Jack Carr is one of the bestselling thriller authors that America has produced in recent times. The former Seal sniper, counterinsurgency platoon commander, and task unit commander has used his first-hand knowledge and over two decades of experience in naval warfare to create a formidable hero, James Reece, who is willing to go the extra length to protect his country and loved ones.
Carr published his first book, The Terminal List, in 2018. Since then, he has published several more, and they have all gone on to be bestsellers list. His books have also been nominated for several awards. Jack Carr’s first book has also been made into a hit TV series. If you want to delve into this author, then find a full list of Jack Carr’s books in order below.
How Many Books Has Jack Carr Written?
Jack Carr has written a total of five books as of October 2022. They are The Terminal List, True Believer, Savage Son, The Devil’s Hand, and In The Blood. All the books focus on the former Lt Comdr James Reece, who is either on a personal revenge mission or is helping the U.S. Government bring down different categories of terrorists.
Jack Carr has penned a sixth novel, Only The Dead, which will be released in the spring of 2023.
List of Jack Carr’s Books in Order
- The Terminal List (2018)
- True Believer (2019)
- Savage Son (2020)
- The Devil’s Hand (2021)
- In The Blood (2022)
A Look At Jack Carr’s James Reece Books in Order
1. The Terminal List (2018)
- Genre: thriller
- Paperback volume: 408
- Original publishing date: 6th of March 2018
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
- ISBN: 1501180819
- Series highlight: Jack Reece embarks on a revenge mission after the killing of his family and team members.
- Nominations/Awards: ITW Thriller Award Nominee for First Novel (2019), Audie Award Nominee for Thriller/Suspense (2019), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Author (2018)
The Terminal List is Jack Carr’s first book. It is also the first and only Jack Carr book to be made into a TV series to date. The Terminal List introduces the world to a formidable hero named James Reece.
Reece is the commander of a special task unit in Afghanistan. During his last mission, his men are ambushed, and scores are killed. To make matters worse, his wife and daughter are killed back home in California. Reece later discovers that the American government, and not the Afghans, are behind the killings. He then embarks on a revenge quest, taking names off his list one after the other.
The Terminal List forms the basis of the 2022 Amazon Prime TV series that was headlined by Chris Pratt. It received knocks from the critics but nevertheless garnered massive viewership from fans.
2. True Believer (2019)
- Genre: thriller
- Paperback volume: 496
- Original publishing date: 2nd of April 2019
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
- ISBN: 1501180843
- Series highlight: Jack Carr is recruited by the CIA to hunt an Iraqi terrorist.
True Believer is Jack Carr’s second book and sees James Reece reestablish a working relationship with the United States government. This turnaround is brought about by a series of terrorist attacks on western nations during the holiday season.
An Iraqi commando is fingered as the brains behind the whole thing, and the CIA reaches out to Reece as he is the only one capable of catching the culprits. The authorities also grant Reece a presidential pardon for his revenge killings.
3. Savage Son (2020)
- Genre: thriller
- Paperback volume: 416
- Original publishing date: 14th April 2020
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
- ISBN: 9781982123703
- Series highlight: James Reece comes back from brain surgery to fight off Russian assassins and kidnappers
In Savage Son, James Reece undergoes brain surgery for a tumor and spends time recuperating. His rest is, however, caught short after he learns of a dual Russian plot to assassinate him. Even though he foils the assassination attempt, a friend’s sister is kidnapped, and he has no choice but to head back into the field to rescue her and teach the Russians a lesson.
4. The Devil’s Hand (2021)
- Genre: thriller
- Paperback volume: 524
- Original publishing date: 13th April 2021
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
- ISBN: 9781982123741
- Series highlight: James Reece fights to stop the release of biological weapons on U.S. territory.
The Devil’s Hand is Jack Carr’s fourth book and has got quite literally everything, including terrorist threats and biological weapons, all of which James Reece has to deal with it. The action starts when the American president, whose girlfriend died on 9/11, asks James Reece to hunt down those behind the dastardly attacks. Reece embarks on the mission.
He, however, gets more than he bargains for after it turns out that the perpetrators are not resting on their oars but hatching a new deadly plan as well. The plan is the release of a biological weapon that would force the American president to order strikes on some cities and kill millions in order to contain the spread of the virus. As usual, it is left to Reece and his partners to deal with the looming threat.
5. In The Blood (2022)
- Genre: thriller
- Paperback volume: 460
- Original publishing date: 17th of May 2022
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
- ISBN: 9781982181659
- Series highlight: James Reece takes on a dreaded terrorist out to kill him
In The Blood is Jack Carr’s fifth book. It sees James Reece seeking revenge for the deaths of Aliya Galin, an Israeli operative who has also worked for the CIA, and Freddy Strain, a former Seal who recruited him into the CIA. The culprit behind both deaths is Nizar Kattan, a dreaded terrorist.
Reece goes all out to apprehend Nizar Kattan without knowing that the terrorist has entered into a deal with the Russians to assassinate him. Reece finds Kattan well prepared and waiting for him and what follows is a shootout.
What is the Best Jack Carr Book?
If you take into consideration aggregate ratings by members of the public, the best Jack Carr book is The Terminal List. The Terminal List is Jack Carr’s first book and was published in 2018. It gives audiences their first look into the formidable James Reece.
Reece is a diehard patriot who will lay it all down for his country. He is, therefore, quite broken when he discovers that this same country has betrayed him in an unforgivable manner. He refuses to be undone though but embarks on a revenge mission that sees him polish off individuals on his list in different mind-blowing styles.
The Terminal List received numerous award nominations, such as the Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Author (2018), the ITW Thriller Award Nominee for First Novel (2019), and the Audie Award Nominee for Thriller/Suspense (2019).
The Terminal List has also been made into an Amazon Prime TV series headlined by Hollywood A-listers Chris Pratt and Constance Wu. It was indeed an awesome debut for Jack Carr, and many have declared him a serious contender for the throne of thriller writers occupied by icons such as Lee Child and Vince Flynn.
