2.5 rounded to 3. This was a bit of a letdown. A lot of stuff happened for nothing to happen. Everything happened in such a short time, making this a bit unrealistic. It was gory, and there was lots of crude language. I did enjoy the narration and thought the choice in narrator was a good fit. The story overall wasn't terrible, but I don't think this author is for me. Thank you NetGalley, and Hatchette Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy.

I hate rating this so low because the writing was actually really good. Unfortunately for me, the story was more dramatic & less thrilling than I had hoped. As others mentioned, it gave strong Sons of Anarchy vibes, which, in my opinion, is more entertaining as a show than a book. It somehow, even with the gritty subject matter, felt a little cheesy. Because of the writing, I would definitely read more by this author. This was a good book, just not for me.

The Last King of California is perfect for fans of Harper's novel, She Rides Shotgun, and for fans of S. A. Cosby. This audiobook was very well produced and the narrator brought the air of this California crime family to life so well. This modern day Western tells the story of the Crosswhite family. Luke saw his father commit murder and now his uncle is vying for control of their operation. Luke is both in deep with the family crime and a compassionate, empathetic character. So he struggles throughout the events of this story, which helps maintain his relatability.

If you like a sweeping crime novel that plays with Western tropes in the desolate California desert, this is one for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. The narration is great. This book was not for me and I have to guess that I must not have read the book description before I requested it. This is not something I normally would read. This is a good book but just not what I like to read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Jordan Harper’s The Last King of California is a gritty and compelling novel that delves into the dark underbelly of gang life in the California desert. Narrated by the talented Stephen Graybill, this audiobook offers an immersive experience that captures the raw emotion and tension of Harper’s storytelling.

This novel follows Luke Crosswhite, a young man who returns to his family’s criminal empire after years of estrangement. Luke’s father, Bobby, is serving time for a brutal murder that Luke witnessed as a child. Now, with his uncle Del running the Combine—a gang involved in theft, drug dealing, and occasional warfare—Luke is thrust back into a world he thought he had left behind. As he navigates the treacherous dynamics of his family and their rivals, Luke must confront his past and decide where his loyalties lie.

Stephen Graybill’s narration is a highlight of this audiobook. His deep, resonant voice perfectly matches the novel’s dark and intense atmosphere. Graybill’s ability to convey the emotional complexity of Luke’s character, as well as the distinct personalities of the supporting cast, adds depth to the listening experience.

Harper’s writing is both brutal yet poetic, capturing the stark realities of gang life while finding moments of humanity and beauty amidst the violence. His characters are well-drawn and complex, each struggling with their own demons and desires.

The Last King of California explores themes of loyalty, identity, and the cyclical nature of violence. It delves into the psychological impact of growing up in a criminal environment and the struggle to break free from one’s past.

The Last King of California is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that offers a fresh take on the crime thriller genre. Jordan Harper’s masterful storytelling, combined with Stephen Graybill’s exceptional narration, makes this audiobook a must-listen for fans of dark, character-driven fiction. The novel’s exploration of complex themes and its vivid portrayal of a brutal world ensure it will leave a lasting impression.

18 year old Luke struggling his way through life in Colorado heads to be with the only " family" he has
this book isn't twists and turns, but an intriguing straight through crime story.
I very much loved the writing style and the captivating story told.
Harper is an amazing crime fiction author, i cant wait to read more

⭐️⭐️Review⭐️⭐️
📖: The Last King of California
🧍‍♂️Author: Jordan Harper

About? Luke is a sensitive boy turned hard man who grew up with a Father who led a violent gang. His Father committed an act of violence so terrible he is in prison throughout the story. Luke tries to go out into the world and live an honest life but the his home, the people he grew up with and gang he was raised in quietly calls his name.

Makes you feel? Jordan Harper is truly a magnificent writer. He is able to write a scene that makes you feel nostalgic and like it’s brand new all at once. This book is a crime thriller that is so character-driven I couldn’t help but root for and empathize with people in the gang - all while they were acting in cruel and unusual ways. Hard to explain but jump in and you’ll get it. Highly highly highly recommend not only this book - (being published TOMORROW!!! ), but any of Jordan Harper’s books. He can write about an ugly subject in a such beautiful way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an advanced audible copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Biker gangs, trying to stay out of trouble, murder, and family trauma all in one! This was a fast paced story about Luke who is trying to stay on the right path despite the past of his criminal family. I enjoyed the background on the biker gangs in the book and being in the head of Luke and his internal struggles.

The narrator did a great job to keep me engaged and the story on track .

The Last King of California was brutal. The prodigal son returns to his crime family in the California desert. I don't know if you can have a story that isn't brutal in that setting. It started out so strong but it weirdly dragged on and lost me at times. It kept the slow pace until the end. There was no build up of tension. Just more and more of the same.

If Jordan Harper writes it, I want to read it. Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this ARC of The Last King of California. These books are always intense and have some dark themes that weave in well with the story. And I absolutely love his writing style. Some of the lines Jordan writes are just so incredible that it makes you want to annotate. The development of the characters makes you either love them or hate them quickly.

This was an audio ARC and Stephen Graybill was the perfect pick for the narration. Following the story as he was telling it made me even more involved with the story. Excellent narration and Production for The Last King of California. Start to finish, everyone did a wonderful job! About 25% of the way into this one I went and preordered a physical copy.

Luke Crosswhite returns to his family homestead in the desert of Southern California. As a young boy, Luke watched his father beat a man to death. Now Luke has returned to his roots after living away from the violence and crime that surrounds his family. Is this Luke’s destiny? Was he born to take over the reigns of the small criminal gang that his father helped found and still runs from his jail cell? As Luke begins establishing his place within the family, a lager and more violet gang makes a move to take over. As the danger and violence escalates, can
Luke and his family survive?

This is a really engrossing novel of a young man searching for his place in the world- even if that world is filled with blood and crime. Author Jordan Harper’s story of found family is both poetic and brittle at the story’s desert setting. It reminded me of Raymond Chandler’s work. Sparse, yet powerful noir. This is old school crime fiction at its best. Narrator Stephen Graybill does an excellent job bringing the story to life. He conveys Luke’s emotional unrest at returning home and also the danger that awaits him. This is first-rate storytelling and shouldn’t be missed.

Gotta love the type of crime fiction where three chapters in, you already know nothing good comes of any of it for the characters.

Another banger from Jordan Harper.

Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for a audio ARC to listen to.

Wow - I was immediately hooked by the book and didn't want to put it down until I finished.

What stood out in this book is the author's unique character development.

I also loved the way the author described situations. I truly felt that I was there amongst the grime and desperation of the underground gang life of California and empathising with the angst of a child unfortunately born into a violent, outlaw culture of North America.

At times I even had to re-read to understand the full depth of what was going down.

I would recommend this book to crime readers who love very detailed, irresistible story-lines.

4.6 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Luke is the heir to his father's kingdom, if he wants it. He seemingly reluctantly returns to California and the crime family that his father started many years ago. He is reintroduced to his family but is still viewed as an outsider. We follow the transformation Luke goes through to become a part of his family and in the process of finding out who he wants to be.

There was a lot going on in this story. It is a dark and brutal story of crime and the lengths that people go to continue their legacies. There were graphic and realistic depictions of life inside and out of prison. The Last King of California was well written and told from multiple POV which I felt jumped around a lot and created some disjointed chapters, but ultimately it was a good listen. There was a lot of violence but there were also some really slow parts of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Mulholland Books and Jordan Harper for the audio ARC of The Last King of California in exchange for my honest review. Publication date for The Last King of California by Jordan Harper is set for 19 November 2024.

3.5 stars. Dark and gritty. Comps to SA Crosby, who even provides an author note at the beginning.....but just not quite as well developed as Crosby's books. The plot was predictable at times, and the characters didn't have as much depth as I would have liked. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I read it in print vs listening to it? Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had not read it during election week? I will definitely read more by this author though because this one had quite a bit of potential.

Luke Crosswhite grew up in a crime family. His father was the leader of their group and he always saw himself as the heir-apparent. But an event when Luke was still a child landed his dad in prison and he went to live with his mother's people. The event still causes him panic attacks and his father's family basically disowned him for being weak. When he moves back to compound in California after flunking out of college, it is temporary. But the longer he is there, the more he wants to reclaim his throne.

Crime dramas like Ozark and Breaking Bad work well because there is a <i>reason</i> for a seemingly law abiding citizen to go rogue. This was not the case in The Last King of California. None of them had a motive years ago when forming the gang, and Luke, now, doesn't have a good one. His motive is fitting in and his father. It makes it a far less compelling story to me. The Combine, their "gang", is supposed to be a family. But it really isn't. I just felt like a bunch of crappy people deserved worse than they got.

Stephen Graybill narrates the audiobook. The narration is good. I'd probably lean towards print though only because of the large number of characters. But that is a personal preference.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been searching for the high that Razorblade Tears gave me ever since I first read it. I inhaled everything by SA Cosby after that, and literally read anything he’s attached to.

That said… The Last King of California comes very close to that high. It was full of emotion. Raw emotion that forced you to empathize. Those are my favorite types of books. I want to feel it all. The ugly, the highs, the lows, the pure adrenaline. This book did just that. It was action packed, but still had depth.

It felt like I was watching a movie. The cast was a dedicated gang of outlaws, their esteemed leader behind bars. They regularly chanted “blood is love,” and they proved it time and time again. It made you want to root for them. It made you want to exact revenge against their enemies.

And the writing! It was sultry and smoky. It was beautiful. In the forward, SA Cosby waxes poetic about Jordan Harper’s writing, and I get it. His writing is dripping honey, the softest blanket. I cannot wait to read the rest of his books.

Jordan Harper's writing is vivid and violent and sometimes tragic, but always has plenty of heart. The prose flows smooth and even when there is a lull in the action you can feel the storm clouds brewing. Very well written as expected from Harper.

A breathless, fiery fever dream.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Luke, heir apparent to his father's criminal empire The Combine, once chose another way for himself by moving to Colorado to carve out a life of his own. Now nineteen and back home in his imprisoned father's old biker gang kingdom in the Inland Empire of Southern California, back at the compound with a family he hasn't seen since his father committed the crime he was sent to prison for and that still haunts Luke to this day, he is viewed with suspicion upon his arrival. As his family becomes more and more imbedded in a turf war with a rival gang, Luke, wrestling with his position as the rightful successor to his father's throne, is once again reminded of the cost of the family's motto, etched in black tattooed ink above their hearts: Blood is love.

Filled with stunning, melancholic prose and compelling and complex, often morally ambiguous characters, "The Last King of California" is a tour de force, a coming of age story that reads like a breathless, fiery fever dream barreling towards its inevitable conclusion set against blazing California wildfires. A highly recommended crime novel.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Stephen Graybill, who did an outstanding job bringing this novel to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio / Mulholland Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The Last King of California" is slated to be released on November 19, 2024.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Stephen Graybill narrates and does a fantastic job! This was such an enjoyable listening experience!

Luke Crosswhite returns home after failing out of college and essentially losing his way. His dad, Big Bobby, is head of The Combine crime family that he started years agos and which he continues to run while in prison. His Uncle Del is in charge on the outside while Big Bobby is n prison. Luke finds that his Uncle Del has taken in several other criminals, one of which lives within Luke’s old bedroom, forcing Luke to live in a dilapidated trailer behind his former home. Luke is faced with either transforming his entire being into someone worthy of acceptance into The Combine, of which he is the heir apparent for his dad, or remaining an ostracized outsider who is temporarily staying on his own family's land.

We see Luke transform from being an insecure, lost boy into an intelligent, hardened criminal just like his dad. Now The Combine is faced with another criminal gang attempting to force a protection payment on them or starting a war. Also, there is an epic California wildfire coming into the area.

WOW does not even describe my reaction to this story. This is such an evocative, well written story by an author that has a very expressive way of describing characters, relationships and scenery. You can see, taste and smell the action! The reader is immersed in the setting and the lives of the characters.

Such a fantastic book!!! Highly recommend!