Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Nick Kolakowski's books

180 ratings | 29 reviews | avg rating:4.69

Nick’s Year In Books

Nick’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Nick’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Nick’s 2025 Year in Books

Nick Kolakowski’s Followers (118)

Nick’s Bookshelves

to-read (33)
currently-reading (23)
read (176)
did-not-finish (0)

Nick’s Friends (169)

Kate R

1,033 books | 21 friends

Daniella

749 books | 86 friends

Ju$tin

1,543 books | 736 friends

Beau Johnson

182 books | 572 friends

Hobart

5,073 books | 232 friends

Steve Stred

2,798 books | 580 friends

John Burroughs

4,510 books | 4,045 friends

Kumail Akbar

1,692 books | 387 friends

More friends…

Nick Kolakowski

Goodreads Author

Website

http://nickkolakowski.com/

Twitter

nkolakowski

Genre

Nonfiction, Humor, Arts & Photography

Influences

Tim Parks, Richard Stark, Nicholas Christopher, Joseph Heller ...more

Member Since

March 2012

edit data

Nick Kolakowski is the author of several horror and crime novels, including “Absolute Unit” (Crystal Lake Publishing) and “Where the Bones Lie” (Datura Books). His short stories and nonfiction essays have appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including House of Gamut, Mystery Magazine, Shotgun Honey, Rock & A Hard Place, and (upcoming) Best American Mystery & Suspense 2024. He lives and writes in New York City.

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Nick Kolakowski questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Nick Kolakowski’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 3,938 ratings · 983 reviews · 66 distinct works • Similar authors

	Where the Bones Lie really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 123 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Boise Longpig Hunting Club 3.93 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 2018 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Become an Intellectual 3.34 avg rating — 86 ratings — published 2012 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Beach Bodies 3.35 avg rating — 82 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic by Nick Kolakowski (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Steve Weddle (Editor), Hector Acosta (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 63 ratings — published 2020 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps 4.26 avg rating — 57 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Absolute Unit 4.04 avg rating — 49 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Payback is Forever 3.95 avg rating — 42 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maxine Unleashes Doomsday 4.23 avg rating — 35 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rattlesnake Rodeo 4.19 avg rating — 32 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Nick Kolakowski…

48 posts
Nick Kolakowski's Blog

RIGHTEOUS TRASH is out!

Way back in ye olden days of 2016 (which feels like roughly a million years ago at this point), I sat down to write a gritty little neo-Western that I eventually titled "Boise Longpig Hunting Club."

I didn't intend to write a sequel, but after "Boise" sold really well for an indie crime novel, I set pen to paper (er, fingers to keyboard) again and produced "Rattlesnake Rodeo."

Both books followed J Read more of this blog post »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on October 23, 2025 10:41 • Tags: crime, mystery, noir, righteous-trash, thriller

View all 48 posts »

Series by Nick Kolakowski

A Love & Bullets Hookup (3 books)
by

Nick Kolakowski (Goodreads Author)

4.27 avg rating — 97 ratings

Nick is Currently Reading

Nick Kolakowski is currently reading

Bishop Rider Lives: An Anthology of Retribution

by Beau Johnson (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

May 23, 2024 04:56AM

Nick Kolakowski is currently reading

Dragon Teeth

by Michael Crichton

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Aug 20, 2023 02:36PM

Nick Kolakowski is currently reading

She Was Found in a Guitar Case

by David James Keaton (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Nick Kolakowski said: " David James Keaton is one of those authors who can pull off the rarest of tricks: His prose speeds along like greased lightning, but it's also dense with in-jokes, nifty details, inventive turns of phrase, and raw chunks of pure emotion. In other wor ...more "

Nov 08, 2021 11:58AM · see review

rss
Nick’s Recent Updates

Nick Kolakowski rated a book really liked it Nothing Lasts Forever (Die Hard, #1) by Roderick Thorp	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 19, 2025 06:25PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski rated a book it was amazing The Turnout by Megan Abbott (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 03, 2025 06:21PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Turnout by Megan Abbott. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Turnout by Megan Abbott <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski rated a book it was amazing The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 29, 2025 10:59AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski rated a book it was amazing Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House by Jonathan Allen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 23, 2025 12:35PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fight by Jonathan Allen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fight by Jonathan Allen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski rated a book it was amazing Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 09, 2025 07:22PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski and 3 other people liked Joel Nedecky's review of Dark Neon & Dirt: "Dark Neon and Dirt, by Thomas Trang, is one of the best heist stories I’ve read or watched. It’s like a blend of Heat and Prince of Thieves (by Chuck Hogan), with a few unique traits of its own. Nguyen is a thief. He grew up in dire straits and came " Read more of this review »
Mar 18, 2025 07:02AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dark Neon & Dirt by Thomas Trang. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dark Neon & Dirt by Thomas Trang <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski is now following Jon Zelazny and Meigan
Feb 11, 2025 07:11AM
Nick Kolakowski wants to read King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller, Readers' Favorite Audiobook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 06, 2025 06:48AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Nick Kolakowski and 1 other person liked Nigel Bird's review of Where the Bones Lie: "I was really pleased to get an ARC of Where The Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski. It's a story that will be familiar to many a fan of vintage noir, more specifically to the Private Eye of the Hollywood variety. It shares many of the tropes that might be " Read more of this review »
Feb 06, 2025 06:01AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Nick's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Busy as a Bee Books: Book News: 6/16/20	5	7	Jun 17, 2020 07:53PM
Aussie Lovers of...: Currently Reading/Just Finished 2020	1775	166	Dec 31, 2020 02:33PM
Aussie Lovers of...: Currently Reading/Just Finished 2021	1764	141	Dec 31, 2021 07:35AM
Aussie Lovers of...: Spring Challenge 2021- Scavenger Hunt	186	74	Dec 31, 2021 03:55PM
Pulp Fiction: Just finished - and a few thoughts	673	256	Aug 06, 2024 03:00AM
Aussie Lovers of...: Autumn Challenge 2025 - A Mystery at Booktown Library	150	80	Sep 24, 2025 02:42AM
Edelweiss & Netga...: * 2025 Book Reviews	759	64	Dec 31, 2025 03:50PM

More…

Nick’s Quotes

“How did you go bankrupt?"
Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

771 likes

Nick’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Nick’s Year In Books

Nick Kolakowski’s Followers (118)

Nick’s Bookshelves

Nick’s Friends (169)

Nick Kolakowski

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Nick Kolakowski’s books

48 posts
Nick Kolakowski's Blog

RIGHTEOUS TRASH is out!

Series by Nick Kolakowski

Nick is Currently Reading

rss
Nick’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp

See a Problem?

Preview — The Turnout by Megan Abbott

See a Problem?

Preview — The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger

See a Problem?

Preview — Fight by Jonathan Allen

See a Problem?

Preview — Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

See a Problem?

Preview — Dark Neon & Dirt by Thomas Trang

See a Problem?

Preview — King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

See a Problem?

Preview — Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski

Topics Mentioning This Author

Nick’s Quotes

recent posts
Nick’s Groups

Nick’s Friend Comments

Nick Kolakowski’s Followers (118)

Nick Kolakowski

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssNick’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp

See a Problem?

Preview — The Turnout by Megan Abbott

See a Problem?

Preview — The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger

See a Problem?

Preview — Fight by Jonathan Allen

See a Problem?

Preview — Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

See a Problem?

Preview — Dark Neon & Dirt by Thomas Trang

See a Problem?

Preview — King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

See a Problem?

Preview — Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Nick’s Recent Updates