Mark Dawson Books in Order

Mark Dawson is a British thriller author best known for the John Milton series, about a former government assassin who moves from place to place, trying to make up for his past actions one mission at a time.

Originally a lawyer in London, now a self-published success story, Mark Dawson left his law career to write full time after the John Milton books took off, selling more than six million copies. He also co-hosts The Self Publishing Show and founded Self Publishing Formula, a popular resource for independent authors.

This page lists all Mark Dawson books in order, including the John Milton series and its connected spin-off series, including Beatrix Rose, Isabella Rose, Charlie Cooper, and Group Fifteen Files, along with the Atticus Priest mysteries, the historical Soho Noir series, and his children’s books.

Latest Mark Dawson Books

Terminal
Terminal (Charlie Cooper 13), May 2026
Sanctuary
Sanctuary (Charlie Cooper 14), June 2026

More upcoming releases:

  • Cargo (November 2026)
  • The Forest (November 2026)
  • Dope (December 2026)

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Where to start with Mark Dawson

→ New to Mark Dawson? Start with The Cleaner (John Milton #1). It is the character introduction and the best way to get into the whole Group Fifteen universe.
→ Prefer a crime mystery over spy thrillers? Go straight to The House in the Woods (Atticus Priest #1). It is set in Wiltshire and is entirely separate from the John Milton books.
→ Already read John Milton and want more of the same world? The Beatrix Rose series and the Charlie Cooper series both share the Group Fifteen universe, but pick up Beatrix Rose first as it connects more directly to the Milton books. Read it after Ghosts (Milton #4) to avoid spoilers.
→ The Atticus Priest books and the John Milton/Group Fifteen universe are completely independent, so you don’t need to read one before starting the other.

How the Series Connect

The John Milton, Beatrix Rose, Isabella Rose, Charlie Cooper, and Group Fifteen Files series all share the same universe and the same covert agency. They don’t need to be read in any particular order across series, but there are some crossover points that are worth knowing.

Beatrix Rose is first introduced in Ghosts (John Milton #4), and that book gives useful background before starting her series. The Beatrix Rose: Hong Kong Stories novellas are prequels to the main Beatrix Rose series and can be read at any time. Isabella Rose is Beatrix’s daughter, and her series picks up after the events in the Beatrix Rose books, so reading Beatrix Rose first will avoid spoilers. Charlie Cooper shares the Group 15 universe and some characters we’ve met before but reading it doesn’t need the previous books to understand what is going on in the series. The Group Fifteen Files series is more of a companion piece with short prequel missions that give more details about the agency’s backstory.

The Atticus Priest series is completely separate from the John Milton and Group 15 universe.

John Milton Series (Books in Order)

The John Milton series follows British government’s top operative John Milton, in Group Fifteen, a classified unit handling the kind of work MI5 and MI6 won’t officially touch. After a decade of state-sanctioned killing, John Milton realizes he’s done too much evil. He walks away, but Group Fifteen doesn’t let people walk away, and Milton can never fully escape what he was. The series follows him from city to city, getting trouble wherever he goes, as he tries to make amends for his past while staying one step ahead of the organization that trained him and now tries to get him back. John Milton has been compared to Jack Reacher in the sense that he is a drifter with lethal skills who comes across situations that need fixing wherever he goes. The series has standalone plots from book to book, although Milton’s backstory and inner arc is always present in the background through all the books. Best started with The Cleaner (Book 1). To prequel novellas (1000 Yards and Tarantula) exist but work better once you already know the main character.

  1. 1000 Yards, 2013
  2. Tarantula, 2014
  3. The Cleaner, 2013
  4. Saint Death, 2013
  5. The Driver, 2014
  6. Ghosts, 2014
  7. The Sword of God, 2014
  8. Salvation Row, 2014
  9. Headhunters, 2015
  10. The Ninth Step, 2016
  11. The Jungle, 2016
  12. Blackout, 2017
  13. The Alamo, 2017
  14. The Redeemer, 2018
  15. Sleepers, 2018
  16. Twelve Days, 2018
  17. Bright Lights, 2019
  18. The Man Who Never Was, 2020
  19. Killa City, 2020
  20. Ronin, 2020
  21. Never Let Me Down Again, 2021
  22. Bulletproof, 2021
  23. The Sandman, 2022
  24. Uppercut, 2023
  25. Bloodlands, 2024
  26. Vultures, 2025
  27. The Hanging Tree, 2025
  28. Clearwater, 2025
  29. Dope, 2026

Beatrix Rose Series (Books in Order)

The Beatrix Rose spin-off series follows former Group Fifteen assassin Beatrix Rose, once the agency’s most capable operative, who was betrayed by her own team, her husband was murdered and her daughter was taken from her. She spends years underground in Hong Kong before coming back with a specific goal: hunt down the six people responsible for everything that happened to her. The series is more of a revenge thriller that is more contained than the John Milton books. It’s best read after Ghosts (John Milton #4), which introduces Beatrix and her backstory, though it also works as a standalone entry into the universe. Note that Tempest and Pistolero are prequels set before In Cold Blood (#1) and can be read before the main series if you want.

  1. Phoenix, 2017
  2. In Cold Blood, 2014
  3. Blood Moon Rising, 2014
  4. Blood and Roses, 2014
  5. Tempest, 2019
  6. Pistolero, 2023

Beatrix Rose: Hong Kong Stories (Books in Order)

The Hong Kong Stories are a series of prequel novellas set during the years Beatrix spent hiding in Hong Kong before the events of the main Beatrix Rose series. They add background to that period and can be read before the main series, alongside it, or even after it, as they are not a prerequisite. The Dragon and the Ghost is an omnibus edition of all three novellas.

  1. White Devil, 2015
  2. Nine Dragons, 2015
  3. Dragon Head, 2015
  4. The Dragon and the Ghost, 2015 (includes White Devil, Nine Dragons, Dragon Head)

Isabella Rose Series (Books in Order)

The Isabella Rose series follows the daughter of Beatrix Rose, Isabella, who inherits her mother’s skills and capabilities and is recruited into Group Fifteen. It takes place in the same shared universe and it picks up after the Beatrix Rose novels. Known characters from other series make their here as well. If you want to avoid spoilers, read the series after the main Beatrix Rose series.

  1. The Angel, 2015
  2. The Asset, 2016
  3. The Agent, 2017
  4. The Assassin, 2018
  5. The Avenger, 2022
  6. Pretty Face, 2025

Group Fifteen Files Series (Books in Order)

The Group Fifteen Files series follows individual missions carried out by Group Fifteen agents before the events of the main John Milton series, which adds more background to the shadow organization. Several books are co-written with other thriller authors, including Steve Cavanagh, Scott Mariani, and Michael Ridpath. The series is more of a companion to the John Milton books than a strict prequel series.

  1. The Vault, 2020
  2. Scorpion, 2017
  3. Witness X, 2017
  4. Little Sister, 2018
  5. Group Fifteen Files Volume 1, 2018 (includes Scorpion, Witness X, Little Sister)
  6. Wormwood, 2022

Charlie Cooper Series (Books in Order)

The Charlie Cooper series follows former Group Fifteen operative and ex-MI6 officer Charlie Cooper, who now works in private security. Set in the same shared John Milton and Isabella Rose universe, this spin-off series is a shorter read as the books are closer to novella length.

  1. Sandstorm, 2022
  2. The Chameleon, 2023
  3. Blood Brothers, 2024
  4. Dead of Winter, 2024
  5. Code Blue, 2024
  6. North Star, 2024
  7. Collateral, 2025
  8. Leverage, 2025
  9. Burnout, 2025
  10. Exposure, 2025
  11. Heatwave, 2026
  12. Hemlock, 2026
  13. Terminal, 2026
  14. Sanctuary, 2026
  15. Cargo, 2026

Atticus Priest Series (Books in Order)

The Atticus Priest series follows disgraced former detective Atticus Priest, who now works as a private investigator in and around Salisbury, Wiltshire, the city where Mark Dawson also lives. A brilliant but difficult person, Atticus often ends up working cases with DCI Mackenzie Jones, his former colleague and on-and-off partner. The series is somewhat inspired by Sherlock Holmes in its style and the relationship between its two characters, reminding us of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Each book can be read as a standalone, although reading them in order gives a better idea of how Atticus and Mack’s relationship develops.

  1. The House in the Woods, 2020
  2. A Place to Bury Strangers, 2021
  3. The Red Room, 2023
  4. All the Devils Are Here, 2024
  5. The Inheritance, 2025
  6. The Forest, 2026

The Casebook of Atticus Priest Series (Books in Order)

The Casebook of Atticus Priest is a collection of shorter mysteries following Atticus Priest and his assistant, Jez Hardwicke, set around Salisbury and Winchester. The stories have the same Holmes-and-Watson style as the main series, and they can be read separately from it, although they work even better if you already know the main Atticus Priest novels.

  1. The Mystery of the Missing Pages, 2024
  2. The Case of the Bolted Door, 2024
  3. The Haunting of Hallows House, 2025

After School Detective Club Series (Books in Order)

The After School Detective Club is a middle grade mystery series, and it is set apart from Mark Dawson’s adult thriller novels, as it is writen for younger readers.

  1. The Case of the Smuggler’s Curse, 2020
  2. The Secret of Ragnar’s Gold, 2022
  3. The Mystery in the Marshes, 2023
  4. The Case of the Dastardly Dognappers, 2023
  5. The Legend of the Headless Horseman, 2024
  6. The Adventure at Witchington Hall, 2024

Soho Noir Series (Books in Order)

The Soho Noir series is a historical crime series set in London’s West End from the 1940s through the 1970s. The Black Mile, the first book begins during the Blitz, when three police detectives investigate a serial killer who is targeting prostitutes in Soho. The Imposter is set decades later and focuses on a criminal family. Gaslight is a prequel short story set in the 1920s featuring an earlier generation of the Costello family. The series is, in part, influenced by Mark Dawson’s own experience working as a lawyer in that area of London.

  1. Gaslight, 2014
  2. The Black Mile, 2012
  3. The Imposter, 2013

Standalone Novels

Mark Dawson Biography

Mark Dawson

Mark Dawson is a British thriller author whose books includes the long-running John Milton series, along with several connected spin-off series, and and the Atticus Priest mystery series. He has sold over six million copies of his books, almost entirely through self-publishing on digital platforms.
Author website: markjdawson.com

Mark Dawson was born in 1973 in Lowestoft, England, and grew up in Manchester. He spent time in Chicago before returning to England. Before starting his lawyer career, he worked several jobs, as a DJ, club promoter, door-to-door ice cream seller, and factory hand, before studying law at the University of Manchester. He then practiced in London for around a decade, first handling money laundering cases in the City, then moving to Soho where he worked on celebrity libel cases, defending and pursuing claims involving newspapers. That time in the legal and entertainment world of London was a direct inspiration for his earlier books.

His first two books, The Art of Falling Apart (2001) and Subpoena Colada (2001), were published traditionally by Macmillan and didn’t sell very well. So he put writing aside for years, only returning to it when a friend showed him that self-publishing on Amazon’s Kindle Direct platform was generating real income. He then published The Black Mile, the first Soho Noir novel, in 2012, and followed it with The Cleaner, the first John Milton book, in 2013. The John Milton series became popular very soon, and Mark Dawson left his legal career to write full time.

The John Milton series has well over 25 books by now, and it continues to grow. Mark Dawson added several spin-off series to expand the universe, with featuring Beatrix Rose, Isabella Rose, and Charlie Cooper, all connected through the covert agency Group Fifteen. In 2020, he began the Atticus Priest mystery series, set in Wiltshire where he now lives, which operates completely separately from the thriller universe. The series has a shorter spin-off as well. In addition, Mark Dawson also writes the After School Detective Club, a middle grade mystery series.

The Beatrix Rose series has been optioned for television by a Hollywood production company, but so far no production details have been confirmed publicly.

Mark Dawson co-hosts The Self Publishing Show podcast with James Blatch and runs Self Publishing Formula, an educational platform that offers courses and resources for independent authors. He lives in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with his family.

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

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5 Comments

  1. Absolutely compelling reading .
    Isabella Rose series is amazing also.
    L.F

  2. You can’t leave me at the end of A place to bury strangers……. Atticus Priest is a wonderful character….what’s he up to next?..

  4. Have I missed a book? How does Beatrix rose find Isabella?

  5. When is THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS going to be released (in the states)?

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