Books On Board

Leine Basso Books in Order

  • 14 Books
  • 2012 – 2024 Published

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Reading order
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Where to Start: The Recommended Reading Path

When diving into D.V. Berkom's action-packed thriller series, readers are often faced with a choice: follow the order in which the books were published, or follow the narrative timeline. Author D.V. Berkom officially recommends reading the series in chronological order. While Serial Date was the first book published in 2012, starting with the 2016 prequel novel, A Killing Truth, provides crucial backstory on Leine Basso's career as a professional assassin before she transitioned into anti-trafficking work.

For the absolute complete experience, hardcore fans should track down the prequel novella, Making Leine. This short story focuses on a sixteen-year-old Leine immediately after she is orphaned, tracing her transformation from a vulnerable, angry teenager into the deadly operative known as "The Leopard."

Chronological Reading Order

Following the author's preferred timeline, here is the chronological reading order for the Leine Basso thriller series:

  1. Making Leine (Prequel Novella) – Explores Leine's teenage origin story and her initial recruitment.
  2. A Killing Truth (2016) – Chronological Book 1. Sets the stage with Leine working as an active government assassin facing internal betrayal.
  3. Serial Date (2012) – Chronological Book 2. The first published book. Leine has left government service and must protect reality TV contestants from a serial killer.
  4. Bad Traffick (2012) – Chronological Book 3. A deeply personal mission where Leine hunts for her kidnapped niece, plunging her into the dark world of human trafficking.
  5. The Body Market (2015) – Chronological Book 4. Leine is hired to rescue a teenager abducted in Tijuana, leading her to confront organ-trafficking cartels in the Sonoran Desert.
  6. Cargo (2015) – Chronological Book 5. Taking Leine to Bangkok and Tanzania, this story tackles the intersection of human trafficking and illegal wildlife smuggling.
  7. The Last Deception (2017) – Chronological Book 6. Marks a transition to espionage when Leine discovers a flash drive implicating a Russian businessman in a global conspiracy.
  8. Dark Return (2018) – Chronological Book 7. Set in Libya, Leine tries to rescue refugees in a camp but faces a targeted attack and betrayal.
  9. Absolution (2019) – Chronological Book 8. Leine goes off the grid to hunt down her arch-enemy, a ruthless French-born terrorist named Salome.
  10. Dakota Burn (2019) – Chronological Book 9. Leine travels to the freezing Bakken oil fields of North Dakota to dismantle a brutal local trafficking ring.
  11. Shadow of the Jaguar (2020) – Chronological Book 10. A rescue mission deep in the Amazon rainforest involving a lost city of gold and drug cartels.
  12. A Plague of Traitors (2021) – Chronological Book 11. Leine trains snipers and races to stop a terrorist group from deploying a devastating bioweapon.
  13. Fatal Objective (2022) – Chronological Book 12. Focuses on the mystery of Leine's sudden disappearance and a shadowy cabal orchestrating global chaos.
  14. Terminal Threat (2023) – Chronological Book 13. Leine seeks peace in a quiet Italian village, only for her past to catch up with her, threatening the locals.
  15. Final Encounter (2024) – Chronological Book 14. Leine teams up with a cybersecurity expert and a disgraced cop to confront a cyberterrorist conspiracy involving an AI program.

Understanding the Chronological Caveats

While the chronological order is highly recommended for character development, reading in publication order is also a perfectly valid choice. If you begin with Serial Date, you will meet Leine as a retired assassin who is already haunted by her past. Starting this way allows you to uncover her secrets gradually, with A Killing Truth serving as an extended flashback that explains how she became so hardened. Either way, the emotional core of the series remains intact: Leine's journey from a cold-blooded killer to a champion of the exploited.

The Salome Trilogy-Within-a-Series

While most books in the Leine Basso series function as standalones, books 6, 7, and 8 (The Last Deception, Dark Return, and Absolution) form a distinct trilogy-within-a-series. This story arc focuses on Leine's intense rivalry with Salome, a cunning and deadly French-born terrorist. The conflict escalates from geopolitical espionage in the Middle East to a deeply personal vendetta, culminating in Leine going completely off the grid to protect her loved ones. For the best reading experience, these three books should be read back-to-back without interruption.

Practical Reader Advice

If you prefer to sample the series before committing, Bad Traffick is widely considered the best standalone entry point. It introduces Leine's work with the anti-human trafficking non-profit SHEN (Stop Human Enslavement Now) and features a tight, suspenseful plot that showcases her skills and moral compass. The series is known for its gritty, real-world themes, global settings ranging from Mexico to Tanzania, and a touch of romance through Leine's relationship with LAPD detective Santiago Jensen. However, the action is always front and center, drawing comparisons to Lee Child's Jack Reacher books but with a fierce female lead.

Frequently Asked

What is the recommended reading order for the Leine Basso books?

The recommended order is chronological, starting with the prequel novel A Killing Truth, followed by Serial Date, and then continuing in order of release. The prequel novella Making Leine can be read first to understand her teenage origins.

Can the Leine Basso books be read as standalones?

Yes, most of the books feature self-contained missions and can be enjoyed individually. However, reading them in order is recommended to fully appreciate Leine's character arc and her relationship with detective Santiago Jensen.

Which books belong to the Salome Trilogy?

The Salome Trilogy consists of The Last Deception (Book 6), Dark Return (Book 7), and Absolution (Book 8). These books focus on Leine's conflict with a French terrorist named Salome and should be read in sequence.

What is the best book to start with if I want to skip the prequels?

If you want to skip the prequels and dive straight into the main action, start with Serial Date (the first published book) or Bad Traffick, which establishes Leine's crusade against human trafficking syndicates.

Who is the main protagonist of the series?

The protagonist is Leine Basso, a former government-trained assassin who tries to redeem herself by working as an operative for SHEN, an organization dedicated to stopping human trafficking.

Are there crossovers with other D.V. Berkom series?

No. Although D.V. Berkom writes other thriller series, such as the Kate Jones series, the characters exist in separate universes and do not cross over.