John Gilstrap Reading Order

4 books (2009–2026)

John Gilstrap's Anthologies series comprises four mystery and thriller collections published between 2009 and 2026. The series remains ongoing and should be read in publication order, beginning with Watchlist and continuing through Fresh Kills, Tales from the Kill Zone, and Bat Out of Hell. These anthologies collect short fiction across the mystery and thriller genres, offering standalone stories that can be enjoyed individually or as part of the complete series.

Start with Watchlist, the first of 4 books in the Anthologies series.

3 books (2007–2014)

John Gilstrap's Harold Middleton series spans three books published between 2007 and 2014, completing a finished mystery and thriller sequence. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Chopin Manuscript, followed by The Copper Bracelet, and concluding with The Starling Project: An Audible Drama. This complete trilogy offers readers a continuous narrative across all three installments.

Start with The Chopin Manuscript and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Chopin Manuscript 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Copper Bracelet 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Starling Project: An Audible Drama 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2025–2025)

18 books (2009–2026)

The Jonathan Grave series by John Gilstrap consists of 18 books published between 2009 and 2026, with the series still ongoing. This mystery and thriller collection should be read in publication order, beginning with No Mercy and continuing through the most recent installments. The series follows Jonathan Grave through increasingly complex missions and threats across its expanding catalog.

Start with No Mercy, the first of 18 books in the Jonathan Grave series.

#	Title
1	No Mercy 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Hostage Zero 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Threat Warning 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Damage Control 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	High Treason 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Soft Targets 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	End Game 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Against All Enemies 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Friendly Fire 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Final Target 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Scorpion Strike 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Total Mayhem 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Hellfire 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Stealth Attack 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Lethal Game / Lethal Prey 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Harm’s Way 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Zero Sum 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Scorched Earth 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2022–2025)

The Music and Murder Mystery series is a collection of anthology thrillers pairing famous song titles with mystery and crime stories. Four volumes have been published between 2022 and 2025, with the series remaining ongoing. Each book features contributions from multiple authors including John Gilstrap, Heather Graham, and various other mystery and thriller writers. Read the books in publication order, beginning with Hotel California.

Start with Hotel California(With: Heather Graham,Reed Farrel Coleman,Andrew Child,Amanda Flower,Don Bruns,Rick Bleiweiss,Jennifer Dornbush), the first of 4 books in the Music and Murder Mystery series.

5 books (2016–2016)

The Nick of Time series consists of five mystery and thriller novels by John Gilstrap, published beginning in 2016. The five-book cycle is now complete and should be read in publication order, starting with Time to Die and concluding with Time to Steal. Each installment builds on the previous entries in the arc, making sequential reading essential for following the narrative.

Start with Time to Die, the first of 5 books in the Nick Of Time series.

1 book (2006–2006)

#	Title
1	Six Minutes to Freedom 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1996–2003)

John Gilstrap wrote four standalone mystery and thriller novels between 1996 and 2003: Nathan's Run, At All Costs, Even Steven, and Scott Free. Each book works independently, though they are best read in publication order beginning with Nathan's Run. The series is complete.

Start with Nathan's Run, the first of 4 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Nathan's Run 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	At All Costs 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Even Steven 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Scott Free 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2021–2023)

John Gilstrap's Victoria Emerson series consists of three mystery thrillers published between 2021 and 2023, beginning with Crimson Phoenix, followed by Blue Fire, and concluding with White Smoke. The series appears to be complete and should be read in publication order. Each installment builds on the previous story, making sequential reading essential to fully appreciate the narrative progression.

Start with Crimson Phoenix and read in order.

#	Title
1	Crimson Phoenix 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Blue Fire 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	White Smoke 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

39 books (2015–2016)

The X-Files Anthology is a complete collection of 39 standalone stories published between 2015 and 2016, featuring contributions from multiple authors including Keith R.A. DeCandido, Tim Lebbon, Heather Graham, Brian Keene, and many others. Each book explores different mysteries and paranormal cases in the X-Files universe, and while they can be read individually, reading them in publication order provides the most cohesive experience. Begin with Back in El Paso My Life Will Be Worthless and proceed through the series sequentially to experience the full range of stories that make up this comprehensive anthology collection.

Start with Back in El Paso My Life Will Be Worthless(By: Keith R.A. DeCandido), the first of 39 books in the X-Files Anthology series.