Nick McCarty Books in Order
Part ofBernard Lee DeLeo Books in OrderSee the Nick McCarty books by Bernard Lee DeLeo in order, with summaries, crossover notes, series background, and a clear place to start.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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Nick McCarty books in publication order
15 books
Cold Blooded
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2011
Nick McCarty is a dangerous CIA-connected assassin who has learned to live alone. Love, a young girl, and a dog disrupt that life just as enemies and assignments force him to decide what, and who, he will protect.
Killer Moves
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2014
Nick McCarty’s partner Gus Nason believes Nick may be heading toward serious trouble. As danger builds, Nick’s skills, family ties, and unusual crew are tested by enemies who make every move potentially lethal.
Sins and Sanctions
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2014
Nick McCarty gains access to powerful resources when a new boss opens unexpected doors. The opportunity also brings political games, dangerous adversaries, and a mission that challenges Nick’s loyalty to the people closest to him.
Bloody Shadows
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015
Writer-assassin Nick McCarty sees a planned vacation shattered by traitors, blackmailers, and terrorist sympathizers. With his loved ones and allies in danger, Nick is drawn into a fast, tangled operation where every move has consequences.
Nightmare in Red
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015
Nick McCarty faces the return of a released serial killer and the danger that follows. Protecting the people around him means confronting a nightmare that is both personal and deadly.
Red Horizon
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2016
Nick McCarty and John Harding join forces in a crossover adventure built around fierce allies and larger-than-life danger. As the mission expands, the two crews must face enemies who will not stop at one target.
Hell on Earth
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2017
Nick McCarty and John Harding’s crews collide again in a crossover adventure with escalating stakes. Their combined skills may be the only answer when a threat grows too violent and widespread for either group alone.
Rule of Nightmare
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2017
Nick McCarty enters a nightmare of political schemes, old enemies, and hard choices. The people around him provide support and humor, but Nick knows that keeping them safe may require him to become even more ruthless.
Bloody Justice
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018
Nick McCarty is drawn into another brutal campaign against people who believe they are beyond consequences. His methods are not gentle, but protecting his own and punishing predators remains the line he will not cross.
Hell's Half Acre
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018
Nick McCarty confronts a new nest of danger where violence, corruption, and personal grudges overlap. The deeper he goes, the clearer it becomes that this mission will demand every bit of his skill and nerve.
Blood and Honor
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019
Nick McCarty must balance the violent work he knows with the people and principles he refuses to abandon. When powerful enemies make their move, Nick’s answer brings his friends into a fight for survival and justice.
Paint It Black
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019
Nick McCarty takes on another tangled operation where criminal violence and personal stakes collide. With his usual mix of lethal skill and dark humor, he pursues enemies who have badly misjudged the people they are threatening.
Cold As Ice
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2020
Nick McCarty enters another hard-edged operation where trust is scarce and the consequences are personal. Surrounded by criminal threats and political games, he has to keep his crew safe while doing what he does best.
Bloody Hell
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021
Nick McCarty faces another dangerous collision of personal loyalty, criminal violence, and enemies who think they can use his past against him. His crew is ready to help, but this mission pushes everyone toward a brutal reckoning.
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.
Nick McCarty books in chronological order

Cold Blooded
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2011Nick McCarty, Book 1
Killer Moves
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2014Nick McCarty, Book 2
Sins and Sanctions
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2014Nick McCarty, Book 3
Bloody Shadows
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015Nick McCarty, Book 4
Nightmare in Red
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2015Nick McCarty, Book 5
Red Horizon
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2016Nick McCarty, Book 6
Hell on Earth
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2017Nick McCarty, Book 7
Rule of Nightmare
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2017Nick McCarty, Book 8
Bloody Justice
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018Nick McCarty, Book 9
Hell's Half Acre
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2018Nick McCarty, Book 10
Blood and Honor
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019Nick McCarty, Book 11
Paint It Black
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2019Nick McCarty, Book 12
Cold As Ice
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2020Nick McCarty, Book 13
Bloody Hell
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021Nick McCarty, Book 14
Political Genocide
by Bernard Lee DeLeo
2021John Harding, Book 17
Series background & context
Nick McCarty is the dangerous center of Bernard Lee DeLeo's Cold Blooded assassin novels. He is a highly capable killer with CIA connections, a sharp sense of humor, and a personal code that does not always line up with the people giving him assignments. Nick can be cold when a job demands it, but the series also makes room for the people and animals he cares about.
The first book, Cold Blooded, introduces him as a loner whose life changes once love, family, and a noisy dog enter the picture. From there, the stories widen into a long run of criminal investigations, intelligence work, revenge plots, political threats, and enemies who underestimate exactly how far Nick will go.
Nick rarely works entirely alone. His allies become a major part of the appeal, particularly the close group around him that readers may see described as his Unholy Trio. They bring companionship, jokes, and extra firepower to missions that are rarely neat or safe. The relationships give the books a lived-in feel even when the action heads into extreme territory.
This is a tough, pulpy action-thriller series. Violence is frequent, the humor is dark, and the villains can be larger than life. The books often put Nick between official agencies, organized crime, terrorists, and powerful people with hidden agendas. He has little patience for bureaucracy when someone vulnerable is at risk.
The series also overlaps with DeLeo's John Harding novels. Beginning with Red Waves, the two casts meet in crossover adventures, then continue through titles including Red Horizon, Kingdom of Hell, Hell on Earth, and Rule of Nightmare. Those books work best after readers have spent time with both Nick and Harding, but they also show how much DeLeo enjoyed building a shared action-fiction world.
At its heart, this is a series about a killer who has found reasons to care.
Start with Cold Blooded. The early books establish Nick's home life, his skills, and the people who turn his solitary existence into something more complicated. Reading in order is worthwhile because the crew, relationships, and consequences build from book to book.
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