How to Read the Mitch Kearns Combat Tracker Series
The Mitch Kearns Combat Tracker series, written by wilderness survival expert Tony Nester under the pen name J.T. Sawyer, blends high-stakes FBI thriller action with authentic wilderness survival techniques. Because the series follows a continuous character arc and developing relationship dynamics, the best way to read these books is in order. You have two primary paths: chronological order or publication order. The only difference between the two is the placement of the prequel novella, Blood on the Mesa, which was published later in the series run but is set just weeks before the events of the first full-length novel.
Chronological Reading Order
If you want to experience Mitch Kearns' cases in the exact order they occur in his universe, use this chronological path. This starts with the prequel novella before moving into the core novels:
- Book 0.5: Blood on the Mesa (2020) – A prequel novella set in the Arizona high desert weeks before the first novel.
- Book 1: Dead in Their Tracks (2016) – The series-opening novel that introduces Mitch Kearns and Dev Leitner.
- Book 2: Counter-Strike (2016) – Mitch and Dev track a rogue agent across Sweden and Indonesia.
- Book 3: The Kill List (2016) – A claustrophobic wilderness chase set in the deep canyons of Colorado.
- Book 4: Blindsided (2016) – A high-altitude thriller involving deep-cover operatives.
- Book 5: Deadly Harvest (2017) – A race against time to stop an agricultural threat in the American Southwest.
- Book 6: Borderlands (2017) – Mitch tackles cartel violence and human trafficking along the rugged US-Mexico border.
- Book 7: Without Mercy (2017) – Mitch travels to Thailand to take down a powerful human trafficking ring.
- Book 8: High-Risk (2019) – A deadly rescue mission involving survival tactics in unforgiving mountain terrain.
- Book 9: Blood and Honor (2020) – An international conspiracy that threatens Mitch's closest allies.
- Book 10: Ballistic (2020) – A relentless, action-packed investigation involving elite black-ops units.
- Book 11: Manhunt (2021) – The final explosive entry in the main Mitch Kearns story arc.
Publication Reading Order
If you prefer to read the books in the order J.T. Sawyer wrote and released them, follow the publication path. Reading this way allows you to see Nester's writing style evolve alongside the character's popularity. In this order, the prequel is read after Book 9:
- Dead in Their Tracks (2016)
- Counter-Strike (2016)
- The Kill List (2016)
- Blindsided (2016)
- Deadly Harvest (2017)
- Borderlands (2017)
- Without Mercy (2017)
- High-Risk (2019)
- Blood and Honor (2020)
- Blood on the Mesa (Prequel, 2020)
- Ballistic (2020)
- Manhunt (2021)
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into the Mitch Kearns books, it helps to understand what makes this series stand out from typical thrillers. The author, Tony Nester, is a real-life survival and tracking instructor who has spent decades training military special operations forces, US Marshals, and federal law enforcement agencies. Consequently, every trap, tracking detail, and survival decision in the books is grounded in authentic, real-world skills. Unlike many Hollywood-style action heroes, Mitch Kearns uses real physics, genuine tracking methodologies, and practical wilderness medicine to survive.
The series also features a strong co-protagonist, Dev Leitner. Dev is the daughter of Mitch's black-ops mentor and a highly capable operative in her own right. Their developing partnership and romantic tension form the emotional backbone of the series as they travel from the deserts of Arizona to Sweden, Indonesia, Thailand, and remote Colorado canyons. The books are relatively fast-paced, often containing detailed fight scenes, wilderness lore, and tight timelines that keep the stakes incredibly high.
The Core Books and Story Arcs
The Early Investigations (Books 1 to 4)
The series begins with Dead in Their Tracks, where Mitch Kearns is introduced as a rugged FBI agent and combat tracker who has stepped away from active duty to teach tracking. When Dev Leitner tracks him down for help, they are thrust into a deadly race against domestic terrorists in the Arizona desert. This book establishes the tracking jargon, survival themes, and partnership dynamics that define the rest of the series. Following this, Counter-Strike takes the duo internationally to Sweden and the jungles of Indonesia to intercept a weaponized pathogen. The Kill List returns the action to the United States, trapping Mitch in a Colorado canyon with a killer from his past, while Blindsided tests their tactical survival against black-ops mercenaries in a snowy wilderness.
Expanding the Stakes (Books 5 to 8)
In the middle portion of the series, J.T. Sawyer expands the global scope of Mitch's missions. Deadly Harvest deals with an eco-terrorist plot in the Southwest, while Borderlands and Without Mercy focus on the dark realities of human trafficking. Without Mercy is particularly notable for taking Mitch to Southeast Asia, where he must navigate unfamiliar jungle terrain and urban environments. High-Risk returns the focus to raw wilderness survival, placing Mitch in the middle of a high-altitude rescue operation where nature is just as deadly as the armed hostiles.
The Final Confrontations (Books 9 to 11 and Prequel)
The later entries escalate the personal stakes for Mitch and Dev. Blood and Honor and Ballistic connect Mitch's military past to his present-day operations, culminating in intense firefights and tactical tracking sequences. The prequel novella, Blood on the Mesa, provides valuable backstory regarding Mitch's early mantracking cases in Arizona before he met Dev. The series reaches its climax in Manhunt, which wraps up the primary character arcs and unresolved conflicts, offering readers a satisfying conclusion to Mitch's tracking career.