Michael Shayne Books In Order

Publication Order of Michael Shayne Books

Thanks to Trevor Trillion for ensuing this lists accuracy

Going under the name of Brett Halliday, the American mystery writer Davis Dresser was an extremely well respected writer during his time. Writing throughout much of the twentieth century, he was well known for his straightforward and engaging style and tone. He would also write other genre novels, such as romances and westerns, all of which he would use various different pen-names for. These included the pseudonyms Matthew Blood, Asa Baker, Don Davis, Kathryn Culver, Hal Debrett, Peter Field, Anthony Scott and Anderson Wayne. The name for which he is perhaps best known for is that of Brett Halliday though, which he would go on to create some of his most iconic series to date with. Working with radio and film, he would also go on to produce work for none other than 20th Century Fox, amongst other companies. Creating a number of well established works and series, he would go on to build a variety of brands around his name as well. This would come to involve ghostwriters producing work under his various pseudonyms, which would include that of Brett Halliday. The series of Michael Shayne novels is perhaps most indicative of this, as he would also come to write this under his Brett Halliday moniker. Following the eponymous detective, it was a series that was created in the late 1930s, and was very much of its time. With Shayne as its lead, it was a serialized detective franchise, and one which would utilize many of the tropes of the genre, setting the template for years to come. Seen by himself much of the time, Shayne did have a wife early on, although she was soon ‘killed off’, something his character would come to deal with in the years to come. This would set a standard in detective fiction that is still replicated to this very day, as many continue to discover this series and all that it has to offer.

The first book, ‘Dividend on Death’, would be written and published in 1939, as it would set up the premise overall, introducing Shayne’s character for the very first time. With over fifty books published in the series under his own name, along with a collection of ghostwriters being used too, the series would later carry on totalling at seventy-seven, with a variety of different authors writing for the franchise. Throughout the course of its run it would also be made into a collection of large-scale Hollywood productions too, along with a sixties television series and a serialized radio drama too. This has ensured that a legacy has been left behind quite unlike any other, with many looking to it as one of the leaders of the detective genre as a whole.

Dividend on Death

Originally coming out in 1939, this would be the first title in the ongoing series of Michael Shayne novels, as it would set up the franchise as a whole. Establishing the central character and his world, it would go on to be republished in 1959 through the Dell Publishing label. Marking a milestone in detective genre fiction, this would definitely become a hallmark for many fans of the genre and format.

This was one of the books that would set the template for detective fiction for many years to come, with many of the popular ideas and themes in place here. The character of Michael Shayne would also go on to become an iconic figure, and it’s easy to see why here in his first outing. With its use of locations to, it really excels in creating a stylized sense of atmosphere and ambiance throughout the story.

Hiring Michael Shayne to watch her, the young and beautiful Phyllis Brighton asks Shayne that he watch her lest she attempts to kill her own mother. That’s when he comes into contact with another private detective, the extremely slimy Montrose, along with a phony doctor with a penchant for dramatic psychoanalytical theories. This leads Shayne to believe that all may not be as it initially seems at the Brighton mansion, and that he might be in over his head. As they both attempt to convince Shayne that Phyllis is an extremely sick girl, it would appear that Shayne has ideas of his own. What’s really going on here? Can Shayne find out in time before it’s too late for them all? Just who has a dividend on death?

The Private Practice of Michael Shayne

Brought out in 1940 through the Dell publishing house, this would continue on directly from the previous title in the series. Marking the second book in the ongoing Michael Shayne series, it manages to carry on in much the same vein as before. With many of the same characters returning once again too, it really manages to capture a lot of what made the first book work so well, whilst also taking it in new and exciting directions.

Set to continue saving Phyllis Brighton, usually from herself, Michael Shayne seems to constantly find himself up against the elements. Having previously helped her to beat a charge for murder, along with a suicide attempt, it would now seem she has found herself in the company of one Harry Grange. Known as the sleaziest lawyer in all of Dade County, he has a number of contacts within the criminal underworld of Miami. That’s what Shayne hopes to protect Phyllis from, but when Grange is found dead, along with Shayne’s weapon having disappeared. Did Shayne’s friend Larry Kincaid use it to murder the blackmailing lawyer? Can he find the killer in time? What will become of the private practice of Michael Shayne?

The Michael Shayne Series

For any fans of the detective genre, this series really is a hallmark of the form, setting up many of the staples of the time. Not only that, but the character of Michael Shayne himself is also one of the most enduring and lasting characters of his kind to date. Running for a number of years over a variety of different mediums, including both film and radio, this really manages to give the readers what they’re looking for. Whilst it started out with an element of comedy and light-hearted fun, it would later get darker, taking on a more gritty and grounded tone. Leaving behind a legacy that is still felt to this day, many readers will carry on enjoying these stories, from now on into the future.