Matthew Riley's Bibliography: What's Worth Reading
Matthew Reilly bibliography: all published works
Matthew Reilly's bibliography spans stand-alone thrillers, long-running series fiction, children's adventure, novellas, and short stories, with titles published from 1996 through 2025. The core list most readers want includes Contest, Temple, the Shane Schofield and Jack West Jr series, Hover Car Racer, Troll Mountain, The Tournament, The Great Zoo of China, The Secret Runners of New York, Cobalt Blue, Mr Einstein's Secretary, and The Detective.
Published works overview
Reilly is best known for fast-paced action fiction, and reference listings show a body of work organized by series as well as by standalone title. His publishing history began with Contest in 1996, which was self-published before he moved into mainstream publication, and later expanded into multiple international bestsellers.
| Category | Representative titles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone novels | Contest; Temple; The Great Zoo of China; Cobalt Blue; Mr Einstein's Secretary; The Detective | Includes early and recent solo novels. |
| Shane Schofield series | Ice Station; Area 7; Scarecrow; Hell Island; Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves / Scarecrow Returns | Military-thriller sequence centered on Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield. |
| Jack West Jr series | Seven Ancient Wonders / 7 Deadly Wonders; The Six Sacred Stones; The Five Greatest Warriors; The Four Legendary Kingdoms; The Three Secret Cities; The Two Lost Mountains; The One Impossible Labyrinth | Adventure series with ancient-world and puzzle-driven plots. |
| Children's / YA | Hover Car Racer; Crash Course; Full Throttle; Photo Finish; Troll Mountain | Includes the hover-racing trilogy and the Troll Mountain project. |
| Short fiction / novellas | Rewind; The Mine; A Bad Day at Fort Bragg; Altitude Rush; The Rock Princess and the Thriller Writer; Time Tours; The Dead Prince; Complex 13 | Shorter-form works and online stories listed in bibliographies. |
Chronological bibliography
The following ordered list gives a practical publication-order view of the best-known Matthew Reilly titles, using the consolidated bibliography information available in reference listings.
- Contest (1996, republished in 2000).
- Temple (1999).
- Ice Station (1998).
- Area 7 (2001).
- Scarecrow (2003).
- Hell Island (2005).
- Seven Ancient Wonders / 7 Deadly Wonders (2005).
- The Six Sacred Stones (2007).
- The Five Greatest Warriors (2009).
- Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves / Scarecrow Returns (2011).
- Hover Car Racer compilation and related mini-books Crash Course, Full Throttle, and Photo Finish (mid-2000s).
- The Tournament and related story Roger Ascham And The King's Lost Girl (2013).
- Troll Mountain and its episodic releases (2013-2014).
- The Great Zoo of China (2014).
- The Four Legendary Kingdoms (2016).
- The Three Secret Cities (2018).
- The Secret Runners of New York / The Secret Runners (2019).
- The Two Lost Mountains (2020).
- The One Impossible Labyrinth (2021).
- Cobalt Blue (2022).
- Mr Einstein's Secretary (2023).
- The Detective (2025).
Series breakdown
The Shane Schofield novels are the most clearly defined action-thriller sequence in Reilly's bibliography, beginning with Ice Station and continuing through multiple geopolitical and military suspense installments. The Jack West Jr books are the largest adventure arc, combining high-concept archaeology, global stakes, and serialized plotting across seven novels.
- Shane Schofield: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Hell Island, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves / Scarecrow Returns.
- Jack West Jr: Seven Ancient Wonders / 7 Deadly Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, The Three Secret Cities, The Two Lost Mountains, The One Impossible Labyrinth.
- Standalone fiction: Contest, Temple, The Great Zoo of China, The Secret Runners of New York, Cobalt Blue, Mr Einstein's Secretary, The Detective.
- Children's and crossover titles: Hover Car Racer, Crash Course, Full Throttle, Photo Finish, Troll Mountain.
Publishing context
Reilly's career is often described as a publishing success story because Contest was initially self-published after rejections from major houses, before he later built a large international readership. One reference profile states that his books have been published in more than 20 languages across 20 countries and that total sales exceed seven million copies worldwide, while another interview source places sales at over 3.5 million copies at an earlier point in his career.
"I don't start page one until I know what happens at page 401."
That quote from Reilly captures the architectural style behind his bibliography: tightly plotted novels, large-scale action set pieces, and a strong sense of forward momentum. For readers and librarians, that means the bibliography is best approached in two ways: by publication order for career tracking, or by series order for the clearest reading experience.
Best reading order
If your goal is to read Matthew Reilly efficiently, the most useful approach is to choose between his major series and his standalone novels. The series are more rewarding in order because recurring characters, geopolitical stakes, and long-running mysteries build across books.
- Start with Ice Station if you want the most iconic action-thriller entry point.
- Read the rest of the Shane Schofield books in publication order.
- Move to the Jack West Jr sequence for the largest adventure storyline.
- Choose standalone novels such as Contest, Temple, or The Great Zoo of China if you prefer self-contained stories.
- Use Hover Car Racer or Troll Mountain for younger readers or a faster, lighter entry point.
Frequently asked
Complete title list
A compact title list is often the easiest way to scan a bibliography, especially for readers checking whether they have missed a book in a series. The list below focuses on the best-known published works most commonly associated with Matthew Reilly's name.
- Contest
- Temple
- Ice Station
- Area 7
- Scarecrow
- Hell Island
- Seven Ancient Wonders / 7 Deadly Wonders
- The Six Sacred Stones
- The Five Greatest Warriors
- Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves / Scarecrow Returns
- Hover Car Racer
- The Tournament
- Troll Mountain
- The Great Zoo of China
- The Four Legendary Kingdoms
- The Three Secret Cities
- The Secret Runners of New York
- The Two Lost Mountains
- The One Impossible Labyrinth
- Cobalt Blue
- Mr Einstein's Secretary
- The Detective
For readers, the most useful takeaway is that Matthew Reilly's bibliography is both broad and tightly organized around recurring series, which makes it easy to approach by character, chronology, or genre preference. The publication record also shows an author who moved from self-published beginnings to global thriller prominence, with a long tail of novels still expanding as recently as 2025.
Expert answers to Matthew Rileys Bibliography Whats Worth Reading queries
What is Matthew Reilly's first published book?
His first published book is generally listed as Contest (1996), which was self-published before later republishing.
How many books has Matthew Reilly written?
Reference lists show well over a dozen major novels plus novellas, short stories, and children's titles, with the bibliography continuing through The Detective in 2025.
Which Matthew Reilly series should I read first?
The most common starting point is Ice Station, because it launches the Shane Schofield arc and is widely treated as his breakout thriller.
Are the Jack West Jr books connected?
Yes, the Jack West Jr novels are designed as a connected adventure sequence and are best read in publication order.
Does Matthew Reilly write children's books?
Yes, the bibliography includes Hover Car Racer and related mini-books, along with the fantasy adventure Troll Mountain.