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NYPD Red
The NYPD Red series by James Patterson has 8 known books (8 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with NYPD Red (2012). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber.
- Books
- 8 known books (8 novels)
- Published
- 8
- First published
- 2012
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: NYPD Red (2012) — 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:
NYPD Red
NYPD Red (2012) launches James Patterson and Marshall Karp's series about the elite squad that protects New York's rich and famous, introducing detectives Zach Jordan and his ex-girlfriend-turned-partner Kylie MacDonald as a killer targets celebrities against Manhattan's glossiest backdrops. At 496 pages, it sets up both the squad's high-profile case format and the unresolved history between its two leads.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red - Book 2:
NYPD Red 2
NYPD Red 2 (2014) continues Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald's run of headline-grabbing celebrity-crime cases for James Patterson and Marshall Karp's elite squad, following NYPD Red and preceding NYPD Red 3. It runs 416 pages, keeping the will-they-won't-they thread between its two detectives running underneath the case.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red 2 - Book 3:
NYPD Red 3
NYPD Red 3 (2015) is the third entry co-written by James Patterson and Marshall Karp, continuing detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald's work protecting New York's rich and famous. It runs 384 pages, following NYPD Red 2 in the series' publication order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red 3 - Book 4:
NYPD Red 4
NYPD Red 4 (2016), credited to James Patterson and Marshall Karp, sends Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald after another headline-grabbing case for the elite squad that guards New York's politicians, movie stars, and visiting royalty. It runs 368 pages, following NYPD Red 3.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red 4 - Book 5:
Red Alert
Red Alert (2018) is the fifth NYPD Red novel, sitting between NYPD Red 4 and NYPD Red 6 in the series co-written by James Patterson and Marshall Karp. At 416 pages, it keeps detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald's unresolved relationship running beneath another celebrity-crime case.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red Alert - Book 6:
NYPD Red 6
NYPD Red 6 (2020) closes out the run of novels James Patterson and Marshall Karp co-wrote together, following Red Alert as the sixth entry. At 416 pages, it's the last book before Karp continued the series solo starting with NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red 6 - Book 7:
NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority
NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority (2022) marks Marshall Karp's first solo entry in the series after James Patterson and Karp co-wrote the first six books together. It keeps Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald's partnership and the squad's celebrity-crime premise intact, continuing directly from NYPD Red 6.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority - Book 8:
NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber
NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber (2025) is Marshall Karp's second solo entry in the series, pitting detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald against a serial bomber with a grudge against the city. At 185 pages, it followed NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority as the most recent installment.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber
About the NYPD Red series
NYPD Red is the small, elite squad that protects New York's rich and famous -- politicians, movie stars, visiting royalty -- funded jointly by the city and the businesses that need its discretion. Detectives Zach Jordan and his ex-girlfriend-turned-partner Kylie MacDonald work its highest-profile cases: a killer targeting celebrities at a film festival, a serial bomber with a grudge against the city, murders timed to a papal visit. The premise gives Patterson and Marshall Karp an excuse to stage huge, headline-grabbing set-pieces against Manhattan's glossiest backdrops, while Zach and Kylie's unresolved history supplies the will-they-won't-they thread running underneath the cases.
Patterson and Karp co-created the series and co-wrote its first six novels (2012-2020). Karp then continued it solo from NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority (2022) onward, keeping Zach and Kylie's partnership and the squad's celebrity-crime premise intact while writing the later entries independently under the same NYPD Red banner -- a similar handover to how other Patterson-founded series have continued under a single collaborator's byline.
Frequently asked questions
How many NYPD Red books are there?
8 novels, from NYPD Red (2012) to NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber (2025).
What order should I read the NYPD Red books in?
Numerical/publication order -- each title's number marks its place in the sequence, and detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald's relationship develops across the books.
Who writes NYPD Red now?
Marshall Karp has written the series solo since NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority (2022); James Patterson co-created and co-wrote the first six novels (2012-2020) with Karp.
Is NYPD Red connected to Alex Cross or Michael Bennett?
No -- it's a separate NYPD-set series with its own detectives and no shared characters or continuity.
What's the most recent NYPD Red book?
NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber (November 2025), written solo by Marshall Karp.
If you like the NYPD Red series
Reading order last verified .