Where to Start: Recommended Reading Paths
With over 200 stories spanning multiple genres, Armand Rosamilia offers a diverse playground for fiction lovers. To avoid getting lost in his extensive catalog, we recommend choosing your starting point based on your preferred genre:
- For Zombie Apocalypse Fans: Start with Dying Days (Book 1) or its prequel novella Highway to Hell. This is Rosamilia’s flagship series, offering a gritty, action-packed look at undead survival in Florida.
- For Gritty Crime Thriller Fans: Begin with Dirty Deeds (Book 1) to follow the secret-agent-turned-hitman James Gaffney, or jump into Shake Down (First Coast Thriller Book 1) to read about ex-cop Clayton Conway. Both series share the same dark Florida criminal underbelly.
- For Cosmic Horror Lovers: Pick up Keyport Cthulhu (Book 1), a trilogy co-authored with Chuck Buda that pits regular folks against ancient Lovecraftian cults in New Jersey.
- For Lighthearted Beach Reads: Start with Kokomo's Café, the first book in the Flagler Beach series, which focuses on contemporary slice-of-life coastal stories.
The Dying Days Universe
The Dying Days series is Rosamilia's most famous work, centering on Darlene Bobich as she fights to survive a zombie outbreak in Florida. The core series is best read in publication order:
- Highway to Hell (Book 0 / Prequel)
- Dying Days (2012)
- Dying Days 2 (2012)
- Dying Days 3 (2013)
- Dying Days 4 (2014)
- Dying Days 5 (2015)
- Dying Days 6 (2016)
- Dying Days 7 (2016)
- Dying Days 8 (2017)
- Dying Days 9 (2017)
Important Dying Days Tie-ins and Spin-offs
- Darlene Bobich: Zombie Killer: A collection of short stories focusing on the main protagonist. It can be read alongside the main series or as an introduction to her character.
- United States of Apocalypse: A collaborative series with Mark Tufo. While Darlene Bobich appears in this apocalyptic setting, it takes place in an alternate reality and is not required reading for the primary Dying Days storyline.
- Still Dying (Vols 1 & 2): Companion anthologies featuring select scenes, side stories, and perspectives from other survivors in the same universe.
The Florida Crime Underbelly: Dirty Deeds & First Coast Thrillers
Rosamilia has created a shared universe for his crime thrillers, set primarily along Florida's coast. While the series can be read independently, they enrich one another when read together.
Dirty Deeds Series
This ten-book series follows James Gaffney, a professional hitman who chooses to relocate his marks rather than execute them. Read this series in numerical order from Dirty Deeds (Book 1) through Dirty Deeds 10.
First Coast Thrillers
Set in the same universe as Dirty Deeds, this series shifts focus to Clayton Conway, an ex-cop trying to rebuild his life while working for a repossession company in Jacksonville Beach. The series must be read in order:
- Shake Down (2022)
- Throw Down (2022)
- Man Down (2022)
- Upside Down (2022)
- Tied Down (2022)
- Low Down (2022)
Supernatural Suspense & Small-Town Horrors
Beyond his major series, Rosamilia has penned several shorter trilogies and connected story arcs that blend supernatural elements with local settings.
Chelsea Avenue Series
Set in Long Branch, New Jersey, this supernatural horror series explores the dark aftermath of a tragic 1987 pier fire and the ancient entity that continues to haunt the survivors. It is best read sequentially: Chelsea Avenue, Chelsea Avenue 2, and Chelsea Avenue 3.
Belford Stories
This series captures the eerie occurrences in a small New Jersey coastal fishing village beginning in the late 1980s. Read them in order from Book 1 through Book 4.
Green River Blend Series
A creepy supernatural thriller set in Hammond Beach, Florida. The series follows the bizarre, dark behavior that overtakes residents after a local coffee shop begins serving a mysterious new blend. Read this three-part series in order: Green River Blend, Green River Blend 2, and Green River Blend 3.
The Johnny Bell Heist
Co-authored with Tom Duffy, this high-octane thriller series follows Johnny Bell as he exits prison and gathers his old crew for revenge and major heists. Read them in order: Rock the Bells, Hell's Bells, and For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Collaborative Horror & Side Projects
- Keyport Cthulhu: A cosmic horror trilogy co-written with Chuck Buda, following the Esoteric Order of Dagon as they menace New Jersey. Read sequentially from Book 1 to Book 3.
- Hellmouth Trilogy: A horror-comedy collaboration co-written by Armand Rosamilia, Jay Wilburn, Jack Wallen, and Brent Abell. Read in order: Hollywood Hellmouth, Hoboken Hellmouth, and The Hellmouth Finally Gets Leid.
- Dark Tide Horror Novellas: A series of standalone horror novellas including titles like Wounds to Wishes, West of Hell, and Zombie Diner. These can be read in any order as they are standalone releases.