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Jack Carr & James Reece: The Complete Guide (In Order, Through State of Exile)
If you’ve come here from The Terminal List on Prime Video and you’re wondering what to read first — or you’re already deep in the series and just want to know when the next one lands — you’re in exactly the right place. Let’s walk through the whole James Reece saga together, in order, spoiler-free, all the way up to the forthcoming eighth novel, State of Exile. Grab a coffee; this is the fun kind of homework.
Who is Jack Carr?
Here’s the thing that makes Jack Carr different from most thriller writers: he actually lived it. Carr spent twenty years in the Navy, much of it as a SEAL — a sniper, a team leader, a special-operations officer — before he ever sat down to write. When he finally did, all that hard-won knowledge poured onto the page, and you can feel it. The tradecraft is real, the weapons are real, the grief and the fury are real. That authenticity is the engine under every book, and it’s why readers who normally roll their eyes at “military thrillers” get quietly hooked.
His hero, James Reece, is a former SEAL who is betrayed at the highest levels of his own government and sets out to make it right — permanently. Reece is smart, relentless, and morally clear in a way that’s enormously satisfying to read. But he’s also human: haunted, grieving, and changing book to book. That’s the secret to the series’ staying power. It isn’t just action (though there’s plenty). It’s a man’s journey, and it rewards reading in order.
The James Reece books in order
Here’s the full saga in publication order — which, for this series, is exactly the right reading order. Each mission stands on its own, but Reece’s personal story runs straight through all of them, so starting at the beginning pays off.
1. The Terminal List (2018). The one that started everything. Reece returns from a catastrophic final deployment to discover the betrayal goes far deeper than the battlefield — and he responds the only way he knows how. Lean, furious, and unputdownable. This is your starting point, full stop.
2. True Believer (2019). Reece is now the most wanted man in the world, which turns out to be exactly why the government needs him. A globe-spanning hunt for a terror plot, and the book that opens the series up beyond its origin.
3. Savage Son (2020). The most primal entry — a hunt in the truest sense, where Reece becomes the prey. Tense, stripped-down, and hard to put down once it gets moving.
4. The Devil’s Hand (2021). Ripped-from-the-headlines and eerily prescient, this one raises the stakes to a threat against the whole country. A favorite among longtime fans.
5. In the Blood (2022). A downed aircraft, a lethal assassin, and a cat-and-mouse chase that shows how much Carr had grown as a storyteller. The plotting here is razor-sharp.
6. Only the Dead (2023). Carr reaches back across decades, weaving a Cold War-rooted conspiracy into the present. The scope gets bigger and the history gets richer.
7. Red Sky Mourning (2024). The largest canvas yet — think advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and a threat that plays out on land and under the sea. A blockbuster of an entry.
The new one: State of Exile (James Reece #8)
And now the book longtime readers have been waiting for. State of Exile is the eighth James Reece thriller, currently available for pre-order (Carr has pointed to a late-2026/early-2027 release). Reece emerges from a self-imposed exile as the world tips toward chaos: a next-generation fighter jet goes down with sensitive technology aboard, nuclear tensions flare, and an AI-enabled weapons plot threatens to spiral. Standing in his way is a former SAS mercenary — and, in classic Carr fashion, Reece is carrying something inside his own head that could tip the balance either way. As Carr’s own team sums it up: with the world descending into chaos, Reece is pulled back in to do what he does best.
We’re keeping this one strictly spoiler-free — but if you’ve read the first seven, you already know you’re going to want it the day it drops. New to the series? You’ve got seven excellent books to enjoy before this one arrives, which is a pretty good problem to have.
👉 See the full, always-updated list on our James Reece books in order page.
Beyond Reece: The Fourth Option
Here’s exciting news for 2026: Carr stepped outside the James Reece universe for the first time. The Fourth Option (May 2026), co-written with fellow former naval-intelligence officer and bestselling author M.P. Woodward, launches a brand-new series with a brand-new lead — Chris Walker, a disillusioned former SEAL and CIA operative who becomes a kind of modern-day gunslinger, dispensing justice when the institutions fail. It’s a fresh flavor from a familiar hand, and a great way to scratch the itch between Reece novels. (Don’t worry — Carr has confirmed Reece isn’t going anywhere.)
The true stories: Targeted (nonfiction)
Carr has also turned his eye to history. With acclaimed historian James M. Scott, he co-writes the Targeted nonfiction series, which digs into pivotal moments in the story of modern terrorism: Targeted: Beirut covers the 1983 Marine barracks bombing, and Targeted: Pan Am 103 examines the Lockerbie attack, its investigation, and its long shadow. If the authenticity in the Reece novels is what draws you, these are a natural next step — the real events that shaped the world those thrillers live in.
On screen: The Terminal List
You may have arrived here because of the show — and it’s a good one. The Terminal List premiered on Prime Video in 2022 with Chris Pratt as James Reece, adapting the first novel with real intensity. It was followed by a prequel series, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (2025), centered on Ben Edwards. As always, the show is a terrific gateway, but the novels go further and hit harder. If the series pulled you in, the books are the deeper, richer version of the same man.
So where should you start?
Simple: start with The Terminal List (2018) and read the James Reece novels in publication order from there. Watch the Prime Video show whenever you like — before, during, or after — but let the first novel be your true front door, because everything the series becomes grows out of that opening.
Ready to dive in? Here’s your roadmap, always kept current:
- James Reece — every Terminal List novel in order
- Jack Carr — his complete bibliography
- The best spy & thriller series to read in order
Happy reading — and welcome to one of the most addictive thriller series going.