The Recommended Reading Path
To experience the full weight of David Lynn Golemon's action-packed sci-fi thriller series, you should read the books in publication order. The series is written in a linear fashion, meaning the chronological order matches the publication sequence. Character relationships progress, technology evolves, and major narrative arcs—such as the alien conflict that runs across multiple books—build directly upon previous installments.
Skipping around will result in major spoilers regarding character deaths, promotions, and global geopolitical shifts that occur within the series' universe.
The Event Group Books in Order
Here is the complete order of the Event Group Thrillers based on their original publication dates:
1. Event (2006)
The book that started it all. The story introduces Major Jack Collins and the highly secretive Department 5656 (the Event Group), based out of Area 51. When an ancient extraterrestrial threat known as the Destroyer of Worlds is awakened near the Roswell UFO crash site, the team must deploy their unique blend of scientific inquiry and military force to prevent global annihilation.
2. Legend (2007)
Nominated for a RITA Award in paranormal fiction, this high-octane installment takes the team deep into the Amazon jungle. The Group is tasked with tracing a lost expedition and uncovering the terrifying, supernatural secrets of the ancient Incan Empire.
3. Ancients (2008)
The Event Group goes head-to-head with modern-day descendants of Atlantis. These adversaries have unearthed a devastating, ancient weapon that threatens to rewrite the global balance of power, forcing Jack Collins and his team into a desperate race against time.
4. Leviathan (2009)
When military vessels and commercial shipping fleets begin vanishing across the globe, the Event Group investigates the depths of the oceans. The team uncovers a deep-sea conspiracy and the real, terrifying truth behind the legendary Captain Nemo and his technological marvels.
5. Primeval (2010)
This adventure pushes the boundaries of science and prehistory. The Event Group confronts prehistoric anomalies and cryptid beasts in a lost world scenario that tests both the scientific minds and military tactical units of the organization.
6. Legacy (2011)
A key continuation of the alien mythology introduced in the first book. The Event Group uncovers hidden history and ancient technology left behind by extraterrestrial visitors, setting the stage for a grand conflict.
7. Ripper (2012)
David Lynn Golemon takes a historical turn by reimagining the infamous Jack the Ripper. The Group discovers that the Victorian-era serial killer was actually the result of a dark, genetic experiment that has resurfaced in the modern era.
8. Carpathian (2013)
Set in the gloomy forests of Transylvania, the team searches for the lost treasures of the ancient Israelites. Along the way, they must contend with historical mysteries tied to Vlad the Impaler and long-buried supernatural dangers.
9. Overlord (2014)
The epic conclusion to the alien trilogy that began in Event and Legacy. The Event Group fights a desperate global war against invading alien forces, searching for a hidden key on Earth—linked to the mysterious "Matchstick Man"—to save humanity.
10. The Mountain (2015)
This installment features a split timeline. It flashes back to 1863 during the American Civil War, where Union Colonel John Henry Thomas faces a dark entity on "God's Mountain," and jumps to the present day, where the Event Group uncovers the mountain's final secrets.
11. The Traveler (2016)
Time travel takes center stage as the Event Group attempts to rescue Captain Carl Everett. Lost in a previous encounter, Everett is trapped 300,000 years in the past on a hostile Earth populated by carnivorous beasts.
12. Beyond the Sea (2017)
When a vanished WWII Soviet battle cruiser reappears still sailing the seas, the Event Group is dispatched to investigate. The mystery links back to the legendary Philadelphia Experiment and the bizarre consequences of early electromagnetic technology.
13. Empire of the Dragon (2018)
The Group travels to China to investigate a mystery surrounding the country's first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The team must decipher ancient secrets and battles fought in 230 B.C. to stop a modern-day threat.
14. Season of the Witch (2019)
The latest entry in the series pits the Event Group against a terrifying force they are unprepared to fight. Simultaneously, they must handle a security breach at their own base in Area 51 and the bizarre disappearance of an old friend's remains.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into the world of Department 5656, here are some key details about the series' format, tone, and character dynamics:
- The Genre Hybrid: The Event Group is a blend of military techno-thrillers, historical speculative fiction, and science fiction. Think of it as a crossover between Tom Clancy, Indiana Jones, and The X-Files.
- The Main Cast: While Major (later Colonel) Jack Collins is the primary field leader, the stories rely heavily on a recurring ensemble cast. This includes the intellectual director Dr. Niles Compton, Captain Carl Everett, Virginia Pollock, and Alice Hamilton. The team's chemistry is a core highlight of the series.
- Standalone vs. Serialized: While each book focuses on a specific central mystery or creature, the background plots and character growth are heavily serialized. For instance, the alien storylines in Event, Legacy, and Overlord form a direct trilogy that cannot be easily understood out of order.
Spin-offs, Co-authored Works, and Standalones
Unlike other sprawling thriller franchises, David Lynn Golemon has kept the Event Group series highly focused. There are no official spin-offs or co-authored novels set in the Event Group universe. However, Golemon has written outside of the series: in 2025, he published The Contest, a standalone historical horror novel set in the American frontier of 1865. While it shares Golemon's trademark blend of historical research and supernatural suspense, it is not connected to the Event Group characters or Area 51 lore.
As of 2026, the long-awaited 15th book in the Event Group series, tentatively titled Master of the World, remains unreleased, leaving the series at 14 main volumes for now.