Matthew Reilly writes fast-paced thrillers with the scale and momentum of blockbuster action movies. If you enjoy science fiction, historical mysteries, global adventures, and relentless action, this guide covers the Matthew Reilly books in order by series, along with his standalone novels and short stories.
His recurring characters include Shane “Scarecrow” Schofield, Jack West Jr, and private detective Sam Speedman. He has also written young adult adventures, fantasy, historical fiction, and several stories that are available free through his website.
Jump to:
- Matthew Reilly Standalone Books
- Matthew Reilly Books by Series
- Matthew Reilly Short Stories
- Who is Matthew Reilly?
Matthew Reilly Standalone Books
These novels tell separate stories with different protagonists, so you can read them in any order. Contest was originally self-published in Australia before a revised edition reached the United States.
- Contest (2003; originally self-published in 1996)
- Temple (2000)
- The Great Zoo of China (2015)
- The Secret Runners (2020) (Published in Australia as The Secret Runners of New York)
- Cobalt Blue (2023)
- Mr. Einstein’s Secretary (2024)
Matthew Reilly Books by Series
Scarecrow Books
The Scarecrow series follows Shane Schofield, a Marine known by his call sign, Scarecrow. Each book throws Schofield and his team into another high-stakes military crisis.
- Ice Station (1999)
- Area 7 (2002)
- Scarecrow (2004)
- Hell Island (2010) (Novella)
- Scarecrow Returns (2012) (Published in Australia as Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves)
Hover Car Racer Books
Hover Car Racer follows young driver Jason Chaser at the International Race School. The story was first published as one complete novel. It was later divided into three shorter volumes for younger readers in the United States.
Complete Novel and Graphic Novel
- Hover Car Racer (2004)
- Hover Car Racer: The Graphic Novel (2025)
U.S. Split Editions
- Crash Course (2005)
- Full Throttle (2006)
- Photo Finish (2007)
Jack West Jr. Books
The Jack West Jr series is a global adventure filled with ancient mysteries, hidden locations, deadly traps, and races to prevent catastrophe. Read the novels in order because the larger story and character relationships continue from one book to the next.
- Seven Deadly Wonders (2005) (Published in Australia as Seven Ancient Wonders and later The Seven Ancient Wonders)
- The Six Sacred Stones (2008)
- The Five Greatest Warriors (2010)
- The Four Legendary Kingdoms (2017)
- The Three Secret Cities (2018)
- The Two Lost Mountains (2021)
- The One Impossible Labyrinth (2022)
Jack West Jr Short Stories
Matthew Reilly has also released two Jack West Jr short stories. “The Hero’s Helmet” is a prequel. “Chinese Splashdown” takes place between The Five Greatest Warriors and The Four Legendary Kingdoms.
Tournament Books
The Tournament is a historical mystery set in 1546. Roger Ascham and a young Elizabeth Tudor travel with the English delegation to Constantinople for an international chess tournament, but a series of murders turns the gathering into something far more dangerous.
The two Roger Ascham short stories take place before and after the novel. They aren’t required reading, but they add more to Ascham’s story.
- Roger Ascham and the King’s Lost Girl (2013) (Short Story)
- The Tournament (2016)
- Roger Ascham and the Dead Queen’s Command (2020) (Short Story)
Troll Mountain Serial Novel
Troll Mountain is a young adult fantasy adventure about Raf, who sets out to steal an elixir from the trolls and save the people dying in his village, including his sister.
The novel was first released in three episodes. The complete edition collects those same installments into one book.
Original Serial Editions
- Troll Mountain: Episode I (2014)
- Troll Mountain: Episode II (2014)
- Troll Mountain: Episode III (2014)
Collected Edition
Sam Speedman Books
Sam Speedman is a brilliant private detective who takes on cases built around puzzles, buried secrets, and dangerous opponents. Start with The Detective, then continue with King’s Ransom.
- The Detective (2026)
- King’s Ransom (2026)
Matthew Reilly Short Stories
In addition to the stories connected to Jack West Jr and Roger Ascham, Matthew Reilly has released several standalone stories through his website. “Rewind,” also known as “The Fate of Flight 700,” is presented as a short-film screenplay.
- Rewind / The Fate of Flight 700 (1999) (Short-film screenplay)
- The Mine (2000)
- A Bad Day at Fort Bragg (2001)
- Altitude Rush (2001)
- The Rock Princess and the Thriller Writer (2002)
- Time Tours (2005)
- The Dead Prince (2007)
- Complex 13 (2007)
Who is Matthew Reilly?
Matthew Reilly is an Australian author known for action thrillers, science fiction, historical adventures, and young adult novels. He has said that books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies helped spark his interest in reading while he was in school.
Reilly wrote Contest while studying law and self-published the novel in 1996 after receiving rejections from major publishers. A commissioning editor from Pan Macmillan Australia later found a copy in a bookstore and contacted him. Reilly was already working on Ice Station, and he went on to sign a two-book deal with the publisher.
Contest was revised before its first U.S. publication in 2003. Reilly followed it with the Scarecrow and Jack West Jr series, along with standalone novels that move between historical fiction, science fiction, and contemporary thrillers.
Reilly has spoken about the many working titles his books go through. Ice Station was once called Starfighter, South Pole, and Twelve Swordsmen, while Scarecrow carried the working title The Most Wanted Man in the World.
He has cited Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas among his creative influences. That interest in propulsive stories and large-scale action runs through much of his fiction.
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.