Reed Ferguson Mystery Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Reed Ferguson Mystery Books
The name ‘Reed Ferguson’ refers to a series of noir mystery novels written by Renee Pawlish. The books are crafted to mimic the detective noir movies of old.
+The Story
One wouldn’t expect the Reed Ferguson Mystery Series to elicit much interest from readers. After all, how many mystery novels have been published in the last several decades? Why would another one amongst the multitudes elicit any interest?
However, as with every book in an established genre that somehow manages to draw the interest of readers, the Reed Ferguson Mystery Series is a little different from what most people expect.
The books revolve around Reed Ferguson, the owner of the Reed Ferguson Detective Agency. Reed Ferguson wants to be a detective. It has always been his dream to be a real-life private eye. He idolized the detectives Humphrey Bogart played in his movies, and the Reed Ferguson Mystery Series find Reed Ferguson trying to make his dreams come true.
Of course, Reed is hardly the best detective in Denver and, on many occasions, it does feel like he is simply playing at being a detective. However, Reed always seems to catch his man because he is so determined.
He hasn’t been blessed with unrivaled intellectual capabilities or overwhelming physical strengths. The beatings Reed takes are sometimes a little difficult to read about. But Reed never gives up. He keeps pushing and prodding and searching until all the pieces fall into place.
And he is assisted in his efforts by the Goofball Brothers and a computer hacker called Cal. Sometimes, Reed’s girlfriend gets involved in the mix. Either way, Reed is pretty much living his dream, or at least he is walking in the footsteps of the detectives his cinematic hero Humphrey Bogart played. He engages with mysterious figures and solves intriguing cases. And on a number of occasions, Reed’s knowledge of detective novels and movies has been the key to solving his cases.
One of the most notable aspects of the Reed Ferguson Mystery series is the many references that are made to classic detective stories from film and even literature. They definitely grow tiresome in some places, though Renee Pawlish works really hard to keep them fresh.
+The Author
When Renee Pawlish first arrived on the scene with her Reed Ferguson Mystery Series, she was described as a fresh voice in the genre of comic murder mysteries. She has since delivered on these claims and expectations with all the Reed Ferguson novels she has written over the years.
Renee is an American author. Specifically, she is a native of California where she was born, though a lot of her life was spent in Colorado. Renee is always on the move. She loves the outdoors, which is probably the reason why she is always hiking and cycling.
A lover of sports, Renee isn’t too shy about chasing after ballplayers to get their autographs. An avid traveler, Renee is a pretty dynamic author who has written horror, paranormal and historical novels, on top of comic murder mysteries.
The most notable aspect of Renee’s Reed Ferguson Mystery Series is the noir film references. Renee is a fan of mystery and detective stories, and names like Chandler, Hammett, and Cain mean a lot to her.
As a fan of old movies, Renee was working hard to develop the character of Reed Ferguson when she concluded that making him a copy of those detectives she saw in old noir films could add a spark to his character.
Renee wanted to play with some of her favorite detectives from those old movies but she didn’t want her character to carry nearly as much baggage, which is why a lot of Reed Ferguson mystery stories are filled with wit and humor.
Because of the eminence Humphrey Bogart enjoyed during Renee’s childhood, it made sense to her to make Reed the sort of person who worked hard to emulate Bogart above all else. While these decisions have alienated some readers who think that the Reed Ferguson Mystery books are too silly, Renee has definitely succeeded in creating a character that stands out amongst the numerous detectives on the literary market. At the very least, everyone agrees that Reed Ferguson is a breath of fresh air.
+This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies
A Wannabe P.I. loves noir films so much that he decides to take his dream to the next level by becoming an actual detective. And fortunately for him, there’s a case perfectly tailored to his fantasies. A beautiful woman is looking for a competent detective to find her husband, and it looks like Reed Ferguson might be that detective.
The first book in the Reed Ferguson Mystery Series sets the tone for what readers can expect. Reed Ferguson is Renee Pawlish’s protagonist. Reed loves old detective stories more than life itself, and he has loved Humphrey Bogart for as long as he can remember.
Reed is determined to follow in his hero’s footsteps, and when a rich woman with a missing dead husband hires Reed, he can barely believe his luck. Of course, now that Reed has a case, he must solve it.
Reed is fascinated by his client, not only because of her beauty but the fact that she seems so certain her husband is dead. And if he was such a notorious cheater, why does she want to find him? It doesn’t take Reed long to smell a lie, and the lies only continue to pile up from that point onward. Unfortunately, Reed already promised to help her and that puts him in a dangerous place.
+Real Estate Rip-Off
With a brother on the hunt for the truth, a mysterious death and a devious ex-wife, Reed Ferguson has a lot on his plate as he returns once more to undertake another adventure that will see him emulate some of his favorite detectives from the old noir films.
The second Reed Ferguson novel introduces Jack Healy as Reed’s next client. Jack’s arrival is a little unexpected because Reed is looking forward to a free, relaxing and uneventful weekend with his friends.
But Reed cannot turn a client away, and Jack has important business. He needs Reed to find the person or people that killed his brother. Reed is certain that he is up to the task, though the case quickly proves to be a complicated one.
Book Series In Order » Characters »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I have read all of the Reed Ferguson Mystery series books. It said there were 24 books, but it looks like #23 and #24 are just novellas of the stories already read. Am I correct? Will there be a new book coming out soon? I loved the entire series, and am waiting to see what happens to Reed and friends.
Thank you !
With Shadow of a Snout just released last month I expect there won’t be any new full length novels until at least next year