BookBingeHannibal Lecter Books in Order
The short answer
Thomas Harris · 4 books
- How many books?
- There are 4 books in the Hannibal Lecter series, published 1981–2006.
- Is it finished?
- Yes — the series is complete; it ends with Hannibal Rising (2006).
- Where to start
- Start with Red Dragon (1981).
About 1,800 pages — roughly 30 hours of reading
Thomas Harris's quartet of crime-horror novels centred on Dr Hannibal Lecter, the brilliant psychiatrist and cannibal whose insight into other killers makes him indispensable to the FBI agents who must bargain with him.
Here is the complete Hannibal Lecter reading order — all 4 books by Thomas Harris, in the order you should read them:
Reading order
- Red DragonRetired FBI profiler Will Graham consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter to help him catch a killer who murders whole families by the full moon.1981445 pages
- The Silence of the LambsFBI trainee Clarice Starling trades pieces of her own past to Hannibal Lecter in exchange for insight into a serial killer who skins his victims.1988384 pages
- HannibalYears after Lecter's escape, a wealthy surviving victim sets a trap for him, and Clarice Starling is pulled back into his orbit.1999560 pages
- Hannibal RisingAn origin story tracing Lecter's childhood in wartime Lithuania and his young adulthood in postwar France.2006384 pages
Good news: for this series, reading order and publication order are the same — just read straight down the list.
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Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many Hannibal Lecter books are there?
There are 4 books in the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris, from Red Dragon (1981) to Hannibal Rising (2006). Together they run to about 1,800 pages.
Is the Hannibal Lecter series finished?
Yes. Thomas Harris completed the series with Hannibal Rising in 2006; all 4 books are out now.
What is the first Hannibal Lecter book?
Red Dragon (1981) is book one, at 445 pages. Retired FBI profiler Will Graham consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter to help him catch a killer who murders whole families by the full moon.
Should I read the Hannibal Lecter series in publication order?
Yes. For the Hannibal Lecter series, reading order and publication order are the same — Red Dragon (1981) through Hannibal Rising (2006).
How long does it take to read all Hannibal Lecter books?
About 1,800 pages across 4 books — roughly 30 hours at a page a minute. The longest is Hannibal (560 pages); the shortest is The Silence of the Lambs (384 pages).