Ward Palmer Larsen (born March 14, 1961) is an American novelist. He is known for his Assassin series of thriller novels.
Larsen was a former United States Air Force fighter pilot and currently serves as an airline captain. He is also a trained aircraft accident investigator.
Larsen published his debut novel, The Perfect Assassin, in 2004. Part of the Assassin series featuring main character David Slaton, it was followed by nine sequels and a novella. Larsen also wrote the Jammer Davis series of thriller novels, as well as the standalone novel Cutting Edge (2018).
In 2026, Larsen collaborated with Brad Thor on the thriller novel Code Zero. The book is also in development as a Netflix film adaptation, with Peter Berg producing and Nic Pizzolatto writing the screenplay. Larsen is also set to publish his sole entry in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series, Tom Clancy: Rules of Engagement, in May 2026.
Featuring characters created by Tom Clancy