The Recommended Reading Order for Don Easton's Novels
When diving into the high-octane world of the Jack Taggart Mysteries, the best way to experience the narrative is in publication order. Because the books follow a linear path tracking Taggart's undercover assignments, shifting partnerships, and personal battles against organized crime, reading them chronologically as they were published is essential. Skipping ahead will spoil major plot points, including shifts in gang alliances, changes in Taggart's standing with the RCMP brass, and character developments.
The Jack Taggart Mystery Books in Order
Here is the complete sequence of Don Easton's novels in their recommended reading order:
1. Loose Ends (2005)
The series opens with Taggart seeking raw vengeance against the biker gangs responsible for the death of his former partner. Concerned that Taggart is going rogue, the RCMP brass assigns detective Karen Sherwood to partner with him and keep tabs on his erratic, rule-bending behavior. This debut establishes the gritty, uncompromising tone of the entire series.
2. Above Ground (2007)
In this second installment, Jack Taggart goes deep undercover to infiltrate a highly sophisticated crew of drug smugglers and distributors. The operation tests his limits as he tries to dismantle a massive trafficking network operating across British Columbia, forcing him to make compromises that challenge his moral compass.
3. Angel in the Full Moon (2008)
Taggart faces one of his most harrowing assignments yet as he infiltrates a brutal human trafficking and child exploitation ring. Operating under immense pressure, he must maintain his criminal cover in a dark underworld while trying to rescue vulnerable victims without blowing his identity.
4. Samurai Code (2010)
The investigation goes international as Taggart is tasked with infiltrating a Japanese Yakuza smuggling ring that has established a foothold on the Pacific West Coast. He must navigate a foreign criminal culture defined by strict codes of honor and extreme violence, where a single misstep means death.
5. Dead Ends (2011)
When an innocent bystander is killed in the crossfire of a brutal gang war, Taggart is sent undercover to identify an elusive gang leader known only by the codename "Cocktail." As Taggart gets closer to the truth, he realizes the killer is always one step ahead, pulling the strings in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
6. Birds of a Feather (2011)
Taggart takes his undercover work south of the border to target a powerful Mexican drug cartel. Dealing with ruthless cartel bosses who show no mercy to informants, Taggart must rely on his instincts and RCMP training to survive an environment where corruption runs rampant on both sides of the law.
7. Corporate Asset (2013)
Bending the rules of traditional police work, Taggart descends into the world of white-collar crime and corporate espionage. He sets himself up as bait to expose a wealthy corporate executive with links to street gangs, proving that the boardroom can be just as deadly as the back alleys.
8. The Benefactor (2014)
An investigation into a fatal hit-and-run leads Taggart into a complex conspiracy involving an Asian organized crime syndicate. He discovers the accident was actually a targeted murder arranged by a rogue foreign intelligence agent who is executing a lethal cleanup operation.
9. Art and Murder (2015)
Taggart adopts the cover of a high-end pimp to penetrate an international crime syndicate involved in high-stakes art fraud and murder. Navigating the glamorous yet dangerous art world, Taggart is forced to make alliances with dangerous criminals to secure his target.
10. A Delicate Matter (2016)
Taggart's long-running feud with Damien Zabat, the leader of the "Satans Wrath" outlaw motorcycle gang, reaches a boiling point. When Taggart obtains evidence linking Damien's son to a murder, he tries to force the gang leader to cooperate, only to find a new and far more dangerous criminal element rising to power.
11. Subverting Justice (2017)
Following the power struggles within the Satans Wrath motorcycle gang, Taggart's rogue methods are heavily scrutinized by internal investigators. The danger becomes deeply personal when the remaining members of the gang target Taggart's own family in retaliation for his past operations.
12. An Element of Risk (2018)
Taggart goes undercover to identify a murderer operating within a highly armed, paranoid white supremacist and survivalist group. Isolated in a remote stronghold, Taggart must navigate extreme ideologies and hair-trigger tempers to bring the killer to justice.
13. The Grey Zone (2019)
In the final installment of the series, Taggart is paired with a new partner, Alicia Munday. Together, they must solve a complex kidnapping and murder case that takes them deep into Vancouver's criminal underbelly, where the boundaries between law enforcement and criminality blur completely.
What to Know Before You Start
Don Easton's writing stands out in the crowded police procedural genre because of its intense realism. Easton spent 20 years working as an undercover operative for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), including seven years with an RCMP Intelligence Unit. His personal experiences facing contracts on his life, dealing with dangerous informants, and operating in the "grey zone" of morality heavily shape the character of Jack Taggart.
Unlike cozy mysteries or clean-cut police procedurals, the Jack Taggart series features raw language, intense action, drug syndicates, human trafficking, and motorcycle gang violence. Taggart is a protagonist who routinely bends the rules, uses questionable tactics, and faces the severe psychological toll of living a double life.
Omnibus Collections and Bundles
For readers looking to binge the series, publisher Dundurn Press has released several multi-book e-book bundles. These collections, which group the first 7, 9, or 12 books together, offer a convenient way to read the series continuously without missing any of the overarching character arcs and subplots that connect the individual novels.