Michael Bennett Books in Order
NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is a widowed father of ten adopted children living in New York City. Balancing the demands of his enormous family with the pressures of investigating the city's most high-profile and dangerous cases, Bennett is one of the NYPD's best detectives. The series combines pulse-pounding crime thrillers with the warmth and chaos of Bennett's extraordinary family life.
Step on a Crack
On the day of a former First Lady's funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a gang of hijackers takes the A-list mourners hostage. NYPD negotiator Michael Bennett must save them while dealing with his own wife's terminal illness.
Published: 2007
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Run for Your Life
A meticulous killer calling himself the Teacher is targeting New York's elite, punishing those he deems rude and arrogant. Bennett must stop the vigilante before the body count rises further.
Published: 2009
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Worst Case
The children of New York's wealthiest families are being kidnapped and forced to answer questions about social inequality. Get the answers wrong and you die.
Published: 2010
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Tick Tock
A terrorist is planting bombs across New York, each more devastating than the last. Bennett races against multiple ticking clocks to save the city from destruction.
Published: 2011
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I, Michael Bennett
Bennett takes on the case against a notorious Mexican drug cartel leader. When the trial goes sideways, Bennett and his family must go into witness protection.
Published: 2012
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Gone
In hiding from the cartel in a small California town, Bennett gets drawn into a local kidnapping case that may be connected to the same dangerous criminals he's fleeing.
Published: 2013
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Burn
Back in New York, Bennett investigates a series of crimes targeting the city's elite, including a kidnapping ring and horrific secret parties where the ultra-rich indulge their darkest impulses.
Published: 2014
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Alert
Two simultaneous attacks—a series of bombings in Manhattan and a deadly sniper shooting—push New York to the brink. Bennett must determine if the attacks are connected before the city descends into chaos.
Published: 2015
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Bullseye
A Russian assassin is in New York targeting world leaders attending the UN General Assembly. Bennett must stop an international conspiracy before it's too late.
Published: 2016
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Haunted
Bennett takes his family on vacation to Maine, only to discover the idyllic town harbors dark secrets. A local murder pulls him into an investigation that puts his entire family at risk.
Published: 2017
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Ambush
An officer is shot in front of Bennett's eyes, and the detective becomes a target himself. A sophisticated criminal organization is hunting cops, and Bennett is next on their list.
Published: 2018
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Blindside
Bennett hunts a dangerous fugitive who has escaped from prison and is leaving a trail of bodies across the country. The chase takes him from New York to the deep South.
Published: 2019
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The Russian
A serial killer with a gruesome signature is murdering young women across the city. Bennett's investigation leads him to a terrifying suspect with connections to organized crime.
Published: 2021
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Obsessed
Bennett faces two baffling cases: a serial killer and a sophisticated jewel thief. When the cases collide, the stakes become deadly.
Published: 2023
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How to Read the Michael Bennett Series
Where to start
Start with Step on a Crack and continue in publication order. Each novel resolves its central investigation, but Bennett's family life and several criminal storylines carry between books. In particular, I, Michael Bennett leads directly into Gone, so those two should not be separated.
Can the books be read as standalones?
An individual case can usually be followed on its own, but publication order gives the clearest version of Bennett's development as an NYPD detective and widowed father of ten. Readers who want a shorter trial run should still begin with Step on a Crack, which establishes both sides of the series.
Editorial note reviewed July 2026.