Does this page include every William McIlvanney book?

This catalog lists the William McIlvanney books currently available in Sequencebooks, including standalone titles and series entries when available.

Are William McIlvanney series listed separately?

Yes. Each William McIlvanney series is broken out with book numbers, publication years, and a dedicated reading-order page.

Should I read William McIlvanney books in publication order or chronological order?

Publication order is usually the safest reading path. For series, follow the numbered reading order shown beside each title.

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William McIlvanney Complete Bibliography

Q: What is the best order to read William McIlvanney books?

Start with the series reading order for any connected books, then use the chronological list on this page for the full William McIlvanney bibliography.

Browse books by William McIlvanney in publication order, including standalone books, complete series lists, reading order, and publication years.

Updated 2026-07-11 / 22 books / 5 series

Scottish author best known for the Laidlaw crime series, which pioneered the tartan noir genre. His books have sold over a million copies and won multiple literary awards. This page lists William McIlvanney’s books in order, including both chronological publication and series reading order.

Books by William McIlvanney in Publication Order

1966 Remedy is None POoSN / 1 Buy

1968 A Gift From Nessus POoSN / 2 Buy

1970 The Longships In Harbour POoPSC / 1 Buy

1973 Landscapes & Figures POoPSC / 2 Buy

1975 Docherty POoSN / 3 Buy

1977 Laidlaw POoJLB / 1 Buy

1983 The Papers of Tony Veitch POoJLB / 2 Buy

1984 These Words POoPSC / 3 Buy

1985 The Big Man POoSN / 4 Buy

1988 In Through the Head POoSN / 5 Buy

1989 Walking Wounded POoPSC / 4 Buy

1991 Strange Loyalties POoJLB / 3 Buy

1991 Surviving the Shipwreck POoPSC / 5 Buy

1993 Shades of Grey POoNB / 1 Buy

1996 The Kiln POoSN / 6 Buy

2006 Weekend POoSN / 7 Buy

2013 The Artist and Nationality(By: Meaghan Delahunt) POoSB / 1 Buy

2014 Dreaming Scotland POoSB / 2 Buy

2014 Nevertheless(By: Allan Massie) POoSB / 3 Buy

2015 Second Wind(By: Douglas Dunn) POoSB / 4 Buy

2021 The Dark Remains(With: Ian Rankin) POoJLB / 4 Buy

2021 Ploughing the City(By: Sorcha Carey) POoSB / 5 Buy

Complete William McIlvanney Series Reading Order / browse all ->

Jack Laidlaw Reading Order 4 books / 1977-2021

01 Laidlaw 1977 Buy

02 The Papers of Tony Veitch 1983 Buy

03 Strange Loyalties 1991 Buy

04 The Dark Remains(With: Ian Rankin) 2021 Buy

Non-Fiction Reading Order 1 book / 1993

01 Shades of Grey 1993 Buy

Poems/Short Story Collections Reading Order 5 books / 1970-1991

01 The Longships In Harbour 1970 Buy

02 Landscapes & Figures 1973 Buy

03 These Words 1984 Buy

04 Walking Wounded 1989 Buy

05 Surviving the Shipwreck 1991 Buy

Standalone Reading Order 7 books / 1966-2006

01 Remedy is None 1966 Buy

02 A Gift From Nessus 1968 Buy

03 Docherty 1975 Buy

04 The Big Man 1985 Buy

05 In Through the Head 1988 Buy

06 The Kiln 1996 Buy

07 Weekend 2006 Buy

Saltire Reading Order 5 books / 2013-2021

01 The Artist and Nationality(By: Meaghan Delahunt) 2013 Buy

02 Dreaming Scotland 2014 Buy

03 Nevertheless(By: Allan Massie) 2014 Buy

04 Second Wind(By: Douglas Dunn) 2015 Buy

05 Ploughing the City(By: Sorcha Carey) 2021 Buy

Where to start with William McIlvanney

What is the best order to read William McIlvanney books?

Publication order is usually the safest place to start. If a book belongs to a series, follow the numbered series reading order shown on this page.

Are standalone books and series both included?

Yes. Standalone titles appear in the full chronological bibliography, and series are broken out separately with reading-order links when catalog data is available.

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Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.