Author

David Ellis

Q: What should I read first by David Ellis?

Start with the Jason Kolarich series, since it is the first on file, then read it in publication order.

David Ellis has 20 known credited books (20 published) across 3 series. Start with Jason Kolarich. David Ellis continues James Patterson's Invisible and Billy Harney series.

David Ellis is an American novelist and judge, currently serving on the Illinois Appellate Court, whose legal career runs alongside a long fiction-writing career that began with the Edgar Award-winning courtroom thriller Line of Vision. His experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney gives his legal thrillers, including the Jack McCoy-adjacent standalone novels and character-driven courtroom dramas, a level of procedural authenticity uncommon in the genre. Ellis became one of James Patterson's regular co-authors, working on the Michael Bennett series as well as standalone thrillers including Invisible and Patterson's Billy Harney sequence, contributing his legal expertise and plotting skill to Patterson's high-volume collaborative model. His solo novels frequently pivot on unreliable narration and courtroom twists, reflecting his firsthand familiarity with how trials and investigations actually unfold. Ellis has managed a rare dual career, serving in Illinois's judiciary while continuing to publish commercially successful thrillers, and he remains one of the more distinctive voices among Patterson's co-authors due to his direct legal background.

Series: 3
Credited books: 20
Published: 20
Latest published book: Keep Them Close 30 June 2026
Active: 2001–present
Best known for: Jason Kolarich

Key facts about David Ellis

Our list holds 20 books by David Ellis. 9 of them belong to a series, while 11 stand alone. Since all 20 are out now, every book here is ready to read. Their series sit on our legal thriller and thriller shelves.

David Ellis has 3 series on file. Jason Kolarich has 4 books, while Invisible has 2 books. Billy Harney has 3 books, starting in 2017.

In particular, Jason Kolarich is the longest series on file. Invisible began with James Patterson, while David Ellis has books in it too.

Jason Kolarich starts with The Hidden Man, while Invisible starts with Invisible. Billy Harney starts with The Black Book.

Since Jason Kolarich is the first series on file, it is the place to start. Their first published book on file came out in 2001. Meanwhile, Keep Them Close is the latest published book, out on 30 June 2026.

There are also 11 standalone books. You can read them in any order, since each one stands alone. The newest one that is out is Keep Them Close, from 2026. The oldest on file is Line of Vision, from 2001.