Matt Drake
military thriller
Series · thriller
Mitch Rapp
The Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn has 24 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Transfer of Power (1999). The next book, Double Tap, is due 15 September 2026.
- Books
- 24 books
- First published
- 1999
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Transfer of Power (1999) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Transfer of Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Transfer of Power - Book 2:
The Third Option
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Third Option - Book 3:
Separation of Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Separation of Power - Book 4:
Executive Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Executive Power - Book 5:
Memorial Day
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Memorial Day - Book 6:
Consent to Kill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Consent to Kill - Book 7:
Act of Treason
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Act of Treason - Book 8:
Protect and Defend
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Protect and Defend - Book 9:
Extreme Measures
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Extreme Measures - Book 10:
Pursuit of Honor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pursuit of Honor - Book 11:
American Assassin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of American Assassin - Book 12:
Kill Shot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kill Shot - Book 13:
The Last Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Man - Book 14:
The Survivor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Survivor - Book 15:
Order to Kill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Order to Kill - Book 16:
Enemy of the State
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Enemy of the State - Book 17:
Red War
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red War - Book 18:
Lethal Agent
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lethal Agent - Book 19:
Total Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Total Power - Book 20:
Enemy at the Gates
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Enemy at the Gates - Book 21:
Oath of Loyalty
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Oath of Loyalty - Book 22:
Code Red
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Code Red - Book 23:
Capture or Kill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Capture or Kill - Book 24:
Denied Access
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Denied Access
The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.
- Book 1:
American Assassin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of American Assassin - Book 2:
Kill Shot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kill Shot - Book 3:
Denied Access
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Denied Access - Book 4:
Transfer of Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Transfer of Power - Book 5:
The Third Option
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Third Option - Book 6:
Separation of Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Separation of Power - Book 7:
Executive Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Executive Power - Book 8:
Memorial Day
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Memorial Day - Book 9:
Consent to Kill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Consent to Kill - Book 10:
Act of Treason
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Act of Treason - Book 11:
Protect and Defend
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Protect and Defend - Book 12:
Extreme Measures
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Extreme Measures - Book 13:
Pursuit of Honor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pursuit of Honor - Book 14:
The Last Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Man - Book 15:
The Survivor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Survivor - Book 16:
Order to Kill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Order to Kill - Book 17:
Enemy of the State
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Enemy of the State - Book 18:
Red War
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red War - Book 19:
Lethal Agent
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lethal Agent - Book 20:
Total Power
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Total Power - Book 21:
Enemy at the Gates
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Enemy at the Gates - Book 22:
Oath of Loyalty
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Oath of Loyalty - Book 23:
Code Red
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Code Red - Book 24:
Capture or Kill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Capture or Kill
About the Mitch Rapp series
Mitch Rapp is the CIA's off-the-books answer to terrorism: a counterterrorism operative recruited out of Syracuse after the Pan Am Lockerbie bombing kills his college sweetheart, then forged into America's most lethal covert weapon. Under the protection of legendary spymaster Thomas Stansfield, his hard-charging protege Irene Kennedy and trainer Stan Hurley, Rapp does the things presidents need done but can never acknowledge — and spends nearly as much energy fighting Washington's politicians, leakers and careerists as he does terrorists.
Vince Flynn launched the series with Transfer of Power (1999), in which terrorists seize the White House, and wrote thirteen Rapp novels of escalating stakes — nuclear smuggling, Saudi intrigue, moles inside Langley — before his death in 2013. The franchise's most famous entry, American Assassin (2010), rewound the clock to tell Rapp's brutal recruitment and training; it became the 2017 film starring Dylan O'Brien and Michael Keaton. Kyle Mills then carried the series for nine acclaimed installments (2015-2023), pushing Rapp into an older, wearier era of pandemics, power grids and presidential vendettas, before thriller writer Don Bentley took the reins with Capture or Kill (2024) and completed Flynn's long-promised prequel trilogy with Denied Access (2025). Three authors in, the mission statement hasn't changed: fast, hawkish, procedural spycraft with a protagonist who never negotiates.
How to read this series
This is the rare series where the two orders genuinely diverge, and both are popular. Publication order starts with Transfer of Power (1999) and meets Rapp at the height of his powers, saving his origin for later — this is how original fans read it. Chronological order starts with the prequel trilogy — American Assassin, Kill Shot, Denied Access — then continues from Transfer of Power; it tells Rapp's life in sequence and mirrors the film's starting point, making it the most common recommendation for new readers today.
Either works: Flynn wrote the prequels to be readable first or late. Within the main run, keep the sequence — the Kyle Mills era (The Survivor onward) picks up plot threads directly from The Last Man, and Don Bentley's Capture or Kill follows Code Red. Flynn's standalone debut Term Limits shares characters with the series and is a worthwhile side trip after a few Rapp books.
Frequently asked questions
How many Mitch Rapp books are there?
There are 24 Mitch Rapp novels as of Denied Access (2025): 13 by Vince Flynn, 9 by Kyle Mills and 2 by Don Bentley. Double Tap, book 25, arrives 15 September 2026.
What order should I read the Mitch Rapp books in?
Two good options: publication order beginning with Transfer of Power (1999), or chronological order beginning with the prequel American Assassin (2010), then Kill Shot and Denied Access before Transfer of Power. Chronological is the usual recommendation for new readers.
Do I need to read American Assassin first?
No — it was published eleven years into the series as a prequel. Read it first for Rapp's origin story, or save it for a flashback break; both work.
Who writes the Mitch Rapp series now?
Don Bentley, who took over with Capture or Kill (2024) after Kyle Mills's nine-book run. All continuation novels are published under the Vince Flynn brand.
Is Term Limits part of the Mitch Rapp series?
Not quite — Term Limits (1997) is Vince Flynn's standalone debut set in the same universe with shared side characters, but Rapp does not appear.
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Reading order last verified .