Tommy Carmellini Books in Order: How to read Stephen Coonts’s series?

An espionage thriller series written by author Stephen Coonts, The Tommy Carmellini series follows a witty and resourceful CIA operative known for his unconventional methods and sharp intellect. Carmellini is a maverick within the CIA, willing to bend or break the rules when necessary to achieve his objectives, often finding himself embroiled in high-stakes espionage scenarios where the fate of nations hangs in the balance. 

Once the Tommy Carmellini series is a spin-off to the Jake Grafton series.

How to Read the Tommy Carmellini Series in Order?

Every entry in the Tommy Carmellini book series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

1. Liars & Thieves – Tommy Carmellini is sent to post guard duty at a farmhouse in West Virginia’s remote Allegheny Mountains, where top government operatives are debriefing a star defector: the ultimate KGB insider, a man with records on every operation and every dirty trick the shadowy intelligence agency has ever run, from Lenin to Putin. Carmellini arrives to find the guards shot dead and a ruthless team of commandos–American commandos–killing everyone in sight, then setting the house on fire. He escapes in a hail of bullets with what seems to be the sole survivor, a stunningly attractive translator who then steals his car, abandoning him, after a deadly mountain car chase. But one other person survived the massacre: The man whose fractured memory holds the KGB’s most embarrassing secrets, including something for which someone will kill to keep it quiet.
2. The Traitor – Abu Qasim was the perfect spy. He was the man who could bring down Bin Laden, the man who could smash Al Queda. Surrounded by fanatics in the heart of the beast, he believed in himself beyond any shadow of a doubt, believed in what he knew to be right with a faith that could withstand all adversity. He lived by his wits and played the double game to the last drop of blood. Or did he?
3. The Assassin – The CIA learns that something is up and a worried president sends his best—Jake Grafton and his secret weapon, Tommy Carmellini. Tommy is soon in grave danger as he tries to piece the deadly puzzle together. Set amidst ticking bombs and flying bullets, the stakes have never been higher. Will Tommy put it all together in time t stop the disaster? Or will the terrorists set events in motion that will leave America reeling?

4. The Disciple – Iran is much closer to having operational nuclear weapons than the CIA believes, and Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has a plan. Iran will become a martyr nation, and Ahmadinejad will lead the united Muslims of the world in a holy war against the non-believers. But the Americans have a secret weapon in a group of Iranian dissidents, including a brother and sister determined to avenge the death of their beloved grandfather at the hands of the religious police. They are funneling information to Carmellini. They want to stop the attack before their leader launches a new world war.
5. Pirate Alley – A luxurious vacation cruise to the exotic locales of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden turns into a nightmare for passengers and crew when their ship is suddenly attacked and captured by a band of bloodthirsty Somali pirates. An initial rescue mission ends in failure; the decks are covered in blood. Unless they are paid a ransom of $200 million dollars within seven days, the pirates threaten to execute all their hostages. But information gleaned from a captured Al Qaeda operative indicates that there is a far more dangerous conspiracy afoot.
6. The Art of War – The Chinese dragon is flexing its muscles. As its military begins to prey on neighbors in the South China Sea, attacking fishing vessels and scheming to seize natural resources, America goes on high alert. But a far more ominous danger lurks closer to home: A nuclear weapon has been planted in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia—site of the biggest naval base on the planet. The target: a secret rendezvous of the Atlantic Fleet aircraft carriers and their battle groups. When the CIA director is assassinated and Jake Grafton is appointed to take his place, Jake gets wind of the conspiracy but has no idea when or where the attack will occur. 

7. Liberty’s Last Stand – The president of the United States stands on an outdoor stage, flanked by powerful members of his administration and party. Television crews are preparing for broadcast. High above the stage, on a nearby rooftop, a decorated sniper adjusts the scope on his rifle. Afterwards, America will never be the same. Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the law when a public act of violence throws the country into chaos just before a presidential election.
8. The Armageddon File – After one of the most contentious and divisive elections in American history, the new president is finally settling into the West Wing. But when his chief of staff discovers evidence that voting machines in key counties in swing states were tampered with, the whole administration is in danger of unraveling. Did someone steal the election? Are America’s enemies involved? Were the tampered-with machines actually rigged to swing the election the other way—and if so and the plot failed, what is the conspirators’ backup plan?
9. The Russia Account – CIA officer Tommy Carmellini is pit against a murderous international financial conspiracy that leaves a trail of death and corruption, extending from a small bank in Estonia to the highest reaches of the Kremlin and the halls of Congress—perhaps even to the CIA itself, putting Admiral Jake Grafton, the head of the CIA, in the crosshairs of an assassin. 

If you like the Tommy Carmellini reading order, you may also want to see our guide to the Jack Ryan books. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.