Read every series in the right order
The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Read them exactly like this:
- The Recovery Agent (Book 1, Atria Books, March 22, 2022 — US hardcover).
- The King’s Ransom (Book 2, Atria Books, November 11, 2025).
Publication order equals story chronology for this two-book set, so following The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order is simple and preserves all character beats and reveals. Book 1 launches Gabriela Rose; Book 2 raises the stakes with a globe-spanning art-heist conspiracy.
Introduction
If you crave high-octane capers with wisecracking leads, flirty friction, and treasure-hunt momentum, Janet Evanovich’s Recovery Agent series is a fizzy, fast read. Our heroine, Gabriela Rose, is a professional retrieval specialist whose clients range from corporations to desperate families. She’s methodical, trained, unflappable—and, unfortunately for her blood pressure, often paired with her maddeningly charming ex-husband Rafer Jones. The engine here is pure Evanovich: whip-smart banter, comedic set pieces, propulsive chapter endings, and just enough peril to keep your pulse spiking.
Because Book 2 builds directly on relationships, running gags, and Gabriela’s particular code of “get it done,” reading The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order is the best experience—no skipped context, no lost chemistry, just back-to-back adventure. Publication details confirm a tidy two-step: The Recovery Agent (2022) followed by The King’s Ransom (2025).
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series Title | The Recovery Agent (Gabriela Rose) |
| Core Books | The Recovery Agent (#1); The King’s Ransom (#2) |
| Primary Genres | Action-adventure, heist/caper, romantic comedy, contemporary thriller |
| Reading Difficulty | Easy–Moderate (fast pace, globe-hopping settings) |
| Approx. Pages | Book 1: 320 pp (US hardcover); 352 pp common trade editions. Book 2: 352 pp. |
| Estimated Read Time | Book 1 ~6.5–7 hrs; Book 2 ~7–7.5 hrs; series total ~14–15 hrs (avg. pace) |
| Content Warnings | Adventure violence, weapon use, criminal threats, light sexual innuendo, peril/hazardous travel |
| Signature Tone | Snappy banter, high movement, partners-who-bicker chemistry |
| Media Adaptations | None announced for this series (see “Media Adaptations”). |
| Ideal Age Range | Adult & older teen readers who enjoy breezy, cinematic capers |
About The Recovery Agent Book Series
Janet Evanovich introduced Gabriela Rose as a one-woman retrieval squad: part treasure hunter, part fixer, part rule-breaker with a moral compass that points squarely at “return it to the right hands.” In The Recovery Agent, Gabriela takes a job that’s painfully personal—saving her family’s hometown from financial disaster—by chasing a legendary artifact through jungle ruins, black-market corridors, and the kind of logistical nightmares only a pro can handle. A not-so-minor complication: to decode the map, she needs Rafer, her easygoing ex with a talent for finding both trouble and Gabriela’s last nerve.
Book 2, The King’s Ransom, changes the canvas from mythic treasure to high finance and missing masterpieces, catapulting Gabriela and Rafer into a globe-hopping recovery that tangles with boards, banks, and a villain whose scheme aims at nothing less than detonating global wealth. The ingredients—chemistry, quips, kinetic set pieces—are all here, tuned for maximum popcorn fun.
The Recovery Agent Books at a Glance
| # | Title | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Recovery Agent | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | The King’s Ransom | Buy on Amazon |
* Page counts vary by format/territory. ** First US hardcover: Atria Books, March 22, 2022. Book 2 US hardcover: Atria Books, Nov 11, 2025.
The Recovery Agent Chronological Reading Order
1) The Recovery Agent — Gabriela Rose vs. the legend (and her ex)
Premise. When her family’s home faces obliteration without a miracle influx of cash, Gabriela follows an old Lowcountry legend toward a Peruvian jungle prize—the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Lima. The job isn’t corporate; it’s personal. And the map sits with Rafer Jones, her maddening ex-husband who has both the coordinates and the swagger to insist on coming along. Cue the chase: cartel operatives, traps, plane rides you don’t want to remember, and the kind of partnership where trust and temptation keep getting in each other’s way.
What lands.
- Competence fantasy: Gabriela is highly trained (weapons, tactics, improvisation). Watching her problem-solve is pure pleasure.
- Chemistry via conflict: Gabriela and Rafer’s banter is foreplay and weapons fire at once.
- Treasure-hunt glow-ups: The book taps classic pulp energy—maps, riddles, remote ruins—but keeps the humor and pace thoroughly modern.
Good to know. The US hardcover lists 320 pages; many trade editions show 352 pages (regional/format differences). If you’re planning a book club session, budget ~6.5–7 hours for a steady read.
2) The King’s Ransom — priceless art, global stakes, same irresistible duo
Premise. Rafer’s cousin Harley—a “too-big-to-fail” bank president—greenlit massive insurance backing on world-class art. Now those artworks are vanishing, and the paper trail points straight at Harley unless someone recovers the pieces and unravels the scheme behind them. Gabriela and Rafer embark on a world tour of galleries, vaults, and kill-switch conspiracies, dodging a villain with a taste for engineered financial doom. It’s sleek, steamy, and perfectly pitched for readers who like their capers loud and their leads louder.
What lands.
- Heist-thriller synergy: Evanovich leans into art-world glam and logistics puzzles, from shipping routes to provenance sleight-of-hand.
- Relationship momentum: The “can’t live with you, can’t recover a Van Dyck without you” dynamic deepens.
- Series confidence: Book 2 trusts you to sprint; the banter is sharper, the set pieces bigger, the villain nastier.
Audio bonus. Lorelei King—Evanovich’s longtime narrator—returns to voice Book 2; the audiobook clocks in a little over 8 hours (release day: Nov 11, 2025).
Series Timeline & Character Development
Gabriela Rose — the pro who finishes the job
- Book 1: We meet her in mission mode: tactical, pragmatic, emotionally guarded. Her code is simple—if it’s yours, she’ll get it back; if someone’s in her way, she’ll handle it. The personal nature of the case tests where “professional distance” ends.
- Book 2: Leadership crystallizes. The stakes are wider, but the choices are narrower—what to risk, whom to trust, when to bend process for people. You see the difference between doing the job and choosing the life.
Rafer Jones — chaos with a compass
- Book 1: Rafer is sand in the gears and oil on the water—infuriating and indispensable. He knows Gabriela’s tells and blind spots and still lets her lead.
- Book 2: Past becomes present. Family entanglements force him to grow up in public; his best moments are when he chooses vulnerability over swagger.
Together — bicker, rescue, repeat (and maybe something more)
- Cadence: Their rhythm is friction → teamwork → payoff. Each novel gives them a new arena to rerun that loop at higher speed and stakes, building a partnership that’s as functional as it is flammable.
Novels Sorted by In-Universe Events
- The Recovery Agent
- The King’s Ransom
(Chronology matches publication.)
Novels Sorted by Publication
| # | Title | Year | Pages* | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Recovery Agent | 2022 | 320 (HC)** / 352 (TPB) | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | The King’s Ransom | 2025 | 352 | Buy on Amazon |
Companion Works
- Where Gabriela first appeared. The character Gabriela Rose made her debut in Stephanie Plum #27: Fortune and Glory (2020), a cameo that essentially teed up this spin-off. The author and Simon & Schuster Audio both highlighted that introduction in pre-launch promotions.
- Janet’s other caper series. If you vibe with Gabriela, you’ll likely enjoy Evanovich’s Fox & O’Hare, Knight & Moon, and (obviously) the long-running Stephanie Plum—each blends humor with high-jinks in different flavors.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
The Recovery Agent (Book 1)
- US Hardcover (Atria Books). Official pub date March 22, 2022, commonly listed at 320 pages.
- Trade Paperback / International. Many retailer and publisher listings show 352 pages (common for TPB/UK).
- Large Print. Thorndike Press issued a large-print edition.
- Audiobook. Narrated by Lorelei King, 7 hr 26 min, Simon & Schuster Audio.
The King’s Ransom (Book 2)
- US Hardcover (Atria Books). Nov 11, 2025, 352 pages (publisher record).
- UK/International Hardback. Headline’s edition lists 352 pages.
- Large Print. Thorndike Press lists a large-print edition (Dec 2025 release window, alt ISBN).
- Audiobook. Narrated by Lorelei King, ~8 hr 5 min; Simon & Schuster Audio lists digital and CD formats.
Why Read The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order?
Keeping The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order does three big things:
- Character continuity. Gabriela/Rafer’s shorthand and “we’ve-been-through-it” humor land because Book 1 bakes them in.
- Escalation that feels earned. From family-legend treasure hunt → global art-theft conspiracy, the scale widens without losing the heartbeat.
- Series setup → series payoff. Recurring side characters, ongoing jokes, and evolving boundaries all crescendo properly if you don’t skip book one.
Author Spotlight: Janet Evanovich
Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the blockbuster Stephanie Plum novels and multiple caper-forward series. Her move to Simon & Schuster/Atria supercharged a new wave of projects, including The Recovery Agent line. Official bios note an eye-watering tally of bestselling titles over the decades, and publisher pages place her squarely at the top of the popular-mystery and comic-thriller lane.
Style hallmarks you’ll feel here:
- Banter as propulsion. Dialogue drives the pace—and the romance.
- Caper mechanics. Logistics, disguises, chase choreography, and the occasional controlled explosion.
- Comfortable stakes. People are in danger, yes; but the books never lose their buoyant, reader-friendly tone.
Where to start beyond Gabriela. If you want more zippy fun, try Stephanie Plum (start with One for the Money), or for co-authored heists, Fox & O’Hare (The Heist). For a different flavor of odd-couple sleuthing, Knight & Moon is a kick.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, radio)
No Recovery Agent film/TV/radio adaptation has been officially announced as of November 17, 2025. For context, Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum did hit the big screen in 2012 with One for the Money (Katherine Heigl). If Gabriela gets optioned, we’ll update this guide with casting and platform details.
FAQs
Is this a spin-off from Stephanie Plum?
Sort of. Gabriela Rose first showed up in Fortune and Glory (Plum #27), then headlined her own series. You don’t need Plum background to enjoy these, but fans will catch the DNA.
What’s the exact order?
The Recovery Agent → The King’s Ransom. Chronology = publication.
Are the books steamy or closed-door?
They skew flirty and suggestive rather than explicit; the heat lives mostly in banter, tension, and timing.
How violent are they?
Action-thriller peril with weapons and baddies, but the tone remains light and quippy—classic Evanovich caper energy.
Audiobook narrators?
Both entries are performed by Lorelei King (a fan favorite across Evanovich titles).
Hardcover or paperback—does page count change?
Yes. Book 1’s US hardcover lists 320 pp; trade/intl editions often show 352 pp. Book 2 is 352 pp across primary listings.
Do I need to read in order for the jokes to land?
We recommend it. The running gags and relationship beats blossom in sequence—another reason to keep The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order.
Final Thoughts
Two books. Zero confusion. Maximum fun. The Recovery Agent Books in Chronological Order is the easiest yes in your TBR: start with The Recovery Agent to see Gabriela and Rafer find their groove under fire, then sprint into The King’s Ransom for bigger arenas, nastier villains, and all-gas banter. It’s the feel-good side of thrillerland—heists with heart, danger with dimples, and an MC who always, always gets the job done.
