| Order | Cover | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal List series | |||
| 1 |
|
The Terminal List | 2018[6] |
| 2 |
|
True Believer | 2019[7] |
| 3 |
|
Savage Son | 2020[8] |
| 4 |
|
The Devil’s Hand | 2021[9-10] |
| 5 |
|
In the Blood | 2022[11-12] |
| 6 |
|
Only the Dead | 2023[13-14] |
| 7 |
|
Red Sky Mourning | 2024[15-16] |
| 8 |
|
State of Exile | 2027[17-18] |
| Tom Reece series | |||
| 1 |
|
Cry Havoc | 2025[19-20] |
| Targeted series | |||
| 1 |
|
Targeted: Beirut | 2024[21-22] |
| 2 |
|
Targeted: Pan Am 103 | 2027[23-27] |
| The Fourth Option series | |||
| 1 |
|
The Fourth Option | 2026[28-31] |
Terminal List series
The Terminal List books should be read in publication order, which also follows the chronological development of James Reece’s story. The best starting point is The Terminal List, since it introduces Reece, the defining conspiracy that reshapes his life, and the personal and operational framework that later books continue.[32-39]
The Terminal List is a continuous thriller sequence built around James Reece, a former Navy SEAL whose personal losses, intelligence work, alliances, and enemies carry forward from book to book. Later books draw on earlier events, including Reece’s medical condition, his relationships with other characters, and unresolved threats tied to his father’s past. Readers need to start at book one to follow the continuing narrative.[32-39]
The Terminal List books must be read in chronological order, which coincides with their publication order, by following this sequence:[40]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Terminal List | 2018[6] | Establishes Reece’s losses, enemies, and fugitive status. |
| 2 |
|
True Believer | 2019[7] | Continues from Reece’s flight and medical uncertainty. |
| 3 |
|
Savage Son | 2020[8] | Builds on earlier betrayals, threats, and Reece’s recovery. |
| 4 |
|
The Devil’s Hand | 2021[9-10] | Moves Reece into official CIA service. |
| 5 |
|
In the Blood | 2022[11-12] | Returns to unresolved enemies and ends with a cliffhanger. |
| 6 |
|
Only the Dead | 2023[13-14] | Resolves the assassination frame-up and Reece’s inherited war. |
| 7 |
|
Red Sky Mourning | 2024[15-16] | Follows Reece into a new geopolitical crisis. |
| 8 |
|
State of Exile | 2027[17-18] | Follows Reece after self-imposed exile. |
1. The Terminal List
The Terminal List (2018)[6] The Terminal List establishes James Reece as a Navy SEAL commander whose life is destroyed by a conspiracy linking a disastrous military operation, an illegal drug trial, and the murders of those closest to him. This novel sets the foundation for the series by introducing Reece’s methods, his personal code, and the network of corruption that drives his first campaign.[32]
It also establishes many of the relationships and consequences that shape the books that follow.[32]
2. True Believer
True Believer (2019)[7] picks up after Reece has fled the United States and believes his life is nearing its end. This book moves him from fugitive isolation into a new intelligence role, connecting his survival to a larger international conspiracy.[33]
It also introduces continuing figures and enemies whose actions carry into the following books.[33]
3. Savage Son
Savage Son (2020)[8] follows Reece as he recovers from surgery while old threats and new Russian adversaries close in around him and the Hastings family. This novel extends the consequences of True Believer, especially through unresolved enemies and Reece’s bond with Raife Hastings.[34]
It also intensifies the personal stakes around Reece’s father’s past.[34]
4. The Devil’s Hand
The Devil’s Hand (2021)[9-10] shifts Reece into work connected to the CIA and the presidency, while tying his missions to long-buried acts of terrorism and a present-day biological threat. This book is part of the same continuity but broadens the series’ scope.[35]
It places Reece in a position where national security, covert action, and political power converge.[35]
5. In the Blood
In the Blood (2022)[11-12] begins with the death of a Mossad operative from Reece’s past and draws him into a hunt linked to the sniper who killed Freddy Strain. The investigation forces Reece to revisit unresolved questions from earlier books.[36]
This novel continues several established threads, including Reece’s relationship with Katie Buranek, his connection to Alice, and the mystery surrounding a list left by his father.[36]
6. Only the Dead
Only the Dead (2023)[13-14] follows the consequences of the frame-up that closes In the Blood. Reece’s release leads him into his father’s hidden investigation, the Collective, and a wider conspiracy involving American and Russian power networks.[37]
This installment is dependent on prior events, since it resolves questions about Reece’s family legacy and current enemies.[37]
7. Red Sky Mourning
Red Sky Mourning (2024)[15-16] continues after Reece has returned to Montana and is trying to live quietly with Katie. A new crisis involving China, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and a rival quantum computer pulls him back into action.[38]
This book builds on the Alice storyline, Reece’s CIA ties, and the personal consequences of earlier conflicts.[38]
8. State of Exile
State of Exile, which will be published on May 11, 2027,[17-18] follows Reece after he has entered self-imposed exile. The premise links him to a widening international crisis involving Ukraine, India, nuclear escalation, AI-enabled weapons, and a hidden code that may avert war.[39]
It belongs after the first seven books in the sequence.[39]
Tom Reece series
The Tom Reece series comprises a single book, titled Cry Havoc.[2]
1. Cry Havoc
Cry Havoc (2025)[19-20] follows the capture of a U.S. spy ship by North Korean forces in 1968 and the exposition of classified intelligence thought to be destroyed. As Cold War tensions escalate, the KGB gains access to sensitive information through a compromised NSA official, while American special operations teams vanish across Southeast Asia.[41]
Soviet strategists use these events to initiate a plan to shift global power. Navy SEAL Tom Reece, serving under the covert MACV-SOG command, is drawn into a series of missions stretching from Saigon to the Ho Chi Minh Trail.[41]
Targeted series
The Targeted books, co-written by Jack Carr and James M. Scott,[3] do not need to be read in order, though the publication order provides the clearest route through the series’ separate accounts of terrorist attacks and their investigations.[21-27] Readers should start with Targeted: Beirut, which establishes the series’ case-focused approach through the 1983 attacks on American personnel in Lebanon.[42]
The Targeted series presents nonfiction accounts of separate terrorist attacks, their victims, the investigations that followed, and the pursuit of responsibility. Targeted: Beirut covers the 1983 American Embassy and Marine barracks bombings within the wider intervention in Lebanon,[42] while Targeted: Pan Am 103 examines the 1988 destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie and the ensuing international manhunt.[43]
Therefore, it’s unnecessary to read the Targeted books in order, because they are self-contained.[42-43] However, they may be read in publication order, by following this sequence:[21-27]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Targeted: Beirut | 2024[21-22] | Examines the 1983 Beirut bombings, the American intervention, and the dispute over responsibility. |
| 2 | |
Targeted: Pan Am 103 | 2027[23-27] | Reconstructs the Lockerbie bombing, its investigation, and the pursuit of justice. |
1. Targeted: Beirut
Targeted: Beirut (2024)[21-22] reconstructs the 1983 bombing of the American Embassy and the later attack on the Marine barracks amid Lebanon’s civil war. It follows victims, survivors, military personnel, investigators, officials, and families while tracing the intervention, security failures, disputed responsibility, and consequences that extended for decades.[42]
This book establishes the series’ nonfiction method by combining an attack narrative with political context, institutional decisions, and the pursuit of accountability.[42]
2. Targeted: Pan Am 103
Targeted: Pan Am 103, which will be published on April 13, 2027,[23-27] examines the bombing of a Boeing 747 over Scotland four days before Christmas in 1988, which killed 270 people aboard the aircraft and on the ground. It follows the international manhunt through the experiences of victims’ families, investigators, and prosecutors, drawing on interviews and extensive records.[43]
This book is a separate case study, shifting from Beirut to aviation terrorism and a decades-long international pursuit of justice.[43]
The Fourth Option series
The Fourth Option series currently comprises a single book, co-written by Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward, with the same title.[4]
1. The Fourth Option
The Fourth Option (2026)[28-31] follows former Navy SEAL and CIA operative Chris Walker prepares to end his life after losing faith in the institutions he once served. A call from the widow of a fallen teammate interrupts his plan, drawing him into an investigation after her son dies from an overdose connected to a criminal network.[44]
As Walker discovers systemic corruption, he becomes the target of FBI agent Jarrett Stanton while pursuing those responsible. Operating from his armed camper and guided by his military training, he delivers retribution where the system has failed.[44]
References
- Terminal List Books by Jack Carr. Simon & Schuster.
- CRY HAVOC – OFFICIAL PUBLICATION. Jack Carr.
- Nonfiction. Jack Carr.
- Fourth Option Series, The Books by Jack Carr. Simon & Schuster.
- Books. Jack Carr.
- The Terminal List | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- True Believer | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- Savage Son | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- The Devil’s Hand | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- The Devil’s Hand eBook by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster UK.
- In the Blood | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- In the Blood | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster UK.
- Only the Dead | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- Only the Dead | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster UK.
- Red Sky Mourning | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- Red Sky Mourning | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster UK.
- State of Exile | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- State of Exile | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
- Cry Havoc | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- Cry Havoc | Book by Jack Carr | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
- Targeted: Beirut | Book by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- Targeted: Beirut | Book by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
- Targeted: Pan Am 103 | Book by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- Targeted: Pan Am 103 eBook by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster UK.
- Targeted: Pan Am 103 | Book by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
- Targeted: Pan Am 103 eBook by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Australia.
- Targeted: Pan Am 103 eBook by Jack Carr, James M. Scott | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster India.
- The Fourth Option | Book by Jack Carr, M.P. Woodward | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
- The Fourth Option eBook by Jack Carr, M.P. Woodward | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster UK.
- The Fourth Option | Book by Jack Carr, M.P. Woodward | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
- The Fourth Option eBook by Jack Carr, M.P. Woodward | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Australia.
- The Terminal List. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781501180811.
- True Believer. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781982171445.
- Savage Son. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781982123703.
- The Devil’s Hand. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781982123741.
- In the Blood. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781982181659.
- Only the Dead. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781982181697.
- Red Sky Mourning. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781668047071.
- State of Exile. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781668047101.
- Terminal List Books by Jack Carr from Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster.
- Cry Havoc. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781668095256.
- Targeted: Beirut. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781668024355.
- Targeted: Pan Am 103. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781668024416.
- The Fourth Option. Atria/Emily Bestler Books. ISBN: 9781668072011.