Lew Archer by Ross MacDonald
Author Kenneth Millar created the character Lew Archer in the same mold as Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe.
Archer was a returning war vet who was once part of the Police Department before becoming a Private Detective.
When it was time to present his first Archer novel to publishers, Millar decided to use the pseudonym John MacDonald, the first and middle name of his father. However John D. MacDonald was making a living writing similar types of stories and the first book in the series was under John Ross MacDonald. Within a few years it was simply Ross MacDonald.
Lew Archer's name came from the dead partner of Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon, Miles Archer.
Two movies starring Paul Newman were made of the series although the name was changed from Lew Archer to Lew Harper. 1966 - Harper and 1975 - The Drowning Pool.
Brian Keith starred as Lew Archer in the TV series Archer which lasted for 6 episodes in the winter of 1975.
The Series
The Moving Target (1949)
The Drowning Pool (1950)
The Way Some People Die (1951)
The Ivory Grin (1952; aka Marked for Murder)
Find a Victim (1954)
The Barbarous Coast (1956)
The Doomsters (1958)
The Galton Case (1959)
The Wycherly Woman (1961)
The Zebra-Striped Hearse (1962)
The Chill (1964)
The Far Side of the Dollar (1965)
Black Money (1966)
The Instant Enemy (1968)
The Goodbye Look (1969)
The Underground Man (1971)
Sleeping Beauty (1973)
The Blue Hammer (1976)
Short Stories
Find the Woman (June 1946, EQMM)
The Bearded Lady (American Magazine, October 1948)
The Imaginary Blonde (February 1953, Manhunt; AKA Gone Girl)
The Guilty Ones (May 1953, Manhunt; AKA The Sinister Habit)
The Beat-Up Sister (October 1953, Manhunt; AKA The Suicide)
Guilt-Edged Blonde ( January 1954, Manhunt)
Wild Goose Chase (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 1954)
Midnight Blue (October 1960, Ed McBain's Mystery Magazine)
The Sleeping Dog (April 1965, Argosy)
Published in three collections: My Name is Archer, Lew Archer, Private Investigator, and Strangers in Town
Lew Archer Books on Amazon
The Way Some People Die (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 3rd
The Ivory Grin (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 4th
Lew Archer Books on Amazon
The Barbarous Coast (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 6th
The Galton Case (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 8th
The Zebra-Striped Hearse (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 10
Lew Archer Books on Amazon
Lew Archer books on Amazon
The Underground Man (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 16th
The Blue Hammer (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Lew Archer - 18th
The Archer Files, The Complete Short Stories of Lew Archer, Private Investigator
Lew Archer - Short Stories
Hard-boiled Detective on CafePress
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