Thriller series are built on recurring protagonists, which is why several of the names below have run for thirty years or more. Counts and years come from each series entry.
Series in Reading Order
- Jack Reacher by Lee Child — 32 books · 1997–2023
Begun 1997; continued by Andrew Child from 2020. - Alex Cross by James Patterson — 15 books · 1992–2017
Detective and forensic psychologist, begun 1993. - Hannibal Lecter by Thomas Harris — 8 books · 1981–2006
Four novels, 1981-2006, beginning with Red Dragon. - Gabriel Allon by Daniel Silva — 10 books · 2001–2010
Israeli art restorer and assassin. - Mitch Rapp by Vince Flynn — 20 books · 1999–2026
CIA counterterrorism operative; continued by Kyle Mills. - Jason Bourne by Robert Ludlum
Begun 1980; continued by other authors. - Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo — 10 books · 1997–2013
Oslo detective series, begun 1997. - Lincoln Rhyme by Jeffery Deaver — 15 books · 1997–2026
Forensic criminalist series, begun 1997. - Slough House by Mick Herron — 10 books · 2010–2020
The Slow Horses series, following sidelined MI5 agents. - Court Gentry / Gray Man by Mark Greaney — 10 books · 2009–2021
Freelance assassin series, adapted by Netflix in 2022. - Robert Hunter by Chris Carter — 10 books · 2009–2018
LAPD detective series, begun 2009. - Scot Harvath by Brad Thor — 10 books · 2001–2011
Navy SEAL turned covert operative, begun 2002.
How to read these series
Numbered entries follow the order the books were published, which is the order the story was written and the safest order for a first read. Where a series has side novels or novellas, reading them in publication order avoids spoilers from later books.
Where the numbers come from
Book counts and publication years on this page are taken from the series entries in the GoBookSeries index. Each title links to the full book list for that series.
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