Dan Ames Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Dan Ames

Dan Ames has crafted a sprawling catalog of crime fiction, gritty private investigator mysteries, and high-octane action thrillers. If you are new to his work, there are two primary entry points depending on your reading preferences:

• For Jack Reacher Fans: Start with A Hard Man to Forget (2017), the first book in The Jack Reacher Cases. This series takes place in Lee Child's Reacher universe with Child's official blessing. It centers on former FBI agent Lauren Pauling as she tracks down leads and cases connected to the legendary drifter.
• For Classic PI Mystery Fans: Start with Dead Wood (2011), the opening novel of the John Rockne Mystery Series. Set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, it introduces a sarcastic, disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator, laying the groundwork for a shared detective universe.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving in, there are a few important elements to keep in mind regarding continuity, universe connections, and writing history:

• The Jack Reacher Connection: While both The Jack Reacher Cases and Jack Reacher's Special Investigators are set within Lee Child's official universe, Jack Reacher himself rarely appears in person. Instead, the plots follow characters like Lauren Pauling or the members of the 110th MP Special Investigators (such as Frances Neagley, Karla Dixon, and David O'Donnell) solving cases in Reacher's wake.
• The Rockne-Cooper Shared Universe: Ames's Grosse Pointe novels (John Rockne and Ellen Rockne) and his Los Angeles series (Mary Cooper) share a universe. They collide in the crossover novel Killer Groove (2016). For the best experience, read Killer Groove after the third books of both individual series.
• The Dani Amore Pseudonym: Early in his career, Ames published several standalone novels and short stories under the pen name Dani Amore. He later retired this pseudonym and re-released these titles under his real name.

The Jack Reacher Universe Spin-Offs

These authorized thrillers are written in publication order and should be read sequentially to follow the overarching character arcs and recurring investigations.

The Jack Reacher Cases

This long-running series follows Lauren Pauling and other associates in their search for, and encounters with, the world of Jack Reacher.

1. A Hard Man to Forget (2017)
2. The Right Man for Revenge (2017)
3. A Man Made For Killing (2017)
4. The Last Man to Murder (2018)
5. The Man with No Mercy (2018)
6. A Man Out For Blood (2018)
7. A Man Beyond The Law (2018)
8. The Man Who Walks Away (2019)
9. The Man Who Strikes Fear (2019)
10. The Man Who Stands Tall (2019)
11. The Man Who Works Alone (2019)
12. A Man Built For Justice (2019)
13. A Man Born For Battle (2019)
14. The Perfect Man for Payback (2020)
15. The Man Whose Aim Is True (2020)
16. The Man Who Dies Here (2021)
17. A Man With Nothing To Lose (2021)
18. The Man Who Never Goes Back (2021)
19. The Man From The Shadows (2022)
20. The Man Behind the Gun (2023)
21. The Man Who Went to War (2023)
22. A Man With Deadly Intent (2025)

Jack Reacher's Special Investigators

This series focuses on the elite military police unit that Reacher served with, highlighting their investigations after leaving active service.

1. Dead Men Walking (2020)
2. Game Over (2020)
3. Lights Out (2020)
4. Never Forgive Never Forget (2021)
5. Hit Them Fast Hit Them Hard (2021)
6. Finish the Fight (2022)
7. The Way Out (2023)
8. Easy to Kill (2024)
9. First Bullet Fired (2024)
10. Extreme Impact (2025)

The Grosse Pointe & LA Shared Universe

This sequence links the John Rockne series, the Mary Cooper series, and the spin-off centering on John's sister, Chief of Police Ellen Rockne.

John Rockne Mysteries

Follows ex-cop John Rockne as he takes on dirty private cases in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

1. Dead Wood (2011)
2. Hard Rock (2014)
3. Cold Jade (2015)
4. Long Shot (2017)
5. Easy Prey (2017)
6. Body Blow (2017)

Mary Cooper Mysteries

Follows a sharp-tongued, sarcasm-fueled private investigator working out of Los Angeles.

1. Death by Sarcasm (2014)
2. Murder With Sarcastic Intent (2014)
3. Gross Sarcastic Homicide (2014)

Cooper & Rockne Crossovers

A crossover novel featuring the two investigators working together on a missing person case in Mexico.

• Killer Groove (2016)

Ellen Rockne Mysteries

This spin-off features John Rockne's older sister, Ellen, the Chief of Police in Grosse Pointe.

1. Murder Lake (2018)
2. Savage Lake (2018)

Other Crime & Action Series

Ames has written several other standalone series that can be read independently of his main shared universes.

Garbage Collector Series

A grittier, hard-boiled series following an assassin-like clean-up specialist.

1. The Garbage Collector (2011)
2. Bullet River (2013)
3. School Girl Blues (2016)
4. Shotgun Suite (2021)

Wade Carver Thrillers

1. Molly (2018)
2. Sugar (2018)
3. Angel (2018)
4. Crystal (2018)

Wallace Mack Books

1. The Killing League (2017)
2. The Murder Store (2017)
3. Finders Killers (2017)

Pin-Up Mystery Books

1. Miss January (2018)
2. Miss February (2019)
3. Miss March (2019)
4. Miss May (2021)

Stolen Time Mysteries

1. The Lost Laco (2023)
2. Bringing Back The Blancpain (2023)

The Circuit Rider Books (Westerns)

1. The Circuit Rider (2012)
2. Killer's Draw (2013)

Angel Books

1. Angel To Fear (2020)
2. Angel of Truth (2020)
3. Angel of Justice (2020)

Clint Shockey Thrillers

• Python (2023)

Burr Ashland Mystery

• Beer Money (2013)

Butch & Sundance Mysteries

• Murder at Yellow Creek (2018)

Standalone Novels & Short Stories (Originally as Dani Amore)

These books were originally published under Ames's retired pen name Dani Amore and are best read as standalone mysteries.

Standalone Novels

• To Find a Mountain (2011)
• The Recruiter (2018)
• Kill the Rat (2018)
• Head Shot (2018)

Short Stories & Novellas

• Hanging Curve (2011)
• Scale of Justice (2011)
• Passion Key (2014)

Anthologies

• The Killing Sands (2012)