2 new Jack Ryan books to put on your tbr list (and their release dates)

We're closing in on the end of the year which means that readers are thinking about which books to end 2024 with and which to add to our tbr lists for next year. If you're looking for a political thriller to keep you in suspense and help warm those winter nights, it's a good idea to turn to tried and true, longstanding series like Tom Clancy's Jacky Ryan franchise.

The titular character has been beloved by readers who are seeking action and adventure between the pages of their books. He's been seen on the big screen and the small, there's even a new movie in development focused on John Krasinski's portrayal of Jack. But if you're looking for a new story to dive into in December, you're in luck! Defense Protocol is coming out soon. End the year deep in a plot about a conspiracy to overtake Vietnam that President Ryan must fend off and that threatens Lt. Commander Katie Ryan's life in the process.

Then come next spring, you'll be able to catch up with another member of the Ryan family, Jack's namesake who's the star of Line of Demarcation. The book follows the story of a US Coast Guard cutter that's destroyed for an unknown reason but that's tied to the sea line meant to open between southern Louisiana and the coast of South America.

Here's more on each upcoming title!

New Jack Ryan books coming in 2024 and 2025

Defense Protocol by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson

Publication date: Dec. 3, 2024
List price: $32.00

Taiwan sits at the heart of this 25th outing for the Jack Ryan series. The Chinese President Li Jian Jun has come up with a secret plan to take the island using his military. While the rest of the world sees Taiwan as an independent country, the People's Republic of China does not and their leader believes the bloodshed to get the province back in hand would be worth it. His Minister of Defense Qin Haiyu, however, doesn't hold the same conviction. He is the only one who can stop the reunification and it's caused him to fear for his life and the safety of his family. That's why Qin reaches out to the CIA. He wants to defect to the West. Meeting his request, John Clark--along with a taskforce similar to Rainbow Six--heads to mainland China to go undercover in order to get Qin out of the country.

As this is happening, President Jack Ryan's daughter Lt. Commander Katie Ryan is deployed to the center of the conflict. She's assigned to the USS Jason Dunham, a destroyer meant to defend Taiwan, and her task is to find a flaw in China's plan that her father can use. But it's not enough that he has the US military at his disposal, he's going to need Qin to divulge Li's plans in order to keep this turning into a drawn out war. If that happens the United States and China could be plunged into a bout that only ends one way...mutual destruction.

Line of Demarcation by M.P. Woodward

Publication date: May 20, 2025
List price: $32.00

Who can you trust? Who's a friend and who's a foe? These are questions Jack Ryan Jr. is grappling with in the wake of the USCG Clairborne's destruction. The cutter had been on a mission to open a sea lane located between refineries in southern Louisiana and an oil field that sits off the coast of South America. 22 men and women died in the attack which was an attempt to slow the mission down, but Jack isn't sure why it happened.

While in Guyana, working a deal for his company Hendley Associates to be a part of this discovery, he encounters Venezuelan narco-terrorists and Russia's Wagner Group who have decided the risk of war with America would be worth whatever they're planning. It's up to Jack to figure out who the killers are before they try to take him out next.

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