John Harding Books in Order
Part ofBernard Lee DeLeo Books in OrderExplore the John Harding books by Bernard Lee DeLeo in order, with summaries, crossover guidance, series background, and the best place to begin.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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John Harding books in publication order
18 books
Hard Case
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2012
Former Marine and CIA operative John Harding takes a bodyguard job protecting an outspoken Afghan woman. The assignment draws him into a violent mix of mobsters, terrorists, and powerful enemies who underestimate a man built for war.
The Lure of Hell
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2013
John Harding takes his newly formed Murderer’s Row into Mexico against the Zeta cartel. New allies join the team as a violent mission draws Harding deeper into an underworld where hesitation can get people killed.
Voyage of the Damned
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2013
A routine protection assignment gives John Harding a name that changes everything. His crew is soon headed toward South America on a rescue mission involving dangerous criminals, high risks, and the people they refuse to abandon.
A Violent Life
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2014
The holiday season does not bring peace to John Harding and his West Coast crew. Old dangers, new enemies, and Harding’s own violent past turn a time for family into another hard fight for survival.
Blood and Fear
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015
John Harding and his team confront a dangerous arms dealer known as the Ghost. As criminal power and violent fear spread through the mission, Harding’s crew must act quickly to protect the people caught in the middle.
The Killer Inside
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015
John Harding’s world of training, loyalty, and violence collides with a dangerous new threat. As criminal enemies and high-stakes pressure mount, Harding must keep his crew alive while confronting what he is capable of becoming.
Kingdom of Hell
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2016
The crossover conflict between John Harding and Nick McCarty’s worlds continues. With enemies pressing from every side, both crews must put aside differences, trust their allies, and fight through another deadly escalation.
Red Waves
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2016
John Harding’s Monster Squad joins Nick McCarty’s crew in the first major crossover between the two series. Their mission brings two groups of dangerous allies together against a violent threat neither can ignore.
Isle of Darkness
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2017
John Harding’s continuing war against powerful enemies takes him toward another isolated and dangerous battleground. With his crew beside him, he faces a mission where escape is uncertain and mercy is in short supply.
Killing Field
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018
John Harding and his team enter a deadly operation where the enemy has chosen the ground and set the rules. To get through it, the crew must rely on training, loyalty, and Harding’s refusal to back down.
No Mercy
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018
John Harding’s Monsters join forces with Nick McCarty’s crew for a mission involving a dangerous island stronghold. A cruise, a book signing, and a championship fight all give way to the group’s usual violent brand of justice.
Climate of Chaos
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019
John Harding and his crew enter a new crisis shaped by violence, politics, and dangerous people looking to profit from disorder. Harding’s answer is direct: protect his own, hit back hard, and survive the chaos.
Cold Harbor
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019
John Harding’s crew is drawn into another dangerous assignment where a seemingly contained problem carries wider consequences. Old instincts and trusted allies are essential as Harding confronts opponents willing to cross every line.
Raging Fury
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019
A new threat gives John Harding and Murderer’s Row little time to prepare. As enemies close in, the team’s loyalty, combat skills, and refusal to quit are all that stand between the innocent and catastrophe.
Hard Choices
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2020
John Harding and his loyal crew face a mission that demands more than firepower. With danger closing in from several directions, Harding must decide what he will sacrifice to protect his people and stop a ruthless enemy.
Live by the Feud
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021
John Harding and his crew face another conflict driven by old grudges, dangerous loyalties, and people unwilling to let the past stay buried. The team must decide how far it will go to protect its own.
Political Genocide
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021
Political violence and personal danger collide as DeLeo’s action-fiction world takes on a new threat. Familiar allies face ruthless opponents whose plans demand a response from the people least willing to look away.
Homefront Nightmare
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2022
John Harding’s war comes home in a nightmare that threatens the people and places he considers his responsibility. With his crew beside him, he faces enemies whose attack makes every personal connection a possible target.
John Harding books in chronological order

Hard Case
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2012John Harding, Book 1
The Lure of Hell
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2013John Harding, Book 2
Voyage of the Damned
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2013John Harding, Book 3
A Violent Life
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2014John Harding, Book 4
Blood and Fear
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015John Harding, Book 5
The Killer Inside
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015John Harding, Book 6
Red Waves
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2016John Harding, Book 7
Kingdom of Hell
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2016John Harding, Book 8
Isle of Darkness
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2017John Harding, Book 9
No Mercy
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018John Harding, Book 10
Killing Field
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018John Harding, Book 11
Climate of Chaos
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019John Harding, Book 12
Raging Fury
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019John Harding, Book 13
Cold Harbor
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019John Harding, Book 14
Hard Choices
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2020John Harding, Book 15
Live by the Feud
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021John Harding, Book 16
Political Genocide
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021John Harding, Book 17
Homefront Nightmare
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2022John Harding, Book 18
Series background & context
John Harding is the hard-driving lead of Bernard Lee DeLeo's Hard Case action-thriller series. He grew up in Ohio, left home young, served in the Marines, and was later drawn into CIA work. By the time Hard Case begins, he is a fighter, bodyguard, and problem solver with a strong loyalty to the people he considers his own.
Harding is not a soft-spoken hero. He is a cage fighter who expects trouble and does not mind meeting it head-on. Still, the books are not only about his physical ability. His missions repeatedly test his judgment, his sense of duty, and the bond he develops with a growing crew of allies.
In Hard Case, he takes on a protection job involving an outspoken Afghan woman and quickly finds himself up against enemies with far greater reach than expected. The Lure of Hell sends his newly formed team into Mexico against the Zeta cartel, while Voyage of the Damned expands the series into a rescue mission and international criminal danger.
Harding's group is often called Murderer's Row or the Monster Squad. They are a collection of fighters, operatives, and friends with different skills and a rough, teasing kind of loyalty. Their teamwork gives the series much of its energy. They can argue, joke, train, and then head into a mission that becomes far bigger than the official briefing suggested.
These are violent, high-stakes books with political intrigue, criminal conspiracies, military action, and a deliberately over-the-top pulp feel. Later novels such as Blood and Fear, The Killer Inside, No Mercy, Killing Field, Climate of Chaos, and Homefront Nightmare keep raising the scope of the threats while returning to the crew's personal ties.
John Harding has very little use for half measures.
The series crosses over with Nick McCarty's books beginning with Red Waves. For the clearest introduction, start with Hard Case, then continue through The Lure of Hell and Voyage of the Damned. The crossovers land better once readers know Harding's team and Nick's crew separately.
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