Brenna Spector
psychological thriller
Series · thriller
Mike Ford
The Mike Ford series by Matthew Quirk has 2 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The 500 (2012).
- Books
- 2 books
- First published
- 2012
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The 500 (2012) — 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 500
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The 500 - Book 2:
The Directive
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Directive
About the Mike Ford series
Matthew Quirk's debut series follows Mike Ford, a former con artist and thief from a family of grifters who has gone straight and built a career as a Washington lobbyist -- until his brother's arrest pulls him back into using his old skills, this time against the political and financial institutions he now moves among. The 500 introduces Ford at an elite D.C. consulting firm whose partners turn out to be running influence-peddling schemes that reach the White House; The Directive follows him into a heist targeting the Federal Reserve Bank of New York after his brother is coerced into a robbery plot by a criminal syndicate.
Quirk, a former Atlantic staff writer who reported on crime, private military contractors and international gangs before turning to fiction, built the series around the same premise he'd return to in his John Hayes books and later standalones: a protagonist whose particular skill set -- here, a con artist's fluency in reading and manipulating powerful people -- becomes the only tool sharp enough to fight back against institutions abusing real power.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Mike Ford series?
Two: The 500 (2012) and The Directive (2015).
Who is Mike Ford?
A former con artist from a family of grifters who has built a legitimate career as a Washington lobbyist, and finds his old skills pulled back into use against the same institutions he now works for.
Is this connected to Quirk's other series?
No -- separate cast and premise from the John Hayes books and Quirk's later standalone thrillers, though all share his interest in insiders using specialist skills against powerful institutions.
If you like the Mike Ford series
Reading order last verified .