Gregg Hurwitz Books in Order: Every Series & Standalone

By Anna Marie CarrollThriller

If you’re trying to read the Gregg Hurwitz books in order, you’re probably here because of Orphan X. That’s the big one. But Hurwitz has written a lot more than Evan Smoak, including standalone thrillers, the Tim Rackley books, the young adult Rains duology, comics for Marvel and DC, AWA graphic novels, and short fiction.

This guide covers Hurwitz’s full bibliography, from his early standalone thrillers to Tim Rackley, Rains, Orphan X, comics, graphic novels, and short fiction.

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Gregg Hurwitz Books in Publication Order

This is the best starting point if you want the Gregg Hurwitz books in order by release date. It includes his standalone thrillers, Tim Rackley novels, Rains books, Orphan X novels, and major novellas. Comics and anthology appearances are grouped separately below.

  1. The Tower (1999)
  2. Minutes to Burn (2001)
  3. Do No Harm (2002)
  4. The Kill Clause (2003)
  5. The Program (2004)
  6. Troubleshooter (2005)
  7. Last Shot (2006)
  8. The Crime Writer (2007)
  9. Trust No One (2009)
  10. They’re Watching (2010)
  11. You’re Next (2011)
  12. The Survivor (2012)
  13. Tell No Lies (2013)
  14. Don’t Look Back (2014)
  15. Orphan X (2016)
  16. The Rains (2016)
  17. The Nowhere Man (2017)
  18. Last Chance (2017)
  19. Hellbent (2018)
  20. Out of the Dark (2019)
  21. Into the Fire (2020)
  22. Prodigal Son (2021)
  23. Dark Horse (2022)
  24. The Last Orphan (2023)
  25. Lone Wolf (2024)
  26. Nemesis (2025)
  27. Antihero (2026)
  28. The Delivery (2026) (Novella)
  29. Last Man Standing (2027)

Gregg Hurwitz Books by Series and Standalones

Use these lists when you want one series at a time instead of the full publication order.

Tim Rackley Books

The Tim Rackley books were Hurwitz’s first series. Rackley is a deputy U.S. marshal whose life breaks open after his daughter’s killer walks free on a legal technicality. These are darker, revenge-driven thrillers, and I’d read them in order.

  1. The Kill Clause (2003)
  2. The Program (2004)
  3. Troubleshooter (2005)
  4. Last Shot (2006)
  5. Dirty Weather (2006) (Short Story)

Orphan X Books

The Orphan X books are Hurwitz’s best-known series. Evan Smoak was trained as a government assassin, escaped the program, and remade himself as the Nowhere Man, helping desperate people who have nowhere else to turn.

For a deeper look at the Evan Smoak reading order, including where the short stories fit, read my full Orphan X books in order guide.

  1. Orphan X (2016)
  2. Buy a Bullet (2016) (Short Story)
  3. The Nowhere Man (2017)
  4. Hellbent (2018)
  5. The Intern (2018) (Short Story)
  6. Out of the Dark (2019)
  7. Into the Fire (2020)
  8. The List (2020) (Short Story)
  9. Prodigal Son (2021)
  10. Dark Horse (2022)
  11. The Last Orphan (2023)
  12. The Recital (2023) (Short Story)
  13. Lone Wolf (2024)
  14. Nemesis (2025)
  15. Orphan X: A Mysterious Profile (2025) (Special Novella)
  16. The Code (2025) (Short Story)
  17. Antihero (2026)
  18. Last Man Standing (2027)

Rains Books

The Rains books are Hurwitz’s young adult sci-fi horror duology. They follow brothers Chance and Patrick Rains in a world where an alien parasite has transformed adults into dangerous, zombie-like creatures.

  1. The Rains (2016)
  2. Last Chance (2017)

Gregg Hurwitz Standalone Books and Novellas

Hurwitz’s standalone thrillers are a good choice if you want his pacing and tension without committing to a series. I’d read these in publication order if you’re working through his whole bibliography, but each one stands on its own.

  1. The Tower (1999)
  2. Minutes to Burn (2001)
  3. Do No Harm (2002)
  4. The Crime Writer / I See You (2007)
  5. Trust No One / We Know (2009)
  6. They’re Watching / Or She Dies (2010)
  7. You’re Next (2011)
  8. The Survivor (2012)
  9. Tell No Lies (2013)
  10. Don’t Look Back (2014)
  11. The Delivery (2026) (Novella)

Gregg Hurwitz Comics and Graphic Novels

Hurwitz has also written comics for Marvel, DC, and AWA. I’m focusing on the major collected editions and key book-format releases here, rather than turning this into a full single-issue checklist.

Marvel Comics

  1. Foolkiller: Fool’s Paradise (2008)
  2. Wolverine: Dangerous Games (2008)
  3. Foolkiller: White Angels (2009)
  4. The Punisher: Girls in White Dresses (2009)
  5. Vengeance of the Moon Knight, Vol. 1 (2010)
  6. Vengeance of the Moon Knight, Vol. 2 (2010)
  7. The Savage Axe of Ares (2010) (Includes “Red Mercury”)
  8. Shadowland: Moon Knight (2011)

DC Comics

  1. Penguin: Pain and Prejudice (2012)
  2. Batman: The Dark Knight, Vol. 2: Cycle of Violence (2013)
  3. Batman: The Dark Knight, Vol. 3: Mad (2014)
  4. Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 2: Scare Tactics (2014)
  5. Batman: The Dark Knight, Vol. 4: Clay (2014)

AWA Comics

  1. Knighted (2022)
  2. NewThink, Vol. 1 (2022)

NewThink is a five-issue anthology collected in one trade paperback. So, despite the “Vol. 1” title, I wouldn’t treat it like a long-running multi-volume series.

Gregg Hurwitz Short Stories and Anthologies

Hurwitz has also contributed short fiction to several mystery and thriller anthologies. When the story title is known, I’ve listed that first and placed the anthology title in parentheses.

  1. “All Said and Done” in Show Business Is Murder (2004)
  2. “The Real Thing” in Meeting Across the River (2005)
  3. “Dirty Weather” in Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night (2006)
  4. “Back and Forth” in Uncage Me (2009)
  5. “Damage” in Hint Fiction (2010)
  6. “The Thief” in First Thrills (2010)
  7. “Red of Beak and Claw” in Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge (2022)

Who is Gregg Hurwitz?

Gregg Hurwitz is the #1 internationally bestselling author of thrillers, including the Orphan X series. He’s also written young adult thrillers, screenplays, TV scripts, documentary work, comics, poetry, essays, and political commentary.

Hurwitz studied at Harvard and later earned a master’s degree in Shakespearean tragedy from Trinity College, Oxford. That background makes sense when you read his books. He’s drawn to damaged characters, brutal moral choices, and people trying to stay human under pressure.

His comics work includes Batman, Penguin, Moon Knight, Wolverine, Punisher, Knighted, and NewThink. So even though most readers find him through thrillers, his bibliography is broader than one series.

Gregg Hurwitz Books FAQ

What Gregg Hurwitz book should I read first?

For a full author read-through, start with The Tower and follow publication order. If you want a standalone thriller first, I’d start with You’re Next, The Survivor, or Tell No Lies.

Do you need to read Gregg Hurwitz books in order?

Not across his whole bibliography. The standalone thrillers can be read in any order. For the Tim Rackley books and the Rains duology, I’d read each series in publication order because the character arcs and stakes build from book to book.

What are Gregg Hurwitz’s standalone books?

Hurwitz’s standalone thrillers include The Tower, Minutes to Burn, Do No Harm, The Crime Writer, Trust No One, They’re Watching, You’re Next, The Survivor, Tell No Lies, and Don’t Look Back. The Delivery is a later standalone novella.

What is the Tim Rackley series about?

The Tim Rackley books follow a deputy U.S. marshal whose faith in the justice system cracks after a personal tragedy. They’re darker revenge thrillers, and they show an earlier version of the moral tension Hurwitz often returns to in his work.

Did Gregg Hurwitz write comics?

Yes. Hurwitz has written comics for Marvel, DC, and AWA, including work on Batman, Penguin, Moon Knight, Wolverine, Punisher, Knighted, and NewThink.

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.

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