You are in for a surprise for people unaware of who Jack Carr is. Many authors have penned some of the most fantastic mystery/thriller books that touch on the subject of military action, themes of espionage, spies, action-filled storyline, and so forth, but what about an author who has lived this life?
Jack Carr is first a trained and experienced vet and then an author. Carr served in the military for over 20 years and has first-hand experience executing some of the most dangerous missions.
Carr’s experience as a Naval Special Warfare enlisted SEAL sniper to a Junior officer taking charge of a team to execute some of the most dangerous missions in the most hostile places has helped him create some of the most gripping and exciting tales in his book series.
He has served in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines before taking pen and writing novels.
Carr started writing in 2018, so there are just five books. His books are often referred to as the James Reece series. Let’s look at the reading order of the five books in this series, along with a brief introduction to these books’ stories.
The James Reece Series: Jack Carr Books in Order
| Sr. No. | Title | Publication Date | Print Length | Publisher | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Terminal List | March 06, 2018 | 416 pages | Atria Books | Book Shop |
| 2 | True Believer | July 30, 2019 | 496 pages | Atria/Emily Bestler Books | Amazon |
| 3 | Savage Son | April 14, 2020 | 432 pages | Atria Books | Book Shop |
| 4 | The Devil’s Hand | February 7, 2023 | 544 pages | Atria/Emily Bestler Books | Amazon |
| 5 | In The Blood | May 17, 2022 | 480 pages | Atria Books | Book Shop |
1. The Terminal List
The Terminal List is the first novel penned by Jack Carr, and it introduces us to the protagonist of the series, James Reece.
The great thing about The James Reece series, including Terminal List, is that the stories in these novels are high-paced. There is no sluggish drama, no over a description of things, and so forth.
Readers can see that the moment they start this novel. It starts at a high pace. Reece is a Navy SEAL whose life gets completely turned around when his entire team is killed in a horrible accident. A person who considers his team his family, Reece, loses all hopes and ambitions.
But then the story takes a different turn when Reece realizes something more is going on. The attack that killed his team was not from some terrorist organization looking for revenge. It was an attack by the US government. This changes Reece’s entire life.
Reece makes finding the killers of his team the purpose of his life, trying to see who was behind the attack and why.
The story unfolds with many twists and turns, and the challenges seem insurmountable as the culprits are some of the most influential people in the Government.
But Reece is not an average guy. He uses all his skills and strength to fight against the people responsible for the heinous crime and get justice. This is the point where the journey of James Reece begins.
Terminal Limits is an excellent read. Please pick it up to enjoy a thrilling, fast-paced, action novel with a great character and brilliant story.
2. True Believer
The adventures of James Reece continue, and this time the stakes are even higher. As in the previous novel, True Believer starts with a bang. A terrifying and horrible blast in one of London’s busiest places left hundreds dead, and the entire world shook.
A terrorist attack of such a scale must contain a motive. But who is behind this attack, and how does the United States get into this?
The story unfolds when we learn that the attack in London was just the beginning. The US is their next target. The CIA needs to do something fast before destruction ensues.
There is no other man more capable of this situation than James Reece. Reece begins his journey to track down the terrorists on foreign soil and even in America.
Reece was convinced to take on this mission, but there was so much more that hides under the covers than he expected.
In this novel of a race against time, Reece must give his all to avoid the death of innocents and the ignition of a global war. The stakes are high, and so is the excitement in this novel.
Reece’s character carries the story so well. True Believer will be an excellent read for people looking for a fast-paced action book with many twists and turns.
3. Savage Son
The Savage Son book takes action to new heights and shows how well-trained and capable James Reece is in handling difficult situations.
The story starts again with a high-paced introduction. A disloyal member of the CIA joins hands with the Russian mafia to achieve their common goal; eliminating an ex-Navy SEAL sniper.
While preparing for their offense, Reece was in another part of the world, still recovering and trying to gain control of his functions. This novel is a brilliant addition to the series as it furthers expands on the characters, introduces new characters, and shows Reece as a team player.
We get to see Reece recover from physical wounds and the traumas he had to go through in the previous novels. The Savage Son also shows Reece allying to form a squad, making his new team take on the threat.
What’s great about this novel is that you can see Jack Carr becoming increasingly engrossed in the universe he has created. The characters connect with the readers more, and the story becomes harder-hitting.
With Carr’s military training, you can expect highly detailed and realistic scenarios where he has used his own experience to craft the situations in the novel.
But in Savage Son, we don’t just get a brilliant set-up of high-stake situations. We also get to see the inner side of Reece’s mind.
This book portrays his emotions very well. At the same time, there is enough action in this novel to keep your adrenaline pumping.
Many emotional sections in the story work well in further establishing the different characters in the memories. You start caring more for the side characters, and we learn more about Reece.
A great read and people have praised this novel a lot as well. This book is called Carr’s most “visceral” work.
It not only shows the tactical side of the military and the people who take on these life-threatening challenges, but also the emotional toll these experiences have on them.
4. The Devil’s Hand
The Devil’s Hand is another excellent thriller mystery that takes the entire James Reece saga to a new level. The novel is about the struggle for power and the clash of different global organizations.
The Devil’s Hand introduces a new character, a Ph.D. student who gets his hands on a bioweapon. With the range of threats expanded, it is even more difficult to stop the terrorists from succeeding.
This time, the loss will not only result in the death of innocents but the fall of the United States of America. The stakes are high, and Reece is the only man to save the nation from destruction.
The Devil’s Hand changes the tone of these stories, and what was going on as a fun, action-packed novel series now becomes very serious. Readers can feel the tension that Carr can build up magnificently with this book.
This book is perhaps the most gripping one in the series, and it seems that by writing more and more novels, Jack Carr is getting the experience to become even more significant at what he’s doing.
The addition of a bioweapon is also a substantial part of the novel’s success. It is truly fascinating that a Navy SEAL can write with such a brilliant style and pace to hook readers to the book.
5. In The Blood
The latest book in the James Reece series was released in August 2022 and is a massive success. People were asking for more, and they got something even grander.
The story now expands globally, with Reece’s mission reaching parts of Africa and other continents.
An assassination of a woman has led Reece on a new mission to find the killer. He knows that something is up, and the motive behind the killer is more sinister. Reece must act before the time is up and get to the killer.
But this time, he is not alone. Fans of this series will be delighted to see new and old characters joining forces with Reece to take down the target. The mission, as always, is never that simple. Mortal threats are waiting as the team proceeds on the mission,
In The Blood is a fantastic read that is a must-read for people who have liked Carr’s previous works. Everything is grander, more action-packed, and a blast to read. You’ll keep turning the pages, completely engrossed in the mystery.
Conclusion
This was the entire collection of all the books written by Jack Carr in reading order. Since the collection is small, with only five books in the series, it is perfect for people who want to start a new action-packed political thriller series but do not want to buy a mountain of books—five great books with fast-paced action and great characters.
You’ll be in love with this series in no time.