Nisa Santiago Books in Order
Explore Nisa Santiago books in order, with quick summaries, series guides, reading paths, and easy starting-point suggestions for new readers.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
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Nisa Santiago books in publication order
30 books
Cartier Cartel
by Nisa Santiago
2008
At fifteen, Cartier Timmons forms a crew with her friends to pull petty crimes and buy the things they want. When she moves them into the drug game, a rival's death forces the girls into a life-altering choice.
Return of the Cartier Cartel
by Nisa Santiago
2010
Cartier has built a serious Brooklyn drug operation but wants out after two Cartel soldiers are killed. Her search for revenge draws her loyal crew back together as romance, jealousy, and betrayal make every lead dangerous.
Bad Apple
by Nisa Santiago
2011
Seventeen-year-old Apple gets tangled up with a ruthless hustler and finds herself owing a debt that could cost her everything. Meanwhile, her twin Kola builds an escort ring and plots to end Apple's reign for good.
Dirty Money Honey
by Nisa Santiago
2011
Former ATF agent Honey now deals blackjack in Las Vegas, until she plans an armored-truck heist that shocks the city. Her crew pulls off the job, but the pressure of the loot means someone will have to take the fall.
Coca Kola
by Nisa Santiago
2012
Apple struggles to protect her empire after Kola's scheme leaves her badly injured. Kola sees a chance to take the throne, but her twin is not ready to surrender, turning their feud into an even more personal fight.
Guard the Throne
by Nisa Santiago
2012
After drug kingpin Curtis Byrne is murdered, his children Chris, Cane, and Citi are left to protect what remains. Rival street soldiers, family secrets, and Citi's dangerous romance turn their inheritance into a fight for survival.
Checkmate
by Nisa Santiago
2013
Apple and Kola's bitter competition reaches another breaking point. One sister appears to be living the dream while the other faces a nightmare, but revenge, distrust, and a hunger for power keep changing the board.
Face Off
by Nisa Santiago
2013
After surviving a traumatic ordeal in Mexico, Apple returns ready to punish the people who hurt her. Kola is ruling in Miami, but betrayal and rival cartels force both twins toward a long-delayed confrontation.
South Beach Slaughter
by Nisa Santiago
2013
Cartier tries to leave the fast life behind in Miami, but ruthless criminals kidnap her daughter for a payout. With Lil Mama and newcomer Quinn beside her, she heads back into the streets for answers.
Murdergram
by Nisa Santiago
2014
Four broke friends enter a Long Island church looking for work and emerge trained for murder-for-hire. As the Cristál Clique gains money and status, heartbreak, revenge, and betrayal threaten to destroy their bond.
South Beach Cartel - Part 1
by Nisa Santiago
2014
Cartier, Citi, and Apple arrive in Miami carrying separate grudges and unfinished business. When they join forces, the three women see a chance to defeat their enemies and claim power in South Beach.
Killer Dolls
by Nisa Santiago
2015
Brooklyn troublemaker Aoki and her friends Tisa and Ri-Ri agree to solve a dangerous problem for AZ. When their violence becomes public, the women gain a feared new identity, along with attention they cannot control.
On the Run
by Nisa Santiago
2015
Kola flees Colombia with Peaches and returns to New York, while Apple hides in Baltimore and plots her comeback. When both sisters become involved with the same ambitious hustler, another war seems unavoidable.
The House That Hustle Built
by Nisa Santiago
2015
Born hustlers Pearla and Cash turn a car thief's skills into a bigger money-making operation. But when they stop funding everyone around them, jealous friends and family turn their house of success into a target.
The House that Hustle Built 2
by Nisa Santiago
2015
After losing what they worked to build, Pearla and Cash need to hustle smarter to get back on top. Their growing list of enemies, and their own doubts about each other, make rebuilding far more dangerous.
Killer Dolls, Part 2
by Nisa Santiago
2016
After the immediate danger passes, Aoki tries to mend ties with the men competing for a place in her life. But one of them has a far deadlier plan, and the Killer Doll learns that not every threat looks like an enemy.
Murdergram - Part 2
by Nisa Santiago
2016
With Cristal presumed dead, Tamar rises through the murder-for-hire underworld and takes jobs across the country. Her plan to settle an old score goes wrong when the person she is hunting begins hunting her.
The House That Hustle Built 3
by Nisa Santiago
2016
Pearla is caught between her past and the life Hassan's hustle provides, unaware that someone is watching. With Hassan behind bars and danger closing in, she must make a grown-up choice about love and survival.
Unfinished Business
by Nisa Santiago
2016
Apple and Kola want to leave the game behind, but old feuds refuse to stay buried. Before either sister can build a quieter life, both must confront the dangerous business and personal debts they have left unresolved.
Killer Dolls - Part 3
by Nisa Santiago
2017
Aoki's hard-won reputation as a Killer Doll keeps making her a target. With old loyalties damaged and enemies closing in, she must decide who belongs in her circle before another betrayal turns deadly.
Mafioso - Part 1
by Nisa Santiago
2017
Scott and Layla West build a powerful crime family and groom their six children to inherit the business. But when a Baltimore boss challenges Scott's rule, the Wests are pulled into a brutal fight for control.
Mafioso - Part 2
by Nisa Santiago
2018
Maxine is free after serving time for a murder she did not commit, and she has a deadly score to settle. As Scott and Layla West suffer one loss after another, they realize someone has infiltrated their family.
Mafioso - Part 3
by Nisa Santiago
2018
The West family splits into rival factions as Layla breaks from Scott and launches her own operation. With enemies multiplying and relatives choosing sides, Scott, Maxine, and Bugsy face a fight on every front.
Mafioso - Part 4
by Nisa Santiago
2018
With Scott and Layla behind bars, Bugsy and Lucky are left to run the family businesses. Their hunger for control sparks a fresh crisis, pitting parents against children and putting the West family at risk again.
South Beach Cartel - Part 2
by Nisa Santiago
2018
Apple wants payback for the money Citi took from her, while Cartier is trying to stay out of the game. When Citi's new empire becomes unstable, the women head toward Miami to revive the South Beach Cartel.
Baddest Apple
by Nisa Santiago
2019
Apple is back in a world where old enemies, fragile alliances, and family obligations make every move risky. As a new threat rises, the twins must face the damage left by years of rivalry and decide what they are willing to sacrifice.
Head Games
by Nisa Santiago
2019
Back from South Beach, Cartier hopes to start a new life with Head. When she discovers he is not the man she believed him to be, she hardens her heart and turns her attention to building a new Cartier Cartel.
Mafioso - Part 5
by Nisa Santiago
2020
Scott and Layla West's acquittals put powerful cartels on alert, even as their empire remains intact. New mother Lucky tries to outplay the head of the Juarez cartel, but family ties and dangerous opponents begin to unravel her plan.
Mafioso - Part 6
by Nisa Santiago
2020
Federal agencies close in on the fractured West organization while a cartel prepares to strike. Meyer has scores to settle, but a crushing loss leaves him facing a new reality as the family fights to survive.
Mafioso - Part 7
by Nisa Santiago
2023
With one West family member missing, Scott is pulled between finding an elusive enemy and fighting an old rival. Meyer faces addiction and an impossible personal choice while the Garcia cartel prepares its move against the family.
Where to start with Nisa Santiago
For a Brooklyn crime saga: Cartier Cartel → Return of the Cartier Cartel → South Beach Slaughter → Head Games
For rival sisters and high drama: Bad Apple → Coca Kola → Checkmate → Face Off
For a big family power struggle: Mafioso - Part 1 → Mafioso - Part 2 → Mafioso - Part 3
For a shorter, darker crime series: Killer Dolls → Killer Dolls, Part 2 → Killer Dolls - Part 3
Nisa Santiago sub-series and character series
Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick books in order
Explore this series
Bad Apple
by Nisa Santiago
2011Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 1
Coca Kola
by Nisa Santiago
2012Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 2
Checkmate
by Nisa Santiago
2013Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 3
Face Off
by Nisa Santiago
2013Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 4
On the Run
by Nisa Santiago
2015Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 5
Unfinished Business
by Nisa Santiago
2016Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 6
Baddest Apple
by Nisa Santiago
2019Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 7
Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick books in chronological order

Bad Apple
by Nisa Santiago
2011Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 1
Coca Kola
by Nisa Santiago
2012Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 2
Checkmate
by Nisa Santiago
2013Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 3
Face Off
by Nisa Santiago
2013Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 4
On the Run
by Nisa Santiago
2015Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 5
Unfinished Business
by Nisa Santiago
2016Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 6
Baddest Apple
by Nisa Santiago
2019Apple & Kola: The Baddest Chick, Book 7
Cartier Cartel books in order
Explore this seriesKiller Dolls books in order
Explore this seriesMafioso books in order
Explore this series
Mafioso - Part 1
by Nisa Santiago
2017Mafioso, Book 1
Mafioso - Part 2
by Nisa Santiago
2018Mafioso, Book 2
Mafioso - Part 3
by Nisa Santiago
2018Mafioso, Book 3
Mafioso - Part 4
by Nisa Santiago
2018Mafioso, Book 4
Mafioso - Part 5
by Nisa Santiago
2020Mafioso, Book 5
Mafioso - Part 6
by Nisa Santiago
2020Mafioso, Book 6
Mafioso - Part 7
by Nisa Santiago
2023Mafioso, Book 7
Mafioso books in chronological order

Mafioso - Part 1
by Nisa Santiago
2017Mafioso, Book 1
Mafioso - Part 2
by Nisa Santiago
2018Mafioso, Book 2
Mafioso - Part 3
by Nisa Santiago
2018Mafioso, Book 3
Mafioso - Part 4
by Nisa Santiago
2018Mafioso, Book 4
Mafioso - Part 5
by Nisa Santiago
2020Mafioso, Book 5
Mafioso - Part 6
by Nisa Santiago
2020Mafioso, Book 6
Mafioso - Part 7
by Nisa Santiago
2023Mafioso, Book 7
Murdergram books in order
Explore this seriesSouth Beach Cartel books in order
Explore this seriesThe House That Hustle Built books in order
Explore this series
The House That Hustle Built
by Nisa Santiago
2015The House That Hustle Built, Book 1
The House that Hustle Built 2
by Nisa Santiago
2015The House That Hustle Built, Book 2
The House That Hustle Built 3
by Nisa Santiago
2016The House That Hustle Built, Book 3
The House That Hustle Built books in chronological order
Standalone Nisa Santiago books
Author bio
Nisa Santiago writes urban fiction centered on loyalty, family, ambition, romance, and the steep price of chasing power. Her stories move through Brooklyn, Harlem, Miami, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and beyond, often following characters who are trying to hold on to money, love, or a place at the top.
She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Biographical notes connected with her books have also described Harlem as her home.
Santiago entered publishing with Cartier Cartel, first released in 2008 and widely identified as her debut novel. It introduces Cartier Timmons, a teenager who starts a crew with her friends and pushes beyond petty theft into a much riskier life. The book set the pattern for much of Santiago's work: young women with sharp instincts, close but complicated friendships, and choices that keep getting more dangerous.
The follow-up, Return of the Cartier Cartel, keeps Cartier in Brooklyn as revenge, grief, and betrayal pull her deeper into the life she is trying to escape. The series later moves to Miami in South Beach Slaughter and returns to Cartier's story in Head Games. Readers who like a long-running crime saga with shifting alliances can start there.
Then came Apple and Kola.
In the seven-book Baddest Chick series, the twin sisters are rivals as often as they are family. Beginning with Bad Apple, their feud unfolds across Harlem, Miami, Colombia, and Baltimore. Coca Kola, Face Off, On the Run, and Unfinished Business keep raising the stakes while showing how old grudges can follow people into every new life they build.
Santiago has also created several smaller crime series with their own corners of this world. Murdergram follows a group of friends drawn into murder-for-hire. Killer Dolls centers on Aoki and her friends after violence makes them notorious in Brooklyn. The House That Hustle Built follows Pearla and Cash, a couple whose plans for fast money turn friends and family into threats. The later Mafioso books focus on Scott and Layla West and the powerful, fractured family they build around a criminal empire.
The pressure never stays outside the door.
Her standalone work includes Guard the Throne, about three siblings trying to survive after their father's drug empire is left without its leader. She also collaborated with Erica Hilton and Kim K. on Dirty Money Honey, a Las Vegas heist story. Across the books, Santiago returns to questions of who gets trusted, who gets used, and what happens when loyalty runs out.
Away from the page, her published author notes mention cooking, yoga, meditation, and spending time with family and friends. That balance is a useful contrast to the high-conflict worlds in her fiction, where every relationship can become a liability and every victory can bring another problem.
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