John Pellam
mystery
Series · crime
Jack McEvoy
The Jack McEvoy series by Michael Connelly has 3 known books (3 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The Poet (1996). Fair Warning is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 1996
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
Start here: The Poet (1996)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Poet
The Poet, one of Michael Connelly's earliest and most acclaimed novels, opens the series in 1996 with journalist Jack McEvoy investigating his detective brother's apparent suicide and uncovering a serial killer who quotes Edgar Allan Poe -- the book that introduces FBI profiler Rachel Walling. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Poet - Book 2:
The Scarecrow
Thirteen years later, at 632 pages the longest book in the series, The Scarecrow (2009) finds a newly laid-off McEvoy chasing a serial killer exploiting data-center technology, in a story Connelly wrote as commentary on the decline of print journalism. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Scarecrow - Book 3:
Fair Warning
Fair Warning (2020) closes out the trilogy at 416 pages, McEvoy now working for a consumer-protection website as he tracks a killer targeting women through DNA-testing sites. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fair Warning
Key facts about the Jack McEvoy series
Our list has 3 books in the Jack McEvoy series. Since all 3 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with The Poet, since it opens the publication order in 1996. The Scarecrow is book 2, from 2009. Fair Warning is book 3, from 2020.
The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
Fair Warning is the latest book with a full release date, out on 26 May 2020. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 1996 and 2020, while their length runs from 416 to 632 pages. That is a run of 24 years.
Michael Connelly has 47 books on our list. Additionally, they write Harry Bosch, The Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller) and Renee Ballard, plus 1 more series. We shelve the books under crime.
About the Jack McEvoy series
Jack McEvoy is a crime journalist rather than a cop, which gives Michael Connelly's smallest series its distinct flavor: the same forensic obsessiveness as the Bosch novels, filtered through a reporter's need to build an airtight story rather than make an arrest. The Poet (1996) — one of Connelly's earliest and most acclaimed novels — has McEvoy investigating his police-detective brother's apparent suicide, uncovering a serial killer who quotes Edgar Allan Poe and targets homicide detectives, and introduces FBI profiler Rachel Walling, who becomes McEvoy's recurring partner and love interest. The Scarecrow (2009), written as Connelly's commentary on the death of print journalism, finds a newly laid-off McEvoy chasing one last story that uncovers a serial killer exploiting data-center technology to erase digital evidence. Fair Warning (2020) brings McEvoy, now working for a consumer-protection website, onto the trail of a killer targeting women through DNA-testing sites.
Each novel arrives roughly a decade apart, tracking real shifts in journalism (the crime desk, the layoffs, the pivot to digital) alongside McEvoy's cases, and Rachel Walling's on-and-off presence gives the series real emotional continuity despite the long gaps between books. McEvoy and Walling also make smaller appearances in the wider Bosch universe, including A Darkness More Than Night and The Brass Verdict.
Frequently asked questions
How many Jack McEvoy books are there?
Three: The Poet (1996), The Scarecrow (2009) and Fair Warning (2020).
What order should I read the Jack McEvoy books in?
Publication order: The Poet, then The Scarecrow, then Fair Warning. Jack's relationship with FBI profiler Rachel Walling develops across all three.
Is Jack McEvoy connected to the Harry Bosch series?
Yes, loosely — both McEvoy and Rachel Walling make appearances in Bosch novels like A Darkness More Than Night and The Brass Verdict, though the Jack McEvoy books stand fully on their own.
Is there a new Jack McEvoy book coming?
No new McEvoy novel is currently announced; the series has proceeded at roughly decade-long intervals since 1996, and Fair Warning (2020) is the most recent entry.
What is The Poet about?
A Denver crime reporter investigates his detective brother's apparent suicide and uncovers a serial killer, who quotes Edgar Allan Poe and specifically targets homicide detectives, operating across multiple states.
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