Joe Ledger Books In Order

Publication Order of Joe Ledger Books

Publication Order of Joe Ledger Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Joe Ledger Anthologies

Well known within literary circles for his unique brand of horror fiction, American author Jonathan Maberry is a well regarded and respected author of horror literature that’s sent shock-waves within the community. Able to create a tense atmosphere, his ability to build both suspense and terror is unparallelled by that of his peers, as his now almost trademarked climb towards to the final climax is almost legendary. Gifted with the talent of hooking his readers in and feeding them with a sense of terror, he’s able to subtly place pressure upon the audience that’s not too overwrought, yet able to create uneasy tension and atmosphere at the same time. His writing career has run for a number of years now and surpassed many of his contemporaries in the field as well, giving him a distinctive voice that’s drawn back not only the public, but critics as well.

In the past he has been known for his warmly received young adult novels too, such as his Benny Imura series which is already gaining a large amount of acclaim. Often overlooked though is his Joe Ledger collection of books that have been garnering a respectable amount of attention as well, as they managed to gain the praise of both critics and the public alike. Featuring the stories accounting the many trials and tribulations of the eponymous hero Joe Ledger, they tell of his many adventures as he deals with a bio-weapon that transforms the innocent into flesh eating zombies. Whilst for many this would come across as another inclusion into the already crowded undead genre, Jonathan Maberry is able to place his own idiosyncratic spin on it that manages to create an entirely new and highly distinctive take on it all that has drawn not only fans of the genre, but newcomers as well, something which he will continue to do on into the future.

Patient Zero

First published on the third of March, 2009, this was to be the book that was to start it all and introduce the character of Joe Ledger to his now highly considerable fan-base. Gaining awards over the years, it has managed to create an interest in the genre previously unforeseen, as it builds the atmosphere and tension which audiences have now come to expect from the series. Setting up the principle cast of characters, it establishes the core narrative of what’s to come and what people should be expecting from the series as a whole.

Joe Ledger himself is an ever resourceful detective who is able to make the most out of a bad situation and use the environment around him to keep surviving. Faced with dangerous odds and insurmountable pressure that most normal person would buckle under, he always manages to see the task through, despite his reservations. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his human foibles either, as he’s constantly grappling with the moral implications of the many decisions he has to make throughout the series of books. Set in America, he works for the US government and is tasked with dealing with the zombie threat that has fallen upon civilization threatening to engulf everyone. While this may be intimidating at first for him, he finds that he has to rise to the challenge despite the odds and save humanity and civilization as he knows it. Although many might feel overwhelmed by these insurmountable odds placed before them, he is able to put aside all his fears and deal with the task in hand, even if he finds it all a little bit daunting to begin with.

Faced with a terrorist plot that threatens to undermine the safety of not only the Unite States of America, but the entire world, Detective Joe Ledger has to deal with the problem head-on as only he knows how. Having built a disease that makes sure its victims die from as their physical body expires, they are then re-animated shortly after as the living dead, as they have an incapacitated mental state. The disease, or ‘Seif al Din’, is going to be released upon the city of Philadelphia by El Mujahid and it is up to Joe Ledger to prevent this from happening before it is etoo late. Will he be able to stop their nefarious plans to release the deadly Prion disease onto the population of Philadelphia endangering the fate of the world and humanity in the process? Can he find out why they are doing this and what their reasons are for creating such a deadly and evil terror, the like of which civilization has never previously known? What will become of detective Joe Ledger as he goes up his greatest challenge yet whilst finding out who exactly is the one known as Patient Zero?

The Dragon Factory

Originally published on the first of January, 2010, this was the book that was to follow up the first, it being the sequel that brought the audience further into the world of Joe Ledger. Establishing a newer style and tone, it created a somewhat different and darker perspective on what was to come for the eponymous detective. Setting up a new story as well, it managed to create a variety of new elements that further enhanced the overall running narrative arc of the series.

Going up against a set of geneticists determined to see to it that world domination is theirs, two opposing forces are set to fight each other with their armies for dominance. Having created a super-race one aims to continue the work of the evil Josef Mengele as he wants to build his master race, whilst the other is hoping to construct a group of transgenic monsters. Leading the legendary Echo Team though is none other than Joe Ledger who aims to put a stop to their nefarious plans and defeat both sides for good. Will he be able to stop them? Can he survive this ordeal? What will become of him and the Dragon Factory?

The Joe Ledger Series

Running over a course of six novels so far, there are also two more set to arrive in the years to come, as the series grows rapidly from strength-to-strength. With a television series set to be produced as well by the ABC studios, it appears that there is a lot more potential for this particular franchise to continue to expand. As it gains both critical and commercial success it should continue to garner attention both nationally and internationally and this looks set to carry on into the foreseeable future.