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The Fourth Option

by Jack Carr

The Fourth Option series by Jack Carr has 1 book and is best read in publication order, starting with The Fourth Option (2026).

Books
1 book
First published
2026
Status
ongoing
Last checked

Start here: The Fourth Option (2026) — then read straight through in publication order.

Cover of The Fourth Option, the first book in The Fourth Option

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Fourth Option

    Novel

    View book

About The Fourth Option

A new series co-written by two of modern military-thriller fiction's most credentialed names: Jack Carr, the former Navy SEAL behind the James Reece novels (adapted as Prime Video's The Terminal List), and M.P. Woodward, the former naval intelligence officer and Jack Ryan continuation author behind The Handler series. The Fourth Option (2026) launches a new protagonist, Chris Walker, a former Navy SEAL and CIA Ground Branch operative pulled back into the field when the widow of a teammate he lost in Afghanistan asks for his help with her son's opioid addiction — a personal favor that spirals into a much larger, more dangerous conspiracy.

Carr steps outside his established James Reece universe for this collaboration, pairing his close-quarters operator authenticity with Woodward's intelligence-tradecraft background. It's positioned as the start of an ongoing series rather than a standalone.

How to read this series

Start with The Fourth Option (2026), the series opener — no prior familiarity with either author's other work (Jack Carr's James Reece novels or M.P. Woodward's Handler series) is required.

Frequently asked questions

Is The Fourth Option connected to Jack Carr's James Reece series?

No — Jack Carr created a new protagonist, Chris Walker, and a new continuity for this series, co-written with M.P. Woodward, separate from the James Reece novels.

How many books are in The Fourth Option series?

One as of August 2026: the launch novel The Fourth Option, published 12 May 2026. It is positioned as the start of an ongoing series.

Who is Chris Walker?

The protagonist of The Fourth Option: a former Navy SEAL and CIA Ground Branch operative drawn back into the field by a personal favor for a fallen teammate's family.

Reading order last verified .