Books On Board
series Reading Order

Clandestine Operations Books in Order

5 Books
2014 – 2018 Published
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Reading order
01
Top Secret
Top Secret
2014
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02
The Assassination Option
The Assassination Option
2014
Amazon
03
Curtain of Death
Curtain of Death
2016
Amazon
04
Death at Nuremberg
Death at Nuremberg
2017
Amazon
05
The Enemy of My Enemy
2018
Amazon

The Recommended Reading Order

The Clandestine Operations series, co-authored by W.E.B. Griffin and his son William E. Butterworth IV, follows a linear chronological timeline tracking the birth of the CIA. Because the narrative flows directly from one novel to the next, you should read the books in order of publication.

  1. Top Secret (2014) - Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II in 1945, Army officer James D. Cronley Jr. is recruited into the newly established Directorate of Central Intelligence (DCI) in occupied Germany.
  2. The Assassination Option (2014) - Now a captain, Cronley is tasked with protecting key German scientists and intelligence assets from Soviet kidnap squads while navigating fierce bureaucratic turf wars.
  3. Curtain of Death (2016) - Set in January 1946, Cronley and his allies, including WAC operative Claudette Colbert, must deal with escalating tensions and Soviet agents in Munich.
  4. Death at Nuremberg (2017) - Set during the mid-1940s Nuremberg trials, Cronley is ordered to protect key witnesses and hunt down rogue Soviet and Nazi factions targeting the tribunal.
  5. The Enemy of My Enemy (2018) - The final entry of the series finds Cronley uncovering Himmler's hidden fortune and hunting Nazi war criminals, leading him undercover in Argentina.

The Honor Bound Connection

While Clandestine Operations works as a standalone series starting with Top Secret, it is actually a direct chronological sequel to W.E.B. Griffin's 7-book Honor Bound series. Honor Bound follows OSS espionage operations in Argentina during World War II. Clandestine Operations begins right where Honor Bound ends and features key crossovers, including the return of major characters like Cletus Frade.

For the ultimate experience, we recommend reading the Honor Bound series first, though you can jump straight into Clandestine Operations if you are primarily interested in the early Cold War spy game.

Chronological vs. Publication Order

Fortunately, keeping track of the timeline is simple. The publication order matches the chronological setting of the series (roughly 1945 to 1947). There are no prequels or time-skipping volumes, so following the order of release is the most natural and rewarding way to read the books.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the Clandestine Operations series about?

Co-authored by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV, the series follows Captain James D. Cronley Jr. in post-WWII Germany during the high-stakes birth of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the onset of the Cold War.

QWhere should I start reading Clandestine Operations?

You should start with the first book, Top Secret (2014). To get the full backstory of the characters and the OSS, consider starting with the prequel series Honor Bound.

QHow many books are in the Clandestine Operations series?

The series consists of five books published between 2014 and 2018. Due to W.E.B. Griffin's passing in 2019, the series is considered complete.

QIs Clandestine Operations connected to other W.E.B. Griffin books?

Yes, it is a direct sequel series to the Honor Bound series, carrying over key characters like OSS agent Cletus Frade and continuing the espionage narrative into the early Cold War era.

QDoes Clandestine Operations have a different chronological order?

No. The publication order matches the chronological timeline perfectly, moving linearly from the end of WWII in 1945 through the events of 1946 and 1947.

QWho is the main protagonist of the series?

The main protagonist is James D. Cronley Jr., a young and resourceful Army officer who is unexpectedly recruited into the newly formed Directorate of Central Intelligence (DCI).