Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Mercury Blues | 1998 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 2 | Hot Poppies | 1999 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 3 | Bloody London | 1999 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 4 | Sex Dolls | 2002 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 5 | Disturbed Earth | 2004 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 6 | Red Hook | 2005 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 7 | Fresh Kills | 2006 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 8 | Londongrad | 2009 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
| 9 | Blood Count | 2010 | Reggie Nadelson | Buy |
Reggie Nadelson’s Artie Cohen series ran for nine books over twelve years, from Red Mercury Blues in 1998 to Blood Count in 2010. The early books came out at a brisk pace, with three titles in the first two years alone: Red Mercury Blues, Hot Poppies, and Bloody London.
The titles have a gritty, noir quality to them. Red Mercury Blues, Bloody London, Sex Dolls, Disturbed Earth, Fresh Kills, and Blood Count all suggest a crime series that does not shy away from dark subject matter. There is also a geographic range hinted at in the names: Bloody London and Londongrad point to a UK or international connection, while Red Hook and Fresh Kills are distinctly New York locations.
The series settled into a roughly one-book-every-two-years rhythm after the initial burst. Nadelson kept the Artie Cohen stories going for over a decade, which gave the character room to age and change across a substantial body of work. Nine books is a solid run for a crime fiction series, and readers who pick up Red Mercury Blues will have plenty ahead of them.