Grafton's novels have been published in 28 countries and in 26 languages. She refused to sell the film and television rights, because writing screenplays "cured" her of the desire to work with Hollywood. (TV movies in Japan, however, were adapted from ""B" is for Burglar" and ""D" is for Deadbeat".) Grafton told her children her ghost would haunt them if they sold the film rights after her death. The books in the series were on "The New York Times" Best Seller list for an aggregate of about 400 weeks. "F is for Fugitive" was the first, entering at number 10 on the paperback list; by 1995 ""L" is for Lawless" entered the best seller list at number one followed by ten more in the series.