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Alex Mercer Books in Order

Part ofStacy Claflin Books in Order

This page lists the Alex Mercer series by Stacy Claflin in order, with short summaries, series background, and simple advice on where to start.

Last updated: July 9, 2026

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Alex Mercer books in publication order

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12 books

1

Girl in Trouble

by Stacy Claflin

2017

Alex Mercer takes his young daughter out for a special day, then loses her in an instant. As he hunts through a chilling pattern of missing girls, he must outrun guilt and time to bring Ariana home alive.

2

Little Lies

by Stacy Claflin

2017

Alex is used to helping find kidnappers, not becoming a target in their game. A new case twists back on him, and the lies surrounding it may be the most dangerous part.

3

Turn Back Time

by Stacy Claflin

2017

A violent cult Alex thought was finished is back, and this time the threat is personal. To stop the revenge they have planned, he has to uncover what they are hiding before more lives are destroyed.

4

Against All Odds

by Stacy Claflin

2018

What begins like an ordinary day in a small town spirals into chaos that changes everything. Alex has to keep moving through fear and confusion if he wants to protect the people caught in the fallout.

5

Danger Zone

by Stacy Claflin

2019

Someone is going to great lengths to tear Alex Mercer's life apart piece by piece. If he cannot find the person behind the attacks, he could lose far more than his reputation.

6

Don't Forget Me

by Stacy Claflin

2019

Just when Alex thinks life cannot get much worse, a fresh threat proves him wrong. Old wounds and new danger collide in a case that pushes every weak point he has.

7

Lady in Red

by Stacy Claflin

2019

A mysterious woman keeps appearing after dark, always watching and never explaining herself. Following her trail pulls Alex toward a case where every clue feels like bait.

8

Tainted Love

by Stacy Claflin

2019

A polished mommy blogger looks perfect from the outside, but Alex soon learns that image can hide something much uglier. To stop the damage, he has to get past the curated life and into the truth beneath it.

9

Take On Me

by Stacy Claflin

2019

Alex's cousin Ayla wakes in a hospital with no memory of how she got there and no sign of her parents. As she struggles to recover the truth, Alex realizes the answers buried in her mind could put all of them in danger.

10

Careless Whisper

by Stacy Claflin

2020

Someone is abducting teenage girls and burying them alive. Alex has to move fast through a brutal case where every hour matters and every mistake could be fatal.

11

Never Surrender

by Stacy Claflin

2020

Alex hoped his worst days were behind him, but the next case proves how wrong he was. To protect his family and survive what is coming, giving up is not an option.

12

White Wedding

by Stacy Claflin

2020

A celebration turns terrifying when the son of an infamous kidnapper is abducted. Alex is drawn into a case where old crimes cast a long shadow over a brand-new threat.

Alex Mercer books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Girl in Trouble"

    Girl in Trouble

    by Stacy Claflin

    2017Alex Mercer, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Turn Back Time"

    Turn Back Time

    by Stacy Claflin

    2017Alex Mercer, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Little Lies"

    Little Lies

    by Stacy Claflin

    2017Alex Mercer, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Against All Odds"

    Against All Odds

    by Stacy Claflin

    2018Alex Mercer, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Don't Forget Me"

    Don't Forget Me

    by Stacy Claflin

    2019Alex Mercer, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Tainted Love"

    Tainted Love

    by Stacy Claflin

    2019Alex Mercer, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Take On Me"

    Take On Me

    by Stacy Claflin

    2019Alex Mercer, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Danger Zone"

    Danger Zone

    by Stacy Claflin

    2019Alex Mercer, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Lady in Red"

    Lady in Red

    by Stacy Claflin

    2019Alex Mercer, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "White Wedding"

    White Wedding

    by Stacy Claflin

    2020Alex Mercer, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Careless Whisper"

    Careless Whisper

    by Stacy Claflin

    2020Alex Mercer, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Never Surrender"

    Never Surrender

    by Stacy Claflin

    2020Alex Mercer, Book 12

Series background & context

The Alex Mercer books are spin-offs from the Gone world, but they work very well on their own. Alex enters the series already carrying trauma from his sister's kidnapping, and Girl in Trouble makes that history feel immediate by putting his own daughter in danger. Right away, the books tell you what kind of hero he is. He is messy, stubborn, protective, and impossible to keep on the sidelines when someone he loves is at risk.

Each installment gives Alex a fresh case, but the emotional through line stays steady. Missing girls, cults, stalkers, manipulative killers, and people with private agendas all show up here, and the cases usually hit close to home. Alex is not a detached investigator. He gets pulled in because he cares too much, remembers too much, or cannot walk away from someone else's nightmare.

That personal angle is what makes the series click. Ariana remains important, and later books widen Alex's circle to include cousins, partners, family friends, and people who know exactly where his weak spots are. Even when the plot gets large, the stakes still feel intimate. He is almost always fighting for one person he cannot bear to lose.

The tone is fast and emotional, closer to character-driven suspense than cool procedural crime fiction. Alex doubts himself, carries guilt, and makes mistakes, which gives the books heart without slowing them down.

If you like thrillers built around kidnappings, race-against-the-clock pressure, and a lead who solves cases because he has no other choice, this series is a strong place to begin.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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