Atticus Kodiak Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Atticus Kodiak Books
Keeper | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Finder | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Smoker | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Shooting at Midnight | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Critical Space | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Patriot Acts | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Walking Dead | (2009) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Greg Rucka’s first novel starring Atticus Kodiak was released in the year 1996, and was called “Keeper”. Besides Atticus, there are some other characters that help him out in his work, some of them are women.
The main character, named Atticus Kodiak, is a bodyguard in New York City. He was born in San Francisco, and was given extensive training to guard people in a program he took that was taught by the Army, their Executive Protection program. It is this training that he utilizes while he is a personal security consultant (also called a bodyguard).
Atticus moves through the series, trying to build his career as a bodyguard, and try to keep his shaky personal life on even ground. This can be tough for him, since the two can be intertwined at times.
His most complex romantic relationship is with a private detective is with a woman named Bridgett Logan. Bridgett puts on a tough exterior to hide that she has a dangerous past and is emotionally vulnerable. She is devoted to Life Savers, Altoids, and Porsches; one of the novels reveals that she was addicted to heroin at one point in time.
Natalie Trent also works as a bodyguard, but specializes in both counter-sniper and sniper work. Atticus admits that she is the best bodyguard the group has, even better than himself. She is well off because of her dad (who is named Elliot Trent), despite the fact that she does not get on with him very well. Elliot owns a huge security firm that is based in Manhattan called Sentinel.
“Keeper” is the first novel in the “Atticus Kodiak” series and was released in the year 1996. In just an instant, either a city street or a crowded auditorium can be converted into a kill zone, a place where life and death is just one heartbeat away.
Atticus Kodiak’s goal is to keep those he protects alive, and he does not have any margin for errors. He faces a tough challenge this time around: he must protect a mother and daughter from some murderer who has a fanatic plan all his own.
Some, who like Greg Rucka’s later work, found this to be just as stellar as the later novels. Fans of the novel found this to be an impressive debut, and full of some surprises, not to mention some riveting moments. It is not a run of the mill or ordinary thriller, but a remarkable read. It is a page turner that keeps readers up until the early morning hours. The book is even full of characters that you wind up caring about pretty quickly.
“Finder” is the second novel in the “Atticus Kodiak” series and was released in the year 1997. Atticus is well aware that danger is part of his job, he is a bodyguard after all. He is still unable to shake the guilt that he has after his best friend died during their last assignment. Playing bouncer in some hard core club located on the Lower West Side, he only has to keep this scene under control.
That is, until he lays eyes upon Erika Wyatt, who is a teen aged daughter of some Army colonel that Atticus once protected. Erika is being stalked by a commando with cold eyes and a knife that is pretty wicked, and she pulls him back into protecting people.
Atticus is a stellar character, as he makes mistakes, even though he is able to see they are mistakes. It would also seem that the author really figured out who Atticus was more in this installment. Fans of the novel enjoyed the excellent writing that Greg Rucka put in the book, although this book seems pretty grim throughout. Some readers found this to be even more engaging than the first book in the series. It is books like this that make you glad that there are more books in the series because Greg Rucka has hit his stride with this series.
“Smoker” is the third novel in the “Atticus Kodiak” series and was released in the year 1998. The job was supposed to be an easy one; All he had to do was look after a spoiled playboy that was hiding from an ex-playmate’s angered brothers. A few important facts, however, were not told to Kodiak. It gets him drawn into a multi million dollar version of cat and mouse, he has to face off against one of the top ten most deadly assassins in the entire world, and guard a possible victim with a huge story he has to tell.
One is a destroyer, while the other is a protector. Neither one will back down at all, that is one thing they have in common. Each will make things tougher in this duel of skill and wit. Whoever flinches first will die.
This is simply another thrilling novel from a very strong series that Greg Rucka keeps writing for. Fans of the novel found themselves liking this one the best of all the books from this series. Rucka does a great job of bringing a big and complex cast of characters through some fun action and develops them, showing that they are full of their own emotions. Things rarely go where the reader thinks they will, the heroes are flawed and noble, and the villains have their motivations and are intelligent to boot.
“Shooting At Midnight” is the fourth novel in the “Atticus Kodiak” series and was released in the year 1998. Bridgett Logan takes center stage in this one, while Atticus is just a guest star. It all began with a simple promise that was made to a friend, while they were only teenagers. Years later, that friend wants to collect on it. All Bridgett has to do is make good on her promise: kill someone. It puts two men on her trail, as they are desperate to find her. One is looking to save her, while the other is going to try to kill her.
Fans of the novel found that yet again, Greg Rucka has penned yet another great story. It was also a nice change of pace for a new character to narrate. It allows the reader to learn more about Atticus’ on again, off again lover Bridgett and the past that she had. It was a risk that Greg took by shifting perspective, and not only did it pay off, but made the series better for it.
Book Series In Order » Characters »