Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Inside Ring | 2005 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 2 | The Payback | 1994 | Mike Lawson | N/A |
| 3 | The Second Perimeter / The Payback | 2006 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 4 | House Rules / Dead on Arrival | 2008 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 5 | House Rivals | 2015 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 6 | House Secrets | 2009 | Mike Lawson | N/A |
| 7 | House Secrets / Dead Man’s List | 2009 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 8 | House Justice | 2010 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 9 | House Divided | 2011 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 10 | House Blood | 2012 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 11 | House Odds | 2013 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 12 | House Reckoning | 2014 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 13 | House Revenge | 2016 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 14 | House Witness | 2018 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 15 | House Witness: A Joe DeMarco Thriller | 2018 | Mike Lawson | N/A |
| 16 | House Arrest | 2019 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 17 | House Arrest: A Joe DeMarco Thriller | 2019 | Mike Lawson | N/A |
| 18 | House Privilege | 2020 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 19 | House Standoff | 2021 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 20 | Alligator Alley | 2023 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 21 | Kingpin | 2024 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 22 | Ella | 2025 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 23 | Untouchable | 2025 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
| 24 | The Asset | 2026 | Mike Lawson | Buy |
Mike Lawson’s Joe DeMarco series is one of the longer-running political thriller franchises in American fiction. DeMarco works as an off-the-books troubleshooter for the Speaker of the House, handling assignments that need to stay out of the headlines. The series started with The Inside Ring in 2005 and has continued through more than 20 books, with The Asset scheduled for 2026.
The “House” titles that dominate the series (House Rules, House Divided, House Blood, and many more) signal the Washington setting and political focus. Each book typically involves DeMarco investigating something that threatens the Speaker or exposes corruption in the government. Lawson keeps the tone sharp and the pace steady, and his insider knowledge of how Washington operates gives the books an authentic feel. The series has grown darker over time, with DeMarco facing increasingly personal stakes alongside the political ones.