If there was any question about Ben Coes’ status as one of the best thriller authors on the planet heading into 2016, he erased any doubt with First Strike, the latest Dewey Andreas novel featuring a high-octane plot and nonstop action. 

Earlier this week, we reported that Coes is hard at work on his next novel, Trap The Devil, which is already available for pre-order nearly nine months ahead of its June 27, 2017, release.

Now we have even more news, and it’s pretty awesome…

Coes and his long-time publisher, St. Martin’s Press, who has published all six of his novels to date, have agreed to a new three-book deal. (While I first heard about the deal on Wednesday, I wasn’t able to confirm things were done until today, when I heard back from Coes’ editor at St. Martin’s.) Surprisingly, though, the deal is not for three more Dewey Andreas novels.

It appears that two of those books will be part of the Dewey franchise, while the third will be the first book in a new series starring another one of Coes’ characters, Rob Tacoma.

Tacoma, a fan-favorite character, was first introduced in Coes’ third Andreas novel (The Last Refuge) and has appeared in each novel since then, usually playing a large supporting role to Dewey Andreas, the main protagonist of all Coes’ books so far. Tacoma has an especially important role in First Strike, as his actions are critical to not only Andreas’ mission but also his survival.

With a new deal in place, Coes joins fellow thriller authors Lee Child, Gregg Hurwitz, Steve Berry, Matthew Betley, Tom Wood, Joseph Finder, W.E.B. Griffin, and Dalton Fury, who have also signed new book deals in 2016, ensuring their respective series protagonists will be around for years to come.