Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath series is a collection of electrifying thriller novels, featuring Scot Harvath, an all-American hero. The first book in this series, “The Lions of Lucerne,” was published in 2002. The series consists of 21 novels in total. The main character, Scot Harvath, is a Secret Service agent from the United States. Scot’s father is a decorated Navy SEAL official. He prefers skiing instead, making the US ski team and winning medals in international competitions and at the Olympics. His excitement is brief as his father is killed during a SEAL training drill. As a result, Scot decides to change careers. He attends college, graduates, and then joins the Navy SEALs. Because of his skiing abilities, he is assigned to Team Two, known as the Polar SEALs, where he can put his skills to use. Scot Harvath leaves the military and joins the secret service several years later. After a few years of being a bodyguard for government officials, he gets promoted and becomes a guard for the First Family, which serves as the first setting for the first book.
In the first series, he is happy and has no plans to change his job. He has no serious relationships due to his frequent work and irregular-hour work. Scot Harvath plays a variety of roles throughout the series. As the series progresses, he switches jobs, but his commitment to his nation, and justice, remains unwavering. In one of the novels, he becomes the president’s protege, even if doing so is politically inadvisable. He resigns from his profession, but he is still asked to do impossible things.
Scot Harvath Books in order
- The Lions of Lucerne (2001)
- Path of the Assassin (2003)
- State of the Union (2004)
- Blowback (2005)
- Takedown (2006)
- The First Commandment (2007)
- The Last Patriot (2008)
- The Apostle (2009)
- Foreign Influence (2010)
- Full Black (2011)
- Black List (2012)
- Hidden Order (2013)
- Act of War (2014)
- Code of Conduct (2015)
- Foreign Agent (2016)
- Use of Force (2017)
- Spymaster (2018)
- Backlash (2019)
- Near Dark (2020)
- Black Ice (2021)
- Rising Tiger (2022)
Similar authors
- Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp follows the rise of Rapp. He is a CIA black ops recruit being trained by the Cold War veteran Stan Hurley.
- Jack Carr’s The Terminal List series focuses on a former Navy SEAL whose platoon got ambushed on their last mission. He keeps himself safe by using his military training as he uncovers secrets that leave the whole world startled. See also: Jack Carr Books in Order.
See also: Gray Man Books in Order.
Most recommended books
- Backlash (Scot Harvath, #18) (4.41 Goodreads score)
- Black Ice (Scot Harvath, #20) (4.29 Goodreads score)
- Takedown (Scot Harvath, #5) (4.28 Goodreads score)
- Full Black (Scot Harvath, #10) (4.28 Goodreads score)
- Full Black (Scot Harvath, #10) (4.28 Goodreads score)
Awards
The Last Patriot, the 7th book in the series, was nominated by the International Thriller Writers Association for Best Thriller of the Year.
Latest releases
Rising Tiger, the 21st book in Brad Thor’s The Scot Harvath Series, was released on July 12th, 2022.
Book summaries
The Lions of Lucerne (2001)
On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the President of the United States has been kidnapped and his Secret Service detail massacred. Only one agent has survived—ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath. He doesn’t buy the official line that Middle Eastern terrorists are behind the attack and begins his own campaign to find the truth and exact revenge. But now, framed for murder by a sinister cabal, Harvath takes his fight to the towering mountains of Switzerland—and joins forces with beautiful Claudia Mueller of the Swiss Federal Attorney’s Office. Together they must brave the subzero temperatures and sheer heights of treacherous Mount Pilatus—where their only chance for survival lies inside the den of the most lethal team of professional killers the world has ever known…
Path of the Assassin (2003)
After rescuing the President from kidnappers in Thor’s roaring debut, The Lions of Lucerne, Secret Service agent Scot Harvath shifts his attentions to rooting out, capturing, or killing all those responsible for the plot. As he prepares to close out his list, a bloody and twisted trail of clues points toward one man—the world’s most dangerous terrorist.Only one problem remains: Harvath and his CIA-led team have no idea what the man looks like. With no alternative, they are forced to recruit a civilian—a woman who has survived a brutal hijacking and is now the only person who can positively identify their quarry. From the burning deserts of North Africa to the winding streets of Rome, Harvath must brave a maelstrom of bloodshed and deception before the world is engulfed in flames.
State of the Union (2004)
America’s worst nightmare has just become a brutal reality. The most unlikely terrorist enemy of all now holds a knife against the country’s throat. With both diplomatic and conventional military options swept from the table, the president calls upon Navy SEAL turned Secret Service agent, Scot Harvath, to disable a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy intended to bring the United States to its knees. Teamed with beautiful Russian Intelligence agent Alexandra Ivanova and a highly trained CIA paramilitary detachment, Harvath embarks on an adrenaline-fueled search that spans the world—and leads to a final, deadly showdown on American soil, with a lethal and sinister enemy from the past.
Blowback (2005)
Caught live on Al Jazeera in an off-the-books operation, Scot Harvath’s career has been terminated. But when the tide in the War on Terror suddenly turns against the US, the president has no choice but to secretly enlist the help of the man the administration has just fired. Ducking a congressional subpoena, Harvath travels to the Mediterranean, where he learns of a shadowy organization that has been combing the earth for decades in search of the ultimate weapon to use against the USA and her allies. Now, after three summers of record-breaking heat across Europe, one steadily melting Alpine glacier has given up an ancient secret – one with the potential to thrust civilization back into the Dark Ages. From Cyprus, London and Paris, to Italy, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, Harvath must race against the clock to stop one of the greatest evils ever to face the western world.
Takedown (2006)
America has just unwittingly drawn the world’s deadliest enemy to its doorstep.After years without a terrorist attack on American soil, one group has picked the 4th July weekend to pull out all the stops. In a perfectly executed attack, all the bridges and tunnels leading into and out of Manhattan are destroyed just as thousands of commuters begin their holiday exodus. With domestic efforts focused on search and rescue, a deadly team of highly-trained foreign soldiers methodically makes its way through the city with the sole objective of locating one of their own – a man so powerful that America will do anything to keep him hidden.Scot Harvath is now the USA’s only hope. Fighting his way through the burning streets of Manhattan, he must mount his own operation to locate a man the US government refuses to admit even exists . . .
The First Commandment (2007)
Somewhere, somehow Scot Harvath has left the wrong person alive …In the dead of night, five of the most dangerous detainees in the war on terror are pulled from their isolation cells in Guantanamo Bay, stripped of their orange jumpsuits, given civilian clothes and driven to the base airfield where they are loaded aboard a Boeing 727 and set free.Six months later, covert counterterrorism agent Scot Harvath awakes to discover that his world has changed violently and forever. A sadistic assassin is unleashing nightmarish horrors on those closest to Harvath in pursuit of a bloodthirsty personal vendetta. Ordered by the president to stay out of the investigation, Harvath is forced to mount his own operation to uncover the assassin’s identity. When he discovers a connection between the attacks and a group of prisoners secretly released from Guantanamo, Harvah must ask himself previously unthinkable questions about the organization and the nation he has spent his life serving.
The Last Patriot (2008)
632 AD. Deep within the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafat, the prophet Mohammed shares with his closest companions a final and startling revelation. Within days, he is dead.September, 1789. US minister to France, Thomas Jefferson, charged with forging a truce with the violent Muslim pirates of the Barbary Coast, makes a shocking discovery: one that could forever impact the world’s relationship with Islam.Present day. When a car bomb explodes outside a Parisian cafe, Scot Harvath is thrust back into the life he has tried so desperately to leave behind. Saving the intended victim of the attack, Harvath becomes party to an amazing and perilous race to uncover a secret so powerful that militant Islam could be defeated once and for all without firing another shot or dropping another bomb.But, as desperate as the US government is to have the information brought to light, there are powerful forces just as determined that Mohammed’s mysterious final revelation remain hidden forever.
The Apostle (2009)
Every politician has a secret. And when the daughter of a politically connected family is kidnapped abroad, America’s new president will agree to anything – even a deadly and ill-advised rescue plan – in order to keep his secret hidden.A new administration and a new approach to dealing with America’s enemies have left covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath without a job. But when American doctor Julia Gallo is kidnapped in Afghanistan, the terms of her ransom leave the president with only one course of action. In a dangerous assignment that the United States government will deny any knowledge of, Scot Harvath must secretly infiltrate Kabul’s notorious Policharki Prison and free the man the kidnappers demand as ransom — al-Qaeda mastermind, Mustafa Khan.But when Harvath arrives, he quickly learns that there is more to the kidnapping than anyone dares to admit. And as the subterfuge is laid bare, Harvath must examine his own career of hunting down and killing terrorists, and ask himself if he has what it takes to help one of the world’s worst go free.
Foreign Influence (2010)
Recruited as a field operative in a secret and uncompromising new spy agency, former Navy SEAL Scot Harvath investigates when a bombing in Rome kills a group of American college students, with the evidence pointing to a dangerous colleague from Harvath’s past and a plan for further attacks on an unimaginable scale.Simultaneously, a young woman is struck by a taxi in a hit-and-run incident in Chicago. With only two intoxicated witnesses and over five thousand cabs in the city, the Chicago Police have given up on their investigation. But when the family’s attorney digs deeper, he uncovers a shocking connection to the bombing in Rome and the perpetrators’ plans for America and Europe.As the story rockets towards a stunning climax in London and Amsterdam, the plots intersect in a race to prevent one of the most audacious and unthinkable acts of war in the history of mankind.
Full Black (2011)
Everybody knows that governments engage in activities that are top secret and not always carried out by-the-book. They are knows as ‘black ops’. But perhaps less well known is that there is a level beyond this, when the very existence of the state is threatened and the situation needs fixing instantly and utterly secretly and probably violently. Sometimes, it’s necessary to go ‘full black’. And when the USA is in that position, the man most likely to lead the mission is former Navy SEAL Scott Harvath.Full Black finds Harvath in Sweden, executing in an audacious plan to prevent a massive attack on the Unites States by leading a team to capture a suspected terrorist and infiltrate his cell with a double agent.At the same time, Larry Solomon, one of the most famous film producers in Hollywood, is attacked in his home by a special forces-style group of assassins and only escapes with the help of his friend and former Delta Force operative Luke Ralston.In making a documentary film, Solomon has unknowingly exposed one of the world’s wealthiest and highly connected power-brokers as a man determined to plunge the West into deadly chaos. Now, both Solomon and Ralston are living on borrowed time.As the plots rocket to their pulse-pounding conclusions, Harvath will be left with only one means to save his country. Unable to trust anyone, he will be forced to go Full Black.
Black List (2012)
Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisors. Once your name is on the list, it doesn’t come off…until you’re dead.Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath’s name.Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way.Somewhere, someone, somehow can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?
Hidden Order (2013)
The most secretive organization in America operates without any accountability to the American people. Hiding in the shadows, pretending to be part of the United States government, its power is beyond measure. But control of this organization has just been lost and the future of the nation thrust into peril.When the five candidates being considered to head this mysterious agency suddenly go missing, covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath is summoned to Washington and set loose on the most dangerous chase ever to play out on American soil.
Act of War (2014)
After a CIA agent mysteriously dies overseas, his top asset surfaces with a startling and terrifying claim. There’s just one problem – no one knows if she can be trusted. But when six exchange students go missing, two airplane passengers trade places, and one political-asylum seeker is arrested, a deadly chain of events is set in motion.With the United States facing an imminent and devastating attack, America’s new president must turn to covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath to help carry out two of the most dangerous operations in the country’s history.
Code of Conduct (2015)
Hidden deep within one of the world’s most powerful organizations is a secret committee with a devastating agenda. Its members are afforded incredible protections-considered elites, untouchables.But when four seconds of video is captured halfway around the world and anonymously transmitted to D.C., covert wheels are set in motion and counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath is tapped to undertake the deadliest assignment of his career.What begins as a favour will evolve into a globe-spanning drama of highly personal stakes played out against a backdrop of stunning international intrigue, duplicitous political gamesmanship and the darkest, most clandestine fears of the espionage world.
Foreign Agent (2016)
Scot Harvath has exactly the skills the CIA is looking for. He’s a former U.S. Navy SEAL with extensive experience in espionage. Working for a private intelligence company, he will provide the CIA, and more important, the President, with absolute deniability.But deep within the Russian Caucasus, Moscow also has its own special kind of operative. As a child, Sacha Baseyev endured an unimaginable horror. Today, he lives and breathes for only one reason—to kill. And he will kill as many Americans as it takes to accomplish his mission.When a clandestine American operations team is ambushed near Syria, all signs point toward a dangerous informant in Brussels. But as Harvath searches for the man, he uncovers another actor—a rogue player hell-bent on forcing America’s hand and drawing it into a confrontation deadlier than anyone could have imagined.As the attacks mount, and terror is brought to the very doorstep of the White House, Harvath finds himself in the race of his life. From Vienna, Brussels, and Berlin, to Malta, Jordan, and Syria—he will push himself beyond the edge in order to confront one of the greatest evils the world has ever known.
Use of Force (2017)
As a storm rages across the Mediterranean Sea, a terrifying distress call is made to the Italian Coast Guard. Days later, a body washes ashore. Identified as a high value but missing terrorism suspect, his name sends panic through the Central Intelligence Agency.Where was he headed? What was he planning? And could he be connected to the “spectacular attack” they have been fearing all summer? In a race against time, the CIA taps an unorthodox source to get answers: Navy SEAL turned covert counterterrorism operative, Scot Harvath. Hired on a black contract, Harvath provides the deniability the United States needs, while he breaks every rule along the way.
Spymaster (2018)
Across Europe, a secret organization has begun attacking diplomats. Back in the United States, a foreign ally demands the identity of a highly placed covert asset. In the balance hang the ingredients for all-out war.With his mentor out of the game, counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath must take on the role he has spent his career avoiding. But, as with everything else he does, he intends to rewrite the rules—all of them.
Backlash (2019)
In ancient texts, there are stories about men who struck from the shadows, seemingly beyond the reach of death itself. These men were considered part angel, part demon. Their loyalty was to their families, their friends, and their kings. You crossed these men at your peril. And once crossed, there was no crossing back.They were fearless; men of honor who have been known throughout history by different names: Spartan, Viking, Samurai.Today, men like these still strike from the shadows. They are highly prized intelligence agents, military operatives, and assassins.One man is all three.Two days ago, that man was crossed–badly.Now, far from home and surrounded by his enemy, Scot Harvath must battle his way out.With no support, no cavalry coming, and no one even aware of where he is, it will take everything he has ever learned to survive.But survival isn’t enough. Harvath wants revenge.
Near Dark (2020)
The world’s largest bounty has just been placed upon America’s top spy. His only hope for survival is to outwit, outrun, and outlast his enemies long enough to get to the truth.But for Scot Harvath to accomplish his most dangerous mission ever—one that has already claimed the lives of the people closest to him, including his new wife—he’s going to need help—a lot of it.Not knowing whom he can trust, Harvath finds an unlikely ally in Norwegian intelligence operative Sølvi Kolstad. Just as smart, just as deadly, and just as determined, she not only has the skills, but also the broken, troubled past to match Harvath’s own.
Black Ice (2021)
Scot Harvath is having his best summer ever. With a cottage on the fjord, a boat, and his beautiful girlfriend Sølvi, he’s got everything he could possibly want. But out of vacation days and long overdue back home, America’s top spy has a decision to make—return, or submit his resignation.When his deadly past comes calling, though, he’ll be left with no choice at all.Leaving his favorite Oslo café, Harvath watches as a ghost climbs out of a taxi—a man he killed years ago, halfway around the world. How is he still alive? And what is he doing in Norway?In a race against time that will take him high above the Arctic Circle, Harvath is tested in ways he has never imagined and pushed to a limit few human beings could ever endure.If he succeeds, he’ll walk away with everything. If he fails, the United States and its allies will be at the mercy of one of the world’s most dangerous actors.
Rising Tiger (2022)
An unprecedented, potentially nation-ending threat has materialized on the world stage. Though the United States has long been aware of the growing risk, administration after administration has passed the buck, fearful of the global consequences of engaging this enemy head-on. The clock, however, has now run out and doing nothing is no longer an option. With the stakes higher than they have ever been, it is time to unleash Scot Harvath.As America’s top spy, Harvath has the unparalleled skills and experience necessary to handle any situation, but this assignment feels different and appears doomed from the start.Thrust into a completely unfamiliar culture, with few he can trust, the attempts on his life begin piling up the moment he arrives. Someone, somewhere, knows far too much.With democracy itself hanging in the balance, Harvath will risk everything to untangle the explosive plot and bring every last bad actor to justice.
