Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rat Trap | 1976 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 2 | Emerald Decision | 1980 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 3 | Moscow Five Thousand | 1980 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 4 | A Wild Justice | 1995 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 5 | That’s Not How It Happened | 2025 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
Craig Thomas wrote thrillers set during the Cold War, with a focus on espionage and military technology. His debut novel Rat Trap (1976) is a standalone thriller that helped establish his career before the publication of Firefox. Emerald Decision and Moscow Five Thousand, both from 1980, continued his exploration of Cold War tensions and international espionage.
A Wild Justice (1995) came later in his career and maintained his interest in political intrigue. Thomas worked as an English teacher before turning to writing full time, and his wife served as his editor. He is often credited as one of the early writers of the techno-thriller genre, publishing in the field years before Tom Clancy’s debut.