Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wind Chill Factor | 1975 | Thomas Gifford | Buy |
| 2 | The First Sacrifice | 1994 | Thomas Gifford | Buy |
The John Cooper series begins with The Wind Chill Factor, Thomas Gifford’s 1975 debut and biggest commercial success. The novel follows John Cooper as he returns to his family’s Minnesota estate after his brother’s suicide and discovers that his wealthy, respectable family has deep ties to an active Nazi conspiracy. The book was a massive bestseller and put Gifford on the map as a thriller writer.
The First Sacrifice, published in 1994, returns to Cooper nearly two decades later. Set against the backdrop of German reunification, the sequel connects the original conspiracy to new threats emerging in post-Cold War Europe. The long gap between the two books gives the series an unusual structure, allowing Gifford to reflect historical changes in the real world through his fictional framework.