The Alex Delaware books in order follow a child psychologist who works with LAPD detective Milo Sturgis on some of Los Angeles’s darkest murder cases. Jonathan Kellerman built the series around psychology, police work, trauma, and the long-running friendship between Alex and Milo.
Each novel has its own case, so you can technically jump around. I still recommend reading the series in publication order. The mysteries stand alone, but Alex’s relationships, career, and personal life make more sense when you follow the books from the beginning.
For Kellerman’s full bibliography, including Petra Connor, Clay Edison, Jacob Lev, standalones, short works, and nonfiction, use my Jonathan Kellerman books in order guide.
Jump to:
- Alex Delaware Books in Order
- Do You Have to Read Alex Delaware Books in Order?
- Alex Delaware Screen Adaptations
- Who Is Alex Delaware?
Alex Delaware Books in Order
The simplest Alex Delaware reading order is publication order. This is also the practical series order, since there isn’t a separate chronological timeline that changes where the books belong.
- When the Bough Breaks / Shrunken Heads (1985)
- Blood Test (1986)
- Over the Edge (1987)
- Silent Partner (1989)
- Time Bomb (1990)
- Private Eyes (1992)
- Devil’s Waltz (1993)
- Bad Love (1994)
- Self-Defense (1995)
- The Web (1996)
- The Clinic (1997)
- Survival of the Fittest (1997)
- Monster (1999)
- Dr. Death (2000)
- Flesh and Blood (2001)
- The Murder Book (2002)
- A Cold Heart (2003)
- Therapy (2004)
- Rage (2005)
- Gone (2006)
- Obsession (2007)
- Compulsion (2008)
- Bones (2008)
- Evidence (2009)
- Deception (2010)
- Mystery (2011)
- Victims (2012)
- Guilt (2013)
- Killer (2014)
- Motive (2015)
- Breakdown (2016)
- Heartbreak Hotel (2017)
- Night Moves (2018)
- The Wedding Guest (2019)
- The Museum of Desire (2020)
- Serpentine (2021)
- City of the Dead (2022)
- Unnatural History (2023)
- The Ghost Orchid (2024)
- Open Season (2025)
- Jigsaw (2026)
- Malice (2027)
Alex Delaware Graphic Novels
There are also graphic novel adaptations of a few Alex Delaware novels. These are optional, and they don’t replace the main books. I’d read the original novels first, then try the graphic novels if you want a visual version of those stories.
- Silent Partner: The Graphic Novel (2012)
- The Web: The Graphic Novel (2014)
- Monster: The Graphic Novel (2017)
Optional Alex Delaware Short Work
This short profile is not a full Alex Delaware novel. It’s more of a bonus piece for readers who want extra background on the character and the series.
Do You Have to Read Alex Delaware Books in Order?
You don’t have to read the Alex Delaware books in order to understand an individual mystery. Most books introduce a new case, and Kellerman usually gives you enough context to follow Alex and Milo even if you start in the middle.
That said, I’d still read them in order if you’re planning to go through the whole series. Alex’s personal life, his relationship with Robin Castagna, and his friendship with Milo Sturgis all develop over time. You’ll get more out of those pieces if you start with When the Bough Breaks and move forward from there.
I wouldn’t make a separate chronological list for this series. The main reading order and the series timeline line up well enough that publication order is the better guide.
Alex Delaware Screen Adaptations
The Alex Delaware books have a small screen history, but the novels are still the main way to follow the series. The adaptations are useful to know about, especially if you like seeing how a long-running book character changes on screen.
The first book, When the Bough Breaks, was adapted as a 1986 TV movie. Ted Danson plays Alex Delaware, Richard Masur plays Milo Sturgis, and Rachel Ticotin also appears in the cast. The movie adapts the same case that starts the book series, but I’d treat it as its own version of the story rather than a replacement for the novel.
There have also been attempts to bring Alex Delaware back to television. Deadline reported in 2017 that IDW Entertainment was developing the book series for TV, and IDW’s own announcement said the company controlled worldwide rights to the crime procedural. Deadline later reported in 2018 that Barry O’Brien had been named writer and showrunner for that version.
Deadline also reported in 2026 that Amazon MGM Studios was developing an Alex Delaware TV adaptation, with Jennifer Johnson attached as writer and executive producer. Until a show actually airs, I’d treat those reports as adaptation news rather than part of the reading order.
For readers, the simple advice is still the same: read When the Bough Breaks first, then watch the adaptation if you’re curious. Screen versions can change the characters, pacing, and case details, but the book order starts with the novels.
Who Is Alex Delaware?
Alex Delaware is a psychologist who becomes a consultant on difficult criminal cases. He often works with Milo Sturgis, an LAPD homicide detective and one of the most important people in Alex’s life.
The series leans into psychological suspense more than action-heavy thriller territory. Alex is usually looking for motive, trauma, patterns, and the hidden reasons people do terrible things. Milo brings the police work. Together, they make the series work.
That’s why publication order matters. The cases change from book to book, but the Alex and Milo dynamic is the spine of the series.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.