Douglas Preston Books in Order

This reading order guide provides the complete list of Douglas Preston books in order, from the very first to the latest, so you won’t miss anything!

Douglas Preston is an American author who writes thrillers with science, mystery and adventure. He never grew up wanting to be a writer but his life was already full of stories. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and grew up in Wellesley, a quiet town with lots of space to explore. He wasn’t the best student. In fact he almost got kicked out of school more than once. But somehow he finished high school at the Cambridge School of Weston with plenty of weird memories to take with him.

As a kid Douglas was full of energy and curiosity. He and his brother Richard (who also became a writer) liked to build rockets, do science experiments and sometimes scare their neighbors with loud bangs or strange smells from their home lab. Their favorite toys were chemistry sets and they ordered parts for their inventions from ads in comic books. It sounds like a movie but it was just their normal life.

Douglas wanted to go to Stanford but for some reason he didn’t get in. So he went to Pomona College in California to study English literature. That turned out to be a great decision. He loved reading and learning about how stories work. After college he got a job at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. That’s where his writing career really began.

He wrote a nonfiction book called Dinosaurs in the Attic based on his time at the museum. During that project he met Lincoln Child, a young editor at the time. The two became friends and later started writing novels together. One day while giving Lincoln a tour of the museum Douglas had the idea for a thriller. That’s where The Relic was born, the first book in the now famous Agent Pendergast series.

The Relic was a big success. Readers loved the creepy story, the science and especially the mysterious FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast. Douglas and Lincoln kept writing together and created many more books in the same series. The Agent Pendergast novels are now some of the most popular thrillers in modern fiction.After a few years in New York Douglas moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He wanted to write full time. But he didn’t just sit and type. He liked to be out in the world. He once rode more than 1,000 miles on horseback with photographer Walter Nelson. They followed the path of old explorers through the American Southwest. That trip became the book Cities of Gold which was a mix of travel, history and personal stories.

Douglas has written over 35 books. Some alone, some with Lincoln Child. His other series like Wyman Ford and Nora Kelly mix science, history and danger. His stories often involve ancient secrets, strange discoveries and the darker parts of human nature.

But Douglas isn’t just a fiction writer. He’s also a journalist and a real-life explorer. He’s been deep in the jungles of Cambodia looking for lost cities and was one of the first people to enter a newly discovered tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, National Geographic and Smithsonian. He writes about archaeology, paleontology and hidden history.

In the writing world he’s respected not only for his books but also for helping others. He co-founded International Thriller Writers and was part of Authors United, a group that supported independent authors during tough times in the publishing world. He’s won several awards and even got an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Pomona College.

Today Douglas splits his time between New Mexico and Maine. When he’s not working on a new book he enjoys hiking in the mountains, skiing or just being outdoors. Nature is still a big part of his life and often shows up in his writing.

What makes Douglas Preston’s books special is that they always have a sense of mystery and wonder. Whether you’re following Agent Pendergast through a dark museum or discovering secrets buried in the desert his stories pull you in. They’re smart, exciting and full of surprises. And behind them all is a writer who’s just as curious about the world as the characters he creates.