Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide

Stephen Leather Reading Order

15 series ยท 137 books

Stephen Leather is a prolific British thriller writer known for his gripping storytelling and dynamic characters. With a remarkable portfolio of 137 titles across 15 seriesโ€”including the popular Spider Shepherd and Jack Nightingaleโ€”he has captivated readers since 1987. Active until 2027, Leather has established himself as a leading author in the genre, making a significant impact on the Kindle marketplace.

Anthologies Series

Complete

2 books (2013โ€“2013)

Start with Death Toll and read in order.

#Title
1
2
Cover of Death Toll 2
Death Toll 2

Asian Heat Series

Complete

4 books (2012โ€“2012)

Start with Banging Bill's Wife, the first of 4 books in the Asian Heat series.

#Title
1
Banging Bill's Wife
2
The Alphabet Game
3
The Pregnant Wife
4
The Threesome

Inspector Zhang Series

Complete

7 books (2011โ€“2013)

Start with Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish, the first of 7 books in the Inspector Zhang series.

#Title
1
Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish
2
Inspector Zhang and the Dead Thai Gangster
3
Inspector Zhang and the Disappearing Drugs
4
Inspector Zhang and the Falling Woman
5
Inspector Zhang Goes To Harrogate
6
Inspector Zhang and The Perfect Alibi
7
Inspector Zhang and the Island of the Dead

Jack Nightingale Series

Ongoing

13 books (2010โ€“2026)

Start with Nightfall, the first of 13 books in the Jack Nightingale series.

#Title
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cover of San Francisco Night
San Francisco Night
7
New York Night
8
Tennessee Night
9
New Orleans Night
10
Las Vegas Night
11
Rio Grande Night
12
Houston Night
13
Chicago Night

Jack Nightingale Short Stories/Novellas Series

Likely Complete

21 books (2011โ€“2021)

Start with Cursed, the first of 21 books in the Jack Nightingale Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
2
Still Bleeding
3
Blood Bath(By: Matt Hilton)
4
My Name Is Lydia
5
6
I Know Who Did It
7
The Whisper Man
8
Children of the Dark
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
The House on Gable Street
20
Watery Grave
21

Lex Harper Series

Complete

3 books (2017โ€“2020)

Start with Takedown and read in order.

#Title
1
2
Plausible Deniability (Short Story)
3

Matt Standing Series

Ongoing

4 books (2019โ€“2024)

Start with Last Man Standing, the first of 4 books in the Matt Standing series.

#Title
1
Last Man Standing
2
Standing Alone
3
Cover of Still Standing
Still Standing
4
Standing Strong

Mike Cramer Series

Likely Complete

4 books (1992โ€“2023)

Start with The Chinaman / The Foreigner, the first of 4 books in the Mike Cramer series.

#Title
1
Cover of The Chinaman / The Foreigner
The Chinaman / The Foreigner
2
Cover of The Long Shot
The Long Shot
3
Cover of The Double Tap
The Double Tap
4
The Chinaman: The 1992 Breakout Thriller From Stephen Leather

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

1 book (2006โ€“2006)

#Title
1
Confessions of a Bangkok Private Eye

Richard Yokely Short Stories/Novellas Series

Likely Complete

2 books (2019โ€“2022)

Start with Rogue Warrior and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of Rogue Warrior
Rogue Warrior
2

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

4 books (2012โ€“2018)

Start with Short Fuses, the first of 4 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#Title
1
2
Cover of The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang
The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang
3
Nightingale - A Short Story Collection
4
Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection

Spider Shepherd Series

Ongoing

24 books (2004โ€“2027)

Start with Hard Landing, the first of 24 books in the Spider Shepherd series.

#Title
1
Cover of Hard Landing
Hard Landing
2
3
4
5
6
7
Cover of Rough Justice
Rough Justice
8
9
Cover of False Friends
False Friends
10
Cover of True Colours
True Colours
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
First Strike
22
23
Direct Action
24
Broken Promises

Spider Shepherd SAS Series

Likely Complete

5 books (2016โ€“2023)

Start with The Sandpit, the first of 5 books in the Spider Shepherd SAS series.

#Title
1
2
Moving Targets
3
Russian Roulette
4
5
Baltic Black Ops

Spider Shepherd Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

14 books (2012โ€“2015)

Start with Friendly Fire, the first of 14 books in the Spider Shepherd Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
Friendly Fire
2
3
Hard Targets
4
Hostile Territory
5
6
Natural Selection
7
Rough Diamonds
8
Warning Order
9
More Short Fuses
10
Narrow Escape
11
Personal Protection
12
Planning Pack
13
Remote Control
14

Standalone Novels Series

Ongoing

29 books (1987โ€“2026)

Start with Pay Off, the first of 29 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#Title
1
2
3
Cover of Hungry Ghost
Hungry Ghost
4
5
Cover of The Birthday Girl
The Birthday Girl
6
Cover of The Solitary Man
The Solitary Man
7
Cover of The Tunnel Rats
The Tunnel Rats
8
Cover of The Bombmaker
The Bombmaker
9
10
11
Cover of The Eyewitness
The Eyewitness
12
Cover of Private Dancer
Private Dancer
13
Dreamer's Cat
14
15
Cover of The Basement
The Basement
16
Cover of Bangkok Bob and the Missing Mormon
Bangkok Bob and the Missing Mormon
17
Cover of The Bestseller
The Bestseller
18
19
Cover of First Response
First Response
20
21
22
The Bag Carrier
23
24
Desperate Measures
25
Killing Time
26
27
28
Recall: The Man Who Forgot Who He Was
29

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Stephen Leather written?
Stephen Leather has written 137 books across 15 series. Their published works span from 1987 to 2027.
What is the first book in each Stephen Leather series?
Here are the first books in Stephen Leather's series: Anthologies: Death Toll; Asian Heat: Banging Bill's Wife; Inspector Zhang: Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish; Jack Nightingale: Nightfall; Jack Nightingale Short Stories/Novellas: Cursed.
What order should I read Stephen Leather's books?
We recommend reading Stephen Leather's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is Stephen Leather still writing new books?
Yes, Stephen Leather has 4 ongoing series: Jack Nightingale, Matt Standing, Spider Shepherd, Standalone Novels.

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