Jack Taggart Mystery Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order: Start from the Beginning

For the best reading experience, you should read the Jack Taggart Mystery series in its publication order. Because the books follow Taggart’s personal development, evolving partnerships, and recurring conflicts with powerful criminal organizations like the Satans Wrath motorcycle gang, starting from the beginning is highly recommended. The linear narrative allows you to witness the cumulative psychological toll that undercover operations take on Taggart’s sanity and relationships.

1. Loose Ends (2005): The book that starts it all. Undercover RCMP officer Jack Taggart is tasked with dismantling a powerful Vancouver crime family. Here, Taggart is first forced to navigate a deeply flawed justice system, establishing the series' signature moral grayness.
2. Above Ground (2007): Driven by a thirst for vengeance following the murders of his niece and nephew, Taggart makes a dangerous pact with the Satans Wrath motorcycle gang, initiating a long-running animosity with the group.
3. Angel in the Full Moon (2008): Taking Taggart far from his usual Vancouver stomping grounds, this investigation spans from Cuba to Hanoi, exposing the brutal realities of human trafficking and international crime syndicates.
4. Samurai Code (2010): Taggart travels to Japan to infiltrate a Yakuza crime family. He becomes caught in a clash of criminal cultures while struggling to survive without his usual support systems.
5. Dead Ends (2011): Back in British Columbia, Taggart and his partner go undercover to infiltrate a coalition of gangs involved in a bloody territory war. Taggart’s target is a shadowy, elusive killer known only as "Cocktail."
6. Birds of a Feather (2011/2012): Partnered with a U.S. Customs agent, Taggart goes undercover to investigate the abduction of a Canadian tourist by a Mexican drug cartel, leading him directly into a violent border drug war.
7. Corporate Asset (2013): This installment dives into white-collar crime. Taggart investigates a deadly insurance fraud scheme, leading to an agonizing ethical dilemma where he must shield a serial rapist informant to catch a serial killer.
8. The Benefactor (2014): What looks like a simple hit-and-run accident leads Taggart to an Asian organized crime syndicate. He attempts to use a young informant, unaware that she is a spy for a rogue Chinese intelligence officer.
9. Art and Murder (2015): Taggart goes undercover as a pimp to solve the murder of a fellow officer. The investigation pulls him into an international art theft and drug trafficking ring, drawing the crosshairs of global killers.
10. A Delicate Matter (2016): This book continues Taggart’s high-stakes undercover work, dealing directly with the severe psychological strain and complex moral compromises of long-term deep-cover assignments.
11. Subverting Justice (2017): The feud with the Satans Wrath motorcycle gang reaches a boiling point. The gang's ruthless new leader targets Taggart’s home, turning the professional investigation into an intensely personal fight for survival.
12. An Element of Risk (2018): When sophisticated smuggled weapons flood BC and cause the death of a fellow officer, Taggart goes undercover without backup to infiltrate a radical white supremacist faction.
13. The Grey Zone (2019): In the final installment, Taggart teams up with Constable Alicia Munday. When a kidnapping investigation goes wrong and Alicia is captured by the ring, Taggart must risk everything on a desperate rescue mission.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

Fortunately for readers, there is no need to jump around the timeline. The publication order of the Jack Taggart series is identical to its chronological order. The events of each novel build directly upon the outcomes of the previous books. Taggart grows older, his reputation within the force evolves, and the legal constraints under which he operates reflect real-world changes in Canadian law enforcement over the decade and a half covered by the series.

What to Know Before You Start: The Authenticity of Don Easton

What sets the Jack Taggart Mystery series apart from generic police procedurals is the unmatched authenticity of the writing. Author Don Easton spent 20 years working as an undercover officer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), including significant time in an intelligence unit. He survived contracts on his life, betrayal, and the harsh realities of living a double life.

Easton channelled these real-world experiences directly into Jack Taggart. Readers should prepare themselves for a gritty, raw, and often violent tone. The series does not shy away from the dark realities of street crime, organized gangs, human trafficking, and institutional corruption. More importantly, it focuses heavily on the moral gray areas of undercover work, showcasing how officers must lie, manipulate, and associate with criminals to secure convictions.

Can the Jack Taggart Books Be Read as Standalones?

While each book features a self-contained primary investigation that is resolved by the final page, the overarching character arcs make reading them out of order less satisfying. Taggart’s relationships with his handlers, his partner dynamics, and his recurring battles with the Satans Wrath motorcycle gang span multiple novels. To fully appreciate Taggart's gradual descent into the "grey zone" of justice—where he is willing to bend rules and make compromises to catch worst-of-the-worst criminals—it is highly recommended to read the series from Loose Ends straight through to The Grey Zone.

Spin-Offs, Co-Authored Projects, and Adaptations

The Jack Taggart universe is tight and focused. There are no spin-offs, co-authored novels, companion guides, or short story collections. Don Easton has remained the sole author of the series throughout its run. Additionally, there are currently no television or movie adaptations of Jack Taggart's cases. The 13 novels stand as a complete, self-contained body of work for crime fiction enthusiasts.