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Quick answer: If you loved John Wick, read Lee Child's Killing Floor, Persuader and Die Trying, then Mark Greaney's The Gray Man, then Vince Flynn's American Assassin and Transfer of Power, and Jack Carr's The Terminal List and Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity. All are stylish thrillers about lone killers and operatives.
John Wick is a film franchise about a retired assassin pulled back into violence. These picks offer the same lone-hero momentum on the page.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | readers who like action |
| The Gray Man | Mark Greaney | Adult | assassin on the run |
| American Assassin | Vince Flynn | Adult | action thrillers |
| The Terminal List | Jack Carr | Adult | revenge thrillers |
| The Bourne Identity | Robert Ludlum | Adult | readers who like action |
| The Day of the Jackal | Frederick Forsyth | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| Transfer of Power | Vince Flynn | Adult | political action |
| Persuader | Lee Child | Adult | Reacher undercover |
| The Lions of Lucerne | Brad Thor | Adult | political action |
| Die Trying | Lee Child | Adult | Reacher series |
| Never Go Back | Lee Child | Adult | a stand-alone feel |
| The Hunt for Red October | Tom Clancy | Adult | readers who like military thrillers |
| Tripwire | Lee Child | Adult | series readers |
| Without Remorse | Tom Clancy | Adult | revenge thrillers |
| Rain Fall | Barry Eisler | Adult | Japanese assassin |
1. Killing Floor by Lee Child
Jack Reacher arrives in a Georgia town and is arrested for murder. The first Reacher novel and a model of the fast thriller.
Best for: readers who like action.
2. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
A rogue assassin is hunted by his former employers. Fast and relentless.
Best for: assassin on the run.
3. American Assassin by Vince Flynn
Mitch Rapp is recruited after a terrorist attack. Action-packed and fast.
Best for: action thrillers.
4. The Terminal List by Jack Carr
A Navy SEAL seeks revenge after his family is killed. Violent and direct.
Best for: revenge thrillers.
5. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
A man with amnesia discovers he is a deadly agent. Fast, with great chases.
Best for: readers who like action.
6. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
An assassin plans to kill French President de Gaulle, and detectives race to stop him. A classic of the genre.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
7. Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn
A counterterrorism hero fights a siege in the White House. Fast and patriotic.
Best for: political action.
8. Persuader by Lee Child
Reacher goes undercover to take down a criminal. Tough and tense.
Best for: Reacher undercover.
9. The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor
A Secret Service agent faces a conspiracy. Quick and high stakes.
Best for: political action.
10. Die Trying by Lee Child
Reacher is kidnapped with a woman FBI agent and a militia plot unfolds. A tense follow-up.
Best for: Reacher series.
11. Never Go Back by Lee Child
Reacher returns to his old unit and faces a charge. A good entry for newcomers.
Best for: a stand-alone feel.
12. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
A Soviet submarine captain defects, and Jack Ryan must figure out why. Tense and technical.
Best for: readers who like military thrillers.
13. Tripwire by Lee Child
A private investigator draws Reacher into a hunt in New York. Fast and clever.
Best for: series readers.
14. Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
A Navy SEAL seeks revenge for his family's murder. Origin story for John Clark.
Best for: revenge thrillers.
15. Rain Fall by Barry Eisler
John Rain, a half-Japanese hitman, is hired in Tokyo. Stylish and well researched.
Best for: Japanese assassin.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with John Wick: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to John Wick. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For lone-hero action, read Killing Floor or The Gray Man. For espionage, try The Day of the Jackal. For revenge thrillers, pick Without Remorse or The Terminal List.
Related: Printable List Of John Grisham Books In Chronological Order · John Sandford Books In Order Printable List
Frequently Asked Questions
What is John Wick?
A film franchise about a retired assassin.
Is there a John Wick novel?
The films are the main works.
What should I read first?
Killing Floor by Lee Child.
Are these violent?
Yes, they are for adults.
What should I read next?
Try The Gray Man.
Which book here is best for Japanese assassin?
Try Rain Fall by Barry Eisler, which suits readers looking for Japanese assassin.
Which book here is best for revenge thrillers?
Try Without Remorse by Tom Clancy, which suits readers looking for revenge thrillers.
Which book here is best for series readers?
Try Tripwire by Lee Child, which suits readers looking for series readers.
Which book here is best for readers who like military thrillers?
Try The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, which suits readers looking for readers who like military thrillers.
Which book here is best for a stand-alone feel?
Try Never Go Back by Lee Child, which suits readers looking for a stand-alone feel.