Where to Start Reading Ben Coes
If you are new to the pulse-pounding political thrillers of Ben Coes, the best place to begin is with the debut novel that started it all: Power Down. Published in 2010, this book introduces Dewey Andreas, a former Delta Force operative whose quiet life on an offshore oil rig is shattered by a devastating terrorist attack. Starting here allows you to experience the full weight of Dewey’s personal sacrifices, character development, and the shifting geopolitical landscape that Coes builds across the series.
While each book features a self-contained mission with its own high-stakes crisis, Coes weaves a continuous thread of personal relationships, tragic losses, and recurring characters. Reading the books out of order will spoil major plot points, particularly the dramatic events of Eye for an Eye. Therefore, we highly recommend reading the series in publication order.
The Recommended Dewey Andreas Reading Order
The Dewey Andreas series is the backbone of Ben Coes's bibliography. To get the complete story, follow this chronological publication sequence:
- Power Down (2010): Dewey Andreas must save America's energy infrastructure after terrorists target a hydroelectric dam and a major oil rig.
- Coup d'État (2011): When a nuclear escalation threatens to push Pakistan and India into war, Dewey is pulled back into action to prevent global catastrophe.
- The Last Refuge (2012): Dewey goes rogue on a daring mission to rescue an Israeli special forces soldier held deep within Iran. This novel also marks the crucial first appearance of Rob Tacoma.
- Eye for an Eye (2013): Dewey seeks personal vengeance against the head of Chinese intelligence after a devastating tragedy hits close to home.
- Independence Day (2015): Also published as A Day to Kill, this entry sees Dewey racing against the clock to stop a Russian hacker from detonating a stolen nuclear weapon in New York City.
- First Strike (2016): Dewey goes deep undercover in a high-security prison to stop ISIS from launching a devastating chemical weapons attack.
- Trap the Devil (2017): Dewey faces a conspiracy close to home when a cabal of corrupt officials inside the United States government attempts a quiet coup.
- Bloody Sunday (2018): Infected with a lethal virus, Dewey has only hours to stop a North Korean plot to destroy the global financial system.
- The Island (2021): Dewey defends Manhattan when a private military group takes the island hostage, isolating it from the rest of the country.
- Hijack (2026): The tenth installment sees Dewey in a high-stakes mid-flight confrontation when terrorists seize an international flight heading from Paris to Dubai.
The Short Stories and Novellas
In addition to the main novels, Ben Coes has penned two shorter entries that flesh out the Dewey Andreas universe. While not strictly required to follow the primary novels, they offer excellent context for dedicated readers:
- Salina (2016 - Book 0.5): Originally offered as a pre-order bonus for Independence Day, this prequel novella details a formative rescue mission from Dewey's early career. Read it first for a chronological start, or after Book 5 as a flashback.
- Shooting Gallery (2018 - Book 7.5): A fast-paced short story that bridges the gap between Trap the Devil and Bloody Sunday. It shows Dewey tackling a hostage crisis in South America.
The Rob Tacoma Spinoff Series
In 2020, Ben Coes expanded his thriller universe with a spinoff series focusing on Rob Tacoma, a character first introduced as Dewey's loyal ally in The Last Refuge. Currently, this spinoff consists of one standalone novel:
- The Russian (2020): Rob Tacoma, a former Navy SEAL, is recruited by the CIA to run a covert counter-strike against the Russian mafia, which is systematically assassinating American politicians.
How Rob Tacoma Connects to Dewey Andreas
Rob Tacoma first appears in The Last Refuge (Book 3) and becomes a core member of Dewey’s circle, eventually co-founding the security consulting firm RISCON with him. Because of this deep shared history, you should read the first several Dewey Andreas books (at least through Book 8, Bloody Sunday) before starting The Russian. This ensures you understand Tacoma's background, his friendship with Dewey, and the political setting of the RISCON agency.
What to Know Before You Start
Ben Coes’s thrillers are famous for their grit, military authenticity, and realistic insider details. This authenticity is no accident. Coes served as a White House intern under President Ronald Reagan and later as a speechwriter for Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins under George H.W. Bush. His godfather was a Navy SEAL, providing him with a lifetime of inspiration for military operations.
Readers who enjoy the high-octane political intrigue of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp or Brad Thor's Scot Harvath will feel right at home with Ben Coes. His novels are tightly paced, rarely pausing for breath, and explore the heavy psychological toll that covert operations take on the heroes who fight them.