Brett Battles Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order: The Jonathan Quinn Universe

For readers diving into Brett Battles' signature work, the Jonathan Quinn series is the natural starting point. Quinn is a freelance "cleaner"—a highly skilled operative who makes bodies and evidence disappear for a shadowy intelligence agency. The universe has grown to include short stories, prequels, and two major spin-off series: The Excoms and The Night Man Chronicles.

While you can read the main novels in publication order, we recommend the Master Chronological Order. This path weaves the prequels, novellas, and spin-offs into a single, cohesive timeline, ensuring you meet characters at the exact moment they enter Quinn's orbit.

The Master Chronological Timeline

1. Becoming Quinn (2011) – Prequel Novella. The definitive origin story of how a former cop is recruited into the cleaning business. Many readers recommend starting here rather than the debut novel.
2. Just Another Job (2011) – Short Story. A quick mission set shortly after Quinn's training.
3. The Cleaner (2007) – Book 1 (also published as Hung Out To Die). The novel that started it all, introducing Quinn's partnership with Orlando.
4. The Deceived (2008) – Book 2. Winner of the Barry Award for Best Thriller.
5. Shadow of Betrayal (2009) – Book 3 (published as The Unwanted in the UK).
6. The Silenced (2011) – Book 4.
7. Off The Clock (2011) – Short Story. Set between books 4 and 5.
8. The Destroyed (2012) – Book 5.
9. The Collected (2012) – Book 6.
10. The Enraged (2013) – Book 7.
11. The Discarded (2014) – Book 8.
12. Lesson Plan (2014) – Short Story.
13. Night Work (2015) – Book 9.
14. The Buried (2015) – Book 10. Important Spin-Off Point: This novel introduces the lethal assassin Ananke. After finishing this book, you should start The Excoms series.
15. The Excoms (2016) – The Excoms Book 1. Nate, Quinn's apprentice, helps assemble a team of "excommunicated" operatives, with Ananke taking center stage.
16. Town at the Edge of Darkness (2017) – The Excoms Book 2.
17. City of Nope (2018) – The Excoms Book 3.
18. The Unleashed (2016) – Jonathan Quinn Book 11.
19. The Aggrieved (2017) – Jonathan Quinn Book 12.
20. The Fractured (2018) – Jonathan Quinn Book 13.
21. The Damaged (2019) – Jonathan Quinn Book 14. Important Spin-Off Point: Nate, Quinn's longtime apprentice, takes a leading role and prepares to step out on his own. Follow this with the Nate-focused spin-off.
22. Night Man (2019) – The Night Man Chronicles Book 1. Centered entirely on Nate's independent operations.
23. Insidious (2020) – The Night Man Chronicles Book 2.
24. The Unknown (2020) – Jonathan Quinn Book 15.
25. The Vanished (2020) – Jonathan Quinn Book 16.
26. Blinded by the Night (2021) – The Excoms Book 4.
27. Mercy (2021) – The Night Man Chronicles Book 3.
28. The Taken (2023) – Jonathan Quinn Book 17.

Standalone Thrillers and Other Series

Beyond the espionage-heavy Quinn universe, Battles has written across several genres, including sci-fi, time travel, and collaborative thrillers. These can be read independently of the Quinn timeline.

Logan Harper Thrillers

Logan Harper is a former mercenary trying to live a quiet life in Southern California who repeatedly gets pulled back into dangerous situations. While it shares the gritty thriller tone of Battles' other work, it does not crossover with the Quinn universe.

• Little Girl Gone (2011)
• Every Precious Thing (2011)

The Rewinder Series (Time-Travel Sci-Fi)

This popular trilogy follows Denny Younger, a young man recruited into a secret organization of "Rewinders" who travel through history to verify historical events—only for Denny to accidentally alter the timeline.

• Rewinder (2014)
• Destroyer (2016)
• Survivor (2017)

Project Eden (Post-Apocalyptic Thrillers)

A fast-paced, multi-viewpoint series detailing the outbreak of a devastating global pandemic engineered by a shadowy group hoping to remake the world.

• Sick (2011)
• Exit 9 (2011)
• Pale Horse (2012)
• Ashes (2012)
• Eden Rising (2013)
• Dream Sky (2014)
• Down (2014)

The Mine Duology (Sci-Fi Thriller)

This high-concept thriller follows a couple fighting to survive. While published with Mine first, the chronological order is reversed.

• The Arrival (2016) – Prequel/Book 2
• Mine (2016) – Book 1

Alexandra Poe (Co-authored with Robert Gregory Browne)

A fast-paced action series following a female private security operative.

• Poe (2013)
• Takedown (2013)

Continuing Stuart Woods' Legacy

Following the passing of bestselling author Stuart Woods in 2022, Brett Battles was selected to take over writing his long-running franchises. Battles stepped in to maintain the continuity of the characters and preserve Woods's signature style.

Stone Barrington Series

Battles began contributing to this massive series focusing on the wealthy New York lawyer and former cop.

• Near Miss (2023) – Book 64 (Co-authored with Stuart Woods)
• Smolder (2024) – Book 65 (The first entry written entirely by Brett Battles)

Teddy Fay Series

A spin-off of the Stone Barrington series focusing on the ex-CIA agent and master of disguise Teddy Fay.

• Obsession (2023) – Book 6 (Co-authored with Stuart Woods)
• Golden Hour (2024) – Book 7 (Written entirely by Brett Battles)

What to Know Before You Start

If you are planning to tackle the Jonathan Quinn universe, keep a few things in mind. The series is heavily character-driven, and characters like Orlando and Nate undergo massive changes. Skipping books or reading out of order will spoil significant character deaths, betrayals, and shifts in their dynamics. Additionally, keep an eye out for regional title changes: The Cleaner is sometimes sold as Hung Out To Die, and Shadow of Betrayal is marketed in the UK as The Unwanted.