Playing the Fool Books in Order
Part ofJA Rock Books in OrderBrowse the Playing the Fool books by J.A. Rock in order, with summaries, series background, character details, and a clear starting point.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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Playing the Fool books in publication order
3 books
The Two Gentlemen of Altona
by JA Rock
2014
FBI agent Ryan "Mac" McGuinness is assigned to protect Henry Page, a witness, thief, and master of irritation. Keeping Henry alive becomes harder when a dangerous case and their mutual attraction turn every rule upside down.
Tempest
by JA Rock
2015
Mac's career is in danger, and Henry, Viola, and Mac retreat to his family farm to regroup. With enemies closing in, the unlikely partners must untangle the final pieces of their case and choose what they mean to each other.
The Merchant of Death
by JA Rock
2015
Con man Henry Page goes undercover to investigate a suspicious death at his twin sister's care facility. FBI agent Mac McGuinness is already under pressure, but Henry's scheme may be the key to exposing a larger and deadlier con.
Playing the Fool books in chronological order
The Two Gentlemen of Altona
by JA Rock
2014Playing the Fool, Book 1
The Merchant of Death
by JA Rock
2015Playing the Fool, Book 2
Tempest
by JA Rock
2015Playing the Fool, Book 3
Series background & context
Playing the Fool is a three-book crime-romance series by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry. It pairs a rule-following federal agent with a talented con man who treats rules as useful suggestions. The result is part chase story, part mystery, and part slow-building love story between two men who should probably stay far away from each other.
Ryan "Mac" McGuinness is an FBI agent who likes order, procedure, and plans that do not explode halfway through. Henry Page is a thief, a witness, a liar when necessary, and a man with a strong instinct for survival. When Mac is assigned to keep Henry alive, the job becomes much more complicated than either of them expects.
Mac gets a case. Henry gets involved.
The Two Gentlemen of Altona introduces the pair as Mac tries to protect Henry while working through a dangerous investigation. Their attraction is immediate, but trust is another matter. Henry has good reasons to run, and Mac has good reasons to believe that letting him out of sight is a terrible idea.
In The Merchant of Death, Henry goes undercover to investigate a suspicious death at a care facility connected to his vulnerable twin sister, Viola. Mac is dealing with professional pressure and a threat that could wreck his career. The case forces them to confront what they owe each other and how far they will go to protect Viola.
Tempest brings the larger plot to a head. Mac, Henry, and Viola retreat to Mac's family farm while enemies close in and the case against Mac grows more dangerous. It is the payoff book for both the mystery and the relationship.
The series has a fast, irreverent tone, with Shakespeare references, disguises, criminal schemes, oddball side characters, and plenty of arguments. Beneath the humor, it is interested in the cost of survival. Henry's care for Viola is central, and Mac has to decide whether being a good agent and being a good man always mean the same thing.
Read the trilogy in order. The criminal plot continues directly across all three books, and Mac and Henry's relationship grows through every case. Begin with The Two Gentlemen of Altona.
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