Brad Thor Books in Order | Complete Scot Harvath Book List

Looking for the Brad Thor books in order? Most of his fiction follows Scot Harvath, a former Navy SEAL and Secret Service agent who takes on political conspiracies, covert operations, and threats to national security around the world.

Each Harvath novel has its own central mission, but the relationships, career changes, and consequences carry forward. I recommend starting with The Lions of Lucerne and continuing in the order below.

Jump to:

• Scot Harvath Series
• Brad Thor Standalone Books
• Brad Thor Book-to-Screen Adaptations
• Who is Brad Thor?

Scot Harvath Series

Almost all of Brad Thor’s fiction centers on Scot Harvath. He begins the series as a former Navy SEAL working for the Secret Service. As the books continue, his role expands into private intelligence and covert counterterrorism work.

I recommend reading the series in the order below. For the complete experience, read the short works where they appear. You can skip them and still follow the full-length novels.

1. The Lions of Lucerne (2002)
2. Path of the Assassin (2003)
3. State of the Union (2004)
4. Blowback (2005)
5. Takedown (2006)
6. The First Commandment (2007)
7. The Last Patriot (2008)
8. The Apostle (2009)
9. Foreign Influence (2010)
10. Full Black (2011)
11. Black List (2012)
12. Free Fall: A Prelude to Hidden Order (2013) (Short story)
13. Hidden Order (2013)
14. Epilogue II: A Bonus Chapter to Hidden Order (2013) (Bonus chapter)
15. Act of War (2014)
16. Code of Conduct (2015)
17. The Athens Solution (2015) (Short story; originally published in 2006)
18. Foreign Agent (2016)
19. Use of Force (2017)
20. Spymaster (2018)
21. Backlash (2019)
22. Near Dark (2020)
23. Black Ice (2021)
24. Rising Tiger (2022)
25. Dead Fall (2023)
26. Shadow of Doubt (2024)
27. Edge of Honor (2025)
28. Choke Point (2026)

Athena Series

The Athena Project is a Scot Harvath spin-off set in the same world. It follows an all-female Delta Force team introduced in Foreign Influence. The story stands on its own, but I’d read it after Foreign Influence if you want the character introductions in order.

1. The Athena Project (2010)

Brad Thor Standalone Books

Cold Zero is a co-authored thriller outside the Scot Harvath series. Brad Thor wrote it with Ward Larsen, and you can read it without any Harvath background.

1. Cold Zero with Ward Larsen (2026)

Brad Thor Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Brad Thor’s books have drawn Hollywood interest for years, and two separate projects have been announced. In 2024, Sony Pictures Television began developing an untitled series based on the Scot Harvath books. Steven Lightfoot, whose credits include The Punisher and Shantaram, is writing and executive producing. Thor is also an executive producer, along with John Wick director Chad Stahelski and producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa.

The Sony project is being developed as a television series rather than a single movie, which gives it room to draw from Harvath’s long history of connected missions. The original announcement said Stahelski could direct some or all of the first season. It did not include casting details or a premiere date.

Cold Zero is being developed separately as a feature film for Netflix. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto is writing the screenplay, while Peter Berg is producing through Film 44. The story’s mix of an Arctic plane crash, survival thriller, and international race for classified technology gives it a very different setup from the Scot Harvath series. The announcement did not include a cast, filming schedule, or release date.

Who is Brad Thor?

Brad Thor studied creative writing, film, and television production at the University of Southern California. Before becoming a novelist, he created, wrote, produced, and hosted the public television series Traveling Lite.

His research goes well beyond reading the headlines. Thor served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Analytic Red Cell Unit. He also shadowed a Black Ops team in Afghanistan while researching The Apostle.

That background helps explain why Scot Harvath’s missions often feel tied to real security concerns. Thor builds his thrillers around political tension, intelligence work, and threats that feel close enough to be unsettling.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• Brad Taylor Books in Order
• Jack Carr Books in Order
• Mark Greaney Books in Order