Brad Thor has been writing thrillers since The Lions of Lucerne arrived in 2002, and almost everything he has published since then follows one character: Scot Harvath, a former Navy SEAL and Secret Service agent turned covert counterterrorism operative. That long run is exactly why readers search for Brad Thor books in order. There are 25 numbered novels, a handful of companion stories, one spin-off, and, as of 2026, a new co-authored series that has nothing to do with Harvath.
This guide sorts all of it out: the full Scot Harvath reading list, where the short stories fit, which books are standalone, and what Thor has released most recently.
The quick answer: read the Scot Harvath novels in publication order, starting with The Lions of Lucerne (2002) and ending, for now, with Choke Point (June 16, 2026), which Simon & Schuster numbers as Book 25. The short stories and The Athena Project are optional extras. Cold Zero (2026), co-written with Ward Larsen, is not a Harvath novel.
Brad Thor Books in Order: Quick List
| Title | Year | Category | Series no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lions of Lucerne | 2002 | Scot Harvath novel | 1 |
| Path of the Assassin | 2003 | Scot Harvath novel | 2 |
| State of the Union | 2004 | Scot Harvath novel | 3 |
| Blowback | 2005 | Scot Harvath novel | 4 |
| The Athens Solution (short story, first in an anthology) | 2006* | Short story | companion |
| Takedown | 2006 | Scot Harvath novel | 5 |
| The First Commandment | 2007 | Scot Harvath novel | 6 |
| The Last Patriot | 2008 | Scot Harvath novel | 7 |
| The Apostle | 2009 | Scot Harvath novel | 8 |
| Foreign Influence | 2010 | Scot Harvath novel | 9 |
| The Athena Project | 2010 | Spin-off novel | none |
| Full Black | 2011 | Scot Harvath novel | 10 |
| Black List | 2012 | Scot Harvath novel | 11 |
| Free Fall | 2013 | Novella (prelude to Hidden Order) | companion |
| Hidden Order | 2013 | Scot Harvath novel | 12 |
| Epilogue II | 2013 | Bonus chapter (Hidden Order) | companion |
| Act of War | 2014 | Scot Harvath novel | 13 |
| Code of Conduct | 2015 | Scot Harvath novel | 14 |
| Foreign Agent | 2016 | Scot Harvath novel | 15 |
| Use of Force | 2017 | Scot Harvath novel | 16 |
| Spymaster | 2018 | Scot Harvath novel | 17 |
| Backlash | 2019 | Scot Harvath novel | 18 |
| Near Dark | 2020 | Scot Harvath novel | 19 |
| Black Ice | 2021 | Scot Harvath novel | 20 |
| Rising Tiger | 2022 | Scot Harvath novel | 21 |
| Dead Fall | 2023 | Scot Harvath novel | 22 |
| Shadow of Doubt | 2024 | Scot Harvath novel | 23 |
| Edge of Honor | 2025 | Scot Harvath novel | 24 |
| Cold Zero (with Ward Larsen) | 2026 | Co-authored standalone | none |
| Choke Point | 2026 | Scot Harvath novel | 25 |
| Fire Fall (with Ward Larsen) | Upcoming, Jan 2027 | Co-authored | none |
*The Athens Solution first appeared in a short-story anthology in 2006 and was reissued on its own in 2015. See the short stories section.
Scot Harvath Books in Order
The numbered Scot Harvath series runs to 25 novels. Simon & Schuster’s own listing for Choke Point carries series number 25, and FictionDB’s reading order matches the sequence below. Years are original hardcover publication years; later paperback and audio editions carry later dates.
| No. | Title | Year | What to know (spoiler-free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lions of Lucerne | 2002 | The debut. Harvath is a Secret Service agent, and the story centers on a presidential kidnapping. Everything later builds on this origin. |
| 2 | Path of the Assassin | 2003 | Picks up directly from book 1, with Harvath hunting those responsible. Best read right after Lions. |
| 3 | State of the Union | 2004 | A homeland-threat thriller that takes Harvath into the Russian tundra. Completes the early run. |
| 4 | Blowback | 2005 | NPR named it among its Top 100 Killer Thrillers, a distinction FictionDB notes. A good checkpoint for new readers. |
| 5 | Takedown | 2006 | Fifth installment, published the same year Thor’s first Harvath short story appeared in an anthology. |
| 6 | The First Commandment | 2007 | Mid-2000s Harvath at full stride, with the political-thriller tone Thor was known for by this point. |
| 7 | The Last Patriot | 2008 | The first novel in the series published in July, which became Thor’s regular summer slot. |
| 8 | The Apostle | 2009 | Continues the run of global counterterrorism plots. |
| 9 | Foreign Influence | 2010 | Closes out the first decade of the series. |
| 10 | Full Black | 2011 | Harvath’s second decade opens here. Collected with The Athena Project in a Simon & Schuster boxed set. |
| 11 | Black List | 2012 | Read it before the 2013 novella Free Fall, which leads into book 12. |
| 12 | Hidden Order | 2013 | Has two companion pieces: Free Fall (prelude) and Epilogue II (bonus chapter). |
| 13 | Act of War | 2014 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 14 | Code of Conduct | 2015 | The Athens Solution was reissued the same year. |
| 15 | Foreign Agent | 2016 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 16 | Use of Force | 2017 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 17 | Spymaster | 2018 | Often suggested as a modern entry point. |
| 18 | Backlash | 2019 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 19 | Near Dark | 2020 | The publisher describes a bounty placed on America’s top spy. See the date note below. |
| 20 | Black Ice | 2021 | Billed in Thor’s author bio as a ThrillerFix Best Thriller of the Year. |
| 21 | Rising Tiger | 2022 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 22 | Dead Fall | 2023 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 23 | Shadow of Doubt | 2024 | Standard numbered installment. |
| 24 | Edge of Honor | 2025 | Published July 2025. |
| 25 | Choke Point | 2026 | Published June 16, 2026. Harvath is sent after an American turncoat in a Bangkok-set plot with China at its center. |
A note on the Near Dark date. Some listings show 2022 for Near Dark. That is a paperback date: the mass-market paperback carries September 20, 2022 on retailer records. The original hardcover from Atria/Emily Bestler Books came out in 2020, and library catalogs and FictionDB both record 2020 (The Real Book Spy lists July 21, 2020). Treat 2020 as the publication year.
Reader tip: books 5 through 18 are described lightly here by design. The publisher’s blurbs on Simon & Schuster pages are the best place to check each premise before you buy, and they are written to avoid spoilers.
Brad Thor Books in Publication Order
Here is the full bibliography grouped by type. Each book sits in one category only; the Quick List above shows how they interleave by year.
Scot Harvath novels (25). All 25 numbered books, 2002 to 2026, are in the Scot Harvath table above.
Short stories and novellas (3). The Athens Solution (anthology 2006, standalone reissue 2015), Free Fall (2013), Epilogue II (2013).
Spin-off novel (1). The Athena Project (2010).
Co-authored books (2). Cold Zero with Ward Larsen (February 10, 2026) and Fire Fall with Ward Larsen (scheduled January 5, 2027, not yet published).
Other publications. Simon & Schuster also sells repackaged sets such as Brad Thor Collectors’ Edition #4, which bundles The Athena Project, Full Black and Black List. These are reissues, not new stories, and audiobook or paperback editions do not change a book’s original publication year.
If you see a total book count on another site, check what it includes. FictionDB lists 31 titles in all, which folds in the short stories and upcoming releases. The number of Harvath novels is 25.
Brad Thor Standalone Books
Two books sit outside the numbered Harvath series, and they are different kinds of outsider.
The Athena Project (2010). This is a spin-off rather than a true standalone. FictionDB gives it its own one-book series, and one book-order site describes it as a standalone spin-off in the Harvath universe where Scot Harvath makes only a brief cameo, with the story centered on the women of the Athena team. That cameo detail comes from a third-party source, so treat it as likely rather than confirmed. Simon & Schuster files it under the Scot Harvath series label in its boxed set. The practical takeaway: you can read it without having read any Harvath novel, and skipping it will not leave gaps in the numbered series. It is also the one book where Thor tried a new cast, which makes it an easy side trip.
Cold Zero (2026). This one is clearly separate. Bookreporter states it is not part of Thor’s Scot Harvath series, The Real Book Spy described it as set outside his Harvath universe, and Ward Larsen has said it includes no characters from either author’s existing novels. It is Thor’s first co-authored book, written with Larsen, and retail and review sources describe it as the opening of a new series. It is an Arctic survival-and-espionage thriller built around a downed jetliner. You do not need any Harvath background.
One caution: some third-party sites label books as standalone only because they lack a series tag. The classifications above rest on publisher descriptions, author statements, or review sources, not on missing tags.
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Brad Thor Short Stories and Novellas
There are three confirmed Harvath companion works. All are optional.
| Title | First published | What it is | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Athens Solution | 2006 (anthology); standalone reissue 2015 | A short story, originally published in the anthology Thriller, later revised with a new afterword by Thor | Placement varies by site (see below). Read it any time after you are settled in the series. |
| Free Fall | 2013 | A prelude to Hidden Order, per Simon & Schuster | After Black List (book 11) and before Hidden Order (book 12) |
| Epilogue II | October 8, 2013 | A short bonus chapter to Hidden Order, described by the publisher as an alternate ending | After Hidden Order, never before it |
Why The Athens Solution is placed inconsistently. FictionDB lists it as 4.5 because the anthology it first appeared in came out in 2006. Another aggregator numbers it 14.5, matching its 2015 stand-alone reissue next to Code of Conduct. Both are defensible. Because it is optional, the safest advice is to read it whenever you like and not worry about the slot.
Should you read them? If you want every scrap of Harvath, read Free Fall and Epilogue II around book 12; they are short. If you only want the novels, skip all three and lose nothing in the main story.
Should You Read Brad Thor Books in Publication Order?
For the Harvath novels, yes, publication order is the practical choice, for four reasons.
- Character development. Harvath changes over two decades, from a Secret Service agent in 2002 to a covert operator running a team. Reading in order lets you see that arc instead of meeting the finished version.
- Recurring characters and relationships. Teammates, mentors and rivals return across books, and their history lands harder when you have met them first.
- References to earlier events. Newer novels lean on past missions. Thor tends to explain enough to keep you oriented, but you get more from the nods when you recognize them. When Choke Point was released, Thor told a local TV interviewer that it brings back a character from one of his earliest books.
- Continuity. The first two novels pick up directly from each other, and the numbered sequence was built to be read as published.
Do you have to? No. The books are written so a newcomer can start almost anywhere, and one popular book-order site even says you do not need to follow publication order. If you want the full experience, start at book 1. If you are short on time, see the starting-point section below.
Brad Thor Books in Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
Publication order is the order the books were released. Chronological order would be the order events happen inside the story. For most series those match, and they largely do here: the numbered novels were written as a running sequence, and no reliable source offers a separate, alternative timeline for the main series.
There is only one claimed exception. A third-party site says The Athena Project sits between Foreign Influence (book 9) and Full Black (book 10) in the Harvath timeline. That is a single, unofficial claim, and the book is optional, so this guide does not build a separate chronological list around it. Likewise, Free Fall and Epilogue II slot around Hidden Order by their own descriptions.
The bottom line: there is no official chronological reading order that differs from publication order. Follow the numbers, and place the companion stories next to the novels they are tied to.
What Is the Best Brad Thor Book to Start With?
For the complete series experience: The Lions of Lucerne. It is the first Harvath novel, and the series builds forward from it. This is the recommendation for most readers.
If you want political thrillers: start with book 1 and read through State of the Union (book 3), where the stakes move onto American soil and into Russia.
If you prefer espionage-heavy stories: Spymaster (2018) is frequently suggested as a modern entry point, and a reading-guide site groups Spymaster, Backlash, Near Dark and Black Ice as a strong modern run.
If you care about Harvath’s character arc: go back to book 1. His early years are where the arc begins, and each later book assumes you know who he is.
If you are curious but want a short commitment: try Cold Zero. It is a standalone adventure with no series homework.
What Is the Latest Brad Thor Book?
As of November 10, 2026, the latest Brad Thor release is Choke Point, published June 16, 2026.
Choke Point
- Publication date: June 16, 2026 (hardcover, ISBN 9781668065921)
- Series number: Scot Harvath Book 25, as numbered by Simon & Schuster
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
- Premise, spoiler-free: A deadly series of bombings hits Bangkok, and with the United States unwilling to commit troops openly, Harvath is sent to find an American turncoat who is helping Beijing. The publisher frames it around a high-stakes geopolitical choke point.
Cold Zero was published February 10, 2026, so it came out before Choke Point. It is co-written with Ward Larsen and is not a Harvath novel.
Fire Fall is not yet published. Simon & Schuster and NetGalley list it for January 5, 2027, though FictionDB shows February 2027, so confirm the date nearer launch. It is another Thor and Larsen collaboration. The publisher describes a story rooted in a World War II secret, starting with two archaeologists who vanish in Indonesia. It appears to feature a different lead cast from Cold Zero, and it is not part of the Scot Harvath series.
What about Harvath book 26? At the time of writing, no publisher-confirmed title or date was found. One aggregator lists a 2027 placeholder with no details. Do not treat it as announced.
Printable Brad Thor Books in Order Checklist
Copy this list into a notes app or print the page. Numbered rows are Scot Harvath novels; unnumbered rows are optional extras.
Scot Harvath 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. Hidden Order (2013)
- ☐ 13. Act of War (2014)
- ☐ 14. Code of Conduct (2015)
- ☐ 15. Foreign Agent (2016)
- ☐ 16. Use of Force (2017)
- ☐ 17. Spymaster (2018)
- ☐ 18. Backlash (2019)
- ☐ 19. Near Dark (2020)
- ☐ 20. Black Ice (2021)
- ☐ 21. Rising Tiger (2022)
- ☐ 22. Dead Fall (2023)
- ☐ 23. Shadow of Doubt (2024)
- ☐ 24. Edge of Honor (2025)
- ☐ 25. Choke Point (2026)
Optional extras
- ☐ The Athens Solution (short story, 2006 / 2015)
- ☐ Free Fall (novella, 2013, read after book 11)
- ☐ Epilogue II (bonus chapter, 2013, read after book 12)
- ☐ The Athena Project (spin-off, 2010)
Co-authored with Ward Larsen (not Harvath)
- ☐ Cold Zero (2026)
- ☐ Fire Fall (scheduled January 5, 2027)
About Brad Thor
Brad Thor is an American thriller writer who studied at the University of Southern California, where he moved from business to creative writing and film. Before publishing fiction, FictionDB notes, he created and hosted a television program called Traveling Life. A local-news interview says his wife encouraged him to start writing, which led to The Lions of Lucerne in 2002.
His genre is political and espionage thrillers, and nearly all of his work centers on Scot Harvath. Notable books include Blowback, which NPR named among its Top 100 Killer Thrillers, and Black Ice and Near Dark, which his publisher bio cites for year-end recognition. He published his first co-authored novel, Cold Zero, in 2026.
Readers tend to like the pace, the global settings, and a tone that treats headlines as raw material. In his own words from a 2026 interview, he picks plots from what keeps contacts up at night.
Authors Similar to Brad Thor
- Vince Flynn. Counterterrorism thrillers with a Washington backbone. Simon & Schuster’s own Harvath blurb quotes Flynn praising the series.
- Mark Greaney. Fast, globe-hopping action starring a freelance assassin, a good match if you like the operator side of Harvath.
- Daniel Silva. A more literary take on espionage, with a long-running Israeli spy series and a strong sense of place.
- Jack Carr. Written by a former SEAL, with a military-thriller voice that fans of Harvath’s background tend to enjoy.
- David Baldacci. Broad political and government thrillers, including long-running series with their own recurring casts.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brad Thor Books
1. What order should I read Brad Thor books? Read the Scot Harvath novels in publication order, starting with The Lions of Lucerne (2002) and ending with Choke Point (2026). Add the optional short stories and The Athena Project where they fit.
2. How many books are in the Brad Thor Scot Harvath series? Twenty-five numbered novels, with Choke Point (June 16, 2026) as Book 25. Three short companion works are optional extras.
3. What is the first Brad Thor book? The Lions of Lucerne, published in 2002. It is also Scot Harvath’s first appearance.
4. Do you have to read Brad Thor books in order? No, but order helps. Newer books are readable on their own, though character history and callbacks reward readers who start at book 1.
5. What is Brad Thor’s best book? There is no official answer. Readers often cite The Lions of Lucerne, Blowback, Near Dark and Black Ice, but taste varies. Try book 1 and see.
6. What is Brad Thor’s last book? The latest release as of November 10, 2026 is Choke Point (June 16, 2026). His next, Fire Fall, is scheduled for January 5, 2027.
7. In what order were Brad Thor’s books published? See the Quick List above. In short: the Harvath novels run 2002 to 2026, with The Athena Project in 2010, the companion stories in 2006, 2013 and 2015, and Cold Zero in February 2026.
8. Is Scot Harvath a series? Yes. The Scot Harvath series has 25 numbered novels so far.
9. Does Brad Thor write standalone novels? Yes. Cold Zero (2026, with Ward Larsen) is separate from the series. The Athena Project (2010) is a spin-off that works on its own.
10. What is the latest Brad Thor book in 2026? Choke Point, published June 16, 2026. Cold Zero came out earlier in the year, on February 10.
11. Is Cold Zero part of the Scot Harvath series? No. It is a co-authored thriller set outside the Harvath universe.
12. Are Brad Thor’s books connected? The Harvath novels share characters and continuity, so yes. Cold Zero and Fire Fall are not connected to them.
13. Where should a new reader start with Brad Thor? With The Lions of Lucerne. If you want a shorter commitment, Cold Zero is a self-contained entry.
Hi, I’m Nisbah – a blogger with over 2 years of experience creating content and a fantasy enthusiast who loves exploring magical worlds, fantasy books, captivating stories, and unforgettable characters. I share book recommendations, reviews, fantasy insights, and story discussions and creating guides to help readers discover their next great adventure.
