How to Read the Nick Foley Series
If you are diving into the high-octane military and medical thrillers of Alex Ryan, the path is straightforward but highly rewarding. Alex Ryan is the shared pen name of bestselling authors Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson. Together, they have crafted a tightly written, pulse-pounding series focusing on former Navy SEAL Nick Foley.
To get the full experience of Nick Foley's character arc, personal trauma, and his complex relationship with partner Dr. Dazhong "Dash" Chen, you should read the books in their official publication order. Because the narrative timeline matches the release order, this is also the chronological order of the series.
1. Nick Foley Series in Reading Order
The series consists of two core thrillers that must be read in order to appreciate the ongoing character development and the escalating international stakes:
- Beijing Red (2016): This is the essential starting point. The novel introduces ex-Navy SEAL Nick Foley, who is working in China to escape a dark past and combat PTSD. When a horrific biological agent is unleashed in rural China, Foley is framed for the attack. He must team up with Dr. Dazhong "Dash" Chen, a brilliant Chinese CDC microbiologist, to stop a global epidemic and clear his name.
- Hong Kong Black (2017): The direct sequel picks up with Foley and Dash in the middle of another high-stakes crisis. This time, they confront a conspiracy involving missing CIA operatives, illegally harvested organs, and a bioweapon threat tied to an ancient mystery dating back to China’s first emperor. The tension increases, and the chemistry between the leads deepens.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
Fortunately, there are no convoluted timelines or prequel novels to worry about in the Alex Ryan bibliography. The publication order is identical to the chronological order. Reading Beijing Red before Hong Kong Black is highly recommended because the emotional stakes and Foley's recovery from trauma carry over directly from the first book into the second.
What to Know Before You Start
Before cracking open the first page, it helps to understand what makes these thrillers stand out in a crowded market:
- The Authors Behind the Name: Alex Ryan is the collaborative pseudonym of Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson. Both are Navy veterans—Andrews served as a nuclear submarine officer, and Wilson was a combat vascular surgeon who deployed with U.S. Navy SEALs. This real-world expertise brings unparalleled technical accuracy and gritty realism to both the military tactics and the medical biothreat scenarios in the books.
- The Genre Blend: The Nick Foley books are a perfect hybrid of military fiction, international espionage, and medical thrillers. If you enjoy the tactical precision of Tom Clancy and the scientific urgency of James Rollins, this series will hit the sweet spot.
- Themes of Trauma and Redemption: Nick Foley is not an invincible superhero; he is a deeply haunted protagonist struggling with severe PTSD after a tragic mission. His path to redemption and his professional partnership with Dash Chen form the emotional core of the series.
Expanding Your Reading: Beyond the Alex Ryan Pseudonym
While the Alex Ryan catalog is currently limited to the two Nick Foley thrillers, Andrews and Wilson have a massive bibliography under their primary name, Andrews & Wilson. If you finish Hong Kong Black and want more of their signature military authenticity, you should explore their other acclaimed series:
- The Tier One Series: Their flagship military thriller series featuring John Dempsey, a former Navy SEAL who is recruited into a black-ops unit after his team is wiped out. This series has grown to include multiple books and is highly recommended for fans of the Nick Foley books.
- The Sons of Valor Series: A spin-off from the Tier One universe focusing on Navy SEAL Lieutenant Keith "Chunk" Redman and a new generation of elite operators.
- The Shep Stone / Ruin Series: A series starting with Ruin that explores psychological warfare and high-stakes operations.