Book · in order

Mitch Rapp Books in Order

By the Bingerun team · How we choose the order →

There are 24 published Mitch Rapp novels, with number 25, Double Tap, arriving mid-September 2026, written across three authors: Vince Flynn (13), Kyle Mills (9) and Don Bentley (3). Add Term Limits, the 1997 same-universe standalone the official numbering skips, and the shelf total is 26. This is the purest publication-vs-chronology fork in thrillers: the origin story, American Assassin, is chronological book one but publication number eleven, and the two newest books slot into the timeline decades of story earlier than their covers suggest.

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  1. Term Limits 1997

    Not a Mitch Rapp novel: Flynn's debut, a same-universe standalone led by Michael O'Rourke, and the official numbering skips it entirely. Shared CIA cast including Irene Kennedy and Scott Coleman, and its events are referenced in later Rapp books. Optional: read it before Transfer of Power if at all, or first as Flynn's actual first book. Skippable

  2. Transfer of Power 1999

    Rapp 1 by official numbering and the first published Rapp novel: the traditional starting point. Chronologically it sits fifth, after the entire young-Rapp prequel era. White House terrorist-takeover plot; from here to Pursuit of Honor, publication order and chronology run in lockstep

  3. The Third Option 2000

    Rapp 2 by publication; chronologically follows Transfer of Power directly. Mainline era, no fork here

  4. Separation of Power 2001

    Rapp 3; a direct continuation of The Third Option's political fallout, the closest early Flynn wrote to a two-parter. Keep the pair adjacent in any order

  5. Executive Power 2003

    Rapp 4. Rapp's cover is blown and he shifts out of pure field work, a status-quo change later books build on

  6. Memorial Day 2004

    Rapp 5; nuclear-terror plot. Mainline, in sequence

  7. Act of Treason 2006

    Rapp 7; election-conspiracy plot, mainline in sequence

  8. Protect and Defend 2007

    Rapp 8; the Iran arc begins here and carries into Extreme Measures and Pursuit of Honor

  9. Extreme Measures 2008

    Rapp 9; introduces Mike Nash as co-lead and starts a loose duology completed by Pursuit of Honor

  10. Pursuit of Honor 2009

    Rapp 10; direct sequel to Extreme Measures, resolving its terror-cell plot, and the last mainline book Flynn published before pivoting to the prequels. Chronologically, Bentley's Capture or Kill (2024) now slots immediately after this one

  11. American Assassin 2010

    The fork that defines this guide: Rapp 11 by official numbering but chronological book one, covering Rapp's origin and recruitment into the CIA's Orion program under Stan Hurley, published 11 years and 10 books into the series. Basis of the 2017 film, which is why movie viewers land here

  12. Kill Shot 2012

    Rapp 12 by publication, chronological 2: a direct sequel to American Assassin in the young-Rapp era, set in Paris one year into his career. Bentley's Denied Access (2025) picks up where it ends. Do not confuse with The Last Man, also published 2012 but roughly 13 books later in the timeline

  13. The Last Man 2012

    Rapp 13 and the final Rapp novel Vince Flynn completed before his death in June 2013. Mainline era, chronologically after Capture or Kill, despite publishing the same year as prequel-era Kill Shot. Kyle Mills' The Survivor continues its plot directly, so the author handoff is not a reset point

  14. The Survivor 2015

    Rapp 14 and the first of Kyle Mills' nine books. Picks up immediately after The Last Man (the Rickman-files plot), so it must follow it in every order. Cover branding stays Vince Flynn with Mills credited smaller, a real shelf-level confusion

  15. Order to Kill 2016

    Rapp 15 (Mills). Mainline, in sequence; publication order equals chronology throughout the Mills run

  16. Enemy of the State 2017

    Rapp 16 (Mills). Rapp goes off-book against Saudi funding of terror; mainline in sequence

  17. Red War 2018

    Rapp 17 (Mills); the Russia arc. Mainline in sequence

  18. Lethal Agent 2019

    Rapp 18 (Mills); bioterror plot. Mainline in sequence

  19. Total Power 2020

    Rapp 19 (Mills); an attack on the US power grid. Mainline in sequence

  20. Enemy at the Gates 2021

    Rapp 20 (Mills); introduces the new-president status quo continued in Oath of Loyalty. Currently missing from vinceflynn.com's own books-page list, which is an error on the official page, not a sign it is skippable: it belongs at slot 20 in both orders

  21. Oath of Loyalty 2022

    Rapp 21 (Mills); a direct continuation of Enemy at the Gates' political situation

  22. Code Red 2023

    Rapp 22 and Kyle Mills' ninth and final Rapp novel, the end of the Mills era; Don Bentley takes over from the next book

  23. Capture or Kill 2024

    Rapp 23 and Don Bentley's first: a mid-timeline insertion, not a continuation. Set April 2011 during the hunt for Osama bin Laden and officially placed between Pursuit of Honor and The Last Man, despite being publication 23. The first of Bentley's big timeline jumps

  24. Denied Access 2025

    Rapp 24 (Bentley, September 9, 2025) but chronological 3: it returns to the young-Rapp era, picking up where Kill Shot ended per the author's own site, and completes the origin trilogy begun with American Assassin. At 21 positions of displacement it is tied with Double Tap for the most extreme publication-vs-chronology gap in the series

  25. Double Tap 2026

    Releases mid-September 2026: the author's site and publisher metadata say September 15, while vinceflynn.com, Goodreads and Barnes & Noble list September 22. Rapp 25, Bentley's third (Atria/Emily Bestler, 352pp), and the guide's headline case: publication 25 but chronological 4, officially stated to sit after Denied Access and before Transfer of Power. Young Rapp's first deep-cover mission after a Pakistani chemical-weapons scientist is kidnapped in Verona

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Why this order?

Both orders below are legitimate, which is rare, and the choice genuinely matters here. Publication order is how the audience experienced the series and how the official number 1 to 25 numbering runs: start with Transfer of Power (1999) and the three-author handoff is seamless, because Kyle Mills' The Survivor directly continues the plot of Vince Flynn's final book, The Last Man. Chronological order starts with American Assassin, Rapp's origin and recruitment into the CIA's Orion program, which Flynn wrote eleven years and ten books into the series. The prequel era contains no forward spoilers of consequence, so chronological is a safe first read, and it is the natural on-ramp if you arrived via the 2017 film, which adapts exactly that book.

The traps are real. Term Limits (1997) is not a Mitch Rapp novel at all: it is Flynn's debut, a same-universe standalone led by Michael O'Rourke, and the official numbering skips it, which is precisely why Denied Access is number 24 and Double Tap is number 25. Count it as book one and every number shifts. Two Flynn books published in 2012 sit roughly thirteen books apart in the timeline: Kill Shot (February) is young-Rapp prequel era, The Last Man (November) is mainline. And Don Bentley's three books are timeline insertions, not continuations: Capture or Kill (publication 23) drops back to April 2011 between Pursuit of Honor and The Last Man, while Denied Access and Double Tap are chronological numbers 3 and 4, tied for the most extreme displacement in the series at 21 positions each. Even the official site is confused: vinceflynn.com's own books page currently omits Enemy at the Gates and mis-slots Double Tap after Transfer of Power, contradicting the estate's own Double Tap page, which states outright that it sits after Denied Access and before Transfer of Power. Our chronological list follows that explicit statement.

One more thing every cover hides: they all say Vince Flynn. Flynn died in June 2013, and the twelve books since are by Kyle Mills (2015-2023) and Don Bentley (2024 onward) under the estate's branding, with the actual author in smaller print. The handoffs are deliberate non-resets, so you cannot cleanly start at the Mills era.

Timeline 1997-2026

Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.

  1. 1997 Term Limits
  2. 1999 Transfer of Power
  3. 2000 The Third Option
  4. 2001 Separation of Power
  5. 2003 Executive Power
  6. 2004 Memorial Day
  7. 2005 Consent to Kill
  8. 2006 Act of Treason
  9. 2007 Protect and Defend
  10. 2008 Extreme Measures
  11. 2009 Pursuit of Honor
  12. 2010 American Assassin
  13. 2012 Kill ShotThe Last Man
  14. 2015 The Survivor
  15. 2016 Order to Kill
  16. 2017 Enemy of the State
  17. 2018 Red War
  18. 2019 Lethal Agent
  19. 2020 Total Power
  20. 2021 Enemy at the Gates
  21. 2022 Oath of Loyalty
  22. 2023 Code Red
  23. 2024 Capture or Kill
  24. 2025 Denied Access
  25. 2026 Double Tap

Where to play it today

  • All 25 Rapp novels plus Term Limits are in print from Simon & Schuster's Atria/Emily Bestler Books and widely available in hardcover, paperback and ebook (Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books)
  • Audiobooks come from Simon & Schuster Audio via Audible and the usual audio storefronts; Double Tap's audio edition is already available for preorder
  • The film American Assassin (2017, Dylan O'Brien as Rapp, Michael Keaton as Stan Hurley) currently streams in the US on services including Paramount+ (also via Paramount+ channels on Amazon and Roku) and fuboTV, with rental or purchase on Amazon Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home; Netflix carries it in some regions. Availability rotates, so check JustWatch for your region
  • Because every cover leads with Vince Flynn's name regardless of who wrote the book, check the smaller credit line when buying: Kyle Mills wrote 2015-2023 and Don Bentley writes 2024 onward

Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Mitch Rapp.

Frequently asked questions

How many Mitch Rapp books are there?

25 officially numbered novels once Double Tap lands in mid-September 2026: 13 by Vince Flynn (1999-2012), 9 by Kyle Mills (2015-2023) and 3 by Don Bentley (2024-2026). Add Term Limits (1997), the same-universe standalone the numbering skips, and the shelf total is 26.

What order should I read the Mitch Rapp books in?

Both orders are legitimate. Publication order (Transfer of Power first) is how the series was experienced and how the official 1 to 25 numbering runs. Chronological order (American Assassin first) follows the story timeline, and the estate's own site explicitly places the newest books there. The prequel era was written later but contains no forward spoilers of consequence, so chronological is a safe first read.

Do I start with American Assassin or Transfer of Power?

American Assassin (2010) is Rapp's origin and chronological book one, but it is publication number 11; Transfer of Power (1999) is the first-published Rapp novel and official number 1. Pick your lane: the two lists on this page exist because these are genuinely different starting points, and both work.

Is Term Limits a Mitch Rapp book?

No. It is Vince Flynn's 1997 debut, a standalone in the same universe starring Michael O'Rourke, with a shared CIA cast and events referenced in later Rapp books. The official numbering excludes it, which is exactly why the 2026 book is number 25, not 26.

Who writes the Mitch Rapp books now?

Vince Flynn died in June 2013 after 13 Rapp novels. Kyle Mills wrote nine, from The Survivor (2015) through Code Red (2023), and Don Bentley took over in 2024 with Capture or Kill, Denied Access and Double Tap. Covers still lead with Flynn's name, with the actual author in smaller print.

Is there a Mitch Rapp movie or TV series?

One film: American Assassin (2017), with Dylan O'Brien as Rapp and Michael Keaton as Stan Hurley, adapting the American Assassin novel (chronological 1, publication 11). It currently streams on services including Paramount+ in the US. No sequel film or TV series has been officially confirmed as of August 2026.

When does Double Tap come out and where does it fit?

Mid-September 2026: Don Bentley's own site and the publisher's metadata say September 15, while vinceflynn.com, Goodreads and Barnes & Noble list September 22. It is publication number 25 but chronological number 4, officially set after Denied Access and before Transfer of Power, following young Rapp's first deep-cover mission after a Pakistani chemical-weapons scientist is kidnapped in Verona.

Can I read the Kyle Mills or Don Bentley books without the Vince Flynn ones?

Mills, no: The Survivor directly continues Flynn's The Last Man, so the handoff is not a jumping-on point. Bentley, partially: his trilogy is a young-Rapp prequel arc that only requires American Assassin and Kill Shot first, though Capture or Kill also leans on the mainline status quo circa Pursuit of Honor.

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Last verified · Sources: vinceflynn.com, donbentleybooks.com, therealbookspy.substack.com, simonandschuster.com, goodreads.com, barnesandnoble.com, justwatch.com, en.wikipedia.org

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