Linwood Barclay’s Zack Walker series is his debut fictional thriller series. Unlike his later, darker crime fiction works, the Zack Walker books are known for their blend of humour, suspense, and quirky characters.

Zack Walker is a science fiction writer, and later a newspaper reporter, who moves to the suburbs seeking a quiet and calm life with his family. Zack is anxiety-ridden and overly cautious but constantly stumbles into dangerous adventures, becoming a reluctant detective and hero.

The books are filled with lots of action and surprise twists, skillfully balancing family life with crime capers in ways that are both funny and insightful. They are also intricately plotted and fast-paced.

Although each Zack Walker book features a standalone mystery or crime, it is recommended to read the series in order to fully appreciate Zack and his family’s development. Two of the books have different titles in Britain. Lone Wolf (Book 3) is called Bad Luck in the UK and Stone Rain (Book 4) is called Bad News in the UK.