John Jordan Books in Order: How to read Michael Lister’s Series?

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Did you know that John Jordan learned to be a cop with the help of Harry Bosch?

What Is the John Jordan Series about?

Written by American novelist and ex-prison chaplain from Florida Michael Lister, the John Jordan series is obviously about a prison chaplain named John Jordan!

Set in the Potter Correctional Institution, considered the toughest maximum security prison in Florida, this series follows Jordan, a six-foot-tall ex-cop who is now a prison chaplain investigating murders as he tries to find peace in the worst place possible.

How to read the John Jordan Books in Order?

This guide follows the publication order, not the chronological order. Every book in the John Jordan series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

1. Power in the Blood (1997)
2. Blood of the Lamb (2004)
3. Flesh and Blood (2006)
4. The Body and the Blood (2010)
5. Blood Sacrifice (2012)
6. Double Exposure (2009)
7. Rivers to Blood (2014)
8. Innocent Blood (2015)
9. Blood Money (2015)
10. Blood Moon (2015)
11. Blood Cries (2016)
12. Blood Oath (2016)
13. Blood Work (2016)
14. Cold Blood (2017)
15. Blood Betrayal (2017)
16. Blood Shot (2017)
17. “The Wedding” (2017, Short Story)
18. Blood Ties (2017)
19. Blood Stone (2018)
20. Blood Trail (2018)
21. Bloodshed (2018)
22. Blue Blood (2018)
23. And the Sea Became Blood (2018)
24. The Blood-Dimmed Tide (2019)
25. Blood and Sand (2019)
26. A John Jordan Christmas (2019)
27. Blood Lure (2020)
28. Blood Pathogen (2020)
29. Beneath a Blood-Red Sky (2020)
30. Out for Blood (2021)
31. What Child is This? (2021)
32. Blood Reckoning (2022)

What is the plot of the John Jordan stories?

For more information about the books in the John Jordan series by Michael Lister, you’ll find below the official synopsis for all the books:

Power in the Blood – Ex-cop John Jordan, now a prison chaplain in the Florida Panhandle, witnesses the bloody death of Potter Correctional Institution inmate Ike Johnson. But what exactly did he witness? Murder, accident, or suicide? Jordan discovers that in the closed society of captives and captors no act goes unseen, and no one takes kindly to a cop in a collar. He soon finds his reputation, his career, and even his life are at stake.

Blood of the Lamb – John Jordan’s search for the peace that has so long eluded him is interrupted by an unimaginable murder. Attempting to be a good man in a very bad place while also maintaining his shaky sobriety, John investigates the murder of the seven year-old adopted daughter of ex-con turned televangelist, Bobby Earl Caldwell, a murder committed in John’s own locked office when Bobby Earl conducts a service in the Potter Correctional Institution chapel.

Flesh and Blood – In this diverse collection of cases, John Jordan investigates the Shroud of Turin, a pregnant virgin, a daring prison break, a Hurricane Katrina orphan who might just be the Second Coming, a desperate woman who sleeps with one too many men, a bloody body on the rec yard, a mystery that turns on a single observation, and a murder in which John himself is the prime suspect-all this as he deals with depression and battles alcoholism.

The Body and the Blood – In one of the most baffling murder cases of his career, John Jordan actually witnesses an impossible murder. Attempting to balance his fragile reconciliation with his ex-wife and the high-stakes investigation, John is soon overwhelmed and wonders if the life he’s hoped for is even possible.

Blood Sacrifice – Following a particularly brutal and costly case, John Jordan goes to a secluded retreat center and encounters one of the most bewildering and haunting cases of his career-the suspicious death of a young woman undergoing an exorcism.

Rivers to Blood – John Jordan searches for an escaped prisoner, investigates a shocking murder, and confronts a sadist forcing his victims violate themselves -all while trying to take care of his family, friends, and those in his care.

Innocent Blood – When John Jordan was twelve years old, he came face-to-face with the man who went to prison for the Atlanta Child Murders. Six years later, John returns to Atlanta to discover the truth. As he battles his demons and embarks on his first murder investigation, Jordan learns the ropes from the one and only Harry Bosch.

Blood Money – The body of a young woman propped against a prison fence. A series of suicides with a unique calling card. A stolen corpse. A young man fighting for his life. A single mother who has lost her only child. Perplexing puzzles and people in need are John Jordan’s specialties.

Blood Moon – A daring escape. A race against time. Locked in with a vicious, relentless killer. Can John Jordan save the life of the woman he loves? The stakes have never been higher. Success seems impossible. Failure unimaginable. Behold what happens beneath the Blood Moon!

Blood Cries – A young John Jordan continues his investigation into the Atlanta Child Murders, interviews Wayne Williams, investigates the disappearance of Cedric Porter, and uncovers a series of murders with devastating consequences. Can John Jordan unmask the cunning killer before he strikes again?

Blood Oath – John Jordan is once again carrying a gun and a badge-and he’s going to need them. Balancing family life with being a cop and a prison chaplain takes grit and grace-and John has plenty of both. Working two cases that may or may not be connected, John is investigating the disappearance of a young army ranger home on leave and one of the most sadistic serial killers he’s ever encountered.

Blood Work – On the same weekend Janet was crowned Miss Valentine at the pageant and Queen at the Sweethearts dance, she disappeared, her car found in an empty field, its interior covered in blood. The case, known as the Broken Heart Murder, is decades cold now, but a new clock is ticking and John Jordan has one last chance to help his father get it right.

Cold Blood – On Thursday, January 20, 2005, Randa Raffield, a twenty-one year old student at the University of West Florida, crashed her car on a secluded stretch of Highway 98 near the Gulf of Mexico. Seven minutes later when the first Gulf County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived at the car, Randa was gone, vanished without a trace. She has never been seen again. Can John Jordan find her?

Blood Betrayal – A murder without a body. A murderer without a memory. John Jordan must determine whether Angel Diaz was murdered by her boyfriend after a magical night together or if he was wrongly convicted and who the real killer is.

Blood Shot – In the swamps of North Florida, Remington James’ camera captured the best of nature and the worst of humanity, and it cost him his life. Three years later, his widow turns to the one man who can answer her questions and solve the mystery of his murder-John Jordan. Corrupt cops, drug dealers, and killers stand between John and the answers he’s seeking.

The Wedding (Short Story) – A short story about John Jordan’s wedding.

Blood Ties – John Jordan returns from his honeymoon to discover that in the early morning hours of July 4th, the unimaginable murder of 9-year-old Mariah Evers has taken place in a rented Gulf-front mansion in Cape San Blas, Florida. Mariah’s father, rising rap star Trace Evers, and his family want answers, but they appear to be suspects themselves.

Blood Stone – Atlanta. 1988. The one-hundredth anniversary of the Jack the Ripper case. College student John Jordan gets his first job in law enforcement, and his first case will change his life forever. When young women start disappearing, John begins putting clues together that point to a chilling reality: a sadistic, ritualistic serial killer is on a mission.

Blood Trail – When the body of Anna’s ex-husband and stalker is found murdered at the Dead Lakes Campground everyone is a suspect-but no one more so than John Jordan and those closest to him. The brutality with which the body has been beaten indicates a crime of rage and personal vendetta.

Bloodshed – While attempting to prevent a school shooting, John Jordan becomes an unwitting witness to the evolution of a particular type of evil. When the echoes of the gunfire cease and the smoke clears the biggest mystery of all still waits to be solved. Who planned and perpetrated this devastating deed and how did he hide his identity?

Blue Blood – Private investigator Merrill Monroe enlists the services of John Jordan to protect Malia Goodman, a civil rights and police shooting activist with a target on her back. But Merrill doesn’t just want John to help protect Malia, she wants him to find out who’s trying to kill her and help him stop them.

And the Sea Became Blood – The death of retired priest Andrew Irwin begins like any other murder investigation for John Jordan, but it ends in a thrilling cat and mouse chase during an existential storm of apocalyptic proportions.

The Blood-Dimmed Tide – While on trial for wrongful death, John Jordan must catch a cunning killer who is using the chaos of the decimated post-Hurricane Michael landscape to hide his heinous acts of cold-blooded murder.

Blood and Sand – On the night of her parents’ Winter Soltice party, Magdalene Dacosta vanishes in the night never to be seen again. But how did this happen? The home was locked up securely and security cameras show no one entering or leaving the residence. John Jordan must figure out how this seemingly impossible crime was committed and who is capable of such wickedness before it’s too late for another innocent.

Blood Lure – John Jordan must help his dying father solve the strange and mysterious disappearance of Naomi Newman and Sasha Grande before it’s too late. The two young women went hiking in the river swamps of North Florida’s Appalachicola River Basin and were never seen again.

Blood Pathogen – John Jordan investigates the murders of the famed Tupelo Queens-lifelong friends, one of whom is John’s own aunt, who grew up together, perform together, and were each crowned Tupelo Queen at the annual Tupelo Festival back in their day.

Beneath a Blood-Red Sky – How did the outgoing, fun-loving, and beautiful Blake Scott die? Was she murdered by one of her so-called friends to cover up being sexually assaulted, or did a jealous lover exact revenge? Though Blake’s suspicious death was ruled accidental by a sheriff’s investigator working his first case, her family and friends believe she was murdered. But after five long years of failed private investigations and a stalled wrongful death lawsuit, Blake’s mother asks for Detective John Jordan’s help.

Out for Blood – While investigating the brutal attack of two teenage girls, John Jordan uncovers the shocking secrets someone is willing to kill for, but he never suspects the killer’s next victim will be someone he cares about so much. Can he solve two baffling murders and protect those he loves?

What Child is This? – Tiana Capri, a young pre-teen girl from a good family goes missing on Christmas Eve. She vanishes without a trace from her locked house while her mom and brother sleep nearby, leaving no clues and little hope of finding her alive. Can John Jordan find her before it’s too late? For the first time in his career, he enlists the help of his daughter, Johanna Jordan, who is a friend of Tiana’s and who might just hold the key to discovering what happened to Tiana and the sinister forces behind her disappearance. Can the two Jordans save Christmas for Tiana and her family or will tragedy strike their own family as they try to?

Blood Reckoning – Carla Pearson vanishes from a river camp cabin after her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Mason Hayes, leaves her there following an argument. The cabin is only accessible by boat and beyond it are thousands of acres of jungle-like swamps and dense, nearly impenetrable woods. What happened to Carla and who is responsible for her disappearance? Is it Mason Hayes? Is it her ex, Easton Stevens? His jealous wife? Or someone John Jordan hasn’t even thought of?

What should you read if you like the John Jordan novels?

If you like reading Michael Lister’s John Jordan Mysteries, you may be interested in the Quinn Colson series, the Memory Man books, and Stuart Woods’ novels.