Finding the right Victor the Assassin book order is honestly a bit of a headache because of how Tom Wood’s publishers handled the naming conventions early on. You’ve got the same book floating around with two different titles depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re standing on. It’s annoying. I’ve seen plenty of readers pick up The Killer thinking it’s a sequel to The Hunter, only to realize ten pages in that they are literally the exact same story.
Basically, if you want to experience Victor the way he was meant to be—as a cold, calculating machine who slowly, very slowly, develops a shred of something resembling a soul—you need to stick to the publication order. But even then, there are short stories tucked between the novels that fill in some pretty vital gaps regarding his history and his "friendship" with other recurring characters like Raven.
Why the Victor the Assassin Book Order is So Confusing
The confusion starts right at the beginning. In the UK, the first book was released as The Hunter. In the US? They called it The Killer. Don't ask me why; publishers just love to mess with us. Then it happens again with book four, which goes by No Tomorrow or Better Off Dead.
If you’re just starting, don’t overcomplicate it. Follow the release years. Tom Wood (who actually started out writing under the name Tom Hinshelwood) builds a world where Victor’s reputation grows in the shadows. Reading them out of order ruins the slow-burn realization of just how much the world's intelligence agencies both fear and rely on him.
The Main Series in Chronological Order (Mostly)
- The Hunter (also known as The Killer) – 2010
- The Enemy – 2011
- The Game – 2013
- No Tomorrow (also known as Better Off Dead) – 2014
- The Darkest Day – 2015
- A Time to Die – 2016
- The Final Hour – 2017
- Kill For Me – 2018
- A Quiet Man – 2021
- Traitor – 2022
- Blood Debt – 2023
- Firefight – 2024
- Unlucky for Some – 2025
- No Good Deed – Expected 2026
There’s a massive gap between 2018 and 2021. Real-world stuff happened, but in the books, Victor stays pretty consistent. He’s not like Court Gentry from the Gray Man series. Court gets "softer" as the books go on. Victor? He stays a shark. He might help a kid or a mother in A Quiet Man, but he does it with the same clinical detachment he uses to wire a C4 charge to a car engine.
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Don't Skip the Novellas
Most people ignore the "point five" books. Big mistake.
Bad Luck in Berlin (Book 1.5) is a short story that takes place right after the events of the first book. It’s short, punchy, and shows Victor at his most vulnerable—which isn't very vulnerable at all, but you get the idea.
Then there is Gone by Dawn, which is sometimes labeled as 2.5 or 8.5 depending on which list you find online. Honestly? Read it whenever. It’s an atmospheric piece that highlights the sheer paranoia Victor lives with daily. It’s less about the "hit" and more about the tradecraft.
Why You Should Care About Raven
If you’re deep into the Victor the Assassin book order, you’ll notice a shift around The Darkest Day. That’s where we meet Raven. She’s essentially the female mirror of Victor. In a genre where the "female assassin" is usually a trope-heavy disaster, Wood writes Raven as a genuine threat. Their dynamic is the closest thing this series gets to a romance, which is to say, they mostly just try not to kill each other while occasionally sharing a safehouse.
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The 2026 Landscape for Tom Wood Fans
As of early 2026, the series is still going strong. Unlucky for Some hit the shelves late last year, and it’s one of the more brutal entries. It finds Victor in Malmo, Sweden, and for the first time in a long time, he’s actually on the back foot. He’s wounded, he’s being hunted by a "cleaner" who might actually be better than him, and the pacing is breakneck.
The newest buzz is about No Good Deed. It’s slated for a 2026 release. Rumor has it this one brings back some of the CIA handlers from the early books, specifically the ones who think they can still control him. Good luck with that.
Expert Strategy for Reading the Series
If you want to get the most out of these, stop reading them as "action books" and start looking at them as "procedure books." Tom Wood is obsessed with the how. How do you disappear in a city with a million cameras? How do you kill someone in a locked room without leaving a trace?
- Start with The Hunter/The Killer. Do not skip it. It sets the baseline for Victor's amorality.
- Track the CIA Arc. Books 2 through 4 (The Enemy to No Tomorrow) involve Victor working somewhat "inside" the system. It’s a fascinating look at how a lone wolf survives corporate espionage.
- The Standalone Era. From A Quiet Man onwards, the books feel more like wandering ronin stories. Victor is just moving through the world, and trouble finds him.
Honestly, the best way to handle the Victor the Assassin book order is to buy the first three in a bundle. You’ll know by the end of The Enemy if you’re hooked. Most people are.
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What to Watch Out For
Watch the titles carefully on Kindle. Amazon's algorithm sometimes suggests The Killer as a "New Release" even if you've already bought The Hunter. Always check the publication date or the blurb. If it mentions a job in Paris involving a flash drive, you've already read it.
Also, keep an eye on the TV developments. There have been talks about an adaptation for years—most recently with Matthew Fox attached to a project called The Assassin at Max. If that actually gets off the ground in 2026, expect the book covers to get those annoying "Now a Major Series" stickers that cover up the cool minimalist art.
To get started properly, double-check your current library against the list above to ensure you haven't accidentally skipped the transition from his "freelance" phase to his "CIA-adjacent" phase. Grab a copy of The Hunter if you haven't yet, as it's the only way to understand why Victor refuses to use his real name—assuming he even remembers what it is.