THE CRIME DESK
The latest from the world of Chuck Morgan Books
Chuck Morgan, Crime Fiction Author
The Buck Taylor Books in Order: Complete Reading List
If you're looking for the Buck Taylor books in order, you've found the complete reading list.
Created by crime-fiction author Chuck Morgan, the Buck Taylor Crime Series follows Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Buck Taylor and his team as they investigate murders, disappearances, arson, conspiracies, kidnappings, drug operations, and other dangerous crimes throughout Colorado.
There are currently 14 books in the Buck Taylor Crime Series, beginning with Crime Interrupted and continuing through Cold Justice.
The novels are written so that individual stories can be enjoyed on their own. However, if you want to follow Buck Taylor's journey from the beginning and experience the series in chronological order, reading the books in order is the best approach.
Buck Taylor Books in Order
https://chuckmorganbooks.com/pages/reading-order-list
Here is the complete Buck Taylor reading order:
- Crime Interrupted — Book 1
- Crime Delayed — Book 2
- Crime Unsolved — Book 3
- Crime Exposed — Book 4
- Crime Denied — Book 5
- Crime Conspiracy — Book 6
- Crime Unknown — Book 7
- Crime Exploded — Book 8
- Crime Spree — Book 9
- Crime Family — Book 10
- Crime Scene — Book 11
- Crime Victims — Book 12
- Crime Unraveled — Book 13
- Cold Justice — Book 14
1. Crime Interrupted
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 1
Crime Interrupted introduces Senior Agent Buck Taylor of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The story begins when Mexican gang activity threatens the community of Durango, Colorado. Buck is called in to investigate, but the case quickly becomes more complicated as cartel violence, drugs, and human trafficking collide with another investigation from Buck's past.
The result is a crime thriller that introduces readers to Buck's investigative style, his determination, and the Colorado setting that becomes an important part of the series.
Why start here?
If you're new to Buck Taylor, Crime Interrupted is the natural starting point. It establishes the characters and the world of the series before the later investigations build upon it.
2. Crime Delayed
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 2
In Crime Delayed, Buck Taylor's investigation takes him into the Colorado mountains after a wildlife ranger disappears.
The search uncovers something far more disturbing than a simple missing-person case, leading Buck and his team toward murder and the discovery of bodies hidden in an old mine.
The book expands the Colorado setting of the series and shows how an isolated disappearance can develop into a much larger investigation.
3. Crime Unsolved
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 3
A wildfire sweeps through Colorado's Rio Blanco County, but Buck Taylor isn't convinced that the destruction is simply an accident.
A fishing lodge becomes the center of an investigation involving arson, murder, competing interests, and a potentially devastating threat to the surrounding community.
Crime Unsolved combines the natural hazards of the Colorado wilderness with a complex criminal investigation.
4. Crime Exposed
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 4
When investigative journalist Barb McBride disappears from Colorado's Summit County, Buck Taylor and his team are assigned to find her.
What initially appears to be a disappearance becomes something much darker when evidence points toward murder and a conspiracy involving powerful individuals.
The investigation puts Buck and his team in increasing danger as they work to uncover what happened.
5. Crime Denied
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 5
Crime Denied takes Buck into a psychological investigation involving a serial killer in the Aspen area.
The case pushes Buck and his team into the mind of a dangerous killer while the murders continue to escalate.
For readers who enjoy crime fiction with a stronger psychological-thriller element, this is an especially intriguing entry in the series.
6. Crime Conspiracy
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 6
In Crime Conspiracy, Buck Taylor's investigation takes him into Southern Colorado and a case involving missing persons, forensic clues, and a deeply buried conspiracy.
The investigation reaches from Creede and Cortez into the wilderness, eventually uncovering elements connected to Cold War history and unusual forensic evidence.
The result is a crime thriller that expands the scope of the Buck Taylor series beyond a conventional murder investigation.
7. Crime Unknown
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 7
Crime Unknown takes Buck Taylor to a mountain community where the death of a young college student raises hard questions.
The investigation leads Buck into a world of hidden secrets surrounding a private college and the surrounding Colorado community.
As with the other Buck Taylor novels, the Colorado landscape isn't simply background scenery, it helps create the atmosphere in which the investigation unfolds.
8. Crime Exploded
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 8
Christmas morning turns chaotic when explosions occur across Colorado.
Buck Taylor and his team are dispatched to multiple crime scenes as investigators attempt to determine who is responsible and whether more attacks are coming.
The investigation becomes even more complicated when an FBI agent with his own agenda becomes involved.
Crime Exploded brings a larger-scale threat to the Buck Taylor series and puts Buck's entire team in danger.
9. Crime Spree
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 9
In Crime Spree, a missing sheriff, a brutal string of murders, and a mysterious Russian hitman no one can identify leads Buck Taylor and his team into their most bizarre and dangerous investigation into death and drugs on the Continental Divide Trail.
For readers who have made it this far, Crime Spree continues the chronological journey toward the later Buck Taylor novels.
10.Crime Family
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 10
In Crime Family, what begins as a routine missing‑person call spirals into a dark, multi‑layered conspiracy involving a powerful Colorado family, decades of corruption, and a criminal enterprise operating in the shadows of Park County.
It is another opportunity to experience the combination of crime investigation, suspense, and Colorado settings that defines the series.
11. Crime Scene
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 11
Crime Scene places Buck Taylor in an investigation involving a mass killing and a politically significant target.
The case takes Buck and his team into a dangerous investigation involving a killer who remains at large and powerful interests that complicate the search for the truth.
This is another example of the series expanding beyond a straightforward crime investigation into larger questions of power, motive, and justice.
12.Crime Victims
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 12
Crime Victims plunges readers into the rugged beauty of Colorado’s Grand Mesa, where a ritualistic killer leaves a trail of roadside crosses—and a community paralyzed by fear. CBI Agent Buck Taylor must navigate forensic clues, psychological warfare, and a killer who always seems one step ahead.
The book continues the series' focus on crime, investigation, and the personal stakes faced by Buck and his team.
13.Crime Unraveled
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 13
In Crime Unraveled, a catastrophic landslide in Glenwood Canyon raises questions that go far beyond a natural disaster.
The destruction of a major Colorado highway and events surrounding the Colorado River lead Buck Taylor into an investigation involving murder, conspiracy, and the possibility that the disaster was deliberately engineered.
The Colorado wilderness again becomes an important part of the story as Buck works to determine what really happened.
14. Cold Justice
Buck Taylor Crime Series — Book 14
Cold Justice is the fourteenth and current Buck Taylor novel.
The story begins with a series of precision sniper attacks at a Colorado ski resort.
Buck Taylor and his team face a highly skilled killer while investigating a web of corruption, a buried death, and a connection between the attacks and a long-standing vendetta.
With the investigation taking place in the snow-covered Colorado mountains, Cold Justice brings the current Buck Taylor reading list to its latest entry.
Should You Read the Buck Taylor Books in Order?
Yes—if you want the full series experience.
The important distinction is that the individual novels are designed to work as stand-alone crime stories. You don't have to begin with Book 1 to understand the investigation in a later book.
However, reading the series chronologically gives you the opportunity to:
- Meet Buck Taylor at the beginning of his journey.
- Become familiar with his investigative team.
- Follow the progression of the series.
- Discover the books in their original sequence.
- Experience the evolution of the Colorado crime-fiction setting.
- Move naturally from one investigation to the next.
For a new reader, I recommend starting with Crime Interrupted.
What Genre Is the Buck Taylor Series?
The Buck Taylor books combine several elements that crime-fiction readers may enjoy:
- Crime fiction
- Crime thriller
- Mystery
- Suspense
- Detective fiction
- Police procedural
- Hard-boiled crime
The common thread is investigation.
Buck Taylor is a Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent, and the stories place him and his team in the middle of dangerous cases throughout Colorado.
The series also extensively uses Colorado's mountains, wilderness, and communities, giving it a strong sense of place.
Where Are the Buck Taylor Books Set?
Colorado is central to the series.
The books take readers through locations and landscapes, including mountain communities, wilderness areas, ski resorts, and other parts of the state.
That setting gives the Buck Taylor novels a distinctive flavor for readers who enjoy crime fiction set in Colorado.
The mountains can be beautiful, isolated, and unforgiving—all qualities that make them an effective setting for crime fiction.
Can You Start With a Later Buck Taylor Book?
Absolutely.
Because the novels are written as stand-alone stories, a reader who discovers Crime Unraveled, Crime Scene, or Cold Justice doesn't need to stop and read thirteen earlier books first.
If a particular premise catches your attention, start there.
But if you're the reader who likes to experience a series from the beginning, start with:
Crime Interrupted
and work your way through the complete reading order to
Cold Justice.
Want to Start the Buck Taylor Series?
If you're new to Chuck Morgan's Colorado crime fiction, Crime Interrupted is the recommended place to begin.
And if you'd rather sample several books at once, the Buck Taylor Crime Series also includes collections and bundles designed to let readers experience multiple novels together.
The important thing is to find the entry point that works for you.
Once you meet Buck Taylor, there are fourteen investigations waiting.
About Chuck Morgan
Chuck Morgan is a Colorado-based crime and thriller author and the creator of the Buck Taylor Crime Series.
His fiction spans crime, mystery, suspense, and thriller genres, with stories that feature investigations, interesting characters, and vivid settings.
Explore the Buck Taylor books, other thriller series, and standalone novels at chuckmorganbooks.com.