Where to Start with Don Bentley
For readers new to Don Bentley, the best starting point is his original Matt Drake series, beginning with his debut novel, Without Sanction. This series showcases Bentley's authentic voice, drawn from his real-world experiences as an Army Apache helicopter pilot and FBI special agent. If you are already a fan of established thriller universes, you can also jump directly into his entries for Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Jr. or Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, though reading them in the context of their larger franchises is highly recommended.
1. The Matt Drake Series (Original Universe)
The Matt Drake series is Bentley's signature work. It follows a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) operative who battles both international threats and his own post-traumatic stress after a disastrous mission in Syria. This series should be read in publication order, as the character development and overarching political plots build directly from one book to the next.
Matt Drake Reading Order:
- Without Sanction (2020) – Operative Matt Drake is pulled back into the field to rescue a defecting Pakistani scientist in the midst of the Syrian conflict.
- The Outside Man (2021) – Drake finds himself fighting off an assassination plot and uncovering a global conspiracy right in Austin, Texas.
- Hostile Intent (2022) – A mission to Vienna, Austria, turns deadly as Drake confronts Russian operatives and a mysterious assassin.
- Forgotten War (2023) – A high-stakes mission forces Drake to confront a decade-old betrayal from his deployment days in Afghanistan.
2. Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp Series (Prequels and Beyond)
In 2024, Don Bentley took over Vince Flynn's iconic Mitch Rapp series. Because this franchise features a complex chronological structure, his books are split across two different eras in Rapp's life. Here is how they fit into the timeline:
The Prequel Era (Mitch Rapp's Early Days)
If you are reading the Mitch Rapp series chronologically, Bentley's prequel novels expand on Rapp's early career immediately after the events of Kill Shot (written by Vince Flynn). They should be read in the following sequence:
- American Assassin (by Vince Flynn)
- Kill Shot (by Vince Flynn)
- Denied Access (2025 – by Don Bentley)
- Double Tap (2026 – by Don Bentley)
- Transfer of Power (by Vince Flynn)
The Mid-Career Era
Bentley's first contribution to the franchise was actually set much later in Mitch Rapp's career, rather than in the prequel sequence.
- Capture or Kill (2024) – Chronologically, this book is set in 2011 and takes place between Vince Flynn's Pursuit of Honor (Book 10 in publication order) and The Last Man (Book 13).
3. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Jr. / Campus Series
Bentley penned four consecutive action-packed thrillers in the Jack Ryan Jr. universe (also known as the Campus series). These books focus on the secret intelligence organization known as "The Campus." Within the massive Jack Ryan franchise, Bentley's books are designed to be read in publication order:
- Target Acquired (2021)
- Zero Hour (2022)
- Flash Point (2023)
- Weapons Grade (2023)