Dave Riley Books in Order

Where Should You Start the Green Berets Series?

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Dave Riley and broader Green Berets universe in publication order. Starting with the landmark novel Eyes of the Hammer allows you to experience the world exactly as Bob Mayer constructed it. This path establishes Chief Warrant Officer Dave Riley as the core anchor of the franchise, introducing the military tradecraft, political betrayals, and tactical realism that define the series before expanding into spin-offs and prequels.

However, if you prefer following a strict chronological timeline, you can begin with the Will Kane prequel series, starting with New York Minute. This retro-thriller subseries is set in the late 1970s and introduces a teenage Dave Riley alongside his older cousin and mentor, Will Kane. While chronological order offers a fascinating look at the characters' roots, reading the publication order first ensures that you fully appreciate the callbacks and lore established in the original 1990s books.

Publication Order of the Green Berets Books

This comprehensive list follows the publication order of the entire interconnected Green Berets saga, including the core Dave Riley novels, the Horace Chase crossovers, and the Will Kane prequel thrillers:

1. Eyes of the Hammer (1991) – Dave Riley leads a high-stakes covert mission to destroy cocaine labs in Colombia, only to find himself betrayed by corrupt officials within his own government.
2. Dragon Sim-13 (1992) – Riley participates in a simulated military strike against China that suddenly goes live, forcing him to adapt to a real-world battlefield.
3. Synbat / Operation Synbat (1994) – A thrilling blend of military science and horror where Riley is tasked with hunting down bioengineered, highly aggressive primates escaped in the wilds of Tennessee.
4. Cut Out (1995) – A tense conspiracy thriller that places Riley in the middle of a deadly internal military conspiracy where friends and enemies are impossible to distinguish.
5. Eternity Base (1996) – Riley is sent to the frozen desert of Antarctica to investigate a secretive military base that may be hiding stolen nuclear warheads.
6. Z (1996) – Dave Riley is deployed to Africa to contain the outbreak of a lethal, genetically engineered biological weapon known as the Z virus.
7. Chasing the Ghost (2010) – Introduces former Green Beret Horace Chase, who joins forces with a returning Dave Riley to track down an international shadow organization.
8. Chasing the Lost (2013) – Horace Chase and Dave Riley navigate a dangerous web of mercenaries and corporate warfare to recover a high-value target.
9. Chasing the Son (2015) – The final chapter of the Chase-centered trilogy, focusing on a deeply personal rescue mission that threatens to tear the characters' lives apart.
10. New York Minute (2019) – A prequel set during the hot summer of 1977 in New York. We meet Will Kane, a disgraced veteran working as a fixer, and his 17-year-old cousin, Dave Riley.
11. Lawyers, Guns and Money (2019) – Will Kane is pulled deeper into the underground economy of 1970s NYC, dealing with corrupt intelligence operatives and arms smuggling.
12. Walk on the Wild Side (2019) – Will Kane's skills are put to the test as he struggles to protect key assets in an increasingly lawless city.
13. Hell of a Town (2020) – Set against the backdrop of late-70s urban decay, Will Kane clashes with both organized crime and deep-cover federal agents.
14. No Quarter (2021) – Tensions escalate to a boiling point as Will Kane takes on a relentless enemy in a battle for survival.
15. Shelter From The Storm (2024) – Set in December 1978, Kane travels to a remote, snowbound Colorado town where he is forced to defend himself against corrupt local authorities right before a massive avalanche cuts them off from the world.

The Chronological Reading Order

If you want to read the series based on the internal timeline of the characters, the order changes significantly. This structure groups the novels by the historical periods in which they take place, tracing the history of the Kane and Riley families across several decades.

Phase 1: The Will Kane Prequels (Late 1970s)

This phase is set during the gritty, pre-cleanup era of New York City and various national hotspots. Dave Riley appears here as a teenager, learning survival skills and the harsh realities of the shadow world from his older cousin, Will Kane.

• New York Minute (Set in 1977)
• Lawyers, Guns and Money (Set in 1979)
• Walk on the Wild Side (Set in 1979)
• Hell of a Town (Set in 1980)
• No Quarter (Set in 1981)
• Shelter From The Storm (Set in 1978/1979)

Phase 2: The Core Dave Riley Missions (1990s)

This is the heart of the original series, focusing on Dave Riley's career as a Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer during the peak of the post-Cold War era.

• Eyes of the Hammer
• Dragon Sim-13
• Synbat
• Cut Out
• Eternity Base
• Z

Phase 3: The Horace Chase & Dave Riley Crossovers (2010s)

Set years after the original run, this trilogy follows veteran Horace Chase as the primary protagonist, with Dave Riley serving as a vital supporting character and mentor figure.

• Chasing the Ghost
• Chasing the Lost
• Chasing the Son

What to Know Before You Start

Bob Mayer's Green Beret universe is highly praised for its authenticity. As a West Point graduate and former Green Beret commander, Mayer brings genuine tactical details, military jargon, and real-world geographical insights to the page. Unlike many flashy Hollywood-style military thrillers, this series highlights the bureaucratic frustrations, internal political games, and deep moral gray areas that real-world operatives face.

Readers should note that some books in the series have been released under alternate titles. For example, Synbat is frequently sold as Operation Synbat, and Dragon Sim-13 is sometimes titled Operation Dragon-Sim. The Horace Chase and Will Kane books are technically distinct subseries, but because they share the same continuity, characters, and thematic DNA, they are officially considered part of the overarching Green Berets library. You do not need to read other Bob Mayer book universes (such as the Area 51 science-fiction series) to understand this saga, as the Green Berets books function as a self-contained, realistic political-military thriller continuity.