Alex Delaware
mystery
Series · mystery
Blackie Ryan
The Blackie Ryan series by Andrew M. Greeley has 18 known books (18 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Happy Are the Meek (1985).
- Books
- 18 known books (18 novels)
- Published
- 18
- First published
- 1985
- Status
- deceased
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
- Last checked
Start here: Happy Are the Meek (1985) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Happy Are the Meek
Happy Are the Meek is the novel that launches Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, first published in 1985, running 264 pages. It precedes Happy Are the Clean of Heart in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are the Meek - Book 2:
Happy Are the Clean of Heart
Happy Are the Clean of Heart is the 2nd book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1986 at 268 pages. It sits between Happy Are the Meek and Happy Are Those Who Thirst for Justice in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are the Clean of Heart - Book 3:
Happy Are Those Who Thirst for Justice
Happy Are Those Who Thirst for Justice is the 3rd book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1987 at 302 pages. In the reading order it comes after Happy Are the Clean of Heart and before Happy Are the Merciful.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are Those Who Thirst for Justice - Book 4:
Happy Are the Merciful
Happy Are the Merciful is the 4th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 1992 at 320 pages. In the reading order it comes after Happy Are Those Who Thirst for Justice and before Happy Are the Peace Makers.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are the Merciful - Book 5:
Happy Are the Peace Makers
Happy Are the Peace Makers is the 5th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1993 at 300 pages. In the reading order it comes after Happy Are the Merciful and before Happy Are the Poor in Spirit.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are the Peace Makers - Book 6:
Happy Are the Poor in Spirit
Happy Are the Poor in Spirit is the 6th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 1994 at 295 pages. In the reading order it comes after Happy Are the Peace Makers and before Happy Are Those Who Mourn.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are the Poor in Spirit - Book 7:
Happy Are Those Who Mourn
Happy Are Those Who Mourn is the 7th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1995 at 282 pages. In the reading order it comes after Happy Are the Poor in Spirit and before Happy Are the Oppressed.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are Those Who Mourn - Book 8:
Happy Are the Oppressed
Happy Are the Oppressed is the 8th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1996 at 247 pages. It sits between Happy Are Those Who Mourn and White Smoke in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Happy Are the Oppressed - Book 9:
White Smoke
White Smoke is the 9th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1996 at 480 pages. It sits between Happy Are the Oppressed and The Bishop at Sea in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of White Smoke - Book 10:
The Bishop at Sea
The Bishop at Sea is the 10th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 1997 at 287 pages. It sits between White Smoke and The Bishop and the Three Kings in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop at Sea - Book 11:
The Bishop and the Three Kings
The Bishop and the Three Kings is the 11th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 1998 at 298 pages. It sits between The Bishop at Sea and The Bishop and the Missing L Train in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop and the Three Kings - Book 12:
The Bishop and the Missing L Train
The Bishop and the Missing L Train is the 12th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 2000 at 285 pages. It sits between The Bishop and the Three Kings and The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop and the Missing L Train - Book 13:
The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain
The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain is the 13th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 2001 at 259 pages. It sits between The Bishop and the Missing L Train and The Bishop in the West Wing in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain - Book 14:
The Bishop in the West Wing
The Bishop in the West Wing is the 14th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 2002 at 255 pages. It follows The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain and precedes The Bishop Goes to the University in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop in the West Wing - Book 15:
The Bishop Goes to the University
The Bishop Goes to the University is the 15th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 2003 at 302 pages. In the reading order it comes after The Bishop in the West Wing and before The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop Goes to the University - Book 16:
The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood
The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood is the 16th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 2005 at 352 pages. It follows The Bishop Goes to the University and precedes The Bishop at the Lake in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood - Book 17:
The Bishop at the Lake
The Bishop at the Lake is the 17th entry in Andrew M. Greeley's Blackie Ryan series, published in 2007 at 268 pages. It sits between The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood and The Archbishop in Andalusia in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bishop at the Lake - Book 18:
The Archbishop in Andalusia
The Archbishop in Andalusia is the 18th book in the Blackie Ryan series, written by Andrew M. Greeley, published in 2008 at 269 pages. It follows The Bishop at the Lake in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Archbishop in Andalusia
About the Blackie Ryan series
Father John "Blackie" Ryan is a deceptively mild, owlishly bespectacled Chicago priest -- rector of a cathedral parish, later an auxiliary bishop and archbishop -- who solves murders among Chicago's Irish Catholic elite with a quiet, observational cunning that his unassuming manner tends to hide from suspects and colleagues alike. Andrew Greeley wrote eighteen Blackie Ryan novels over more than two decades, moving the character up through the Church hierarchy as the series progressed -- the earlier books use the recurring "Happy Are..." title format (drawn from the Beatitudes), while the later ones follow Blackie's promotions with titles built around "The Bishop..."
As with the rest of Greeley's fiction, the mysteries are inseparable from his interest in Catholic sociology and theology, Chicago's Irish-American community, and Vatican politics -- White Smoke (1996), for instance, imagines the inner workings of a papal conclave, with Blackie (by then a bishop) enlisted by his boss Cardinal Cronin to help navigate it, rather than a conventional murder case.
Frequently asked questions
How many Blackie Ryan novels are there?
Eighteen, published 1985-2008.
Why do the titles change partway through the series?
The early books use a recurring "Happy Are..." title pattern drawn from the Beatitudes; from The Bishop at Sea (1997) onward, titles shift to "The Bishop..." as the character is promoted within the Church hierarchy.
Is White Smoke part of the main Blackie Ryan numbering?
Yes -- it's a Blackie Ryan novel (he appears as Cardinal Cronin's aide during a papal conclave) published in 1996, between the two title-pattern eras; included here in publication order.
If you like the Blackie Ryan series
Reading order last verified .