Where to Start Reading the Charlie Fox Series
For the best experience, we strongly recommend reading the Charlie Fox books in publication order. Charlie’s life, her personal trauma, her military backstory, and her evolving, complex relationship with her former training officer Sean Meyer develop significantly across the series. Reading the books out of order will spoil these major character arcs.
However, if you want to jump straight into her professional bodyguard career, First Drop (Book 4) is an excellent secondary starting point. The first three novels focus on Charlie's pre-bodyguard life in England as a self-defense instructor, while First Drop marks her first official close-protection gig in Florida and serves as the entry point for many American readers.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
While the publication order is the ideal path, readers should note the timeline placement of the prequel novella, Trial Under Fire (published in 2021 as Book 14). Chronologically, this story takes place first, detailing Charlie's early career in the British Army and the events leading to her court-martial. For first-time readers, we recommend saving this prequel until after you have read at least the first few novels to appreciate the context of her military past.
Charlie Fox Novels in Publication Order
Here is the complete list of Charlie Fox novels in their recommended reading order:
- Killer Instinct (2001) – Charlie is introduced as a self-defense instructor in northern England who is forced to hunt down a serial rapist targeting her students.
- Riot Act (2002) – House-sitting in a troubled estate throws Charlie right into the middle of a violent urban uprising.
- Hard Knocks (2003) – Charlie goes undercover at a bodyguard training school to investigate the suspicious death of a recruit.
- First Drop (2004) – Charlie takes her first official close-protection job in Florida, protecting a teenager on the run from professional killers.
- Road Kill (2005) – Investigating the suspicious death of a friend's daughter leads Charlie into the gritty world of illegal motorcycle racing.
- Second Shot (2007) – Charlie is hired to protect the daughter of an international arms dealer in a remote, snowbound Swiss chalet.
- Third Strike (2008) – A highly personal case where Charlie must protect her own estranged father when his past catches up with him.
- Fourth Day (2010) – Charlie goes undercover in a suspicious California cult to find out what happened to a missing boy.
- Fifth Victim (2011) – Bodyguarding a billionaire's daughter on Long Island turns deadly when a professional kidnap crew strikes.
- Die Easy (2012) – Trapped in a storm-battered New Orleans, Charlie faces a ruthless gang during a hostage situation.
- Absence of Light (2013) – Working in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, Charlie uncovers a dark human trafficking ring in the disaster zone.
- Fox Hunter (2017) – Charlie travels to the dangerous Iraq-Syria border in a desperate search for her missing partner and lover, Sean Meyer.
- Bad Turn (2019) – A routine drive in the English countryside turns into a fight for survival when Charlie witnesses a brutal crime.
- Trial Under Fire (2021) – The prequel novella detailing Charlie’s court-martial and the military incident that ended her army career.
Charlie Fox Short Stories & Collections
If you want to round out your reading, Zoë Sharp has written several short stories featuring Charlie Fox. The best way to read these is through the collection Fox Five (2011) or its expanded edition, Fox Five Reloaded. The expanded collection includes Hounded, a fun modern-day crossover story where Charlie crosses paths with a modern reimagining of Sherlock Holmes.