Ben Driskill Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Assassini |
1990 |
Buy |
| Saint’s Rest |
1996 |
Buy |
John Cooper Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Wind Chill Factor |
1975 |
Buy |
| The First Sacrifice |
1994 |
Buy |
Lew Cassidy Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Kiss Me Once |
1986 |
Buy |
| Kiss Me Twice |
1988 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Benchwarmer Bob |
1974 |
Buy |
| Historical Description of the Zetland Islands |
1977 |
Buy |
| Charlie Myers |
1998 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Cavanaugh Quest |
1976 |
Buy |
| The Man from Lisbon |
1977 |
Buy |
| The Glendower Legacy |
1978 |
Buy |
| Hollywood Gothic |
1979 |
Buy |
| Woman in the Window |
1984 |
Buy |
| Guilty Parties |
1985 |
Buy |
| The Saberdene Variations |
1987 |
Buy |
| Suspense is Killing Me |
1990 |
Buy |
| Praetorian |
1993 |
Buy |
Thomas Gifford wrote large-scale thrillers that blended historical research with suspense plotting. His debut novel The Wind Chill Factor, published in 1975, became a major bestseller with its story of a man drawn into a vast Nazi conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of power. The book established Gifford’s approach: big casts, multiple locations, real historical events woven into fictional plots, and a willingness to let his stories run to considerable length.
His other major work, The Assassini, published in 1990, takes on the Catholic Church, following a man who investigates the murder of his sister, a nun, and uncovers a centuries-old secret society within the Vatican. The book is long, complex, and packed with historical detail about the Church’s darker chapters. Gifford also wrote the Lew Cassidy detective novels and several standalone thrillers, including Praetorian, a World War II espionage novel.
Gifford died in 2000, and his books have gone in and out of print since then. Readers who enjoy the large-canvas conspiracy thrillers of writers like Ken Follett or Robert Harris will find Gifford’s work fits comfortably in that tradition, with a particular flair for weaving real history into fictional conspiracies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Thomas Gifford written?
Thomas Gifford has written eighteen books across five series.
What was Thomas Gifford's first book?
Thomas Gifford’s first book is Benchwarmer Bob, published in 1974.
What is Thomas Gifford's most famous novel?
The Wind Chill Factor, published in 1975, is his most famous book. The thriller about a man who discovers a secret Nazi conspiracy operating from within his own family became a bestseller and established Gifford as a major voice in conspiracy fiction.