Stephen Coonts Books in Order: Jake Grafton, Tommy Carmellini, Deep Black, and More

Stephen Coonts built his reputation with military aviation thrillers, beginning with Flight of the Intruder in 1986. His books often combine military technology, international politics, espionage, aviation, and fast-moving action, making him a natural choice for readers who enjoy authors such as Tom Clancy and Dale Brown.

His bibliography is a little confusing because several characters and series overlap. Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini eventually share several novels, while Deep Black was written with other authors. This guide separates those series and explains the best way to approach them.

Stephen Coonts Books in Order

The first ten books are officially presented by Coonts as the Jake Grafton novels. Tommy Carmellini first appeared as a supporting character in Cuba before becoming the lead of his own books.

Jake Grafton Books in Order

The Jake Grafton series is the best place to start if you want the core Stephen Coonts experience. The books follow Grafton from his early career as a Navy attack pilot through increasingly senior roles involving American intelligence and national security.

Coonts himself says the ten original Grafton novels take Jake from a young A-6 pilot during the Vietnam War to a two-star admiral working with the CIA. He also notes that the individual novels can work as standalones, although publication order gives the clearest progression of his career.

1. Flight of the Intruder (1986)

Flight of the Intruder introduces Jake Grafton as a U.S. Navy A-6 Intruder pilot during the Vietnam War. Frustrated by political restrictions and the targets he is ordered to attack, Grafton becomes involved in a dangerous decision that takes him far beyond the boundaries of his official mission.

The novel established Coonts as a major military thriller writer. It also has a strong autobiographical foundation because Coonts himself flew A-6 Intruders on combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam War.

2. Final Flight (1988)

Final Flight returns to Jake Grafton in another high-stakes military aviation story. The novel expands Coonts’ focus beyond individual combat missions into the larger strategic and political machinery surrounding modern warfare.

It continues the aviation-heavy approach that made the first book successful while giving Grafton another dangerous situation in which professional duty and personal judgment collide.

3. The Minotaur (1989)

The Minotaur continues Jake Grafton’s military career as the stakes move beyond conventional combat. Coonts combines naval operations, technology, intelligence, and international tensions in a thriller that broadens the series’ scope.

The book is another example of Coonts using his own military knowledge to create detailed aviation and naval environments.

4. Under Siege (1990)

Under Siege places Grafton in a tense military and political situation where national security concerns become increasingly complicated. The novel continues the series’ mixture of military action, intelligence work, and political maneuvering.

5. The Red Horseman (1993)

The Red Horseman takes the series into the post-Cold War-era thriller landscape while retaining Coonts’ military focus. Grafton faces a threat involving sophisticated weapons and international power struggles.

6. The Intruders (1994)

The Intruders continues Grafton’s story after The Red Horseman. It remains firmly rooted in military aviation but places greater emphasis on the changing nature of warfare and the strategic decisions facing senior military personnel.

7. Cuba (1999)

Cuba brings Tommy Carmellini into the Grafton world in a much more significant way. Carmellini, a CIA operative with a talent for burglary and unconventional operations, becomes an important recurring character alongside Grafton.

This book is particularly important for readers planning to continue into the Tommy Carmellini novels because it establishes the character before he becomes the central protagonist of Liars & Thieves.

8. Hong Kong (2000)

Hong Kong continues the international thriller side of the Grafton series. The story expands the geographical scope of the books while keeping the combination of military operations, intelligence, and geopolitical tension.

Tommy Carmellini also appears, reinforcing the connection between the Grafton and Carmellini books.

9. America (2001)

America continues the increasingly international storyline surrounding Grafton and Carmellini. The novel focuses on threats to the United States and the intelligence operations required to confront them.

10. Liberty (2003)

Liberty concludes the original ten-book Jake Grafton sequence. By this point Grafton has progressed dramatically from the young Navy pilot introduced in Flight of the Intruder.

Coonts describes Liberty as the point at which Grafton has become a two-star admiral working with the CIA.

Tommy Carmellini Books in Order

Tommy Carmellini began as a minor character in Cuba and eventually became one of Coonts’ most recognizable protagonists. Unlike the more conventional military perspective of Jake Grafton, Carmellini brings a CIA espionage angle and a more irreverent voice to the novels.

Coonts describes him as an ace CIA burglar who eventually became the star of Liars & Thieves. Several later books feature both Carmellini and Grafton.

1. Liars & Thieves (2004)

Liars & Thieves gives Tommy Carmellini his first starring role. The book is also known as Wages of Sin in the United Kingdom.

Carmellini’s unconventional methods and personality make this series noticeably different from the earlier Grafton novels. The book is an ideal transition from Coonts’ military aviation thrillers into his CIA-oriented espionage stories.

2. The Traitor (2006)

The Traitor continues Carmellini’s adventures and expands the international espionage side of the series. The story combines covert operations with the political consequences of intelligence work.

3. The Assassin (2008)

The Assassin brings Jake Grafton back into the picture alongside Carmellini. It is therefore one of the clearest examples of why these books are sometimes grouped together under a combined Jake Grafton/Tommy Carmellini sequence.

4. The Disciple (2009)

The Disciple continues the partnership between the two recurring characters. The novel combines espionage, political intrigue, and action while further developing Carmellini’s role within the broader Coonts universe.

5. Pirate Alley (2013)

Pirate Alley takes Carmellini into another international crisis involving piracy and terrorism. Jake Grafton also appears, making this another crossover installment.

6. The Art of War (2016)

The Art of War continues the Carmellini-led side of the Coonts universe. The title reflects the book’s focus on military strategy, intelligence, and international conflict.

7. Liberty’s Last Stand (2016)

Liberty’s Last Stand is another political-military thriller featuring Tommy Carmellini. The story shifts the focus toward a major threat to the United States and the people attempting to stop it.

8. The Armageddon File (2017)

The Armageddon File raises the stakes further with a threat capable of creating international catastrophe. Carmellini once again finds himself involved in an operation where intelligence gathering and direct action become inseparable.

9. The Russia Account (2019)

The Russia Account is currently the latest Tommy Carmellini novel. It also brings Jake Grafton back into the story, making it a particularly useful book for readers following the evolution of both characters.

Deep Black Books in Order

Deep Black is a separate military-espionage series created by Stephen Coonts with other writers. The first six books were co-written with Jim DeFelice, while the final three were written with William H. Keith Jr.

1. Deep Black (2003)

The series begins with a covert CIA team operating in dangerous international environments. Unlike the Grafton books, the focus is primarily on covert intelligence operations and a specialized team rather than one recurring protagonist.

2. Biowar (2004)

Biowar moves the series toward biological warfare and international terrorism. The combination of scientific threat and covert operations gives the series a different flavor from Coonts’ aviation-centered novels.

3. Dark Zone (2004)

Dark Zone continues the covert-action format, with the team facing another international threat. It maintains the fast pace and geopolitical scope associated with the series.

4. Payback (2005)

Payback continues the team’s global missions and combines intelligence work with direct action.

5. Jihad (2007)

Jihad tackles terrorism and the international consequences of extremist violence through the series’ covert-operations framework.

6. Conspiracy (2008)

Conspiracy continues the Deep Black team’s efforts against an increasingly complicated international threat.

7. Arctic Gold (2009)

Arctic Gold begins the portion of the series co-written with William H. Keith Jr. The setting and threat shift while the series retains its focus on covert CIA operations.

8. Sea of Terror (2010)

Sea of Terror continues the Deep Black team’s international missions, this time bringing maritime threats into the story.

9. Death Wave (2011)

Death Wave concludes the nine-book Deep Black sequence. It delivers another large-scale international crisis involving the series’ covert operators.

Saucer Books in Order

The Saucer books are very different from Coonts’ military thrillers. Instead of focusing on Navy pilots or CIA operatives, this trilogy moves into science fiction and extraterrestrial technology.

1. Saucer (2002)

Saucer introduces an extraordinary discovery involving an apparently ancient spacecraft. The novel mixes adventure, mystery, technology, and the question of how such a discovery could affect humanity.

2. Saucer: The Conquest (2004)

The second novel expands the story introduced in Saucer. The discovery becomes connected to much larger questions involving technology, power, and the future of humanity.

3. Saucer: Savage Planet (2014)

Saucer: Savage Planet completes the trilogy more than a decade after the second installment. It continues the science-fiction adventure while expanding the scope of the story beyond Earth.

Stephen Coonts Standalone Fiction

Coonts has also written several novels outside his major series.

Fortunes of War (1998)

Fortunes of War is a standalone military thriller and an example of Coonts’ ability to work outside the Jake Grafton storyline while maintaining his interest in warfare, strategy, and international conflict.

The Garden of Eden (2006)

The Garden of Eden was published under the name Eve Adams. It is separate from the Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini universe.

The Sea Witch (2012)

The Sea Witch is another standalone thriller and was also published in Coonts’ broader co-authored bibliography.

Stephen Coonts Nonfiction and Other Books

Coonts’ aviation background also led him to write nonfiction about flying and military history.

The Cannibal Queen (1992)

The Cannibal Queen is an aviation memoir based on Coonts’ flight across America in a vintage Stearman biplane. It offers a very different view of the author from his military thrillers.

War in the Air (1996)

War in the Air collects true accounts of major air battles and focuses on the experiences of the people who actually fought them.

On Glorious Wings (2005)

On Glorious Wings collects notable aviation stories and reflects Coonts’ longstanding interest in flying and military aviation.

Victory (2003)

Victory is part of Coonts’ military-history and anthology work and should not be confused with his fictional series.

Stephen Coonts Anthologies and Collections

Coonts has also edited or contributed to several collections, including:

• Combat
• Combat, Vol. 2
• Combat, Vol. 3
• Victory
• Victory: Call to Arms
• Victory: Into the Fire
• Victory: On the Attack
• War in the Air
• On Glorious Wings

Bibliographic databases differ on whether collections, reissues, and edited anthologies should be counted in the author’s total, which explains why some websites report more than 40 Stephen Coonts books.

How Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini Are Connected

This is the part of Stephen Coonts’ bibliography that causes the most confusion.

Tommy Carmellini first appears in Cuba, the seventh Jake Grafton novel. He then becomes the main character of Liars & Thieves. From there, the two characters increasingly share the same fictional world.

The overlap becomes especially important with books such as The Assassin, The Disciple, Pirate Alley, The Art of War, The Armageddon File, and The Russia Account. Consequently, some websites describe these as a combined “Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini” series rather than two completely separate series.

For a new reader, the simplest approach is to read the ten Grafton novels first and then move into the Carmellini books.

What Is the Best Stephen Coonts Reading Order?

If you want the main interconnected Coonts thriller universe, I recommend:

1. Flight of the Intruder
2. Final Flight
3. The Minotaur
4. Under Siege
5. The Red Horseman
6. The Intruders
7. Cuba
8. Hong Kong
9. America
10. Liberty
11. Liars & Thieves
12. The Traitor
13. The Assassin
14. The Disciple
15. Pirate Alley
16. The Art of War
17. Liberty’s Last Stand
18. The Armageddon File
19. The Russia Account

This order follows the development of Grafton and Carmellini and avoids the confusion created by websites that assign the crossover books to only one character. Coonts himself presents the ten Grafton novels separately and identifies the later Carmellini books as their own group.

Do You Need to Read Stephen Coonts Books in Order?

Not always.

Coonts specifically says that the ten original Jake Grafton novels are standalone novels, meaning a reader can pick up individual books without knowing the entire series. He makes a similar point about Deep Black, although many readers prefer that series in order.

That said, publication order is still the best option if you care about character development. Grafton’s career changes significantly across the ten novels, while Tommy Carmellini grows from a supporting character into a major protagonist.

Why Stephen Coonts’ Military Thrillers Feel Authentic

One of the strongest factors behind Coonts’ fiction is that his military knowledge comes from direct experience rather than research alone.

Coonts served as a U.S. Navy officer and received his wings in 1969. He flew A-6 Intruders on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise during the final years of the Vietnam War and later served as an A-6 flight instructor and aboard the USS Nimitz.

After leaving active duty, he earned a law degree and worked as an oil and gas attorney before turning to fiction. His first novel, Flight of the Intruder, was published in 1986 and spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in hardcover. The U.S. Naval Institute also named Coonts its 1986 Author of the Year for the novel.

That background explains why aviation, carrier operations, military procedure, and naval culture are such recurring elements throughout his fiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first Stephen Coonts book?

Flight of the Intruder, published in 1986, is Stephen Coonts’ first novel and the first Jake Grafton book.

How many Jake Grafton books are there?

There are 10 original Jake Grafton novels, beginning with Flight of the Intruder and ending with Liberty. Later novels featuring both Grafton and Tommy Carmellini are often grouped with the Grafton series by bibliographic websites, which is why readers may see different totals. Coonts’ own website separates the original ten Grafton novels from the Tommy Carmellini books.

Who is Tommy Carmellini?

Tommy Carmellini is a CIA operative who first appeared as a minor character in Cuba. He eventually became the protagonist of his own series, beginning with Liars & Thieves.

Should I read Cuba before Liars & Thieves?

Yes. Cuba is the seventh Jake Grafton novel and introduces Tommy Carmellini as a recurring character. Reading it before Liars & Thieves gives you useful background on Carmellini.

Are Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini in the same universe?

Yes. Tommy first appears in the Grafton series, and several later books feature both characters. The two series therefore form a connected thriller universe.

Is Deep Black written entirely by Stephen Coonts?

No. Deep Black is a co-authored series. The first six books were written with Jim DeFelice, while Arctic Gold, Sea of Terror, and Death Wave were written with William H. Keith Jr.

What is Stephen Coonts’ best book to start with?

For most readers, Flight of the Intruder is the best starting point because it is his debut, introduces Jake Grafton, and establishes the military aviation style that became central to his career.

Is Saucer connected to Jake Grafton?

No. Saucer is a separate science-fiction series and does not form part of the Jake Grafton/Tommy Carmellini universe.

Final Verdict

If you are new to Stephen Coonts, start with Jake Grafton. Flight of the Intruder is not only his first novel but also the clearest introduction to the aviation and military expertise that became his trademark.

Once you finish the ten Grafton novels, continue with Tommy Carmellini, beginning with Liars & Thieves. Readers who want more covert-operations thrillers can then explore the nine-book Deep Black series, while Saucer offers a completely different side of Coonts as a science-fiction writer.

The most important thing is not to let the overlapping series labels confuse you. Coonts’ own bibliography makes the structure clear: ten core Jake Grafton novels, a later Tommy Carmellini sequence with several Grafton crossovers, a separate Deep Black series, and the standalone Saucer trilogy.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.