About Stephen Leather
Born in 1956, Stephen Leather is one of the most popular and renowned British thriller authors. With a background in journalism, Leather has the knowledge, expertise and experience to write on subjects of international intrigue such as: espionage, terrorism and international crime. Leather was born in Manchester, England and attended Manchester Grammar School before graduating from Bath University. Contrary to many other writers and journalists who studied writing or communication, Leather graduated from Bath University with a BSc in Biochemistry. After college, Leather is employed at the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) as a biochemist. While employed at ICI, Leather was exposed to chemicals, incidents and stories that became the plot lines for many of his books. In addition to working
Publication Order of Spider Shepherd Books
24 books in seriesPublication Order
- Hard Landing(2004)
- Soft Target(2005)
- Cold Kill(2006)
- Hot Blood(2007)
- Dead Men(2008)
- Live Fire(2009)
- Rough Justice(2010)
- Fair Game(2011)
- False Friends(2012)
- True Colours(2013)
- White Lies(2014)
- Black Ops(2015)
- Dark Forces(2016)
- Light Touch(2017)
- Tall Order(2018)
Publication Order of Spider Shepherd Short Stories/Novellas
14 books in seriesPublication Order
- Friendly Fire(2012)
- Dead Drop(2013)
- Hard Targets(2013)
- Kill Zone(2013)
- Natural Selection(2013)
- Warning Order(2013)
- Hostile Territory(2013)
- Rough Diamonds(2013)
- Narrow Escape(2014)
- Personal Protection(2014)
- More Short Fuses(2014)
- The Rope(2015)
- Planning Pack(2015)
- Remote Control(2015)
Chronological Order of Spider Shepherd Short Stories/Novellas
14 books in seriesPublication Order
- Hard Targets(2013)
- Natural Selection(2013)
- Narrow Escape(2014)
- Warning Order(2013)
- Hostile Territory(2013)
- Personal Protection(2014)
- The Rope(2015)
- Planning Pack(2015)
- Friendly Fire(2012)
- Dead Drop(2013)
- Kill Zone(2013)
- Rough Diamonds(2013)
- More Short Fuses(2014)
- Remote Control(2015)
Publication Order of Spider Shepherd SAS Books
5 books in seriesPublication Order
- The Sandpit(2016)
- Moving Targets(2018)
- Russian Roulette(2021)
- Drop Zone(2022)
- Baltic Black Ops(2023)
Publication Order of Lex Harper Books
3 books in seriesPublication Order
- Takedown(2017)
- Plausible Deniability (Short Story)(2019)
- Breakout(2020)
Publication Order of Jack Nightingale Books
13 books in seriesPublication Order
- Nightfall(2010)
- Midnight(2011)
- Nightmare(2012)
- Nightshade(2013)
- Lastnight(2014)
- San Francisco Night(2014)
- New York Night(2015)
- Tennessee Night(2018)
- New Orleans Night(2021)
- Las Vegas Night(2022)
- Rio Grande Night(2022)
- Houston Night(2025)
- Chicago Night(2026)
Publication Order of Jack Nightingale Short Stories/Novellas
20 books in seriesPublication Order
- Cursed(2011)
- Still Bleeding(2012)
- My Name Is Lydia(2014)
- Tracks(2014)
- I Know Who Did It(2015)
- The Whisper Man(2015)
- Children of the Dark(2016)
- The Creeper(2017)
- The Asylum(2017)
- The Undead(2017)
- The Doll(2017)
- The Mansion(2017)
- Wrong Turn(2017)
- The Cards(2017)
- Possession(2017)
Publication Order of Inspector Zhang Books
7 books in seriesPublication Order
- Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish(2011)
- Inspector Zhang and the Dead Thai Gangster(2011)
- Inspector Zhang and the Falling Woman(2011)
- Inspector Zhang and the Disappearing Drugs(2011)
- Inspector Zhang and The Perfect Alibi(2012)
- Inspector Zhang Goes To Harrogate(2012)
- Inspector Zhang and the Island of the Dead(2013)
Publication Order of Asian Heat Books
4 books in seriesPublication Order
- Banging Bill's Wife(2012)
- The Alphabet Game(2012)
- The Pregnant Wife(2012)
- The Threesome(2012)
Publication Order of Mike Cramer Books
4 books in seriesPublication Order
- The Chinaman / The Foreigner(1992)
- The Long Shot(1995)
- The Double Tap(1996)
- The Chinaman: The 1992 Breakout Thriller From Stephen Leather(2023)
Publication Order of Matt Standing Books
4 books in seriesPublication Order
- Last Man Standing(2019)
- Standing Alone(2022)
- Still Standing(2023)
- Standing Strong(2024)
Publication Order of Richard Yokely Short Stories/Novellas
2 books in seriesPublication Order
- Rogue Warrior(2019)
- The Chase(2022)
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
29 books in seriesPublication Order
- Pay Off(1987)
- The Fireman(1989)
- Hungry Ghost(1991)
- The Vets(1993)
- The Birthday Girl(1996)
- The Solitary Man(1997)
- The Tunnel Rats(1998)
- The Bombmaker(1999)
- The Stretch(2000)
- Tango One(2002)
- The Eyewitness(2004)
- Private Dancer(2005)
- Dreamer's Cat(2010)
- Once Bitten(2010)
- The Basement(2010)
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
4 books in seriesPublication Order
- Short Fuses(2012)
- The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang(2014)
- Nightingale - A Short Story Collection(2017)
- Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection(2018)
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
1 books in seriesPublication Order
- Confessions of a Bangkok Private Eye(2006)
Publication Order of Anthologies
2 books in seriesPublication Order
- Death Toll(2013)
- Death Toll 2(2013)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stephen Leather?
Stephen Leather is a bestselling author known for 16 book series. Their work has captivated millions of readers worldwide with compelling characters and intricate plots.
What is the best Stephen Leather book series to start with?
We recommend starting with Publication Order of Spider Shepherd Books as it is one of the most popular and longest-running series by this author.
How many books has Stephen Leather written?
Stephen Leather has written over 150 books across 16 different series, making them one of the most prolific authors in their genre.