The Last King of California

By: Jordan Harper

Narrated by: Stephen Graybill

This tragic, Hamlet-esque noir tells the stirring and brutal coming of age story of young Luke Crosswhite, who after years apart from his criminal family returns to their flock deep in the California desert. Perfect for readers of S.A. Cosby and Don Winslow.

Luke’s father is serving time for a brutal murder that Luke himself witnessed; now, his uncle vies for power and rival biker gangs encroach on the family’s various criminal enterprises. A sensitive boy grown hard man, Luke navigates the vicious pressures of “home,” and the loyalties to his old friend, Cassie, who has hatched a scheme with her boyfriend Pretty Baby to escape the control of the gang, the Combine. Hanging over these desperate, lonesome parties is the gang’s motto, tattooed indelibly across the heart: Blood is Love.

The Last King of California is a story of the West unlike any you will read.

“When I say The Last King of California subverts the stereotypical American Outlaw Mythos, it's the highest praise I can give it. No one is thinking deeper about what crime fiction is than Jordan Harper.” —S. A. Cosby

“Burns bright and fast” —Peter Swanson

“Darkly irresistible” —Megan Abbott

“Urgent and beautiful” —Lauren Beukes​

Critic reviews

"Fast-paced and gritty"—Amy Engel

"Truly astounding"—Robin Wasserman

"'Easily one of the best things I'll read this year. Visceral and violent. An exploration o family and loyalty. Reads like poetry. Bravo."—Chris McDonald

"[A] gripping and emotional journey . . . Authors paint pictures with words, and like the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh's Sunflowers, some of their books are instant masterpieces sure to inspire readers and elicit envy from fellow wordsmiths. The Last King of California is simply that good. Jordan Harper wields words like weapons . . . It is like poetry on the page."—BoloBooks Top Read of 2022

"'Blistering, brutal, with a big beating (black) heart, The Last King of California confirms Harper as one of the finest writers of noir today, with what's easily a best-of-the-year book."—James. D. F. Hannah, Shamus-winning author of the Henry Malone novels

poetic venacular

this is a great story, well told. i found it to be an enjoyable listen.

Voice didn’t match the story for me

Did not like the narrator. His voice and style didn’t work with the story for me. I’m sure with other books he would be great, it just didn’t work for me. You may love him though.

It was fine

There was well flushed out characters and plots but all together never really had a “gotcha” moment. Felt like a day time drama that you’d watch if you only had basic cable.

Harper does our again

I thought that no book would ever compete with She Rides Shotgun, but this novel is! I highly recommend this book to any reader of crime fiction. No one does it like harper!