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John Hayes

by Matthew Quirk

The John Hayes series by Matthew Quirk has 2 known books (2 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Cold Barrel Zero (2016). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Dead Man Switch.

Books
2 known books (2 novels)
Published
2
First published
2016
Status
completed
Shelved under
Thriller
Last checked

Start here: Cold Barrel Zero (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Cold Barrel Zero

Cold Barrel Zero (2016)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Cold Barrel Zero

    Novel

    Matthew Quirk's Cold Barrel Zero (March 2016) runs 368 pages, opening the John Hayes series as the former Marine Special Operations officer is framed for a domestic terror attack he didn't commit and goes on the run to clear his name.

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  2. Dead Man Switch

    Novel

    Dead Man Switch followed almost exactly a year later, in March 2017, at a shorter 312 pages, sending Hayes into a deep-cover mission gone wrong as he hunts a mole inside his own former special-operations community.

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About the John Hayes series

John Hayes is a former Marine Special Operations officer whose skills at extraction and evasion put him at the center of Quirk's second series. Cold Barrel Zero opens with Hayes framed for a domestic terror attack he didn't commit, forcing him to go on the run to clear his name while uncovering the real conspiracy behind the attack; Dead Man Switch follows him into a deep-cover mission gone wrong, hunting a mole inside his own former special-operations community. As in Quirk's other work, the series is built on tight, research-grounded tradecraft -- drawn from his journalism years reporting on private military contractors and special operations -- rather than the political-institution settings of the Mike Ford books.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the John Hayes series?

Two: Cold Barrel Zero (2016) and Dead Man Switch (2017).

Who is John Hayes?

A former Marine Special Operations officer framed for a domestic terror attack in the first book, forced to use his combat and evasion skills to clear his name and expose the real conspiracy.

Reading order last verified .