Jim Ryker Books in Order

The Jim Ryker books are Kevin Tumlinson's collaboration with Nick Thacker, and they land squarely in military action-thriller territory. Ryker is the kind of protagonist who wants a quieter life and keeps getting denied one. His past in covert work never stays buried for long, and the stories use that tension well. He is not chasing adventure. Adventure keeps showing up with a body count.

The Backup Plan opens with a familiar but sturdy setup: the CIA needs one more mission from a man who is done being useful to them. Ryker is sent toward a dangerous country, a potentially world-changing weapon, and a friend who is being tortured. That gives the book its two-track momentum. It is both a rescue story and a stop-the-disaster story, which is a good fit for a lead who is driven as much by loyalty as by professional skill.

The tone here is more straight-ahead than Tumlinson's Dan Kotler or Alex Kayne series. There are fewer puzzles from ancient history and fewer speculative technologies. The energy comes from operations, pursuit, shifting alliances, and the constant question of whether Ryker can finish the job before the people using him decide he has become disposable.

If you want the Kevin Tumlinson side of a harder-edged action collaboration, this is where to look. Start with The Backup Plan. It is built to read fast and hit hard, with just enough emotional weight to keep Ryker from feeling like a generic weapons platform.