Read every series in the right order
Walter Nash Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Start with Nash Falls (Book 1), then read Hope Rises (Book 2).
US publication dates currently confirmed: Nash Falls — November 11, 2025 (Grand Central Publishing); Hope Rises — April 14, 2026 (Grand Central Publishing). UK/Ireland dates via Pan Macmillan: Nash Falls — November 6, 2025; Hope Rises — April 9, 2026. Pre-orders and publisher listings are live.
Introduction
David Baldacci launches the Walter Nash series with a premise that flips his trademark “seasoned operative” formula: Nash isn’t a spy or an assassin—he’s a successful, non-combative corporate executive whose comfortable life implodes when the FBI recruits him as an inside man to expose a massive laundering machine. What begins as reluctant cooperation becomes a test of identity: how far must a decent man go when the job, the family, and the truth are on the line?
This guide from Books in Chronological Order delivers an easy, spoiler-lite pathway you can trust. We’ll present quick facts, a purchase-ready glance, Walter Nash books in chronological order, a compact series timeline, and a publication-order check to keep your shelves and e-reader perfectly aligned.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Walter Nash |
| Confirmed Books | 2 (so far): Nash Falls (Book 1), Hope Rises (Book 2) |
| US Publishers | Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group |
| UK/IRE Publisher | Pan Macmillan (Macmillan imprint) |
| US Pub Dates | Nash Falls — Nov 11, 2025; Hope Rises — Apr 14, 2026 |
| UK Pub Dates | Nash Falls — Nov 6, 2025; Hope Rises — Apr 9, 2026 |
| Print Length (Listed) | Nash Falls 448 pages; Hope Rises 416 pages (US retailer listings) |
| Estimated Read Time* | ~13–16 hours/book at an average pace (30–35 pages/hour) |
| Reading Difficulty | Accessible, page-turning modern thriller |
| Primary Genres | Contemporary Thriller • Crime • Conspiracy |
| Content Flags | Organized crime, violence, peril, corruption (series-typical for adult thrillers) |
| Media Adaptations | None announced as of October 9, 2025 |
| Ideal Age Range | Adult & crossover 16+ (mature themes typical of Baldacci thrillers) |
*Read-time estimates vary by speed & format.
Sources: US publisher & author listings for Nash Falls and Hope Rises, including official Hachette title page; author website announcement; UK publisher pages; US retail pages with page counts.
About the Walter Nash Book Series
At the center is Walter Nash—a capable executive, devoted husband and father, and the opposite of your typical action hero. He’s dragged from a life of boardrooms and balance sheets into the deep end of a multinational criminal enterprise that uses legitimate finance to launder enormous flows of illicit money. The inciting spark is personal: the FBI’s approach comes straight on the heels of Nash’s estranged Vietnam-veteran father’s funeral. When the Bureau presses him to go undercover at Sybaritic Investments, Nash agrees—only to trigger a chain reaction that detonates his safe life and forces a reinvention that tests moral limits, loyalty, and survival instincts.
The sequel, Hope Rises, positions Nash after the storm: bruised, changed, and eye-to-eye with the consequences of becoming what he never meant to be. The UK listing teases a theme of reinvention and vengeance (“Revenge is a dish best served cold”), signaling a continuation of Nash’s transformation from everyman to instrument of justice.
Books at a Glance (Amazon Buy Links — No Summaries)
The two live Amazon pre-order pages (US) for hardcover/Kindle are below; regional links vary.
| # | Title | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nash Falls | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | Hope Rises | Pre-Order on Amazon |
Also see the author’s official site announcement for Nash Falls (with pre-order hub) and the Hachette title page.
Walter Nash Books in Chronological Order
1) Nash Falls (Book 1)
- US: Grand Central Publishing (Hachette) — Nov 11, 2025; 448 pages (listed)
- UK/IRE: Pan Macmillan — Nov 6, 2025
- Premise (spoiler-lite): After his father’s funeral, Walter Nash—top executive at Sybaritic Investments—is confronted by the FBI: go undercover and help bring down a vast laundering network engineered by international crime boss Victoria Steers. Nash accepts… and the ground drops out from under him. When Steers learns he’s a mole, she flips the chessboard, forcing Nash into a darker, more violent world and a version of himself he never imagined. The novel anchors the arc thematically on identity, family, and the cost of justice, with Baldacci shifting from traditional “professional operative” stakes to an everyman-to-avenger metamorphosis.
Why it matters: Nash Falls is the “origin story.” It gives you Nash’s baseline—his values, his blind spots, his family—and the rupture that redefines all three. Read it first to catch every echo the sequel will throw back at you.
2) Hope Rises (Book 2)
- US: Grand Central Publishing — Apr 14, 2026; 416 pages (listed)
- UK/IRE: Pan Macmillan — Apr 9, 2026
- Premise (spoiler-lite): Official plot details remain deliberately under wraps, but UK/IRE copy frames the sequel around a broken Nash regaining purpose (“Walter Nash isn’t the man he used to be. But when everything crumbles, hope rises…”), promising revenge-laced stakes and a continuation of themes introduced in Book 1. Expect the consequences of Book 1 to ripple: alliances tested, enemies unmasked, and Nash’s reconstructed identity put on trial.
Why it matters: This is the pay-off: the choices Nash made in Nash Falls come due here. Read it second to preserve character momentum and to follow how the “weapon of justice” persona hardens—or breaks.
Series Timeline & Character Development
Pre-Novel Backstory:
- Nash’s father (a Vietnam vet) dies estranged, creating emotional fissures that matter when the FBI comes calling. The funeral is the fuse.
Book 1 — Nash Falls:
- Catalyst: FBI recruitment + discovery of Sybaritic’s criminal core.
- Transformation: Nash crosses from “financial strategist with a conscience” to “reluctant covert actor” and, when cornered by Victoria Steers, toward calculated retribution.
- Personal stakes: Family exposure, career implosion, moral realignment.
Inter-Book Bridge:
- Aftershocks of exposure, trauma, and the price of “becoming someone else.”
Book 2 — Hope Rises:
- Theme line: From the ashes of Book 1, hope as motive—vengeance as fuel—purpose as destination.
- Character goal: To reconcile who Nash was with who he has to be now, while facing an escalated threat tied to the fallout of Book 1.
Novels Sorted in Order of In-Universe Events
- Nash Falls
- Hope Rises
(Same as publication order; both listings confirm first-then-second sequence.)
Novels Sorted in Order of Publication
- Nash Falls — US: Nov 11, 2025; UK: Nov 6, 2025
- Hope Rises — US: Apr 14, 2026; UK: Apr 9, 2026
Companion Works
- None announced as of October 9, 2025 (no novellas, prequels, or cross-series shorts officially listed by publisher/author for Walter Nash). Keep an eye on the author’s official channels for samplers or bonus content tied to launch events.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
United States (Grand Central Publishing / Hachette):
- Hardcover and Kindle/eBook pre-orders are live for both titles. Page counts (US retailers): Nash Falls 448; Hope Rises 416.
- Audiobook: Standard for Baldacci launches, and retailer metadata already lists audio; final narrators and runtime typically arrive closer to pub date.
UK & Ireland (Pan Macmillan):
- Hardback, eBook, Audiobook listings appear on both title pages, indicating a simultaneous multi-format release in that market.
Collector/Signed Editions:
- Watch the author’s official socials/newsletter and UK/US retailer pages for signed first editions or exclusive sprayed-edge variants around launch windows; Pan Macmillan frequently coordinates special editions for marquee thrillers. (No specific Walter Nash special edition has been announced as of this guide.)
Why Read Walter Nash Books in Chronological Order?
- Character Arc Integrity: The Walter Nash books in chronological order preserve the clean line from civilian to covert actor, so every revelation in Book 2 builds on Book 1’s moral compromises.
- World Logic: Syndicate players, Bureau handlers, and corporate cut-outs interlock across books; publication order mirrors the intended escalation.
- Thematic Crescendo: Book 1 asks who Nash is; Book 2 asks what he’ll live with. Read straight through for maximum resonance.
Author Spotlight: David Baldacci
David Baldacci is one of the world’s most widely read thriller authors, with novels translated into 45+ languages and published in 80+ countries. Since Absolute Power (1996), he’s delivered blockbuster series (King & Maxwell, Amos Decker, Will Robie, Atlee Pine, Travis Devine) and high-concept standalones. He and his wife Michelle co-founded the Wish You Well Foundation, supporting family and adult literacy across the US (including the Feeding Body & Mind program with Feeding America).
For Walter Nash specifically, Baldacci has personally teased Nash Falls on official channels and centralized pre-orders on his site—strong signals of a front-list priority with ongoing series ambition.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, radio)
- None announced for Walter Nash at the time of writing. As the series launches, watch for option news via the author’s site or publisher press rooms. (Baldacci properties have frequently been adapted or optioned in the past, so movement is possible post-release.)
FAQs
Do I need to read any other Baldacci series first?
No. Walter Nash is a new continuity; you can jump in clean at Nash Falls.
Are the US and UK release dates different?
Yes—by a few days. UK/IRE: Nash Falls Nov 6, 2025; US: Nov 11, 2025. UK/IRE: Hope Rises Apr 9, 2026; US: Apr 14, 2026
Will there be audiobooks
Yes—retailer/publisher pages list audiobook formats alongside hardcover and eBook, with final details closer to pub date.
Is Hope Rises a direct sequel?
Yes. It’s Book 2 in the Walter Nash series and follows the events of Nash Falls.
What’s the best reading order?
Exactly the publication order—Walter Nash books in chronological order match publication: Nash Falls → Hope Rises.
Where can I pre-order?
Use your region’s Amazon page (US examples above). UK readers can pre-order via Pan Macmillan or preferred booksellers; US readers can also use Hachette’s title page to jump to retailer links.
Final Thoughts
If you’re craving a Baldacci thriller that starts with an ordinary man under extraordinary pressure, the Walter Nash cycle is your next binge. Begin with Nash Falls, then let Hope Rises test everything Nash rebuilt. Keep this guide handy—your Walter Nash books in chronological order checklist stays accurate as new titles are announced, and we’ll be ready to slot them in when details go live.
