Luke Stone Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path

If you are diving into the action-packed world of elite FBI agent Luke Stone, you have a choice to make: do you start with his first published adventure, or do you begin with his origin story? For the best experience, we strongly recommend reading the Luke Stone series in publication order, starting with Any Means Necessary.

While the prequel series, The Forging of Luke Stone, takes place earlier in the timeline, starting with the main series introduces you to Luke Stone at the peak of his tactical abilities, establishes the high-stakes formula of the franchise, and lets you appreciate the character growth and callbacks when you eventually loop back to the prequels. If you read the prequels first, some of the tension and mystery surrounding Luke's background in the main series is lost.

The Luke Stone Thriller Series (Main Series)

This is the core series that launched Jack Mars onto the bestseller lists. It follows Luke Stone, a former special forces commando turned elite FBI team leader, as he battles domestic and global conspiracies.

1. Any Means Necessary (2015): The book that started it all. Luke Stone is called out of retirement when jihadists acquire a dirty bomb and target New York City. This book establishes Luke's unorthodox tactics and his complicated relationship with political superiors.
2. Oath of Office (2016): Luke is thrust back into action when a new President takes office and a biological weapon threat emerges, forcing Luke to choose between rules and results.
3. Situation Room (2016): A high-tech cyber war threat takes center stage as Luke and his team must stop a cyberterrorist group targeting America's critical infrastructure.
4. Oppose Any Foe (2016): Elite cyberweapons fall into the wrong hands, leading to a relentless chase across European and Middle Eastern hotspots.
5. President Elect (2017): A nuclear threat looms during a presidential transition, elevating the political intrigue and testing Luke's loyalties.
6. Our Sacred Honor (2017): Luke Stone faces personal and professional devastation as he goes rogue to track down terrorists targeting the heart of the American government.
7. House Divided (2018): The explosive finale of the main series takes Luke deep into the African jungle to secure a missing weapon of mass destruction.
8. Luke Stone: A Short Story (2020): A 25-page standalone novella focusing on a personal crisis. While spent on a rare day off with his son Gunner at a local mall, Luke must react instantly to an active shooter threat.

The Forging of Luke Stone (Prequel Series)

After wrapping up the main storyline, Jack Mars returned to the character to explore how a younger, 29-year-old Luke became the legendary operative. This series should ideally be read after the main series, or as a standalone prequel run.

1. Primary Target (2018): Introduces a younger Luke Stone serving as a Delta Force soldier, recruited for a brand-new, ultra-secretive government task force.
2. Primary Command (2019): Luke faces his first major command challenges as the team is deployed to handle a hostage situation that spins out of control.
3. Primary Threat (2019): A terrorist cell targets European cities, forcing Luke to refine his tactical leadership under intense pressure.
4. Primary Glory (2020): High-stakes diplomacy goes wrong, and Luke must lead a rescue mission in hostile territory.
5. Primary Valor (2021): Luke's team is tested by a sophisticated cyber-espionage ring threatening global security.
6. Primary Duty (2021): The final prequel book bridges the gap, showing how Luke's early Delta Force experiences solidified his reputation prior to the FBI years.

Chronological vs. Publication Order

For readers who prefer a strict chronological timeline, you would start with the prequel series and then proceed to the main series. Here is how the two approaches compare:

The Chronological Approach

• Primary Target (Prequel #1) through Primary Duty (Prequel #6)
• Any Means Necessary (Main #1) through House Divided (Main #7)
• Luke Stone: A Short Story (read as a standalone side-mission)

Pros: You get to see Luke's literal evolution from a raw 29-year-old Delta Force soldier to a seasoned veteran operative in direct order.

Cons: The writing style in the prequels reflects a more experienced author, which can make transitioning to the slightly rougher debut novel (Any Means Necessary) jarring. Additionally, the prequels resolve details that were meant to be mysteries in the main series.

The Publication Approach (Highly Recommended)

• Any Means Necessary (Main #1) through House Divided (Main #7)
• Luke Stone: A Short Story (Novella)
• Primary Target (Prequel #1) through Primary Duty (Prequel #6)

Pros: This is how the author intended the character to be discovered. You get the full emotional payoff of Luke's veteran struggles before learning how he acquired those physical and emotional scars.

What to Know Before You Start

Jack Mars writes in a style heavily reminiscent of Vince Flynn (Mitch Rapp) and Brad Thor (Scot Harvath). The books are fast-paced, action-focused, and place a heavy emphasis on tactical execution and geopolitical conspiracies. While each book in the main series features a self-contained threat that is resolved by the final page, the character relationships, Luke's family dynamics, and the political landscape evolve continuously. We strongly advise against jumping mid-way into either series; starting at the beginning of either Any Means Necessary or Primary Target is essential for following the overarching narrative arcs.