Ethan Drake Series
Ethan Drake is a supernatural crimes detective working the streets of Fairview City, a place where demons cut deals, vampires run nightclubs, and the cops who know the truth are as damaged as the monsters they hunt. Standing 6’4″ and carrying 260 pounds of scar tissue and bad decisions, Drake investigates the cases no one else will touch—the murders, disappearances, and ritualistic horrors that blur the line between crime scene and occult catastrophe.
Drake spent years with Blackstar, a covert organization that handles supernatural threats through methods that left him with werewolf bone grafts in his forearms and a body that can outrun a hellhound. Now he works Unit X for the FPD, partnered with entities he shouldn’t trust and carrying debts he can’t pay. His family was murdered by a werewolf. He hasn’t stopped bleeding since.
The world of the series operates like organized crime—territories, hierarchies, old grudges, and newer betrayals. Angels fall. Demons negotiate. Vampires build empires. The supernatural isn’t hidden from humanity so much as ignored by it, and the institutions meant to protect people are either compromised or useless. Magic costs something. So does surviving.
Readers who enjoy Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim, or the hardboiled grit of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch will find familiar ground here—though darker, dirtier, and less interested in redemption arcs. The humor is gallows-dry, the violence direct, and the horror treated as occupational hazard rather than spectacle.
Reading Order: Start with Infernal Justice and continue in publication order through thirteen books. Each novel resolves its central case while advancing the larger war Drake never asked to fight.
The series is for readers who want: supernatural noir with teeth, flawed protagonists who stay flawed, monsters that remain monstrous, and a world where winning usually means surviving long enough to lose differently next time.
BOOK 1:
INFERNAL JUSTICE
BOOK 2:
BLOOD SUMMONED
BOOK 3:
DEATH DEALERS
BOOK 4:
BLACK MIRROR
BOOK 5:
HELL PATROL
BOOK 6:
INFERNAL VENGEANCE
BOOK 7:
INFERNUM
BOOK 8:
BLACK RAIN
BOOK 9:
INFERNAL DESCENT
BOOK 10:
RED VILLAGE
BOOK 11:
NEON BLACK
BOOK 12:
BLOOD TIES
BOOK 13:
BLOOD WARDS
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read the Ethan Drake books in order?
Yes. The series follows a continuous narrative with escalating stakes, evolving relationships, and consequences that carry across all thirteen books. Characters die, alliances shift, and Drake accumulates damage—physical and otherwise—that the later books assume you’ve witnessed. Start with Infernal Justice and read in publication order.
Is the Ethan Drake series finished?
No. The series is ongoing.
How dark is the Ethan Drake series?
Dark. The series deals with grief that doesn’t heal, violence as routine, body horror, demonic corruption, child death, addiction, and morally compromised institutions. There are no clean victories. Characters you care about suffer and sometimes don’t come back. The humor is defensive and cruel rather than lighthearted. If you prefer urban fantasy with cozy found-family dynamics and redemption arcs, this isn’t it.
Is there romance in the series?
Relationships exist, but this isn’t a romance series. Drake’s connections are complicated, often destructive, and rarely provide comfort. Expect entanglement rather than courtship.
How does Ethan Drake compare to Harry Dresden?
Both are wisecracking supernatural investigators in American cities. Drake is grimmer, less optimistic, and operates in a world with fewer guardrails. The humor is darker, the institutions more corrupt, and the magic carries heavier costs. Think Dresden’s noir elements turned up and his heroic moments turned down.
Is there a prequel?
Blackstar serves as a prequel novella covering Drake’s time with the covert supernatural operations unit before the main series begins. It’s optional but adds context for his scars, skills, and the debts he carries into Infernal Justice.
How long are the books?
Each novel runs approximately 60,000–80,000 words—substantial enough for a full case and character development, short enough to finish in a few sittings.
Where can I read the series?
All books are available on Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.