Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Guys | 1988 | Anthony Bruno | Buy |
| 2 | Bad Blood | 1989 | Anthony Bruno | Buy |
| 3 | Bad Luck | 1990 | Anthony Bruno | Buy |
| 4 | Bad Business | 1991 | Anthony Bruno | Buy |
| 5 | Bad Moon | 1992 | Anthony Bruno | Buy |
| 6 | Bad Apple | 1994 | Anthony Bruno | Buy |
Mike Tozzi and Cuthbert Gibbons are the kind of partners who shouldn’t work but somehow do. Both are FBI agents targeting New Jersey and New York mob figures, and both carry enough personal baggage to fill a case file. Anthony Bruno based the series on real Mafia figures he had researched in depth, and the resulting books feel grounded rather than generic.
The six-book run from Bad Guys (1988) to Bad Apple (1994) follows the partnership through escalating cases, with each title carrying the “Bad” prefix that became the series’ signature. Bruno’s knack for mixing crime fiction authenticity with darkly comic moments earned the books strong reviews and a loyal readership. For fans of mob crime fiction, this series predates much of what became fashionable in the genre.