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!

A dark, brutal, and captivating story of a mid-level rural crime family dealing in catalytic converters, pills, meth, and whatever else they can stake a claim on in a dry, dusty, and fire-prone inland area in California. Luke is the estranged son of the currently incarcerated head of the family. He drops out of college and has no better idea than to move back home to the family compound where he is treated with suspicion until he can prove himself.
The author must have spent some time in prison or with prisoners (and with crime families?) to have such seemingly realistic depictions of life inside and out.
Well written and well narrated, I was uncomfortable at times to be inside the heads or homes of some of these characters. I will definitely be reading more books by Jordan Harper!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: Nov 19, 2024.

This book managed to be very well written, full of violence and evocative imagery, and unbelievably boring. I made the mistake of listening to the audiobook while driving, and even on 3x speed, I nearly had to pull over. I imagine that anyone who likes The Godfather would probably like this.

I’m a big fan of Jordan Harper’s other books and was excited for his new one. In this one, the son of a crime “king” returns to his home and family after years of estrangement (and battling serious PTSD) reclaim his position. The audiobook narrator did a great job with the different POV characters. The author also included Easter eggs alluding to the his other novels which I enjoyed. Overall, I found the characters and story engaging but it didn’t quite land the same punch as Harper’s other crime novels.

This book was fantastic. Jordan did a beautiful job writing this story! I loved every part of it. The characters were so beautifully portrayed. Wonderful job!