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Series · thriller
Michael Bennett
The Michael Bennett series by James Patterson has 18 known books (20 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Step on a Crack (2007). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Delusional.
- Books
- 18 known books (18 novels + 2 novellas)
- Published
- 20
- First published
- 2007
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: Step on a Crack (2007) — 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:
Step on a Crack
Step on a Crack opened the Michael Bennett series in 2007, introducing the NYPD detective, his ten adopted children, and his wisecracking grandfather Seamus holding the household together in a cramped Manhattan apartment. Co-written by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, it runs 320 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Step on a Crack - Book 2:
Run for Your Life
Run for Your Life (2009) is the second entry in the series that pairs Bennett's chaotic family life against Patterson's theatrical New York set-pieces, co-written with Michael Ledwidge. It runs 400 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Run for Your Life - Book 3:
Worst Case
Worst Case, numbered 3 in the series and dated 2010, continues the Ledwidge-co-written run of Bennett novels, pitting the detective and his crowded household against one of the series' big New York manhunts. It runs 374 pages, coming before Tick Tock.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Worst Case - Book 4:
Tick Tock
Tick Tock sits between Worst Case and I, Michael Bennett, published in 2011 at 346 pages -- part of the run James Patterson co-wrote with Michael Ledwidge before James O. Born took over the collaboration in 2017.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tick Tock - Book 5:
I, Michael Bennett
I, Michael Bennett, numbered 5 and dated 2012, is one of the Ledwidge-co-written entries that keep Bennett's ten adopted kids and grandfather Seamus front and center between his major NYPD cases. It runs 416 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of I, Michael Bennett - Book 6:
Gone
Gone (2013), 489 pages, picks up after I, Michael Bennett, part of the run of theatrical, plot-driven cases -- hostage sieges, elite-targeting killers, manhunts beyond the five boroughs -- that define the series alongside Bennett's crowded home life.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gone - Book 7:
Burn
Burn reached shelves in 2014, taking its place after Gone in the run James Patterson co-wrote with Michael Ledwidge before the 2017 handover to James O. Born. It runs 401 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Burn - Book 8:
Alert
Alert (2015), 400 pages, is part of the Ledwidge-co-written stretch of the series, pairing Bennett's domestic chaos with one of Patterson's characteristic big-scale New York cases.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alert - Book 9:
Bullseye
Bullseye, numbered 9 and dated 2016, is the last full-length novel James Patterson co-wrote with Michael Ledwidge before James O. Born took over the collaboration -- running 368 pages and coming just before the BookShots novella Chase.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bullseye - Book 10:
Chase
Chase (2016) is one of two shorter BookShots novellas that slot between the numbered Michael Bennett novels as quick, optional standalone side-cases -- this one following book 9, Bullseye, at a brisk 144 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chase - Book 11:
Haunted
Haunted (2017) marks James O. Born's takeover of the series from co-author Michael Ledwidge, steering the later Bennett novels toward tighter, more procedural plotting while keeping his family front and center. It runs 384 pages, followed by the novella Manhunt.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Haunted - Book 12:
Manhunt
Manhunt (2017), 144 pages, is the second of the series' two BookShots novellas -- an optional, quick standalone side-case slotting in after book 10, Haunted, and the start of the James O. Born co-writing era.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Manhunt - Book 13:
Ambush
Ambush (2018), 432 pages, is part of the James O. Born era of the series, which tightened the procedural plotting while keeping Bennett's ten adopted children and grandfather Seamus at the center of the story.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ambush - Book 14:
Blindside
Blindside sits between Ambush and The Russian, published in 2020 at 384 pages -- one of the James O. Born-co-written entries that keep pairing Bennett's crowded household with Patterson's big theatrical New York cases.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blindside - Book 15:
The Russian
The Russian, numbered 13 and dated 2021, is co-written by James Patterson and James O. Born and runs 400 pages, continuing the tighter procedural style Born brought to the series from Haunted onward, coming before Shattered.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Russian - Book 16:
Shattered
Shattered, numbered 14 and dated 2022, is part of the James O. Born-co-written run of Bennett novels, keeping the detective's crowded Manhattan household and one of Patterson's theatrical cases side by side. It runs 400 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Shattered - Book 17:
Obsessed
Obsessed reached shelves in 2023, taking its place after Shattered in the James O. Born era of the series -- one of Patterson's two flagship NYPD-adjacent series alongside Alex Cross. It runs 352 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Obsessed - Book 18:
Crosshairs
Crosshairs (2024), 400 pages, continues the near-annual publication pace that has made Michael Bennett one of Patterson's longest-running and best-selling continuing characters, still co-written with James O. Born.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crosshairs - Book 19:
Paranoia
Paranoia, the seventeenth entry, followed Crosshairs in 2025 -- the most recent installment in a series that has run on an almost-annual schedule since 2007, still centered on Bennett's ten adopted children and his grandfather Seamus. It runs 378 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paranoia - Book 20:
Delusional
Delusional (August 2026, Little, Brown and Company, 368 pages) is the 18th Michael Bennett novel, co-written with James O. Born. Bennett and NYPD officer Rob Trilling investigate a wave of bombings in New York City and a military-base burglary that leads them to Montana. It follows Paranoia as the series' most recent entry.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Delusional
About the Michael Bennett series
Detective Michael Bennett works major cases for the NYPD while raising ten adopted children alone in a cramped Manhattan apartment, with his grandfather Seamus (a wisecracking retired priest) and, later, nanny-turned-partner Mary Catherine holding the household together. That domestic chaos is the series' secret weapon: Patterson pairs it against some of his most theatrical New York set-pieces — hostage sieges at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a serial killer targeting the city's elite, international manhunts that pull Bennett out of the five boroughs entirely.
James Patterson launched the series in 2007 with Michael Ledwidge, who co-wrote the first nine books before James O. Born took over the collaboration from Haunted (2017) onward, steering the later entries toward tighter, more procedural plotting while keeping Bennett's family front and center. Two shorter BookShots entries, Chase and Manhunt, slot between the numbered novels as quick standalone side-cases.
Running parallel to Alex Cross as one of Patterson's two flagship NYPD-adjacent series, Michael Bennett has become one of his longest-running and best-selling continuing characters, with new entries still arriving on an almost-annual schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How many Michael Bennett books are there?
17 main novels, from Step on a Crack (2007) to Paranoia (2025), plus two shorter BookShots novellas (Chase and Manhunt). A verified release claim for Delusional (August 17, 2026) is retained separately while its catalogue entry is reviewed.
What order should I read the Michael Bennett books in?
Publication order, beginning with Step on a Crack. Bennett's family situation and personal relationships carry forward continuously from book to book.
Who co-writes the Michael Bennett series?
Michael Ledwidge co-wrote the first nine novels (2007-2016); James O. Born has co-written every book since Haunted (2017).
Are the Chase and Manhunt BookShots part of the main series?
They're official Michael Bennett side-stories in Patterson's shorter BookShots format, but optional -- the numbered novels tell a complete story without them.
Is Michael Bennett connected to Alex Cross?
No -- they're separate NYPD/DC-set series by Patterson with no shared characters, though fans of one series' short-chapter, family-anchored formula often enjoy the other.
If you like the Michael Bennett series
Reading order last verified .