Brian Drake Books in Order

How to Read Brian Drake's Thrillers: Recommended Starting Points

Brian Drake is a master of high-octane action fiction, delivering cinematic prose, sharp combat scenes, and plots ripped from modern headlines. Because his books span several distinct series, you do not need to read his entire bibliography in a single sequence. Instead, the best way to dive in is by choosing the series that matches your preferred subgenre and reading it in publication order.

Here is where you should begin based on your favorite thriller style:

• For CIA Black Ops and Espionage: Start with The Termination Protocol, the first book in the Scott Stiletto series. This is Drake's flagship series, featuring a tough CIA agent battling cartels, terrorists, and global conspiracies.
• For Freelance Vigilante Justice: Start with Terminal Memory, the debut of the Sam Raven series. Raven is an ex-CIA officer working on his own terms to protect those targeted by deep-state operations.
• For Rogue Partner Espionage: Start with Skills to Kill, which introduces the dynamic freelance team of Steve Dane and Nina Talikova, former US and Russian intelligence agents.
• For Military-Grade Strike Team Action: Start with Retribution, the opening volume of the Team Reaper series, which Drake co-writes with Australian author Brent Towns.

The Scott Stiletto Series

Scott Stiletto is Brian Drake's signature hero. As a CIA operative, Stiletto represents the classic black-ops protagonist: highly skilled, fiercely loyal to his country, and willing to cross lines to stop imminent threats. The series is celebrated by fans for its relentless pacing, reminiscent of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp or Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne. The books follow a continuous publication timeline, and it is highly recommended to read them in order to appreciate Stiletto's character development and recurring geopolitical alliances.

Read the Scott Stiletto books in this order:

1. The Termination Protocol (2017)
2. The Fairmont Maneuver (2019)
3. The Glinkov Extraction (2019)
4. The Petrova Betrayal (2019)
5. The Minas Deception (2019)
6. The Giordana Connection (2019) (Note: Published as "The Giordana Connnection" in some databases)
7. The Blood Tide (2019)
8. The Rogue Agent (2020)
9. The Cartel Queen (2022)

The Sam Raven Series

If you prefer your heroes operating outside the official chains of command, the Sam Raven series is the ideal starting point. Sam Raven is a former CIA officer carrying deep psychological scars from a past tragedy in Afghanistan. Now operating as a freelance vigilante, Raven takes on missions that governments cannot touch. The series is fast-paced, lean, and heavily focused on personal honor and redemption.

Read the Sam Raven books in this order:

1. Terminal Memory (2021)
2. Wicked City (2021)
3. Lady Death (2021)
4. The War Business (2021)
5. The Kill Fever (2022)
6. No Name On My Grave (2022)
7. Bullet Alley (2023)
8. Vengeance Strike (2023)
9. London Assault (2024)
10. Blood Mist (2024)

The Steve Dane Thriller Series

The Steve Dane series introduces a compelling dual-protagonist dynamic. Steve Dane is a former US intelligence asset who pairs up with Nina Talikova, a former Russian operative. Working as independent, freelance fixers, they travel the world resolving high-stakes disputes and kidnapping cases that official agencies ignore. The partnership between Dane and Talikova adds a unique layer of international tension, romance, and professional chemistry to the classic hardboiled spy formula.

Read the Steve Dane books in this order:

1. Skills to Kill (2012)
2. Another Way to Kill (2018)
3. Live to Kill (2018)
4. Mine to Avenge (2020)
5. Show No Mercy (2020)

The Team Reaper Series (Co-Authored with Brent Towns)

The Team Reaper series is a high-octane tactical military thriller saga primarily created and written by Australian author Brent Towns. The series centers on John "Reaper" Kane and his elite strike team. Brian Drake joined the series as a co-author on several key installments, adding his trademark cinematic action scenes and fast-paced styling to the team's operations. While Drake did not write every volume solo, the entire series operates in a single, continuous timeline that military action fans will love.

Read the Team Reaper series in this order:

1. Retribution (2019)
2. Deadly Intent (2019)
3. Termination Order (2019)
4. Blood Rush (2019) (Co-authored by Brian Drake)
5. Kill Count (2019)
6. Relentless (2019)
7. Lethal Tender (2019) (Co-authored by Brian Drake)
8. Empty Quiver (2019)
9. Barracuda! (2020)
10. African White (2020)
11. Kill Theory (2020) (Co-authored by Brian Drake)
12. Danger Close (2020)
13. Collateral Damage (2020)
14. The Death Bringers (2020)
15. Hunting Ghosts (2021)
16. London's Burning (2021)
17. The Cold Hand of Death (2023)
18. Global War (2024)
19. Companions of the Dark (2024)

Standalone Novels and Western Tie-Ins

Outside of his modern thriller series, Brian Drake has written standalone thrillers that offer self-contained adventures, as well as a contribution to the historical western genre. Blaze! Copper Mountain Kill is a notable entry, written as part of the multi-author Blaze! Western series featuring the protagonist J.D. Blaze.

Drake's standalone novels and anthologies include:

• The Rogue Gentleman (2012) - A standalone action-thriller.
• Blaze! Copper Mountain Kill (2017) - A classic western tale.
• The Dangerous Mr. Wolf (2019) - A self-contained thriller.
• Paul Bishop Presents... Criminal Tendencies (2019) - Anthology contribution.
• Paul Bishop Presents... Disorderly Conduct: Another Ten Tales of Murder & Mayhem (2019) - Anthology contribution.