Ernest Dempsey Books in Order
Explore Ernest Dempsey books in order, with reading guides, series overviews, book summaries, and tips on where to start with his archaeological thrillers.
Last updated: December 22, 2025
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Publication Order
68 books
The Saint's Covenant
by Ernest Dempsey
2025
When a set of letters from a long dead saint surfaces, they appear to promise unimaginable power to whoever completes a broken covenant. Sean Wyatt unravels the truth behind the manuscript while zealots and opportunists close in from every side.
The Forsaken Circle
by Ernest Dempsey
2025
In their most dangerous case yet, Alex Simms and Tara Watson uncover a fanatic whose ego and resources could unleash an ancient force on the modern world. Backed by a private army and obsessed with global domination, he forces the IAA team to use every contact and skill they have to keep a buried evil contained.
Dew Sweepers
by Ernest Dempsey
2025
Riding the high of his breakout win, Tyler Knox steps into life on tour with new sponsors, big money, and relentless scrutiny. As rival Logan Pierce needles him and his game starts to wobble, Tyler turns to Graham Sullivan to learn how real champions survive the grind.
The Lion's Path
by Ernest Dempsey
2024
With one ally at his side, Gideon Wolf travels to Africa in search of the next hidden medallion and the person chosen to bear it. To get there, he and Vero have to fight their way through smugglers, traffickers, and warlords who see the Guardians as a shortcut to absolute power.
The Inventor's Tomb
by Ernest Dempsey
2024
A newly uncovered tomb belonging to a forgotten genius hints at designs centuries ahead of their time. Sean Wyatt and his allies must untangle which inventions are harmless curiosities and which could be weaponised in the present.
The Florentine Pursuit
by Ernest Dempsey
2024
On a special assignment in Florence, Sean Wyatt is asked to quietly recover a stolen artifact before the theft sparks an international incident. What should have been a simple in and out job turns into a deadly chase through museums and narrow alleys.
The Final Round
by Ernest Dempsey
2024
Veteran pro Graham Sullivan is ready to walk away from golf after one last tournament, while twenty year old phenom Tyler Knox is desperate to break through. Their paths collide at the White Oak National Open, where one week on the course could change both of their lives forever.
Strings of Deception
by Ernest Dempsey
2024
Dak Harper is hired to recover a small but significant relic that has somehow slipped through every official net. The deeper he digs into the theft, the more he realises the object is bait in a much larger scheme built on lies and betrayal.
Where Dead Things Stand
by Ernest Dempsey
2023
Chilean authorities call in the IAA after an American treasure hunter vanishes in the Andes while chasing legends of a wandering city at the end of the world. Alex Simms and Tara Watson hike into hostile wilderness to follow his cryptic trail, uncovering a web of greed, obsession, and something far older than any map.
Thief's Honor
by Ernest Dempsey
2023
An operation in Europe forces Dak Harper to work alongside another professional thief whose moral code does not match his own. As a dangerous job spirals, he has to choose between keeping a promise and doing what he believes is right.
Poseidon's Fury
by Ernest Dempsey
2023
A discovery tied to the ancient sea god Poseidon pulls Sean Wyatt into a hunt that cuts through Istanbul's streets and hidden passages. As he follows a trail of myths and flooded ruins, he uncovers a secret with the power to reshape beliefs about the ancient world.
Crimson Winter
by Ernest Dempsey
2023
As winter closes in, Gideon Wolf faces an enemy who understands his powers almost as well as he does. Hunting another medallion in a harsh landscape, he must keep his monstrous side in check while deciding whom he can trust among the other emerging Guardians.
Where Horizons End
by Ernest Dempsey
2022
An archaeologist's murder and a carved map pointing to the fabled city of Shangri La pull Sean Wyatt and his IAA team across China. To reach the hidden valley first, they must outwit an old rival backed by a powerful crime syndicate.
Righteous Dawn
by Ernest Dempsey
2022
Still grappling with his new Chupacabra form, Gideon Wolf is branded a murderer and chased by cartels, assassins, and federal agents. To survive, he has to accept his role as Guardian and stop the forces that want to twist his power into a new Dark Age.
Moscow Sky
by Ernest Dempsey
2022
A lead on stolen antiquities pulls Dak Harper into the cold heart of modern Russia. Navigating oligarchs, hired muscle, and a city where nothing is quite what it seems, he chases a priceless relic that could disappear forever into the black market.
Heavy Lies the Crown
by Ernest Dempsey
2022
A job that should be a straightforward artifact retrieval drops Dak Harper into the middle of a fight over a relic tied to a fallen monarchy. Between rival claimants and violent thieves, he has to decide who, if anyone, deserves to walk away with the crown.
Emergence
by Ernest Dempsey
2022
World renowned archaeologist Gideon Wolf is forced by a cartel boss to hunt a mythical amulet in the Mexican jungle. When the relic fuses to him and turns him into a monstrous guardian, he becomes the target of drug lords, governments, and something far older.
A Journal of Hope and Healing Vol. VII, No. 1
by Ernest Dempsey
2022
Later in the series, this volume of A Journal of Hope and Healing returns to core themes of grief, growth, and self care. Short, thoughtful pieces invite readers to pause, reflect, and take small steps toward a more hopeful daily life.
Two Nights In Mumbai
by Ernest Dempsey
2021
A new assignment sends Dak Harper to the chaos and colour of Mumbai, where a stolen relic has become the centre of a dangerous criminal deal. Over two long nights, he battles gangsters, corrupt officials, and his own ghosts to get it back.
The Milestone Protocol
by Ernest Dempsey
2021
When a cryptic discovery hints at a forgotten project with world changing potential, Sean Wyatt follows a trail of clues from quiet Southern backroads to international power centers. Someone is willing to kill to unlock the protocol before he does.
The Courier
by Ernest Dempsey
2021
After his own unit betrays him, ex Special Forces commando Dak Harper takes a job tracking stolen artifacts for a young billionaire. His first mission sends him to Peru to steal back a legendary sword from a brutal cartel, and maybe save a forgotten community with it.
Country Roads
by Ernest Dempsey
2021
Back in the United States, Dak Harper is sent to rural North Carolina to recover a pair of Civil War pistols stolen from a museum. The hunt uncovers a ruthless local boss who controls an entire county, forcing Dak to liberate a town before he can claim the guns.
You Only Die Once
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
On the run after being left for dead by his own team, Dak Harper tracks one of his former brothers in arms to a new corner of the world. What begins as a revenge mission quickly tangles him in a fresh criminal enterprise he cannot ignore.
The Second Sign
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
An ancient symbol resurfacing in the modern world drags Sean Wyatt into another lethal puzzle. As bodies fall around a mysterious artifact, he races to decode its meaning before a shadowy faction can twist the discovery to its own ends.
The Heart of Vengeance
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
The final origin story brings Dak face to face with the architect of his downfall. To finish what began in an Iraqi cave, he risks everything he has rebuilt, testing whether justice or vengeance truly drives the Relic Runner.
Tequila Sunset
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
A lead on the stolen Iraqi treasure takes Dak Harper south of the border, where cartel violence and a sun washed resort town collide. To flush out a traitor, he has to infiltrate a deadly smuggling ring and decide how far vengeance should really go.
Scorched Earth
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
As Dak closes in on the men who betrayed him, their scorched earth response threatens innocent people caught in the middle. He must choose between finishing his revenge and protecting strangers who have become unexpected allies.
Purgatory
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
Stranded between his old life and whatever comes next, Dak Harper follows the money trail into rugged country where wilderness and organised crime overlap. Each step toward the stolen hoard forces him to question who he is becoming.
Hell's Gate
by Ernest Dempsey
2020
When a British agent is murdered over a strange artifact, the International Archaeological Agency sends its top researchers, Alex Simms and Tara Watson, into the field. Facing neo Nazis convinced a set of stones will open a literal gateway to hell, the pair must trade microscopes for guns and learn to stay alive outside the lab.
The Omega Project
by Ernest Dempsey
2019
When a former president is kidnapped and the crime is pinned on him, Sean Wyatt finds himself hunted across the country. His only hope is to solve an ancient riddle and locate a legendary superweapon the kidnappers demand, all within a single brutal week.
The Napoleon Affair
by Ernest Dempsey
2019
A long hidden mystery tied to Napoleon's rise draws Sean Wyatt into a fresh hunt for lost treasure and buried truths. To uncover the affair, he must outsmart assassins and powerful players who would rather history stay rewritten.
The Carolina Caper
by Ernest Dempsey
2019
A new mystery pulls the Adventure Guild back to the States, where a seemingly ordinary coastal town hides a historic secret. Desmond and his friends juggle school, family, and a fresh set of villains as they chase clues across beaches and barrier islands.
Out of the Fire
by Ernest Dempsey
2019
A botched mission in the Iraqi mountains ends with Dak Harper buried under rock and presumed dead after his Delta team steals a trove of treasure. Crawling back to the light, he swears to hunt down the men who betrayed him and reclaim what they took.
Operation Zulu
by Ernest Dempsey
2019
Perennial underachievers Zeke Marshall and Phoenix Underwood are stunned when a secret agency taps them for a mission to stop terrorists from deploying a devastating weapon. With millions of lives at stake, the two lovable screwups have to stumble their way into becoming unlikely heroes.
London Calling
by Ernest Dempsey
2019
In their second outing, Zeke and Phoenix race to London to stop the world's most dangerous cyber criminal from unleashing a virus that could crash modern life. Barely qualified and in way over their heads, the pair bounces from disaster to disaster while trying to save the day.
The Templar Curse
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
When whispers of a curse tied to a vanished order of medieval warriors ignite fresh violence, Sean Wyatt and Tommy Schultz dive into a maze of clues the Templars left behind. Their search forces them to confront fanatics willing to kill for control of a forgotten legacy.
The Forbidden Temple
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
A map to a temple long erased from history surfaces in the modern world, along with a body. Sean Wyatt and his team trek from crowded cities to remote ruins, racing a rival expedition that intends to unlock the temple's power at any cost.
The Caesar Secret: Part 3
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
The final part of the Caesar Secret arc forces the Adventure Guild to risk everything on a daring plan to reach the last cache on Caesar's map. With enemies closing in and friendships tested, they have to decide what really matters more, treasure or trust.
The Caesar Secret: Part 2
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
In the second instalment of the Caesar Secret adventure, Desmond, Corin, and Diego push deeper into Rome's hidden places, chasing new clues left by Julius Caesar. Their search draws the attention of criminals who now see the kids as a serious threat.
The Caesar Secret
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
On a family trip to Rome, Desmond and his friends Corin and Diego stumble on a hidden map linked to Julius Caesar himself. What starts as a game turns into a dangerous treasure hunt through ruins and backstreets, with villains closing in on the same prize.
Shadows Rising
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
After stopping one catastrophic attack, Adriana Villa finds that the terrorist network she fought has only gone deeper underground. In this Shadow Cell mission she chases new leads across continents, uncovering a plot that will push her skills and loyalties to the limit.
Shadow Hour
by Ernest Dempsey
2018
As a coordinated strike looms, Adriana Villa and the Shadow Cell team have mere hours to untangle overlapping operations and expose the mastermind. Every choice she makes in the field could mean thousands of lives saved or lost.
When Shadows Call
by Ernest Dempsey
2017
International art thief Adriana Villa is used to stealing masterpieces back from criminals, not fighting terrorists. When a covert agency recruits her to help stop a missile smuggling network planning a mass casualty attack on London, she has to turn her heist skills toward saving the world.
The Sahara Legacy
by Ernest Dempsey
2017
A mysterious find in the vast Sahara desert ties modern killings to an empire that vanished beneath the sand. Sean Wyatt must cross dunes, cities, and political minefields to keep an explosive secret from falling into the wrong hands.
The Fourth Prophecy
by Ernest Dempsey
2017
An ancient text hinting at a fourth, forgotten prophecy sets off panic among people who take it as a roadmap to power. Sean Wyatt races to interpret the real meaning behind the words before extremists can twist them into a global disaster.
The Denali Deception
by Ernest Dempsey
2017
A trail of clues around the assassination of Abraham Lincoln leads Sean Wyatt toward a conspiracy buried beneath the story of how the United States acquired Alaska. As he digs deeper, powerful enemies will do anything to keep the real motive hidden.
The Uluru Code
by Ernest Dempsey
2016
When mysterious symbols in Australia point toward a secret that could rewrite that continent's history, Sean Wyatt and Tommy head for the outback. Their quest around Uluru pits them against rivals who will spill blood to control the code's meaning.
The Samurai Cipher
by Ernest Dempsey
2016
A cryptic code tied to a legendary Japanese warrior drags Sean Wyatt into a deadly contest between rival factions. From hidden shrines to crowded cities, he fights to keep an ancient secret from sparking modern war.
The Excalibur Key
by Ernest Dempsey
2016
Rumours that someone has located the real sword behind the Excalibur legend ignite a frantic global chase. Sean Wyatt tries to uncover the truth before a ruthless plot can use the weapon's symbolism and the power hidden with it to forge a new world order.
The Cairo Vendetta
by Ernest Dempsey
2016
A bombing in Cairo exposes a plot built around a relic pulled from the sands of Egypt. Sean Wyatt and Tommy Schultz chase clues through tombs, markets, and ministries while enemies on both sides of the law close in.
A Journal of Hope and Healing-- Relationships
by Ernest Dempsey
2016
Focused on relationships of all kinds, this special volume of A Journal of Hope and Healing explores connection, conflict, and repair. Counselors and ordinary writers alike share insights on setting boundaries, deepening trust, and healing from relational wounds.
War of Thieves
by Ernest Dempsey
2015
With her father's life still hanging in the balance, Adriana races across Europe to find another priceless canvas swallowed by the chaos of war. A vengeful rival and a billionaire collector with deadly taste in art turn the search into a brutal contest where trust is a luxury.
The Syndicate
by Ernest Dempsey
2015
In the final volume of the trilogy, Adriana teams with an unexpected ally to track a Rembrandt that vanished in the Second World War. As she hunts both the painting and the man who orchestrated her torment, she has to decide what matters more: justice, revenge, or finally walking away.
The Norse Directive
by Ernest Dempsey
2015
A discovery tied to Viking explorers pulls Sean Wyatt north into a landscape of fjords, forgotten runes, and very modern mercenaries. To survive, he has to unravel a thousand year old directive before his enemies do.
The Mexican Connection
by Ernest Dempsey
2015
Master thief Adriana Villa specialises in reclaiming art stolen during World War II. When kidnappers snatch her father and demand three lost masterpieces as ransom, she is forced into a globe spanning hunt for the first painting, clashing with another thief who is just as skilled and far more ruthless.
The Jerusalem Creed
by Ernest Dempsey
2015
A shocking murder in the Holy Land points back to a creed written in blood centuries ago. Sean Wyatt follows intersecting trails through Jerusalem's tunnels and modern politics, trying to prevent an old conflict from igniting a new war.
Game of Shadows
by Ernest Dempsey
2015
In the aftermath of a resurfaced Nazi submarine, Sean Wyatt uncovers evidence of a secret weapon the Third Reich tried to spirit away at the end of the war. With a terror group racing him to the prize, he has less than three days to keep the device from being activated.
The Grecian Manifesto
by Ernest Dempsey
2014
When a trail of clues out of Greece points toward a device that seems to predict the future, Sean Wyatt is drawn into a conspiracy that spans governments and centuries. Saving the people he loves may require letting the world see a truth it is not ready for.
The Dream Rider
by Ernest Dempsey
2014
A restless college student haunted by vivid nightmares, Finn McClaren suddenly wakes up on a distant planet ruled by a brutal emperor. The dreams that once terrified him become the source of incredible power, and he has to decide whether an ordinary kid from Earth can lead a rebellion.
Retribution
by Ernest Dempsey
2014
Sequel to The Dream Rider, this adventure finds Finn McClaren pulled back to the distant world where he first learned his nightmares were gateways. An old enemy has seized power, and Finn must master his dream born abilities before both worlds pay the price.
Red Gold
by Ernest Dempsey
2013
In Savannah, Georgia, Sean Wyatt searches for a Confederate ship that vanished with millions in gold near the end of the Civil War. The hunt brings him into conflict with a seductive European collector who is willing to kill to keep the treasure for herself.
The Lost Canvas
by Ernest Dempsey
2012
Adriana Villa takes on a job to recover a painting stolen by the Nazis and missing since World War II. As she follows the trail, she realises the canvas hides a secret with the power to rewrite what historians think they know about the war.
The Last Chamber
by Ernest Dempsey
2012
In this continuation of the Lost Chambers storyline, Sean Wyatt closes in on the truth behind a legendary hoard of gold hidden since the early days of America. Every new chamber he unlocks brings him closer to both the treasure and the people willing to kill for it.
The Cleric's Vault
by Ernest Dempsey
2012
Sean Wyatt, Tommy Schultz, and their friend Joe follow clues from Las Vegas to the jungles of Ecuador in search of artifacts collected by the mysterious Father Crespi. With a deadly billionaire manipulating events and assassins closing in, the team has to open the cleric's vault before their enemies do.
A Journal of Hope and Healing Vol. II, No. 4
by Ernest Dempsey
2011
This instalment of A Journal of Hope and Healing collects essays and stories around change, aging, and new beginnings. Contributors share what helped them rebuild after loss, and how small daily choices can gently reshape a life.
A Journal of Hope and Healing Vol. II, No. 2
by Ernest Dempsey
2011
Part of an ongoing series on emotional wellness, this issue of A Journal of Hope and Healing brings together new voices on grief, recovery, and everyday courage, offering short articles readers can dip into when they need perspective and support.
The Secret of the Stones
by Ernest Dempsey
2010
Former covert operative Sean Wyatt is working security for his friend's archaeological agency when an ancient symbol, a missing archaeologist, and a series of murders collide. Chasing clues through the mountains of Georgia, he races mercenaries and hidden masterminds to a cache of Cherokee gold that history insists does not exist.
A Journal of Hope and Healing
by Ernest Dempsey
2010
This first volume in the Journal of Hope and Healing series gathers personal essays, reflections, and practical pieces from counselors, writers, and survivors, all focused on how people move through pain toward resilience and a richer sense of meaning.
Where should I start?
If you want classic archaeological thrillers: The Secret of the Stones → The Last Chamber → The Cleric's Vault.
If you like globe-trotting conspiracy puzzles: The Grecian Manifesto → Game of Shadows → The Excalibur Key.
If you want a darker paranormal edge: Emergence → Righteous Dawn → Crimson Winter → The Lion's Path.
If you prefer modern vigilante action: Out of the Fire → The Courier → Two Nights In Mumbai → Country Roads.
If sports and second chances appeal to you: The Final Round → Dew Sweepers.
Author bio
Ernest Dempsey was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and he has never really left. Growing up in the shadow of Civil War battlefields and mountain trails, he learned early how much story can hide in a landscape.
As a kid he devoured adventure movies and paperbacks about lost cities, secret societies, and unlikely heroes. The Goonies, Indiana Jones, and dog eared thrillers from the library all nudged him toward the kind of tales he would one day write.
In high school and college, most of his writing did not look like novels. He wrote poems, song lyrics, and material for his rock band, Soulcrush, long before he tried a full length book. His original plan was to study English and become a teacher, but a blunt comment from a professor sent him walking across campus to change his major.
He enrolled at Southern Adventist University instead, earning a degree in psychology in 2000 and a master’s in school counseling in 2003. The work suited him. For more than a decade he served as a high school guidance counselor and soccer coach in Georgia, trying to help teenagers make sense of their own stories.
All that time, though, he kept a quiet promise to himself. Five mornings a week he got up early, or stayed up late, to chip away at a thriller about a former government operative named Sean Wyatt. In 2010 he published The Secret of the Stones, and a few years later he took the leap, leaving the school system to write fiction full time.
Since then he has written dozens of novels and novellas across several connected series. Sean Wyatt anchors a web of archaeological thrillers that crisscross the globe. Dak Harper storms through the Relic Runner and Relic Runner Origin Story books. Adriana Villa starts out as a master art thief before graduating to the Shadow Cell spy thrillers. Gideon Wolf brings a supernatural, shape shifting edge, while the Paranormal Archaeology Division and Dream Rider stories lean into stranger mysteries.
What ties those very different series together is a blend of fast pacing, puzzle solving, and a deep affection for history. Dempsey likes to take real artifacts, temples, and legends, then imagine the missing chapter that might sit between the lines in a textbook. Readers get shootouts and chases, but also ancient scripts, forgotten engineers, and moral choices that feel a little too close to home.
His action and adventure work comes out of the same lineage as writers like Clive Cussler or James Rollins, while his science fiction draws on things like The Hunger Games, The Matrix, and Gladiator. He aims for clear, straightforward prose, big stakes, and heroes who can crack a joke in the middle of a very bad day.
Dempsey still calls Chattanooga home, often splitting his time between there and nearby Atlanta. Away from the keyboard he reads widely, binges history documentaries, hikes when he can, and, more recently, has poured some of his energy into golf themed fiction like The Final Round and Dew Sweepers.
He talks often about persistence, small daily actions, and his personal motto of being like the best kind of theme park, always offering something new for fans. Whether he is outlining another Sean Wyatt puzzle or answering reader messages between drafts, he treats storytelling as a long game built one honest, entertaining book at a time.
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