Novels:
* Little Caesar (1929): A classic gangster novel, later adapted into a popular film.
* Iron Man (1930): Another gangster novel, also adapted for film.
* The Asphalt Jungle (1949): A crime novel, adapted into a classic film noir.
* High Sierra (1940): A crime novel, later adapted into a film starring Humphrey Bogart.
* Goodbye to the Past (1948): A novel focusing on the dark side of Hollywood.
* The Silver Fleece (1931): A novel set in the world of professional baseball.
* The Dark Command (1938): A western novel, adapted into a film starring John Wayne.
Screenplays:
* The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - adapted from his own novel
* High Sierra (1941) - adapted from his own novel
* The Maltese Falcon (1941) - co-written with John Huston, based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - co-written with Norman Reilly Raine
Burnett's works are often characterized by their gritty realism, their focus on the underbelly of society, and their complex characters. He is considered one of the pioneers of the hard-boiled crime genre.