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romantic suspense
Series · thriller
Riley Wolfe
The Riley Wolfe series by Jeff Lindsay has 4 known books (4 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Just Watch Me (2019). The Fourth Rule is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 4 known books (4 novels)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 2019
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
Start here: Just Watch Me (2019)
— 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:
Just Watch Me
Just Watch Me, released December 3, 2019, introduces master thief Riley Wolfe -- the first new series Jeff Lindsay created after ending his Dexter novels -- as FBI profiler Frank Delgado begins his pursuit. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Just Watch Me - Book 2:
Fool Me Twice
Fool Me Twice (December 2020) marks a second consecutive December release at 368 pages, sending master thief Riley Wolfe after another target no professional will touch while FBI profiler Frank Delgado's pursuit continues to close in. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fool Me Twice - Book 3:
Three-Edged Sword
Three-Edged Sword arrived two years later, in December 2022, matching the opening book's 384 pages as Jeff Lindsay continues doling out Riley's traumatic backstory in flashes alongside a fresh heist. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Three-Edged Sword - Book 4:
The Fourth Rule
At 288 pages, The Fourth Rule (December 2023) is the shortest of the four books, a fourth consecutive December release closing out Riley Wolfe's cat-and-mouse pursuit so far. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Fourth Rule
Key facts about the Riley Wolfe series
Our list has 4 books in the Riley Wolfe series. Since all 4 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with Just Watch Me, since it opens the publication order in 2019. Fool Me Twice is book 2, from 2020. Three-Edged Sword is book 3, from 2022. The Fourth Rule is book 4, from 2023.
The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
The Fourth Rule is the latest book with a full release date, out on 5 December 2023. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 2019 and 2023, while their length runs from 288 to 384 pages. That is a run of 4 years.
Jeff Lindsay has 17 books on our list. Additionally, they write Billy Knight and Dexter. We shelve the books under thriller.
About the Riley Wolfe series
Riley Wolfe is the best thief alive, and he knows it. A master of disguise who can become almost anyone for as long as a job requires, Riley takes on targets so heavily guarded that no professional will touch them -- Iranian crown jewels under armed watch in a Manhattan museum, a Michelangelo fresco stripped from a wall inside the Vatican, a priceless relic under cartel protection -- purely because everyone else says it can't be done. He is chased across the series by Frank Delgado, a dogged FBI profiler who is one of the only people who has ever come close to unmasking him, while Riley's own past -- glimpsed in flashes throughout the books -- slowly explains what turned a traumatized kid into a man who needs to prove he can take anything from anyone.
Jeff Lindsay launched Riley Wolfe with Just Watch Me (2019), the first new series he created after ending the Dexter novels, and it shares some of Dexter's DNA: a magnetic, morally compromised lead narrated (in Riley's chapters) with the same darkly funny confidence, elaborate heist plotting in place of elaborate kills, and a law-enforcement pursuer whose cat-and-mouse chase drives the tension book to book. It trades Dexter's serial-killer premise for pure heist thriller, closer in spirit to a con-artist caper than a crime procedural.
Frequently asked questions
How many Riley Wolfe books are there?
Four novels as of this writing: Just Watch Me (2019), Fool Me Twice (2020), Three-Edged Sword (2022), and The Fourth Rule (2023). No fifth book has been announced.
What order should I read the Riley Wolfe books in?
Publication order: Just Watch Me, Fool Me Twice, Three-Edged Sword, The Fourth Rule. FBI profiler Frank Delgado's pursuit of Riley and Riley's own backstory both develop continuously across the series.
Is Riley Wolfe connected to Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series?
No. It's a separate series with a new cast, launched after the eight-book Dexter series concluded in 2015, though both share Lindsay's taste for a charismatic, morally compromised lead.
Is the Riley Wolfe series finished?
It's ongoing. The Fourth Rule (2023) is the most recent entry, and no fifth book has been announced as of this curation.
Who is Frank Delgado?
An FBI profiler who becomes Riley Wolfe's recurring pursuer across the series, one of the only people who has ever come close to catching him.
If you like the Riley Wolfe series
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