  27. 27
    Steele's War: The Storekeeper1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
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  28. 28
    Steele's War: The Stranger1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
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  29. 29
    The Big Prize1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
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  30. 30
    The Killer Mountains1982 · confirmed 2/4
    1982–
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Is there a chronological order for Adam Steele?

No separate chronological order is on record for Adam Steele, because none of the book listings this catalogue draws on publishes one; the publication order above is the only order given.

Do you have to read Adam Steele books in order?

You should read the Adam Steele books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Adam Steele book also stands alone.

Where to start with Adam Steele

Start with The Violent Peace (1974), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Adam Steele book?

The Long Shadow (1989) is the newest Adam Steele book released so far.

Is there a new Adam Steele book coming?

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

Adam Steele at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Adam Steele title on record dates from 1989, 37 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Adam Steele books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
2,480 pages across the 16 of 49 books with a recorded length, a median of 160 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Adam Steele books, 26 of 49, were published in the 1980s.

What the Adam Steele books are about

11 of the 49 Adam Steele 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 5 of 11. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

More books by Terry Harknett

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.

Other series by Terry Harknett

Each series linked below has its own reading-order page.