Order of Steve Berry Books

Imagine spending thirty years building a respectable life as a trial lawyer, battling in courtrooms, cross-examining witnesses, and juggling motions—only to wake up one day and decide, “You know what? I think I’ll try rewriting history instead.”

That’s exactly what Steve Berry did.

Born on September 2, 1955, in the quiet town of Atlanta, Georgia—yes, the land of peaches, southern charm, and now, espionage-driven historical thrillers—Steve Berry wasn’t exactly raised in a world of conspiracy theories and ancient relics. No secret societies tapped on his window at midnight. No dusty old map fell into his lap. What he did have, though, was a sharp mind, an unrelenting curiosity, and a thirst for stories that dared to ask, “But what if history lied?”

Berry graduated from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law and practiced law for over three decades, crafting airtight arguments and presenting logical truths. But behind that courtroom facade was a man obsessed with the mysteries of the past. While most of us were binging true crime documentaries, Berry was scribbling alternate timelines and decoding ancient political secrets in the margins of legal briefs.

He wasn’t just a lawyer. He was a literary time traveler in disguise.

It took 12 years and 85 rejections before Steve Berry finally got his first book published. Let that sink in. Eighty-five rejections. That’s the kind of persistence that makes even the most dramatic hero arcs in his novels seem tame. But Berry wasn’t writing for the glory—he was writing because the stories wouldn’t leave him alone.

His breakthrough came in 2003 with "The Amber Room," and readers instantly felt the electric blend of fact and fiction—like Dan Brown had collided with Indiana Jones and invited John Grisham to dinner. His novels are equal parts archaeological dig, high-stakes thriller, and historical "what-if" puzzles that make you question everything you thought you knew about the world’s greatest events.

Berry’s most iconic creation, Cotton Malone, is a former U.S. Justice Department operative turned rare-book dealer (because who doesn’t want to go from gunfights to Gutenberg?). Through Malone’s globe-trotting escapades, Berry spins tales of Vatican secrets, lost royal bloodlines, and ancient libraries that could change the future.

But what makes Berry truly dangerous—as a writer, of course—is his masterful use of real history. Every location, artifact, and historical event you find in a Steve Berry book has roots in reality. He doesn’t just make things up; he exposes truths hiding in plain sight. And just when you think, “Nah, this can’t be real,” you flip to the author’s note at the end—and boom—he hits you with "This part actually happened."

It’s ironic, really. A man who spent decades upholding truth in courtrooms is now bending history to entertain millions. But make no mistake—Berry’s heart beats for truth. He even co-founded History Matters, a foundation that helps preserve endangered historic treasures around the world. Because to him, the past isn't just a story—it's a responsibility.

Despite his success (over 25 million books sold in 40+ languages), Steve Berry isn’t a household name in the way he deserves to be. He doesn’t crave the spotlight. He prefers to let the secrets in his books do the talking.

And that, dear reader, is the catch.

Because once you read one Steve Berry novel, you’ll find yourself down a rabbit hole so deep, you’ll be googling Templar conspiracies at 3 a.m., double-checking that your history teacher didn’t miss something, and whispering to yourself, “Could this actually be true?”

It’s not just fiction.

It’s Berry-fied history—and it’s never what you expect.