Bernard Lee DeLeo Books in Order

Where to Start with Bernard Lee DeLeo

Bernard Lee DeLeo’s massive library of indie pulp thrillers, military adventures, and supernatural mysteries can be daunting to jump into. Because he was an extremely prolific author—writing right up until his passing in August 2022—his series evolved alongside one another, sharing characters, locations, and explosive crossover events.

If you are new to DeLeo’s bibliography, we recommend starting with one of two distinct entry points depending on your preferred genre:

• For Hard-Boiled Assassin Thrillers: Start with Cold Blooded (2011), the first book in the Nick McCarty Series. McCarty is a highly skilled, dry-witted black-ops assassin whose narrative sets the baseline for the author’s primary shared universe.
• For Gritty Detective and Caper Action: Start with Hard Case (2012), the debut of the John Harding Series. Following an ex-Marine cage fighter who takes on corruption and cartels, it delivers relentless action and serves as a major pillar of DeLeo’s crossovers.

The Harding and McCarty Shared Universe Crossover Points

While the Nick McCarty and John Harding series can be read independently, they eventually merge into a shared sandbox. If you want to experience the complete narrative, it is highly beneficial to alternate between the two series before reaching their major crossover events. Below are the key milestones where their worlds collide:

• The First Crossover (Red Waves): The seventh book in the John Harding series, Red Waves (2016), marks the first formal collision between Harding and Nick McCarty. By this point, you should ideally have read through the first six books of both series.
• The Second Crossover (Red Horizon): The sixth book in the Nick McCarty series, Red Horizon (2016), acts as the immediate continuation of their combined operations.
• The Ultimate Climax (Political Genocide): Published in 2021, Political Genocide is a direct joint entry, serving as Book 17 of the John Harding series and Book 15 of the Nick McCarty series simultaneously.

Publication Order of Nick McCarty Books

Nick McCarty’s series is best read in publication order to track his personal evolution and the growth of his support network:

1. Cold Blooded (2011)
2. Killer Moves (2014)
3. Sins and Sanctions (2014)
4. Bloody Shadows (2015)
5. Nightmare in Red (2015)
6. Red Horizon (2016) (Harding Crossover)
7. Hell on Earth (2017)
8. Rule of Nightmare (2017)
9. Bloody Justice (2018)
10. Hell's Half Acre (2018)
11. Blood and Honor (2019)
12. Paint It Black (2019)
13. Cold As Ice (2020)
14. Bloody Hell (2021)
15. Political Genocide (2021) (Harding Crossover)

Publication Order of John Harding Books

Harding’s series features his "Monster Squad" and focuses heavily on high-octane vigilante justice. Follow this order:

1. Hard Case (2012)
2. The Lure of Hell (2013)
3. Voyage of the Damned (2013)
4. A Violent Life (2014)
5. Blood and Fear (2015)
6. The Killer Inside (2015)
7. Red Waves (2016) (McCarty Crossover)
8. Kingdom of Hell (2016)
9. Isle of Darkness (2017)
10. No Mercy (2018) (Action Crossover)
11. Killing Field (2018)
12. Climate of Chaos (2019)
13. Raging Fury (2019)
14. Cold Harbor (2019)
15. Hard Choices (2020)
16. Live by the Feud (2021)
17. Political Genocide (2021) (McCarty Crossover)
18. Homefront Nightmare (2022)

Publication Order of Rick Cantelli, P.I. Books

Rick Cantelli is an ex-Navy SEAL turned private investigator. His investigations offer a lighter, wittier tone than the Harding books, though they maintain DeLeo's signature high-stakes gunplay. There is also a major supernatural crossover in Book 6:

1. Rick Cantelli, P.I. (2013)
2. Deadly Liaisons (2013)
3. Into the Darkness (2014)
4. Shades of Death (2015)
5. Blood Ties (2016)
6. Demon / Dark Future (2017) (Demon the Dog Crossover)
7. Midnight Land (2017)
8. Red Ruin (2018)
9. Murder Madness (2018)
10. Shadows of Horror (2019)
11. Pass the Torch (2019)
12. Brotherhood of Death (2020)
13. At Death's Door (2020)
14. Enemy Within (2020)
15. The Bullet Express (2021)
16. Into the Unknown (2021)
17. War at Home (2022)

Mike Rawlins and Demon the Dog Series

If you prefer YA paranormal adventure mixed with hard-boiled military sensibilities, this series follows Mike Rawlins and his ghost-devouring dog, Demon. It crosses paths with Rick Cantelli in Dark Future:

1. Demon (2012)
2. Demon Inc (2013)
3. Demon at War (2013)
4. Darkness Rules (2015)
5. Dark Illusion (2016)
6. Dark Future (2017) (Crossover with Cantelli #6)
7. Disciples of Darkness (2017)
8. If Darkness Calls (2018)
9. The Price of Darkness (2018)
10. Darkest Desires (2019)
11. DemonDarkness Fever (2020)
12. Fear the Darkness (2020)
13. The Abode of Darkness (2020)
14. Darkness Devours (2021)

Action Thrillers & Dhampir Series: Chronological vs. Publication Order

DeLeo’s Action Thriller collection contains standalone vigilante stories like Sotello (2002) and Peace (2005), alongside his supernatural vampire-hunting Blood Lust series. While they were published sporadically, the chronological sequence offers a smoother narrative flow, especially for the multi-part Blood Lust arc:

Chronological Reading Order:

1. Sotello (2002)
2. American Mutant (2014)
3. Peace (2005)
4. Casserine (2014)
5. American Survival (2014)
6. Cold Mountain (2015)
7. Blood Lust (2016)
8. Layla (2015)
9. Blood Lust 2: Red Gold (2021)
10. Blood Lust 3: Darkness & Light (2021)
11. Blood Lust 4: Dhampir of Darkness (2022)

Publication Reading Order:

1. Sotello (2002)
2. Peace (2005)
3. American Survival (2014)
4. American Mutant (2014)
5. Casserine (2014)
6. Layla (2015)
7. Cold Mountain (2015)
8. Blood Lust (2016)
9. Blood Lust 2: Red Gold (2021)
10. Blood Lust 3: Darkness & Light (2021)
11. Blood Lust 4: Dhampir of Darkness (2022)

What to Know Before You Start

Bernard Lee DeLeo’s books are fast, dialogue-heavy, and pull no punches. His protagonists are typically ex-military or intelligence operatives with a strict code of ethics who do not hesitate to use lethal force. If you are looking for complex, slow-burn literary fiction, you won't find it here; instead, DeLeo delivers pure, unadulterated pulp action. Make sure to read the John Harding and Nick McCarty series side-by-side if you want to understand the full weight of their crossover battles, and save the Blood Lust series for when you want a dark, action-driven spin on vampire lore.