The Recommended Reading Order for Dan Morgan
If you are looking for a military thriller series that balances real-world tradecraft with relentless action, the Dan Morgan saga (also known as the Cobra series) is a must-read. Written by real-life Black Ops veteran Leo J. Maloney, the series follows retired CIA operative Dan Morgan as he is pulled back into the shadowy world of international espionage under the deniable Zeta Group.
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the series in publication order. The characters age, their relationships evolve, and Dan's daughter, Alex Morgan, grows from a high-stakes hostage in the early novellas into a full-fledged operative with her own spin-off series. Reading the main novels and novellas as they were released preserves this character development and the overarching timeline of global conspiracies.
Publication Order of Dan Morgan Books
- Termination Orders (2011) – The debut novel where Dan Morgan is pulled out of retirement after the suspicious death of his former partner, uncovering a conspiracy within his own agency.
- Silent Assassin (2013) – Dan Morgan must stop a rogue KGB officer armed with weapons of mass destruction who plans to trigger a devastating conflict.
- Black Skies (2014) – A massive cyber-espionage conspiracy threatens America's infrastructure, forcing Dan and the Zeta Group into a race against the clock.
- Twelve Hours (2015) – A fast-paced novella where Dan's daughter, Alex, is held hostage during a terrorist siege at a university, forcing Dan to execute a daring rescue while preventing a political assassination.
- Arch Enemy (2016) – Dan and his partner Peter Conley face off against a criminal mastermind with deep pockets and a personal vendetta against the Zeta Group.
- For Duty and Honor (2016) – A gritty novella that sees Dan Morgan captured, imprisoned, and tortured in a remote Russian Gulag, testing his survival skills to the absolute limit.
- Rogue Commander (2017) – Dan must go rogue to stop a rogue military faction and a biological threat before a catastrophic outbreak occurs.
- Dark Territory (2018) – A novella focusing on a high-stakes train capture. Dan must make a harrowing choice between stopping a global catastrophe or saving his daughter Alex.
- Threat Level Alpha (2018) – A nuclear threat and a shadow organization force Zeta Group into an all-out war across multiple continents.
- War of Shadows (2019) – A deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Dan hunts a ghost-like assassin targeting key political figures.
- Deep Cover (2020) – A novella where Dan and Peter Conley head to Istanbul for what should be a routine scientist extraction, only to find themselves in the middle of an international incident.
- Enemy Action (2024) – A major crossover novel where the Zeta team splits up for three simultaneous global missions: Dan in Antarctica, Alex in the Caribbean tracking a nuclear threat, and Peter Conley in the Indian Ocean.
Dan Morgan Novella Compilations
If you prefer reading collections rather than individual novellas, Maloney has compiled his short fiction into two primary volumes:
- The Morgan Files (2020) – This collection gathers the first two novellas in the series, Twelve Hours and For Duty and Honor.
- The Morgan Dossier (2024) – This volume bundles the novellas Dark Territory and Deep Cover.
Publication Order of Alex Morgan Thriller Books (Spin-Off)
As the main series progresses, Dan's daughter Alex Morgan takes center stage. Her spin-off series focuses on her standalone Zeta Group missions, featuring the same gritty realism and military action as her father's books. They should ideally be read after the main Dan Morgan novels up to Deep Cover, but before the 2024 crossover novel Enemy Action.
- Angle of Attack (2021) – Alex's first official lead mission takes her into the crosshairs of a conspiracy that threatens global stability.
- Hard Target (2021) – Alex is tasked with protecting a high-value asset, but soon realizes the threat is coming from within the intelligence community itself.
- Storm Front (2022) – A deadly weather-altering technology is targeted by terrorists, and Alex is the only one who can stop them.
- Blast Wave (2022) – Alex fights to dismantle a terrorist cell planning a series of coordinated attacks on American soil.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
For the Dan Morgan books, the chronological order matches the publication sequence. The novellas are numbered as half-steps (e.g., Book 3.5, 4.5, 6.5) because they take place in the intervals between the full-length novels. For example, Twelve Hours takes place directly between the events of Black Skies and Arch Enemy. While you can skip the novellas and stick to the main novels, reading them chronologically is highly recommended as they introduce key character dynamics and build the foundation for Alex Morgan's transition into the Zeta Group.
Where to Start Reading
The absolute best place to start is with Termination Orders (2011). It sets up the origin of the Zeta Group, establishes the core characters, and explains Dan's backstory as a semi-retired operative. Starting elsewhere will leave you confused about the close-knit bonds between Dan, Peter Conley, and his daughter Alex. If you prefer to jump straight to the next-generation lead, you can start with the spin-off debut Angle of Attack (2021), though you will miss the emotional weight of Alex's upbringing and her early trials in the novellas.
What to Know Before You Start
What makes Leo J. Maloney's thrillers stand out is their authenticity. Having spent over 30 years in covert military operations, Maloney infuses the text with realistic tradecraft, weapon details, and survival tactics. Unlike the flashy, gadget-reliant espionage of James Bond, Dan Morgan is a grounded hero who gets hurt, struggles with the moral consequences of his actions, and worries about his family. It is this human element—particularly the evolving father-daughter dynamic between Dan and Alex—that elevates the series above generic military fiction.