For me, it’s a combined chemistry and tension that holds this story together. Every character or pair has a role that adds a distinctive energy to the narrative—like the couple in love, the twins, the true believer, the leader, and the possible future heir to the throne. There’s love and friction all around! Come see who survives this battle of blood and fire. You might be surprised who’s left standing at the end.

Luke Crosswhite is a young man with many demons. Son of a drug addict and a convicted felon, he spent his youth passed around from family member to family member and now wants to find his place in the world.

The Last King of California begins with nineteen-year-old Luke flunking out of college and returning to his father’s land, to his father’s people, The Combine gang. Luke is in turmoil; he longs for a sense of belonging but roils with flashbacks of gang activity and watching his father viciously murder a man as a young boy. Even speaking to his family is a great feat, a test of mettle that will either get Luke a safe place to live or eviction forever.

Desperate to prove his worth to his kingpin father, Luke approaches his Uncle Del – who manages affairs on the outside – to claim his birthright and their iconic “Love is blood” black heart. And his timing couldn’t be better – or maybe, worse – as The Combine is about to launch a major defence against Beast Daniels and his nefarious crew.

Things don’t go easy, but Luke does connect with some members of the family. His “play-cousin” from youth, Callie, and her boyfriend, Pretty Boy; ex-convict Curtis, who bonded with Luke’s father while in prison; and Sam, the youngest aspiring gang member, in whom Luke sees shadows of his childhood self.

It's impossible to say much more plotwise about The Last King of California; it would spoil a gripping read, a gut stirring emotional journey for The Combine characters. This book is dark and violent, and the mentality of gang culture is explored. While The Combine are not afraid of the violent use of weaponry, Harper uses her words just as effectively, with each word carefully chosen to elicit the desired reaction from the reader.

You will quickly burn through The Last King of California in one sitting. It is highly compelling crime fiction with a solid emotional connection. None of the characters are the nicest of people, but you'll root for Luke and Callie regardless.

The Last King of California is a taut, gut wrenching story of family, fate, and failure. 4⭐

A crime novel that is pretty well written.

It took me a while to get into but I enjoyed the characters after persevering.

Characters are described well, along with situations.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I’ve mentioned before how it is astounding that some American crime authors are struggling to get fair deals in their own country and says a lot for the emphasis placed on marketability in the publishing industry as these books do not fall comfortably into the thriller or mystery category that is used to encompass what is a more wide ranging genre. Jordan Harper is on the end of this with this title published in the UK, but not the US, but such is the way of the world that canny US readers can still get their hands on it.

Harper plunges us back into his fictional universe with members of the neo-Nazi gang, Aryan Steel and their blue thunder bolts, showing up throughout alongside Luke and Callie. The pair were play-cousins during childhood, but when Luke’s father horrifically kills a man outside a bowling alley, Luke is whisked away from the Devore Combine’s ranch and brought up by his mother’s family. Luke has never dealt with the trauma he suffers from the murder and eventually finds himself back at the ranch as a final refuge. As Luke decides if he wants to join the Combine, Callie and her boyfriend are looking for a way out as they search for life and meaning beyond the gang.

Harper’s conceit is simple enough as the two main characters move in opposite directions of the Combine, but his skill lies in understanding human behaviour and describing his characters’ decision making so well. His descriptions of how his characters feel in any given moment is exceptional and you can really slip into the characters’ skin as they deal with the travails of the plot. This is really a character based book with a hardcore criminal element. The violence is shocking and ugly and I was in awe of the use of spreading butter on toast to segue into the murder Luke’s father committed. It’s a moment that curdles the stomach even thinking about it now.

This is not a book filled with twists and turns, but a straight ahead crime story dealing simultaneously with the allure and downside of a criminal career. Harper remains one of the leading lights of American crime fiction, I just hope his home country can understand that before too long.

A fast paced and brutally raw read that is wwell written. with a compelling storyline that is dark in pklaces and well develped characters. I enjoyed it.

“Blood is love”. In Jordan Harper’s latest novel, the sequel to She Rides Shotgun, this phrase echoes eerily throughout, almost becoming a primaeval incantation intended to elicit violence. Those who repeatedly chant “Blood is love” aren’t entirely a family in the traditional sense, but rather a band of brothers brought together by their thirst for power, survival and retribution.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2022/11/07/the-last-king-of-california-jordan-harper/

Not my usual kind of read and, to be honest, its likely to be one I forget about quite quickly.

A story about gangs in rural California, focussing on one family and their interactions and fall outs with other gangs. It’s a lot more character led than I would have assumed, which was good for me, and the main character and at least one of the peripherals were really likeable. Well written, easy to read.

Jordan Harper has done it again! I highly recommend this book.

The Last King Of California hits close to home for anyone who lives on the west coast in recent years as wildfires have become more and more prevalent in our lives. Jordan uses the tragedy of the wildfire as grimy back drop for a coming-of-age story that shows that desire to belong can often outweigh our sense of right and wrong.

Jordan's gritty follow up to She Rides Shotgun Lacks a little of the punch of its predecessor but is still definitely worth the read. Jordan has a truly unique ability to write so beautifully about ugly side of life..

The ending left me wanting more and I believe there is more to this story if Jordan chooses to bring it to life.

THE LAST KING OF CALIFORNIA starts with the greatest chapter-that-isn't I've ever read ("Chapter Zero") and only gets better from there. This is a lean, mean, venomous beast of a book, spare but heartfelt, pondering on matters of second chances, family, love and trust, with a huge beating (black) heart.

After a series of losses in trying to build a new life, Luke Crosswhite returns to Inland Empire, to his family home, and to The Combine, an assortment of criminals, drug dealers, and car thieves, once led by Luke's father but now by his Uncle Del. But The Combine has its own problems: It is under threat by Aryan Steel, a white supremacist organization determined to take a piece of The Combine for itself.

As Luke grows and changes under the eyes of The Combine, reconnecting with roots he had long abandoned and thought were forgotten, there's also the struggle within The Combine, and those who are trying to escape.

To say more is to spoil what awaits you. While it might echo Elmore Leonard, Cormac McCarthy, James Crumley, and others, THE LAST KING OF CALIFORNIA is something only Harper could deliver. Gorgeously written—the chapter where Luke attends a heavy metal show contains some of the best descriptions of the power of music ever—and furiously paced, this isn't one to pick up casually with plans to read a few chapters. You read Chapter Zero, you're in for this ride.

Hi and welcome to my review of The Last King of California!

It was most definitely the cover that made me take notice. Then the title, which intrigued me. And the blurb sealed the deal. It’s no secret I’m fond of small-town settings, extra kudos if they’re located in the desert. I’ve also mentioned before that Sons of Anarchy is one of my favourite TV-shows of all time, and I had a feeling that The Last King of California might be able to scratch that itch.

The Last King of California is about the Combine, a gang in Southern California. They consider themselves a family, but also a crew. They steal cars and sell drugs, they’re more than petty criminals but they make sure not to draw the eye of the DEA or FBI or any other agency.

The story is told from two points of view: Callie and Luke. Callie is 22 and has been part of the Combine for literally ever. She loves the family but she’s getting tired of the dead land that is SoCal and maybe she’s found a way to make easy money so she can grab her man and get out of there. Luke is 19 and the prince of the Combine: it’s his dad who started it all. He hasn’t been in California for over a decade, not since he was 7 and witnessed his dad kill a man in cold blood. Circumstances and bad choices have driven Luke back home, but is blood really thicker than water?

I decided to try The Last King of California on for size, get in a few chapters before bed to see what was what. Boy, did I come to regret that! I was hooked from the very first chapter and I had to force myself to put it down and get some sleep, promising myself I’d binge it the day after. Which, for the record, I did.

I had such a great time with this story. Sons of Anarchy meets Breaking Bad meets Animal Kingdom, let’s face it, there are not enough books out there that rock that kind of combo. Add the kind of atmospheric setting that reminded me of Chris Whitaker’s We Begin at the End and that’s me sorted for an afternoon of ignoring the real world.

I loved seeing things from Luke’s perspective, the boy who got away from a life of violence and crime but came back. And I loved how vulnerable but tough Callie turned out to be. I was definitely rooting for them both.

If you like your crime thrillers tattooed, riddled with bullets and covered in a fine layer of desert dust, this is without a doubt one for you!

The Last King of California is out now in the UK.

Massive thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy, this was the best book I read this year.

I'm a huge Jordan Harper fan and, in addition to delving into his fictional universe, I learn a lot from his newsletter. When I read She Rides Shotgun, I laughed, I was afraid, I was angry, I cried and I was amazed.

With The Last King of California it was no different.

Harper presents us with a brutal coming of age story, which may even resemble Sons of Anarchy or Animal Kingdom in a way, but takes a very different path. With unique characters, sometimes brutal and sometimes sublime descriptions, The Last King of California is a story about war, family, loyalty and the things we do to survive. I loved revisiting old characters and the way the events of past stories also have a weight on the new characters. Gradually, Harper is building his universe brilliantly.

The book ends in the right way, at the right time. As I read, I felt like a man riding a tiger, but also, I was the tiger too.

It took 5 years to get another Jordan Harper novel, and this one was worth the wait. A deep reflection about how who we are and who we want to be don't always align.
THE LAST KING OF CALIFORNIA is a profoundly atmospheric novel where every paragraph brings the reader to reflect on what was, what is, and what can be. It's a novel that reads at lightning speed, but requires frequent pauses to truly absorb everything Harper lays out on the page.
This one is a noir tour-de-force.

“Blood is love”

The Last King of California follows Luke, once ripped away from his Father’s family after a violent incident, as he is forced to reluctantly return to the family and gang he doesn’t know anymore.

Now saw as an outsider, something inside is pulling him towards his family and to a life of crime.

At the same time a threat to the gang is coming, leading Luke to a decision on his future and a return to the life he didn’t know he craved.
‘Sometimes to find yourself, you have to go back to where you came from.’

The Last King of California is my first ARC via NetGalley and was such a good first one to read. Once I started I didn’t want to stop, I was fully pulled into the story and partly I think this is due to it having some serious Sons of Anarchy vibes, the story feels like it belongs in the same universe.

This is the first of author Jordan Harper’s books I have read and it won’t be the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for sending me this excellent story!

Sometimes to find yourself, you have to go back to where you came from. 
You just might not like what you find. 
 
After failing in his new life, Luke decides to go home, back to the one place where he’d once felt he belonged. But that was a long time ago and now he has to face the life that he chose to run away from: The Combine. The gang that his uncle now leads, but which his father still runs from prison. Brutal, unforgiving . . . family.
 
Reunited with his cousin Callie and tagging along on jobs with her and her boyfriend Pretty Baby, Luke soon discovers that he might have a place back home after all. When another gang try to encroach on their turf, The Combine and Luke must go to war to save all that they know. 
 
But in trying to be someone you’re not, can you ever find out who you really are? 
 
Family is everything and blood is love.

“The Last King of California” by Jordan Harper is a gritty crime novel which focuses on the story of Luke. It was well written with excellent character development (I’m big on character development!) and was an intriguing page turner. I didn’t have any expectations going into this novel - I hadn’t heard of the author prior to requesting an arc of this book, so apart from reading the premise, I went in blind. The author has a very descriptive and vivid writing style which I thoroughly like. The novel starts off as a slow burn but the suspense quickly builds and just continues to gain speed throughout. Gritty and oftentimes violent, just how I like my crime novels; a book that pulls no punches and stays with you long after you finish reading. Which is the sign of a great novel. I’d highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys crime fiction with an edge. I’ll certainly be heading away to read the authors previous work.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations. Underwhelming storyline, poorly developed and undeveloped characters. Not for me unfortunately. Thanks,NetGalley for the ARC.

In Jordan Harper’s The Last King of California, nineteen-year-old and somewhat milquetoast Luke Crosswhite finds himself directionless and decides to leave college from Colorado and return home to Devore, California. This is no easy task for Luke because he is the son of the infamous and imprisoned Big Bobby Crosswhite.

Big Bobby, in prison for murder, is the exact opposite of Luke and helms a group known as The Combine from prison. The Combine is a tight-knit group of criminals made up of people with their own rag-tag criminal skill sets and is held together by an extremely enforced level of group loyalty.

While Big Bobby has been in prison, The Combine has been led by Big Bobby’s brother, Del, with The Combine’s purpose to remain small enough to fly beneath the radar of other area criminal groups while still remaining profitable and prosperous.

Upon Luke’s arrival home, he finds 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.

At first, Luke is seen as weak by the others and is then faced with either transforming his entire being into someone befitting acceptance into The Combine or remaining to be treated as an almost ostracized outsider.

Because of his own insecurities, even Luke does not realize how intelligent he is until after a violent epiphany of his own. It is then that he starts to change, soon realizing he may even be turning into a man more like his father every day than the timid teen that first returned home.

Unfortunately for The Combine, another criminal group known as the Aryan Steel decides to expand its grasp within the region with plans to force other groups to pay them a tithing. The Aryan Steel is led by a man named Beast Daniels. Daniels is a sociopathic and sadistically violent leader and is introduced to readers with the portrayal of the killing of a man in a horrific manner to solely send a message to any others with thoughts of going against or ignoring the expansion of his group.

At the same time with the possibility of being swallowed up by the demands of Beast Daniels, The Combine and other area residents are also faced with the encroachment of massive, once-in-a-lifetime California wildfires.

The novel then continues to focus on the further evolving Luke, The Combine’s likely eradication by a larger crime group, and its own troublesome internal problems.

When it comes to a reader deciding whether or not to read Jordan Harper’s The Last King of California potential readers should be aware that this is not a novel focusing on White supremacy or racist groups. It is simply a very well-written crime novel where in the plot, the villains exist in such a group and are more like tertiary characters used to most effectively drive the main plot.

Jordan Harper also has a wonderfully expressive way of describing people, places, and actions that allows the reader to easily mentally imagine strong visuals.

The Last King of California is highly recommended to fans not only of crime fiction but all fiction as well.

Readers are also encouraged to seek out his 2017 crime novel She Rides Shotgun (AKA A Lesson in Violence).

The Last King of California was provided by Netgalley on the promise of a fair review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
I'll be honest, around 20% into this read, I thought, this is not for me as it just hadn't grabbed me, but I stuck with it and on reflection I did as the pace picked up and with it my interest did likewise.
Overall a decent read if this is your type of genre.

‘Pain’s a part of our natural condition. You get where you want no pain, it’s the end of everything.’

I haven’t stopped thinking about Jordan Harper's new novel.

Imagine a grittier SoCal version of David Michod's 'Animal Kingdom' and you'll get an idea of what this is.

The book didn't last long.

An RPG of a book blasting you with blunt force drama.

I couldn't put it down.

In the California wasteland Troy is crucified to the floor of his trailer and burned alive. Beast Daniels and his crew of Aryan Steel watch the conflagration. They’re expecting every dirty white boy in the area to kick up a dime for protection - from them.

But the Combine don’t like being under someone’s thumb. A family of unrelated people, criminals, thieves, killers all unified by a black heart tattoo containing a dead man’s ashes with the motto : ‘Blood is Love’.

19 year old Luke couldn’t have picked a better time to reconnect with a family he’s been long estranged to. His old man, the founder of the Combine, is kicking bars in prison for a brutal murder Luke was witness to as a pup. Weakness to them is cancer and proving he’s one of them will be as unforgiving as the California wildfires.

I like my crime novels gritty, no BS and pulling no punches. That’s what you get with Harper’s work. It’s aggressive, pulpy poetry at its best, his books making others feel a little soft and toothless.

The characters are superb. Long after finishing, Luke lingered like a whiff of smoke. The Combine were so good, especially Curtis who I pictured as Brent Werzner from Green Room. Callie and Pretty Baby were great too, the Clarence and Alabama of the book. The cast is larger than other Harper outings but it never got muddled.

I really liked that the police were as remorseless and cruel as Beast Daniels and his Aryan dogs, almost inhuman entities hovering over their lives. The violence is ugly and un-glamourised. I dig the mentions of characters from ‘She Rides Shotgun,’ also the mentions of Power Trip put a smile on my chops and that Sunn O))) gig was *chefs kiss* warmed my metal heart.

I couldn’t have loved it more. Get on it! 👊

'The sound fills him, connects him to everything and everyone, all these vibrating particles. And even though it is loud, it is quiet too – a sound so complete it serves as silence. This is what the end of the universe will sound like, the last long vibration, the white-noise heat death of everything'.


This is my first try of Jordan Harper. I've seen lots or recommendations that he writes well. After this, call me a convert.

Think Elmore Leonard mixed with Cormac McCarthy. There is an authenticity around the whole book. He obviously knows the landscape, the valleys, the people. For me though, the highlight in this punchy novel is the dialogue. It flows like a Tarantino movie. Nothing is forced.

The story itself builds up at a nice pace, but when things start to unravel it's breakneck speed to the finish.

I doubt I'll read a crime novel as good as this again in 2022.

Breaking Bad meets Cormac McCarthy in the dusty Inland Empire...after getting blown away by the last Jordan Harper novel A Lesson In Violence just over a year ago (known by the infinitely better title She Rides Shotgun in the US), I was desperate to get a hold of this asap.

Well, it certainly doesn't disappoint. Some killer prose and style, but what truly sells the story is the depth of the characters. But when the story has to move, it mooooves, with the jumped up kinetic energy of an Ellroy novel. But...the book is reminds me the most of is Tapping The Source by Kem Nunn. This is a coming of age story in a harsh and unforgiving world.

If you're a fan of top-shelf crime fiction, then you know I've been dropping some big names as a comparison. But if you're a fan of Jordan Harper, then you already know that it is earned.

The combo of the peckerwood inland California setting and Shakespearean family dynamics is reminiscent of Sons of Anarchy, but this book has way more heart (quite literally) and way less cartoonish violence. But there is violence. Brutal, gnarly, and affecting. Some of it verges on Cronenberg body horror, especially toward the end as the story races to its fiery inevitable conclusion. This is not a book for the faint of heart.