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John Harding Books in Order

Part ofBernard Lee DeLeo Books in Order

Explore 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

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18 books

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

7

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.

8

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.

9

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.

10

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.

11

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.

12

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.

13

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.

14

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.

15

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.

16

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.

17

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.

18

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

  1. Book cover for "Hard Case"

    Hard Case

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2012John Harding, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Lure of Hell"

    The Lure of Hell

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2013John Harding, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Voyage of the Damned"

    Voyage of the Damned

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2013John Harding, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "A Violent Life"

    A Violent Life

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2014John Harding, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Blood and Fear"

    Blood and Fear

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2015John Harding, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Killer Inside"

    The Killer Inside

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2015John Harding, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Red Waves"

    Red Waves

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2016John Harding, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Kingdom of Hell"

    Kingdom of Hell

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2016John Harding, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Isle of Darkness"

    Isle of Darkness

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2017John Harding, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "No Mercy"

    No Mercy

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2018John Harding, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Killing Field"

    Killing Field

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2018John Harding, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Climate of Chaos"

    Climate of Chaos

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2019John Harding, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Raging Fury"

    Raging Fury

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2019John Harding, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Cold Harbor"

    Cold Harbor

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2019John Harding, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Hard Choices"

    Hard Choices

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2020John Harding, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Live by the Feud"

    Live by the Feud

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2021John Harding, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Political Genocide"

    Political Genocide

    by Bernard Lee DeLeo

    2021John Harding, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Homefront Nightmare"

    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.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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