The King of Swords

“A big crime novel. . . . Stone has a grand story to tell, and he does it with panache. It’s the story of a city and an era (the Reagan reference isn’t gratuitous), at once hilarious and tragic. It’s a story filled with characters that range from honorable to morally ambiguous to frighteningly evil. It’s filled with voodoo rituals, crooked cops, street life, and wrenching descriptions. . . . Brilliant.”  — Booklist (starred review)

Nick Stone’s first novel, Mr. Clarinet, took the crime fiction world by storm—winning enthusiastic raves (“Exquisite” —South Florida Sun-Sentinel; “A spellbinding thriller of the highest order” —Chicago Tribune) as well as a Macavity and a CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award. In The King of Swords, Stone brings back Detective Max Mingus in a chilling and mesmerizing “prequel” that combines murder, police corruption, and voodoo black magic. The King of Swords blazes with Miami heat—and it earns Nick Stone a permanent spot in the winner’s circle alongside the masters James Ellroy, Dennis Lehane, James Lee Burke, Walter Mosley, and Stephen King.

Miami, 1981. Cocaine Central. Murder Capital, USA.

A city about to catch fire.

Detective Max Mingus and his partner, Joe Liston, are anticipating a routine murder investigation when they are called to the scene of death at Miami's Primate Park—until the victim's family is found slaughtered, and a partly digested tarot card, the King of Swords, is discovered in the victim's stomach.

A trail that's growing bloodier by the hour is leading Max and Joe to the most powerful criminal in Miami: the infamous Solomon Boukman. Few have ever set eyes on the evil, intensely feared enigma, but rumors abound of voodoo ceremonies, dark rites, and friends in very high places. Malevolence is running rampant in a city choking on hatred, rage, and official corruption—as Max races to discover the terrifying truth about Boukman before death's shadow reaches his own front door.

“The Miami setting and Haitian voodoo backdrop give Stone’s interesting noir thriller added weight. . . . Mingus . . . [is] an endearing character. This series entry builds on Stone’s award-winning debut, with Mingus more complex this time and resulting in an even better read.” - Library Journal (starred review)

“A thrilling, chilling novel. . . . This spine-tingling story will keep you up all night.” - National Examiner

“Proves once again why [Stone] is one of the brightest new stars in the thriller genre. . . . he has a way with violence and darkness that few authors can match. THE KING OF SWORDS is not for the faint of heart—it is a story filled with evil in many forms. But Stone is so gifted at creating intriguing characters and suspense that it’s impossible to put down.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“Nick Stone captures the real 1980s Miami with his gritty, brutal, and expertly plotted The King of Swords...an authentic vision of South Florida along with plenty of hard-boiled action.” - South Florida Sun Sentinel

“A big crime novel…. Stone has a grand story to tell, and he does it with panache...filled with voodoo rituals, crooked cops, street life, and wrenching descriptions of how bullet-riddled corpses decompose in tropical heat…. Brilliant.” - Booklist (starred review)

“[A] madcap opening. . . . [Stone’s] insider knowledge of the culture is evident on every page of this riveting page-turner.” - BookPage

“A thrilling plot and menacing atmosphere of black magic should make this one a hit among mystery lovers.” - Wisconsin State Journal

“A book not to be missed.” - January Magazine

“[A] chilling second thriller. . . . The violence is every bit as gruesome as in Clarinet, but Stone expertly harnesses it to propel his multilayered saga of good, evil, and everything in between.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)