Jack McClure / Alli Carson Books In Order

Publication Order of Jack McClure/Alli Carson Books

Jack McClure/Alli Carson is a series of novels written by Eric Van Lustbader. The books are international thrillers that follow the exploits of an ATF agent with Dyslexia.

+The Story

Eric Van Lustbader’s name is slowly but surely gaining renown, not because of his own original works but the effort he has injected into continuing the Jason Bourne books. The author’s previous works have found new life on the market primarily because fans of Ludlum’s Bourne books have made it their business to read the bibliography of the man that will continue the legacy of Jason Bourne.

The Jack McClure/Alli Carson series has as many haters as it does fans. Some people believe that the quality of the McClure means that the Bourne series is in good hands. Others are not so convinced. Of course, a lot of Eric’s fans tend to judge the McClure novels on their own merit, regardless of whether or not the author is writing the Jason Bourne novels.

The Jack McClure/Alli Carson books delve into the lives of Jack McClure and Alli Carson.

Jack McClure grew up under difficult circumstances. As a child, he struggled with dyslexia and that made him the sort of student that not only failed more often than he passed in class but who was also repeatedly taunted and bullied by his classmates for his ailment.

If that wasn’t enough, Jack came from an abusive home. There was always someone looking to scream at him, be it at home or at school. And as a result, Jack never felt like he fit it. Over time, as Jack McClure made it through his school years and entered adulthood, he realized that his dyslexia wasn’t the weakness everyone was claiming it to be. Rather, the ailment gave him a unique perspective of the world, allowing him to pick up on minute details and nuances. It wasn’t long before Jack realized that his dyslexia made him amazing at detective work.

And he wasted no time in putting it to good use, becoming a highly effective government agent. For a time, Jack McClure had everything his heart could ever desire. He was a father and a husband to an amazing wife and daughter.

By the time ‘First Daughter’, the first novel in the Jack McClure/Alli Carson series rolls around, things have taken a dour turn. First, Jack lost his daughter in a car accident. Because of his dyslexia, Jack tried and failed to overcome the pain. His solution was to pour his life into his work, a tactic that slowly but steadily destroyed his marriage.

As such, by the events of ‘First Daughter’, Jack is alone and miserable. His only lifeline comes in the form of Edward Carson. Edward is one of Jack’s closest friends. He also eventually becomes the president of the United States.

When Edward’s daughter, Alli Carson is kidnapped, Edward asks Jack McClure for help. Alli was a close friend of Jack’s daughter and the grieving man wastes no time in running after her kidnappers, seizing the case as an opportunity to find new meaning in life.

Finding and saving Alli is no easy task for Jack primarily because it forces him to face the stark reality of his daughter’s death. But Jack proves his mettle when he overcomes his personal demons to save Allie Carson.

That begins a journey that will see both Jack and Allie transform. Alli’s kidnapping leaves her mentally scarred. She creates a powerful bond with Jack, the only person she can connect to. Initially, she is able to accompany Jack on missions because her parents think her exposure to Jack might help her heal.

Eventually, Allie undergoes training and becomes an FBI agent. This grants her access to Jack’s life and cases. As the pair begins working with and relying on one another, their relationship grows. Allie helps Jack pull away from the edge of his desperate world. And in bringing her into his world as a surrogate daughter, Jack helps Allie find her place in the world, away from the trauma of her past.

It takes quite a few stories for the Jack McClure/Alli Carson series to take shape. Jack initially takes center stage, shaping and driving the story. Eventually, Alli takes over as readers are given a glimpse into her broken world and the steps she takes to find her footing.

It isn’t until Alli gets her training and joins law enforcement that the pair is able to settle into a routine as two governments agents working to stop the bad guys.

The Jack McClure/Allie Carson series has been criticized heavily for having too many characters. The idea that Jack’s dyslexia makes him an excellent detective is also a little too outlandish for some people, not to mention the idea that it somehow allows him to see the ghost of his dead daughter.

+First Daughter

Jack McClure never fit it. Because of his dyslexia, he never seemed to belong. And it didn’t help that he came from an abusive home. Jack had to grow up early, learning to use his cunning on Washington D.C’s mean streets. In fact, it was during those tough times that Jack learned the truth.

His dyslexia wasn’t a weakness but a strength that gave him a unique perspective of the world, this, in turn, allowing him to become an impressive ATF Agent.

When an accident takes the life of his daughter, Jack’s world falls apart. He throws himself into his work, doing little to stop his marriage from disintegrating. Unable to cope with the pain, Jack finally finds new purpose when his friend’s daughter is kidnapped.

Alli Carson was a close friend of his deceased daughter. In finding her and bringing her home, Jack sees an opportunity to attain redemption.

+Late Snow

An American senator on a political trip to Ukraine dies. The president of the United States asks his friend Jack McClure to investigate. Still struggling with the death of his daughter, Jack’s trip to Ukraine is hampered by a rogue Russian FSB agent and Alli Carson, the two people accompanying him on the mission.

There are people out to get Jack. Some of them belong to the Russian Mafia. Others are members of the Ukrainian Police. As the hunt gets heated, Jack begins to realize that there is a conspiracy afoot.