How to Read the Lang Reilly Series
If you love historical conspiracies, international manhunts, and high-octane action in the vein of Dan Brown or Steve Berry, the Lang Reilly series by Gregg Loomis is a perfect fit. The series follows a former Navy SEAL and CIA operative who has traded his tactical gear for a defense attorney's suit, only to find himself repeatedly pulled back into dangerous global conspiracies.
The Recommended Reading Order
Because the overarching narrative follows Lang Reilly's personal life, his evolving career, and his complicated relationship with German secret agent Gurt Fuchs, we highly recommend reading the books in publication order. While the historical mysteries in each book are self-contained, Lang's personal development and the recurring cast of characters build sequentially from one novel to the next.
Here is the recommended reading path for the series:
- The Pegasus Secret (2005)
- The Julian Secret (2005)
- The Sinai Secret (2008)
- The Coptic Secret (2009)
- The Bonaparte Secret (2010)
- The Cathar Secret (2014)
- The Poison Secret (2015)
- The Nassau Secret (2015)
- The Elizabethan Secret (2015)
Chronological vs. Publication Order
There are no timeline leaps or prequel novels in this series. The chronological events of Lang's life move forward in real-time alongside their publication dates. Consequently, the chronological order is identical to the publication order, making your reading path straightforward and free of confusing continuity gaps.
The Lang Reilly Books: A Closer Look
To help you prepare for the adventure, here is a detailed breakdown of each book in the series, highlighting the ancient secrets and modern conspiracies Lang must unravel:
1. The Pegasus Secret (2005)
The series opens with a personal tragedy. When Lang Reilly's sister is killed in a suspicious explosion in Paris, he refuses to accept the official explanation. His investigation leads him to a mysterious 17th-century painting and a clandestine religious order determined to protect a secret that could shatter the foundations of the Western world.
2. The Julian Secret (2005)
When a close family friend is brutally murdered, Lang is drawn back into the world of shadow operations. The trail leads him from ancient caves in Germany to the highly restricted, secret catacombs deep beneath the Vatican. At the heart of the conspiracy is a relic from the Roman Empire and Emperor Julian the Apostate that could change church history forever.
3. The Sinai Secret (2008)
In this installment, several prominent scientists are murdered, and a long-lost parchment is stolen from the remote St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai desert. Lang must race against time to connect these deaths to an ancient document whose revelation could destabilize the political and religious balance of the entire Middle East.
4. The Coptic Secret (2009)
When undocumented Coptic gospels are stolen from the British Museum, the thieves leave a trail of bodies in their wake. Lang Reilly is pulled into a deadly chase across Europe and the Mediterranean as he competes against a ruthless, shadowy organization that will stop at nothing to possess or destroy these lost Christian texts.
5. The Bonaparte Secret (2010)
This adventure centers on a powerful and mysterious object once prized by Napoleon Bonaparte as the key to his legendary military conquests. Hidden for nearly two centuries, the artifact becomes the target of a powerful modern nation-state. Lang finds himself dodging assassins across Venice, Haiti, Egypt, and France to keep the relic out of the wrong hands.
6. The Cathar Secret (2014)
When Lang's young neighbor starts experiencing vivid flashbacks of a past life in Auschwitz, he is targeted by criminals seeking lost Nazi gold and a Vatican faction trying to suppress an ancient Tibetan manuscript detailing reincarnation. Lang must navigate the mountains of Germany and Austria to rescue the boy and uncover the truth about the medieval Cathar heresy.
7. The Poison Secret (2015)
Set in contemporary Turkey, this mystery begins when a young boy miraculously survives a lethal snakebite. The key to his survival appears to trace back to 88 BC and the legendary immunity formula of King Mithridates. When powerful corporate and political factions attempt to weaponize this genetic anomaly, Lang step in to protect the innocent.
8. The Nassau Secret (2015)
Lang is hired to investigate the murder of a researcher and finds himself unearthing the real-life 1942 unsolved murder of wealthy businessman Sir Harry Oakes. The trail leads to a radical, pro-royalist secret society desperate to cover up the wartime activities and Nazi connections of the exiled Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
9. The Elizabethan Secret (2015)
In the final installment, Lang acquires a strange 16th-century device at an auction, unknowingly painting a target on his back. The device is connected to John Dee, the famous alchemist and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Pursued by multiple international intelligence agencies, Lang travels from Atlanta to London and Croatia to solve the final puzzle.
What to Know Before You Start
Tone and Style
Gregg Loomis brings his real-world experiences as a lawyer, commercial pilot, and international traveler to the page. The books are characterized by breakneck pacing, vivid descriptions of European cities, and intricate legal and historical details. If you enjoy stories where ancient history is treated as a puzzle that directly affects modern geopolitics, this series is written for you.
A Classic Partnership
Throughout his travels, Lang is frequently joined by Gurt Fuchs, a clever and highly capable German secret agent. Their complicated history as former lovers adds a layer of romantic tension and witty banter to the high-stakes espionage, grounding the series with compelling character dynamics.
Spin-offs, Co-authored Works, and Related Series
Gregg Loomis has not co-authored any novels or authorized spin-offs of the Lang Reilly universe. However, if you complete the series and want more of Loomis's signature style, you can check out his Jason Peters series (beginning with Gates of Hades), which follows an international operative working for a private security firm called NARCOM. While it does not feature Lang Reilly, it shares the same fast-paced, action-thriller tone.