The Recommended Reading Order
For the best experience, you should read the Nick McCarty series in publication order. Because Nick’s character develops from a lone-wolf killer into a dedicated family man and husband, reading the books out of order will spoil major personal milestones, character relationships, and recurring team dynamics. The series is linear, with each book building directly on the events and political conspiracies of the previous ones.
Here is the complete publication and chronological order for the Cold Blooded Assassin series:
- Cold Blooded (2011) – The book that starts it all. Nick is sent to eliminate Rachel Hunter but chooses to protect her and her daughter instead.
- Killer Moves (2014) – Nick adapts to family life with a pregnant Rachel while facing fresh, deadly threats.
- Sins and Sanctions (2014) – The stakes rise as Nick navigates international espionage and personal targets.
- Bloody Shadows (2015) – Nick faces down terrorists and a ruthless serial killer targeting his inner circle.
- Nightmare in Red (2015) – A high-stakes plot featuring ISIS operatives and a traitorous US senator.
- Red Horizon (2016) – Nick is forced to execute extreme sanctions to protect national security.
- Hell on Earth (2017) – The crew tackles a complex web of domestic and international threats.
- Rule of Nightmare (2017) – Nick fights back against corrupt political structures and shadow syndicates.
- Bloody Justice (2018) – Vigilante justice reigns as Nick takes matters into his own hands.
- Hell's Half Acre (2018) – Nick and his crew wage war against well-funded criminal organizations.
- Blood and Honor (2019) – Loyalty is tested when old enemies resurface to target Nick's family.
- Paint It Black (2019) – A dark, gritty mission that pushes Nick's tactical skills to their absolute limit.
- Cold As Ice (2020) – Nick faces cold-blooded adversaries in a race against time.
- Bloody Hell (2021) – The action intensifies as the global political landscape becomes increasingly hostile.
- Political Genocide (2021) – The final published book featuring Nick McCarty, where he confronts top-tier corruption.
Who is Nick McCarty?
Nick McCarty is a Delta Force veteran turned assassin-for-hire who lives a bizarre double life. To the public, he is a bestselling novelist who writes popular thrillers about a fictional assassin named Diego. In reality, Nick is simply writing about his own real-world contract missions and sanctions. He uses his literary success as the perfect cover for his lethal day job. Nick operates out of Pacific Grove, California, trying his best to separate his violent work from the family he builds with Rachel and her daughter, Jean.
Author Bernard Lee DeLeo, a US Navy veteran who served aboard the USS Ranger during the Vietnam War, poured his love of pulp action and military realism into Nick McCarty. Unlike generic, brooding antiheroes, Nick has a highly defined sense of humor, a soft spot for children and animals, and a fierce loyalty to his friends. The series succeeds because it balances intense, graphic violence with genuine, lighthearted domestic moments, making Nick a surprisingly likable protagonist despite his body count.
Key Themes and Character Dynamics
At the center of the series is the theme of redemption and the defense of the innocent. Nick begins the first book, Cold Blooded, as a isolated operator. His life changes when he refuses to execute Rachel Hunter and instead takes on her enemies. This decision transforms him into a protector. Over the course of the fifteen books, readers watch Nick grow into a family man, dealing with pregnancy, parenting, and domestic life in Pacific Grove between high-stakes fire fights.
As the series progresses, Nick relies heavily on his partner Gus Nason and a specialized tactical team known as the "Unholy Trio." These characters bring a dynamic camaraderie to the novels, exchanging sharp, dark, and witty banter during life-or-death operations. DeLeo's writing style is fast-paced, dialogue-heavy, and unapologetically pulp-inspired, ensuring that the books read like high-octane action films.
The Crossovers and the DeLeo Universe
Bernard Lee DeLeo was an incredibly prolific indie author who built a shared universe across his various thriller series. For dedicated readers, the Nick McCarty books feature occasional crossovers, references, and shared characters from DeLeo's other long-running series, most notably the John Harding: Hard Case series. John Harding shares a similar gritty, military-grade action tone, and reading both series gives fans a wider view of DeLeo's fictional intelligence and black-ops landscape. If you enjoy the tactical action and vigilante justice in Nick McCarty's adventures, the Hard Case novels are the natural next step.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into the series, there are a few practical considerations to keep in mind. First, these books are written in the classic pulp-thriller tradition. They feature graphic violence, strong language, and a politically charged atmosphere. The plots often touch on real-world events, including global terrorism, senate corruption, and cartel violence, reflecting the geopolitical concerns of the 2010s.
Second, while many of the individual missions wrap up within a single book, the overarching character arcs, family growth, and political conspiracies span multiple novels. Therefore, we highly recommend starting with Cold Blooded rather than jumping in midway through the series.
Lastly, readers should note that the series concluded following the author's passing in August 2022. While the 15th book, Political Genocide (published in 2021), serves as the final installment in Nick McCarty's standalone series, the character leaves behind a rich legacy of action that has earned a dedicated cult following among indie thriller enthusiasts.