BookPath
Home/Authors/James Patterson/Short Series & Standalones (Specific)

Short Series & Standalones (Specific) Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start Short Series & Standalones (Specific) by James Patterson with "Murder Games - Part 1", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

Short series or isolated novels and novellas that fall outside the main thriller and YA series groupings.

Reader's Guide

This series spans 5 main titles released between 2017 and 2016. For the best experience, we recommend following the Publication Order below to preserve key plot reveals.

Is this helpful?
Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "Murder Games - Part 1"

To experience the narrative as intended, read the main sequence in Publication Order.Ignore novellas and side stories until you finish the first 3 core novels. This resolves all timeline confusion and preserves every major twist.

Community Consensus

Medium Debate

"The community is divided on the methodological validity of the compiled list's specific ranking, as many original contributors stated they did not order their submissions carefully. However, there is strong agreement that the list itself, especially the top entries, is a comprehensive, high-quality resource representative of the subreddit's recommended standalones and short series."

Key Reddit Advice

Do not follow the list's numerical ranking strictly, as the order is contested. Instead, use the list as a general resource of proven quality. High-priority recommendations explicitly mentioned as urgent reads include *The Sign of the Dragon* and *The Other Valley*. Other highly praised titles include *The Reformatory*, *Annihilation*, *Chain-Gang*, and *A Memory Called Empire*.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for Short Series & Standalones (Specific) conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Can I skip the short stories?

Technically yes, but we strongly advise against it for Short Series & Standalones (Specific). The shorter volumes often establish the core character motivations and world-building that the main saga assumes you already know.

I watched the show/movie first — where should I start?

Ignore the screen adaptations' timeline. Start with "Murder Games - Part 1" to see the original depth of the world. The books offer a significantly different (and usually more complete) experience than the on-screen versions.

Why do people disagree on the order?

Disagreement usually stems from the conflict between purely chronological order and publication order. Most long-term fans recommend publication order to preserve the emotional arc and mystery reveals.

Curator's Strategy

Recommended Reading Order Strategy

The authoritative way to read the "Short Series & Standalones (Specific)" series is in Publication Order. Start with the first published book. It's the way the author intended the world to be revealed.This ensures you experience character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order5 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
1

Murder Games - Part 1

Pub: 2017Optional

Now a hit TV series, Instinct__________________________Part one of a gripping five-part murder mystery from bestselling thriller writer James Patterson.A wealthy hedge fund manager is brutally murdered on the doorstep of his Upper East Side town house in Manhattan. Elizabeth Needham, the tenacious cop in charge of the case, turns to an unlikely ally – Dylan Reinhart, a brilliant professor whose book turned up in connection with the murder. Along with the book was one other clue: a single playing card.When another dead body and another playing card are found, Elizabeth and Dylan's worst fears are confirmed. They're hunting for a serial killer.

2

Juror No. 3

Pub: 2019

Plot details hidden until you finish "Murder Games - Part 1".

From the multi-million bestselling author comes a brand new look for this compulsive, Sunday Times bestselling legal thriller that will keep you hooked till the very last page... _________________ A HARROWING MURDER SPLITS A TOWN IN TWO Ruby Bozarth, a newcomer to Rosedale, Mississippi, is also fresh to the Mississippi Bar - and she faces an impossible task defending a college football star accused of murder. The victim is a young woman from one of the town's oldest families, and Rosedale's upper crust are howling for blood. Then news breaks of a second murder, and lurid, intertwining investigations unfold. Ruby discovers that no one in Rosedale can be trusted, especially the twelve men and women on the jury. They may be hiding the biggest secret of all. _________________ 'Nobody does it better' JEFFERY DEAVER 'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades' LEE CHILD 'Patterson boils a scene down to the single, telling detail, the element that defines a character or moves a plot along. It's what fires off the movie projector in the reader's mind' MICHAEL CONNELLY 'James Patterson is The Boss' IAN RANKIN 'The master storyteller of our times' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 'One of the greatest storytellers of all time' PATRICIA CORNWELL 'James Patterson is the gold standard by which all others are judged' STEVE BERRY 'Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried ... there's no stopping his imagination' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 'One of the greatest storytellers of our time' DAILY MAIL 'A writer with an unusual skill at thriller plotting.' GUARDIAN

3

Plot details hidden until you finish "Juror No. 3".

Seventeen-year-old Margaret "Cuckoo" Clark keeps a journal detailing the trials and tribulations of high school life as she and her close-knit group of outcast friends try to break down the barriers between their school's "warring nations." "Meet Cuckoo Clarke, the girl who's going to change the world--or, at the very least, North Plains High. Fresh off of a very short stint in the psych ward, Cuckoo is determined to bring the happy back into her life--and her school. The Haters don't stand a chance against her relentless optimism and offhand remarks about everything from datable teachers to The Catcher in the Rye. But when a chain of devastating events threatens to destroy the few good things she has in her life, even Cuckoo finds it hard to hang on to hope--and her sanity. Funny, poignant, and sharply attuned to the realities of a young woman trying to figure out who she is and who she will become, Homeroom Diaries is the unforgettable story of a seventeen-year-old who dares to be happy"--

4

Plot details hidden until you finish "Homeroom Diaries".

Twins with a penchant for mischief stumble upon a device that allows them to travel through time, leading to hilarious historical mishaps.

5

Doc Savage 2

Pub: 2016

Plot details hidden until you finish "Time Travel Twins".

In the second Doc Savage adventure, Python Isle, a long-lost pioneer flyer returns to civilization accompanied by an exotic woman who speaks in a lost tongue. From his towering skyscraper headquarters in New York, through a dangerous Zeppelin journey to Cape Town, climaxing on a serpent-haunted island in the forbidden reaches of the Indian Ocean, Doc Savage and his iron comrades race to untangle a weird puzzle so deep that the only clues can be found in the Bible!

Prefer Listening?

Best if you commute

Get the professional narration of "Murder Games - Part 1" free with an Audible trial.

Try Audible →

Own the Physical Copy

Best value option

Add "Murder Games - Part 1" to your library. Curated links ensure you get the correct edition.

View on Amazon →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the Short Series & Standalones (Specific) series?

We recommend ignoring novellas and short stories until you finish the core sequence. However, main sequence novels should never be skipped as they contain critical character development and plot progression.

What is the best order to read Short Series & Standalones (Specific)?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "Murder Games - Part 1" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as James Patterson intended.

Can I read Short Series & Standalones (Specific) books in any order?

No. The main narrative is strictly sequential. Skipping volumes or reading out of order will lead to significant plot spoilers and confusion regarding character arcs.

Are there spin-offs or companion books?

Yes, the Short Series & Standalones (Specific) universe includes several companion works. These are marked as 'Optional' in our guide and can be read at any time without disrupting the main storyline.