The NYPD Red series is a collaborative effort between James Patterson and Marshall Karp.
It follows the cases and investigations of two detectives, Kylie MacDonald and Zack Jordan, who are working for a special task force known as NYPD Red, which works to protect the interests of Manhattan’s wealthiest and most powerful citizens.
In each book, detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan are given a new case. Their job is not just limited to solving the crime but to also rescue people whose lives are at stake.
The series tends to be fast-paced, full of suspense and action, very fun, and super entertaining. The series is well-liked by fans of James Patterson and critics alike who praise the series for its suspenseful build-up and story-building.
| Sl. No. | NYPD Red Series in Order |
|---|---|
| 1) | NYPD Red: A maniac killer targets Hollywood’s biggest stars (2012) |
| 2) | NYPD Red 2: A vigilante killer deals out a deadly type of justice (2014) |
| 3) | NYPD Red 3: A chilling conspiracy – and a secret worth dying for… (2015) |
| 4) | NYPD Red 4: A jewel heist. A murdered actress. A killer case for NYPD Red (2016) |
| 5) | NYPD Red 5, or Red Alert: A shocking attack. A killer with a vendetta. A city on red alert (2018) |
| 6) | NYPD Red 6: A missing bride. A bloodied dress. NYPD Red’s deadliest case yet (2020) |
| 7) | NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority (2022) |
Who are the Main Characters in the NYPD Red Series?
Two of the main protagonists in the NYPD Red book series are Kylie McDonald and Zack Jordan, two detectives with the NYPD Red.
In each book in the NYPD series, McDonald and Jordan are given a unique case to handle where they must investigate a crime and save any innocent person whose life is at stake due to the perpetrator.
Both of these characters tend to be very supportive of each other, in their personal and professional lives. And as the series progresses, they even start developing romantic feelings for each other, which they soon learn impairs their ability to make proper decisions while solving a case.
Who are the Authors of the NYPD Red Series?
James Patterson
James Patterson was born and raised in New York. He belonged to a working-class Irish American family. Before becoming a popular writer, Patterson worked in advertising.
His first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was published in 1976. He has topped Forbes’s list of highest-paid authors with an estimated net worth of $700 million.
Before working as a writer, Patterson worked as an advertising executive. Since 1976, Patterson has written more than 200 novels out of which 114 are New York Times bestselling novels.
Some of his most popular works are Women’s Murder Club, Harriet Blue, Maximum Ride, Instinct, The Postcard Killings, and Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.
Marshall Karp
Marshall Karp was born and raised in New York City. He went to Rutgers University with the plan to become a dentist. However, he notes on his website that after failing freshman biology, he started writing for the school newspaper and fell into advertising. For twenty years, he had a very successful career in advertising.
He then started writing a play, did a stint as a Hollywood producer, and wrote on sitcoms before returning back to advertising, where he realizes that his ultimate dream is to write a book.
Now, Karp has written several books, many of them in collaboration with James Patterson, and lives with his wife, son, daughter, and dog in Hudson Valley.
NYPD Red Series in Order
1) NYPD Red: A maniac killer targets Hollywood’s biggest stars (2012)
NYPD Red is a special task force that is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the interests of Manhattan’s wealthiest and most powerful citizens.
In the first novel, Detective Zach Jordan and his new partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend, are assigned the case of mysterious happenings at the Manhattan Film Festival.
The festival is marred with one tragedy after another, as on the first day a producer is poisoned, a Molotov cocktail is thrown at a movie premiere, and an actor is killed on the set.
It appears that whoever is behind the attack has planned it down to the last detail in an effort to bring New York and Hollywood elites to their knees.
2) NYPD Red 2: A vigilante killer deals out a deadly type of justice (2014)
In the sequel to NYPD Red, a vigilante serial killer is tracking down and murdering people whose crimes have not been punished by the justice system.
As the number of murdered people continues to grow, ordinary New Yorkers rejoice at the idea of justice finally being served.
NYPD Red, the task force assembled to protect the wealthiest and most powerful people in Manhattan, assigns the case to Detective Zach Jordan and his partner Kylie MacDonald after a wealthy woman with several powerful connections disappears.
The detectives must find who is really behind the murder rampage and whether their motives are political or personal.
3) NYPD Red 3: A chilling conspiracy – and a secret worth dying for… (2015)
NYPD Red 3 is the third novel in Marshall Karp and James Patterson’s NYPD Red series. Hunter Alden Jr. is in danger of losing the most important things in his life when his son goes missing and he finds the severed head of his chauffeur.
Whoever the kidnapper is, is aware of a horrific secret that could change the course of the world and will go to great lengths to not only kill for it but also die for it.
Who better to assign to this case than New York’s best detectives, Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald?
4) NYPD Red 4: A jewel heist. A murdered actress. A killer case for NYPD Red (2016)
New York is a city where crime never sleeps and NYPD Red is an elite task force that protects the richest and most powerful people in Manhattan.
Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald are New York City’s best detectives and have been handling such cases for a long time.
However, their efforts to protect the interests of the most influential people in Manhattan have antagonized the same people.
In this book, Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald are called to investigate a murder and robbery during a movie premiere.
The investigation to find the killer leads the two detectives to a celebrity’s penthouse and into the depths of Manhattan’s seedy criminal underbelly.
5) NYPD Red 5, or Red Alert: A shocking attack. A killer with a vendetta. A city on red alert (2018)
NYPD Alert is the fifth book in James Patterson and Marshall Karp’s NYPD Red series.
In this book, a renowned filmmaker is found dead after a sex game goes horribly wrong and at the same time, a bomb explodes at a charity benefit.
Detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan are charged with the responsibility to solve the case.
During the process, they uncover details about corruption, blackmail, drugs, and sex that have the potential to shock even the most jaded New Yorker.
6) NYPD Red 6: A missing bride. A bloodied dress. NYPD Red’s deadliest case yet (2020)
NYPD Red 6 is the sixth book in James Patterson and Marshall Karp’s NYPD Red series. Reality Star Eric Easton’s wedding is the ‘Wedding of the Century,’ with a documentary crew following her around.
However, when she disappears from her own reception and leaves behind a dressing room that is devoid of everything except a blood-splattered wedding, many questions are raised.
Thank God, detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan are already in attendance and take action instantaneously.
7) NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority (2022)
In the most recent NYPD Red series outing, a network of professional assassins is on the loose in New York and are targeting one high-profile New Yorker after another.
When Detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan are called to the scene, they realize that capturing these mercenaries will be a challenge as they are gifted in the art of escape.
