Jack Noble
thriller
Series · thriller
John Milton
The John Milton series by Mark Dawson has 28 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Cleaner (2013). The next book, Dope, is due 17 December 2026.
- Books
- 27 novels + 1 novella
- First published
- 2013
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Cleaner (2013) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Cleaner
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cleaner - Book 2:
Saint Death
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Saint Death - Book 3:
1,000 Yards
Alternative text for cover: Cover of 1,000 Yards - Book 4:
The Driver
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Driver - Book 5:
Ghosts
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ghosts - Book 6:
The Sword of God
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sword of God - Book 7:
Tarantula
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tarantula - Book 8:
Salvation Row
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Salvation Row - Book 9:
Headhunters
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Headhunters - Book 10:
The Ninth Step
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Ninth Step - Book 11:
The Jungle
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Jungle - Book 12:
Blackout
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blackout - Book 13:
The Alamo
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Alamo - Book 14:
Redeemer
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Redeemer - Book 15:
Sleepers
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sleepers - Book 16:
Twelve Days
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Twelve Days - Book 17:
Bright Lights
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bright Lights - Book 18:
The Man Who Never Was
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Man Who Never Was - Book 19:
Killa City
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killa City - Book 20:
Ronin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ronin - Book 21:
Never Let Me Down Again
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Let Me Down Again - Book 22:
Bulletproof
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bulletproof - Book 23:
The Sandman
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sandman - Book 24:
Uppercut
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Uppercut - Book 25:
Bloodlands
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bloodlands - Book 26:
Vultures
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Vultures - Book 27:
The Hanging Tree
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hanging Tree - Book 28:
Clearwater
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Clearwater
About the John Milton series
John Milton was Special Forces before he became Number One -- the lead assassin of Group Fifteen, a deniable British government kill squad -- until a job in Manila broke something in him and he walked away. Mark Dawson's series, launched independently in 2013 with The Cleaner, follows Milton as he tries to atone through a strict personal code (help someone in genuine trouble, then move on before he's found) while his old employers, and the enemies his past has made, keep dragging him back into violence. Each book drops him into a new city and a new innocent's crisis -- Mexican cartels, human trafficking rings, corrupt police, Group Fifteen's own internal politics -- while a slow-burn thread about his attempts at sobriety and redemption runs underneath.
Dawson self-published The Cleaner in 2013 after a first career as a lawyer, and built John Milton into one of the best-selling independent thriller series in the UK, with the character eventually crossing over into three more Dawson series (Beatrix Rose, Isabella Rose, and the Group Fifteen Files) set in the same universe. The books lean hard into globe-trotting, high-body-count action -- closer to a men's-adventure paperback tradition updated for the ebook era than to a literary thriller -- and Dawson has kept up a rapid release pace, publishing well over two books a year across most of the 2010s and 2020s.
Frequently asked questions
How many John Milton books are there?
28 have been published as of this curation (August 2026), including the prequel novella 1,000 Yards; a further title, Dope, is scheduled for December 2026.
What order should I read the John Milton series in?
Publication order, starting with The Cleaner (2013). Most cases are self-contained, but Milton's backstory and relationships build cumulatively.
Is John Milton connected to Mark Dawson's other series?
Yes -- Beatrix Rose, Isabella Rose, and the Group Fifteen Files are set in the same fictional world and share Group Fifteen as a common thread, though each is tracked as its own series in this catalogue.
Are The Hanging Tree and The Butcher the same book?
Yes -- The Butcher was an earlier working title for the 2025 novel published as The Hanging Tree.
If you like the John Milton series
Reading order last verified .