Reading order · 3 books · 1995 to 2009 · Set in various US locations
Underworld USA Books in Order
The Underworld USA trilogy is a secret history of America from 1958 to 1972, told through the lives of mobsters, FBI men and hired killers, from the Kennedy assassination to the death of Martin Luther King.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Series facts
- Books
- 3
- Published
- 1995 to 2009
- First book
- American Tabloid
- Latest
- Blood's a Rover (2009)
- Setting
- Set in various US locations
The reading order
Every Underworld USA book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
3 books · Set in various US locations
- 1American Tabloid1995With Pete Bondurant and Kemper BoydBetween 1958 and 1963, three men, an FBI agent, a mob enforcer and a former FBI man, move among the Kennedys, Howard Hughes and the Mafia in the years leading to Dallas.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Cold Six Thousand2001With Pete Bondurant and Ward LittellWayne Tedrow Jr, a Las Vegas police officer, arrives in Dallas on the day of the Kennedy assassination with a job to do, and is drawn into five years of conspiracy.Buy on Amazon
- 3Blood's a Rover2009With Wayne Tedrow Jr and Dwight HollyBetween 1968 and 1972, a Las Vegas cop turned Mob operative, an FBI agent and a young private investigator are caught up in the violent end of the 1960s.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand and Blood’s a Rover in order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Pete Bondurant | Ward Littell | Wayne Tedrow Jr | Kemper Boyd | Dwight Holly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 American Tabloid | LLead | LLead | LLead | ||
| 2 The Cold Six Thousand | LLead | LLead | LLead | ||
| 3 Blood's a Rover | ·Minor | LLead | LLead |
Characters in the Underworld USA books
5 characters from James Ellroy’s chart, with the number of Underworld USA books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Pete BondurantMob enforcer | 3 | American Tabloid 1995 |
| Ward LittellFBI agent turned Mob lawyer | 2 | American Tabloid 1995 |
| Wayne Tedrow JrLas Vegas cop | 2 | The Cold Six Thousand 2001 |
| Kemper BoydFBI agent | 1 | American Tabloid 1995 |
| Dwight HollyFBI enforcer | 1 | Blood's a Rover 2009 |