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Andrew Peterson Books in Order

Explore Andrew Peterson books in order, from Nathan McBride thrillers to the Wingfeather Saga, with summaries and simple tips on where to start in each series.

Last updated: December 25, 2025

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15 books

The God of the Garden

by Andrew Peterson

2021

Blending memoir and meditation, The God of the Garden traces Andrew Peterson’s life through the trees and green places that shaped him, inviting readers to see how God’s quiet, patient care can be glimpsed in the landscapes they inhabit.

Recommended by:

Russell Moore

Adorning the Dark

by Andrew Peterson

2019

Part memoir and part practical guide, Adorning the Dark draws on Andrew Peterson’s years of songwriting, touring, and storytelling to explore six core principles of the creative life and how ordinary artists can make honest, faithful work in community.

Hired to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2018

Coordinated terror attacks in San Diego and Washington, DC shatter Nathan McBride’s family and reveal a plot tied to a sabotaged bioweapons lab and militants on the Mexican border. Partnering with a private military giant, Nathan leads a desperate assault to stop the next strike.

Right to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2016

When a heavily armed team tries to snatch retired CIA station chief Linda Genneken from her home, Nathan McBride and Harv intervene just in time. The failed raid sparks a six hour sprint to connect attempted assassinations, an old South American mission, and a new criminal network.

Contract to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2015

After a friend witnesses a double murder and suspects his powerful boss, Nathan McBride and Harv investigate off the books. Their search exposes a private military contractor running a secret border war and a political scheme with global stakes.

The Warden and the Wolf King

by Andrew Peterson

2014

In the finale of the Wingfeather Saga, Gnag the Nameless launches a final assault on the Green Hollows, scattering Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli into separate battles. As war rages, the children face monsters, betrayals, and costly choices that will decide the fate of Anniera.

Ready to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2014

A cryptic note tossed over a US embassy wall sends Nathan McBride and his partner Harv back into the Nicaraguan jungle that nearly killed him years before. To stop a buried operation from igniting new violence, Nathan must face both a ruthless protégé and his own trauma.

Pembrick's Creaturepedia (Companion Novel)

by Andrew Peterson

2014

Written as the field journal of explorer Ollister B. Pembrick, this companion to the Wingfeather Saga catalogs the strange creatures of Skree. Sketches, notes, and warnings turn toothy cows, squeeblins, and other beasts into a playful bestiary for young adventurers.

Option to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2012

A terrified twelve year old girl texts Nathan McBride claiming she has been kidnapped, dragging him into a rescue that unravels into something far bigger. Over thirty six relentless hours, Nathan and Lauren race through witness protection secrets and hired guns to stay alive.

The Monster in the Hollows

by Andrew Peterson

2011

Fleeing across the sea, the Wingfeather family seeks safety in the Green Hollows, one of the last lands free from the Fangs of Dang. But Kalmar’s wolfish appearance makes the locals fear him, testing Janner’s calling to protect his brother when suspicion turns deadly.

North! or Be Eaten

by Andrew Peterson

2009

Now revealed as the Lost Jewels of Anniera, Janner, Tink, and Leeli must escape Skree before Gnag’s forces close in. Their flight north through monster haunted forests, outlaw camps, and the brutal Fork Factory forces each sibling to face fear, jealousy, and loyalty.

Forced to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2009

When a mutilated body turns up in a remote Utah lake, Nathan McBride recognizes the signature of the Nicaraguan interrogator who once tortured him. Chasing this enemy on American soil, Nathan must balance a thirst for revenge against a higher call to justice.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

by Andrew Peterson

2008

In the occupied land of Skree, the Igiby children live above the Dark Sea of Darkness under the rule of venomous Fangs. A hidden map, a sinister Black Carriage, and old secrets pull them into the mystery of the lost Jewels of Anniera and their own true identity.

First to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

2008

Retired Marine sniper and former CIA operative Nathan McBride is pulled back into the fight when a deep cover FBI agent and a cache of Semtex vanish. His hunt for domestic terrorists exposes a conspiracy that runs from survivalist compounds to Washington power brokers.

The Ballad of Matthew's Begats

by Andrew Peterson

2007

Based on Andrew Peterson’s rollicking song, this picture book turns the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew into a lively family album. Rhythmic text, playful art, and fun facts help children see how a long line of imperfect people leads to the birth of Christ.

Where should I start?

If you want high-stakes thrillers: First to KillForced to KillOption to Kill
If you love family fantasy adventures: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of DarknessNorth! or Be EatenThe Monster in the HollowsThe Warden and the Wolf King
If you’re curious about creativity and calling: Adorning the DarkThe God of the Garden
If you’re reading with younger kids: The Ballad of Matthew's BegatsOn the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

Author bio

Andrew Peterson is actually two contemporary writers who share a name and a love for story, and this page gathers books by both. One writes hard edged Nathan McBride thrillers, the other writes songs, fantasy novels, and creative memoirs for families and artists.

The thriller novelist Andrew Peterson grew up in San Diego, California, where days at the range turned into a lifelong respect for precision shooting. After graduating from La Jolla High School he studied architecture at the University of Oklahoma, then spent years in real estate development before turning seriously to fiction.

He began dabbling in stories in 1990 and sold his first piece, a short story called "Mr. Haggarty’s Stop," to a regional magazine in 1992. A writers conference in 2005, where he connected with an established thriller author, nudged him from hobbyist toward a full blown career built around a single, scarred hero.

That hero is Nathan McBride, a former Marine scout sniper and CIA operations officer who anchors First to Kill and the six novels that follow. Drawing on his own experience as a competitive marksman and careful research into law enforcement and military work, Peterson writes in a grounded, technical style, aiming to make every rifle shot, radio call, and tactical decision feel earned rather than cinematic.

Away from the page he has spent time with the real people his fiction often honors, visiting troops on a USO tour to Afghanistan and donating thousands of books to wounded service members and veterans. He and his wife, Carla, make their home in coastal California, where time outdoors, target shooting, and two Giant Schnauzers round out a quieter, semi retired life.

The other Andrew Peterson is best known first as a musician. Born in Monticello, Illinois, and raised in a small town in north Florida as a pastor’s kid, he started out playing in cover bands and church groups before hitting the road full time in the mid nineties with his wife, Jamie, and a handful of songs that did not quite fit the radio mold.

Years of small venues and long drives led to a string of albums like Carried Along, Love and Thunder, and Counting Stars, songs such as "The Silence of God" and "Dancing in the Minefields," and a loyal audience drawn to his plainspoken lyrics about doubt, family, and hope.

Writing for the page came next. He first adapted one of his Christmas songs into the picture book The Ballad of Matthew's Begats, then poured his love of fantasy into the four book Wingfeather Saga, following the Igiby children through toothy cows, Fangs of Dang, and the long shadow of Gnag the Nameless. Later came two reflective nonfiction works, Adorning the Dark and The God of the Garden, which blend memoir with thoughtful advice on creativity, community, and calling.

Along the way he founded the Rabbit Room, a small but influential creative community and press in Nashville that hosts conferences, publishes books, and gives other artists the kind of support he wished for early in his own career. He and Jamie have three grown children, keep bees, build stone walls, and split their time between Tennessee and seasons abroad, still trying to make good work among friends.

Whether you come to Andrew Peterson looking for a bullet scarred operative or a family of fantasy refugees or a quiet book about making things, you are stepping into the work of people who have spent decades learning how to tell clear, human stories.

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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All 15 Andrew Peterson Books in Order (Complete List 2026)