Andrew Watts
Andrew Watts has published 14 books across 3 series. The recommended reading order starts with The War Stage (2016).
Andrew Watts is an American author of action and spy thrillers, and the founder of Severn River Publishing. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2003 and served as a naval officer and helicopter pilot until 2013. His military service included flying counter-narcotic missions in the Eastern Pacific and counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa. He also worked as a flight instructor and managed ship and flight operations while deployed on a nuclear aircraft carrier in the Middle East. Watts made his debut as a published author in 2015 with The War Planners, the first novel in his series of the same name. He now lives with his family in Ohio.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Max Fend Books
- TagsmysteryDescriptionCharles Fend has unveiled the Fend 100, the world's first fully autonomous commercial airliner, promising a new era of AI-piloted flights. The maiden voyage is set to be a grand celebration, but the event is shattered by a mysterious cyber attack that plunges the network into chaos. Suspicion falls on two figures: Pavel Morozov, an ex-KGB agent with ties to Charles' forgotten past, and Charles' own son, Max. Max Fend is caught in a web of conflicting identities. Is he the media's wild playboy heir, or the international criminal the FBI suspects, entangled in Russian espionage? The deepening mystery intensifies when an FBI investigator discovers a top-secret personnel file on Max, one that even the investigator is barred from accessing. GLIDEPATH becomes a desperate race against time to expose the truth before disaster strikes from the sky.Publication date2017
- TagsmysterysuspensethrillerDescriptionA Pakistani intelligence officer secretly communicates with a Mexican drug cartel. A lobbyist is assassinated in the suburbs of Northern Virginia. A US Senator receives death threats from a shadowy group. There is a connection. CIA asset Max Fend has only days to discover what it is. The chase leads him from the Pacific coast of Mexico to the plains of Wisconsin, home of the largest air show in the world. Beneath the drone of old warbirds and sleek aerobatics aircraft, Max and his partner Renee uncover clues that point to a global conspiracy. A conspiracy that traces back to the start of the war in Afghanistan, explains the explosive growth of opioid use around the world, and creeps into the highest halls of power. With the clock ticking down on an ambitious assassination plot, Max and Renee must uncover the truth before it's too late.Publication date2018
- Tags---DescriptionThe world's attention is fixed on a lavish transcontinental air race, a celebration of a new agreement meant to span continents and cultures. Nine national teams are set to traverse the glittering French coast, the sun-drenched Mediterranean, and the historic landscapes of the Middle East, with seven stops planned over a week. The race, designed to culminate in Dubai, will see contestants eliminated at each leg, pushing the limits of speed and endurance. But beneath the spectacle, a darker current flows. When intelligence reveals an infamous contract killer has been dispatched to sabotage the event at any cost, the CIA dispatches operatives Max Fend and Renee into the heart of the competition. Their mission: to foil any assassination attempt amidst the dust storms, sabotage, and hostile acts that soon cloud their vision. As they navigate treacherous skies and clandestine threats across the Mediterranean, Africa, and the Middle East, they discover that race contestants harbor fatal secrets, each step a potential miscalculation that could send them crashing to their deaths.Publication date2022
Order of The Firewall Spies Books
- Tags---DescriptionWhen a top scientist at Pax AI, a Silicon Valley company at the forefront of breakthrough technology, is murdered at a prestigious tech conference, the list of suspects includes company executives and foreign spies. CIA officer Colt McShane is assigned to a joint counterintelligence unit in San Francisco, tasked with uncovering a mole believed to be stealing classified technology. His mission: use his past relationship with Pax AI executive Ava Klein to infiltrate the company's inner circle. As Colt delves into Pax AI's classified programs, he uncovers the immense power—and danger—of their new technology. The struggle for AI dominance intensifies, pushing factions toward desperate measures. With spies and secrets on every side, Colt must navigate a treacherous landscape where the fight for absolute power promises only one winner. Whose side will prevail, and what truths will be revealed?Publication date2021
- TagscrimemysteryDescriptionAs superpowers race to control the world’s most powerful technology, Chinese and American intelligence officers play a daring game of spy versus spy. Genius tech CEO Jeff Kim has discovered that the ultrawealthy Hawkinson family stole his advanced AI prediction technology, a cornerstone he planned to use to rebuild his life’s work. To solve his problem, Kim reaches out to Liu, a Chinese intelligence officer stationed in the US and tasked with critical economic espionage operations. Beijing is pressuring Liu intensely; China’s AI advancements are lagging, threatening economic collapse and potential citizen revolt, so gaining the code to the new American AI prediction technology is imperative. Liu’s investigation into the Hawkinson operation reveals a shocking truth: the Americans have placed a spy within the family’s inner circle. This revelation sparks an ambitious espionage operation for the MSS, requiring the activation of China’s crown jewel—a sleeper agent placed so high in the US government they will have access to all of America’s most classified information. But CIA officers Colt McShane and Fred Ford have caught wind of China’s plan. They must find the sleeper agent before their own is identified and killed. Which spy will be caught first?Publication date2022
- Tags---DescriptionThe death of an undercover Mossad agent on a private Caribbean island ignites a high-stakes conflict. Washington, Tel Aviv, and Moscow are alerted. The island belongs to Guy Hawkinson, CEO of Hawk Enterprises and scion of a powerful family. Israeli Intelligence Officer Ava Klein is dispatched to Washington to infiltrate Hawkinson's inner circle. Meanwhile, CIA officer Colt McShane must avoid Ava, a former love interest, and recruit a young female veteran with a machine learning background. A Russian SVR chief offers counterintelligence to the Hawkinsons. Each side engages in dangerous espionage for technological supremacy. With foreign agents and private security eliminating threats, any misstep is fatal.Publication date2022
- Tags---DescriptionWhen catastrophic cyberattacks cripple American infrastructure, tracing the digital fingerprints back to Russia plunges the world to the brink of World War III. The Folsom Dam collapses, flooding Sacramento, and a second strike on the Eastern Seaboard exposes the nation's digital vulnerability. The Firewall Spies are deployed to find the true aggressor, but as US retaliation looms, CIA Case Officer Colt McShane suspects a third party is manipulating events to ignite a global conflict. Leading his team into a dangerous game of covert action, McShane races against time to expose the truth before nuclear war becomes inevitable. Who is truly pulling the strings in this tournament of shadows, and can they be stopped before the world is consumed by fire?Publication date2023
- Tags---DescriptionA techno-terrorist group, Archon, has developed a technology that can break any encryption. Humanity's secrets are exposed, and global order is threatened. CIA officer Colt McShane plans to infiltrate Archon and find a kill switch, but his target is assassinated before he can act. Someone else is eliminating the terrorists and their technology. Are they allies, or a new danger? Aided by Ava Klein of the covert organization Trinity, Colt must evade terrorists, government agents, and even former allies. In a world built on secrets, absolute truth could be the greatest destruction of all.Publication date2024
Order of The War Planners Books
- Tags---DescriptionThe US Navy destroyer sank the Iranian patrol craft. Tensions between the two nations are soaring when a politician from Iran makes a secret call to the CIA with a chilling revelation about the Chinese. Tasked with uncovering the truth in the Middle East is Chase Manning, a rugged ex-SEAL. He must race against time, battling assassins and unraveling layers of intrigue. But Chase makes a devastating discovery: his own brother, David Manning, is at the heart of the conspiracy.Publication date2016
- TagsmysterysuspensethrillerDescriptionA nation stands on the brink of war, with a conspiracy threatening the globe, and the Manning family, a military unit, is caught in the middle fighting for freedom. While the United States prepares for conflict with Iran, Chinese billionaire Cheng Jinshan and his spy Lena Chou move their pieces, orchestrating a plan for World War III. Deception and misinformation run rampant, and not everyone believes China will attack. To save America, a secretive task force is formed within the CIA, tasked with thwarting Jinshan's plans and exposing the truth. Each Manning family member plays a vital role: David joins the CIA task force, Chase teams with a US Marine Corps special operations unit, Admiral Manning leads the advanced USS Ford Carrier Strike Group, and Lieutenant Commander Victoria Manning commands a helicopter detachment on the USS Farragut, the lone vessel standing between China and an onslaught. They must navigate a world of lies and pulse-pounding action to prevent global catastrophe.Publication date2017
- Tags---DescriptionTensions run high between the United States and China. North Korea's belligerence only escalates the danger. As the US military and intelligence community brace for conflict, Chinese politicians play a deadly game. From a secretive Pacific island to the Middle East, from China's alleyways to a US Navy destroyer, members of the military and intelligence community uncover a plot. It's a Chinese plan to ignite a world war and attack America. The War Planners series delivers electrifying action, compelling characters, and unpredictable twists in a conflict that feels frighteningly real.Publication date2017
- Tags---DescriptionFrom the dense, secretive jungles of a Pacific island to the smog-choked alleyways of China, the world stands on the precipice of global conflict. The balance of power has irrevocably shifted, and the next world war is no longer a possibility, but an imminent reality. An elite group of American military and intelligence personnel have been brought together, tasked with a mission of unimaginable consequence: to uncover a Chinese plot aimed at igniting a world war and launching a direct assault on America. Technologist David Manning, whose work at the CIA's private equity firm usually involves routine research into new technologies, finds his life upended when he is forcibly recruited into this clandestine operation. Blindfolded and whisked away to a remote island, he joins a team of experts assembled by the beautiful and deadly agent Lena Chou. Their purpose: to draw up the war plans. But as Manning delves deeper, a chilling discovery emerges: not everyone on the team intends for America to win. Across the globe, the stakes escalate from the sands of the Middle East to the decks of a US Navy destroyer. A controversial incident in the Persian Gulf sends tensions soaring, while a secret revelation involving China hints at a far more complex and dangerous conspiracy. As Manning races against time, he must navigate betrayal within his own ranks and confront a growing threat that could engulf the world.Publication date2017
- Tags---DescriptionWhen the Chinese military launches a surprise attack on the United States, the world is thrown into chaos, and the Manning family is scattered across the globe, each fighting to defend America. Admiral Manning commands the USS FORD carrier strike group near Midway, while CIA operative Chase Manning is tasked with fighting a lethal unit of Chinese special forces on American soil. Far from the front lines, LCDR Victoria Manning hunts submarines off the coast of Guam, and intelligence analyst David Manning races to decipher the enemy's plans. President Cheng Jinshan and his deadly operative Lena Chou have set their plans in motion, unleashing a gargantuan Chinese fleet armed with new technology. As two superpowers collide, the Mannings must draw on all their skill, courage, and cunning to navigate the unfolding conflict and fight for the day.Publication date2019
- Tags---DescriptionA year has passed since China's surprise attack plunged America into chaos. EMP and cyber weapons silenced cities, anti-ship missiles crippled the Pacific fleet, and a nuclear strike, triggered by misinformation, echoed across the globe. The war has since cooled, leaving vast oceans between the superpowers. China's strategy of political and economic siege is tightening its grip on America. But the quiet is deceptive. Chinese President Jinshan, with only months left to live, prepares for a final, massive military transit across the Pacific, aiming for American soil. In the shadows of this impending assault, a secretive CIA-Pentagon team, including analyst David Manning, races to find a winning strategy. His siblings, Victoria Manning, a navy helicopter commander, and Chase Manning, operating in contested territories, are drawn into the escalating conflict. Meanwhile, Lena Chou remains a prisoner on an American base. As time dwindles and the threat looms, victory will demand more than advanced technology or sheer courage. It will require a plan.Publication date2020
Frequently Asked Questions about Andrew Watts
Andrew Watts writes action and spy thrillers, often featuring military and naval backgrounds. His debut novel, The War Planners, published in 2015, launched a series of the same name. All of the books in The War Planners series follow a chronological order. To best experience the narrative arc and character development, readers should begin with the first book, The War Planners, and proceed through the series in the order of publication. This approach allows for a full understanding of the ongoing plots and the evolution of the characters throughout their missions and assignments.
To begin reading Andrew Watts, start with The War Planners, published in 2015. This novel is the first in the series of the same name and introduces readers to the action and spy thriller elements that characterize his work. Watts's background as a naval officer and helicopter pilot informs the authentic settings and scenarios in his books. Reading The War Planners first will provide a solid foundation for understanding the subsequent books in the series, allowing for a natural progression through the storylines and character arcs.
Andrew Watts is best known for The War Planners series. The books within this series are intended to be read in chronological order. Each novel continues the narrative and character development from the previous installment. Therefore, to fully appreciate the storylines and the progression of events, it is recommended to read them in the order they were published, starting with The War Planners. Reading out of order may result in confusion regarding plot points and character relationships.
Andrew Watts primarily writes series, most notably The War Planners series. This series follows a continuous narrative with recurring characters and plotlines that develop over multiple books. While he has established himself with this series, the focus is on sequential storytelling within that framework. Readers looking for his work will find a cohesive world built across the books in this series, designed for a reading experience that progresses from one title to the next.
Information about the total number of books Andrew Watts has written is not available at this time. His published work to date includes The War Planners series, which began with the novel of the same name in 2015. Details regarding the full extent of his bibliography, including any standalone novels or future series, are not currently provided. Readers interested in his work can begin with The War Planners.
The first book Andrew Watts wrote and published is The War Planners, released in 2015. This novel marked his debut as an author and initiated the series that shares its title. The book draws on Watts's background as a naval officer and helicopter pilot, embedding authentic details into its action and spy thriller narrative. It serves as the starting point for readers who wish to follow the chronological progression of his work.
Information regarding Andrew Watts's most recent book is not available at this time. His known published work includes The War Planners series, which began with the novel The War Planners in 2015. Details about subsequent releases or any new projects are not provided here. Readers interested in his existing work can start with the first book in The War Planners series.
Andrew Watts writes action and spy thrillers. His novels often incorporate elements drawn from his experience as a naval officer and helicopter pilot, featuring military and naval settings. The narratives typically involve high-stakes missions and espionage. Readers can expect fast-paced plots with a focus on tactical operations and international intrigue, reflecting the author's background.
Joe Weber
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Peter Kirsanow
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We verified the reading order for Andrew Watts's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Andrew Watts Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/andrew-watts