Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide

James Swain Reading Order

8 series · 29 books

Mystery & ThrillerNon-Fiction

James Swain is an American crime writer whose technical expertise in magic informs his intricate mystery plots. He has authored 28 books spanning multiple detective series, including the Billy Cunningham mysteries, the Jack Carpenter thrillers, and the Lancaster & Daniels investigations, alongside nonfiction works exploring crime and deception. His prolific career from 1989 to the present blends procedural detail with illusion-based plotting, making him a distinctive voice in contemporary mystery and thriller fiction.

Anthologies Series

Complete

1 book (2005–2005)

#Title
1
Cover of Murder in Vegas: New Crime Tales of Gambling and Desperation
Murder in Vegas: New Crime Tales of Gambling and Desperation
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Billy Cunningham Series

Ongoing

5 books (2015–2026)

Start with Take Down, the first of 4 books in the Billy Cunningham series.

Start this series with Take Down

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
2
Cover of Bad Action
3
Cover of Super Con
4
5

Jack Carpenter Series

Complete

4 books (2007–2010)

Start with Midnight Rambler, the first of 4 books in the Jack Carpenter series.

Start this series with Midnight Rambler

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Midnight Rambler
2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of The Night Stalker
The Night Stalker
2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Night Monster
The Night Monster
2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4

Lancaster & Daniels Series

Complete

3 books (2018–2020)

Start with The King Tides and read in order.

Start this series with The King Tides

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The King Tides
The King Tides
2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of No Good Deed
No Good Deed
2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Bad News Travels
Bad News Travels
2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

3 books (1992–1999)

Start with Don't Blink and read in order.

Start this series with Don't Blink

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
2
Miracles With Cards
1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
21st Century Card Magic
1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Peter Warlock Series

Complete

2 books (2012–2013)

Start with Dark Magic and read in order.

Start this series with Dark Magic

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Dark Magic
2
Cover of Shadow People
Shadow People
2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Tony Valentine Series

Complete

9 books (2001–2010)

Start with Grift Sense, the first of 9 books in the Tony Valentine series.

Start this series with Grift Sense

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Grift Sense
2
Cover of Funny Money
3
Cover of Sucker Bet
4
Cover of Loaded Dice
5
Cover of Mr. Lucky
6
Cover of Deadman's Bluff
Deadman's Bluff
2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of Deadman's Poker
Deadman's Poker
2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
9

Vincent Hardare Series

Complete

2 books (1989–2010)

Start with The Man Who Walked Through Walls and read in order.

Start this series with The Man Who Walked Through Walls

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
The Man Who Walked Through Walls
1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
The Man Who Cheated Death
2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has James Swain written?
James Swain has written 29 books across 8 series. Their published works span from 1989 to 2026.
What is the first book in each James Swain series?
Here are the first books in James Swain's series: Billy Cunningham: Take Down; Jack Carpenter: Midnight Rambler; Lancaster & Daniels: The King Tides; Non-Fiction: Don't Blink; Peter Warlock: Dark Magic.
What order should I read James Swain's books?
We recommend reading James Swain's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is James Swain still writing new books?
Yes, James Swain has 1 ongoing series: Billy Cunningham.

You might also like