King of Swords

Max Mingus #2

by Nick Stone

Miami, 1981. When Detective Max Mingus and his partner Joe are called to the scene of a death at Miami's Primate Park, it looks like another routine - if slightly bizarre - investigation. Until two things turn up: the victim's family, slaughtered; and a partly digested tarot card in the dead man's stomach. "The King of Swords" - an increasingly bloody trail leads Max and Joe first to a sinister fortune-teller and her scheming pimp son, then to the infamous Solomon Boukman. Few have ever met the most feared criminal in Miami, but rumours abound of a forked tongue, voodoo ceremonies and friends in very high places. Against a backdrop of black magic and police corruption, Max and Joe must distinguish the good guys from the bad - and track down some answers. What is the significance of the "King of Swords"? What makes those who have swallowed the card go on a killing spree just before they die? And can Max find out the truth about Solomon Boukman, before death's shadow reaches his own front door ...

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Detective, Police, The United States Of America

576 pages, Hardcover

First published August 2, 2007

About the author

Nick Stone was born in Cambridge in 1966, the son of a Scottish father and a Haitian mother. His first novel, Mr Clarinet, won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel and the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, and was nominated for The Barry Award for Best British Novel.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second Max Mingus book doesn't have the same level of black magic mystery as Mr. Clarinet but it certainly packs a punch when it comes to the darker side of crime fiction.

The mysterious, almost supernatural-like entity that is Solomon Boukman, a dangerous criminal who seems to have the ability to change his appearance is at the center of Max's sights. Presumably responsible for mass murder in cult-like fashion, Boukman's body count is as scary as his legend.

Aided by an interesting and well developed supporting cast which includes a wanna-be pimp (who just doesn't have the heart for the game), a mother with serious control issues, and voodoo shopfront owner with a penchant for the macabre, Boukman's crew makes for meaty reading, worthy of a series of books about them in their own right.

As far as the investigation and police procedural aspects go, this isn't your run of the mill popular crime fiction. King of Swords takes the reader into a dark place where blood flows like wine and death is a rite of passage. I give this a solid 4 (out of 5) stars.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Stone's latest is a big muddle of a book about Max Mingus and his partner Joe's investigation (off the official books) of a Haitan crime syndicate in Miami. Mingus is the heir apparent to Eldon, a dirty cop in bed with mobsters and a political hack called the Turd Fairy. Eldon runs an "elite" squad of officers called the MTF, which investigates important crimes but also does Eldon's bidding by manufacturing evidence. Max knows about the manufacturing but not Joe at first. The crim syndicate is run by Solomon Boukman, his mistress Eva and various other slimes including Eva's no account son Carmine. There are very few good guys here but Max, the hard drinking hard smoking cop with a few skeletons in his background, and Joe, his ambitious partner are trying to investigate some serious crimes commited by drugged and poisoned men used as weapons by Boukmon. The book is huge and the blood is thick. There is no real mystery here but there is a lot of hard hitting action.

[Rowena Hoseason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly excellent cops-n-robbers investigation, with a meaty plot, memorable characters and voodoo mystique to add to Miami’s inherent black magic. There are other tales in the Max Mingus series but this prequel is set back in the early 1980s and introduces the detective and his arcane opponent.
It’s a sprawling story which encompasses corrupt cops and a surprisingly sympathetic pimp; brutal enforcers and queasy detectives trying to escape the quagmire of political need, racial tensions and personal frailty.
The tarot cards, Samedi rituals and zombie assassin all add brilliantly to the mix.
8/10

Join me for (many!) more reviews of crime / thrillers over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Nick Stone werd op slag bekend met zijn uitstekende debuut Mr. Clarinet.

In King of Swords, Solomon, de dood in het gezicht, is wederom Max Mingus de hoofdpersoon. Samen met zijn zwarte partner Joe Liston krijgt hij op een kwade dag te maken met een man die dood in de dierentuin gevonden wordt. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de dode een aardige, nette, welgestelde en succesvolle Haïtiaanse zakenman is, die echter wel zijn hele familie heeft uitgemoord voor hij zelf dood in de dierentuin belandde. Bij het onderzoek blijkt dat hij naast een eigenaardig brouwsel met o.a. zaden en zand, ook een halfverteerde, in stukken gesneden Tarotkaart in zijn maag heeft: de King of Swords.
Erg snel gaat het onderzoek niet, maar Max en Joe krijgen na deze vondst te maken met nog een aantal akelige gebeurtenissen, en langzaam wordt de puzzel duidelijk.

Nick Stone heeft het vermogen bijzonder gruwelijke dingen op te schrijven die toch voor de lezer goed te verteren blijven. Stone zet een verhaal neer waarin al dat gemartel en geweld een eigen rol heeft. En gelukkig wordt het grootste deel verzacht door de onnavolgbare vertelkunst van Stone, die in dit verhaal uitlegt hoe één oude vrouw, die zich bezighoudt met de verkeerde kant van voodoo, een heel politieteam een jaar lang aan het werk houdt. Voeg daar aan toe dat al snel blijkt dat deze vrouw vrij spel heeft omdat er ergens in het korps een hoge, zeer corrupte ambtenaar werkt, en het is duidelijk dat dit verhaal de lezer niet snel zal loslaten.

Stone heeft zijn verhaal verder aangekleed met mooie filosofische bespiegelingen en de nodige warme liefde en humor, zónder dat het ergens klef wordt of dat het lijkt of het er met de haren is bijgesleept. Bijzondere thriller dus.

  

[Δημητρης Παπαγεωργιου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Βιβλιάρα!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miami Detective Sergeant Max Mingus returns in author Nick Stone's prequel of, "Mr. Clarinet", the explosive and thrilling, "The King Of Swords". Set in Miami 1980, Max and partner Joe Liston are working on the MTF (Miami Task Force, similar to major crimes unit), the boss is Deputy Chief Eldon Burns. Burns known around the department as "Sixdeep" is a stone cold racist who despised having Joe Liston on his unit. Joe was the wrong color and belonged on public relations according to Burns. Max who grew up not knowing his real father was brought up by Eldon Burns in a rough and tumble boxing gym. Burns hardened Max up to be fearless from the first day he met him. Max and Joe's newest case is at the Miami zoo. It seems someone let all the primates out of their cages, and for good measure a dead body left in the wake of the escaping animals. The grisly body had no I.D. and with so much trauma a cause of death not apparent. Inside the stomach of the dead man was a torn up Tarot card. The King Of Swords" Tarot card was a sign Max and Joe were going to be wading into the world of Haitian Voodoo and other such ritual practices . Low level criminal and pimp wanna be Carmine Desamours pops up on Max's radar. Somehow Carmine is mixed up in the world of Tarot cards. But it's Carmine's mother Eva Desamours who works for master criminal Solomon Boukman is the real danger on the horizon. With a plot that was as explosive as it was scary, "King Of Swords", is an intense thriller. With some really unique colorful scary characters this plot has no down time to catch a breath. Extremely quickly reading author Nick Stone has crafted a prequel that is superior to, "Mr. Clarinet". Protagonist Max Mingus really comes alive in this tale as all of his hates and traits come crashing together. Max meets his future wife Sandra during this trying Tarot card caper. Max must overcome his temper when Sandra is kidnapped by Boukman and his thugs. As Max's relationship with Joe gets strained, his relationship with Sixdeep will come to a crescendo. Max becomes aware Burns may be working against him and not actually looking out for his six. At over 550 action packed and mystical pages, "King Of Swords", delivers with a powerful punch. Four stars out of a possible five stars. A must read in a must read series. I can't wait to get a hold of book three , in this series "Voodoo Eyes". Check it out. !

[Mateusz Mieszko Święcki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo smakowity kryminał! Od samego początku jesteśmy prowadzeni przez zagadkową fabułę, która dopiero na jakieś 200 stron przed końcem zaczyna się wyjaśniać. Niesamowity klimat lat 60 w USA, haitańskie gangi i vodoo tworzą naprawdę ciekawy klimat.
Sama książka napisana jest tak, że dość szybko się ją czyta.
Polecam

[Amber W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Stone's "The King of Swords" is the prequel to his debut crime novel, "Mr. Clarinet." I picked up "The Kind of Swords" at a library sale, so I have yet to read "Mr. Clarinet."

Like most crime novels, there are quintessential characters, i.e. good cop, bad cop, and a really bad guy. This book isn't any different in the sense that the main characters meet this criteria. Max Mingus is the conflicted bad cop. He's a loyal and trustworthy friend just looking for love. Unfortunately, he isn't shy about cutting corners and folding under pressure to fix cases. Joe Liston is the good cop partner that Max tries to keep oblivious to the real goings on in their department, MTF (Miami Task Force) where the unofficial motto is "make it fit and make it stick." That is until they meet the bad guy, Solomon Boukman. He's the things nightmares are made of. He's a Haitian immigrant running the biggest cocaine and prostitution empire in Miami relying heavily on voodoo to run this empire. Even though he's running the largest cocaine smuggling empire, he's unknown to most of MTF. He's the faceless man. There are a number of police reports giving his name and description, but each physical description is different. Joe and Max first cross paths with Solomon's gang when they start investigating the murder of a high profile witness that occurred during a court hearing. The murderer was killed before he could leave the courtroom. During his autopsy they find a slew of ingredients including a torn tarot card of The King of Swords inside his stomach.

Stone's crime novel is written from several different POVs which sometimes bogs down the storyline. Each character has a story from the same timeframe and it doesn't help move the plot along. It's also well written, highly detailed and descriptive. The attention to detail and character building seems tedious at times, but it's worth it in the end. You really become attached to the heroes of the story and some minor characters just caught in the cross-fire.

A word of warning: Stone isn't shy on racial slurs. If that is triggering for you then this isn't the book for you.

[Ethan Heinlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The King of Swords by Nick Stone features the "good cop, PTSD cop" Joe Liston and Max Mingus dealing with Mariel boatlift aftermath in 1980s Miami. In particular: Solomon Boukman, a drug lord who relies a little too much on voodoo and tarot readings, and his brainwashing antics. The jumping of interwoven perspective is a neat idea for novel writing, but not convenient for review writing. The book takes some time to get going, but by the time their investigation draws clearer lines, you can't help but get excited. The inevitable confrontation (which comes too close to the end to mention) easily takes its place as my favorite part. The way the novel connects to themes of survival via off record investigations and realistic drug and alcohol problems you'd expect overworked cops to have. Fans of gritty and "realistic" cop movies will likely find their kicks here. The pimps and overworked cops say exactly what you'd expect them to, the dialogue lacks a filter, which makes sense, but leads to awkward reading sessions in class. My only complaint is about 300 pages of filler before the Boukman investigation gets off the ground: meeting characters who aren't relevant until the last 50 pages or so, character development scenes that are also not relevant until the end, and long sessions of Max complaining about the way things are.
Otherwise, the book itself is a quite a treat to read. Once it does start up that is.

[Dennis Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. this is a follow up to Mr Clarinet and deals with crime in Miami and specifically focusing in on a Haitian crime gang, and the Haitian culture, development of Voodoo etc.
Looking forward to more from this author

[Gregory Van Den Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the prequel to his other three books about Max Mingus. If you haven' started reading the series, please read this one first. The story introduces the characters of the future books. What is strange is Mr. Stone wrote this second and not first. His prerogative I guess.

[Seanzie Sellers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great novel! Again, my only complaints are spelling errors and grammatical/structural errors. Other than that, I highly recommend!

[Dan Cotter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is a lot of good stuff on Haiti and voodoo. Interesting plot and characters. At times it gets a bit slow and the book is a tad bit long but this series is very enjoyable.

[Will Gillaspy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly cliched detective novel that doesn't really do much interesting stuff with what good ideas it does have.

[Chromatic Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Really enjoyed this mix of black magic ,zombie, voodoo story with the evil Solomon Boukman, and the indomitable detective Max Mingus hard on his tail, you will be reading this late into the night

[Mijo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

KING OF SWORDS is the second book from Nick Stone - MR CLARINET debuted in 2006 creating a big stir - tense and scary, set in Haiti, immersed in that country's culture and in voodoo in particular, MR CLARINET was a notable debut.

KING OF SWORDS, whilst it is the second book, is actually a prequel to the events in MR CLARINET - set in 1980's Miami where the central character from both books, Max Mingus, is still in the police force. Miami is portrayed very much as a city clinging to the edge of civilisation - drugs are overwhelming the community, people smuggling is rife and there is increasing racial tension - particularly between the police and the immigrant communities drawn to the city. Many of these people are refugees escaping poverty or oppression in their home lands and many of them have come to make money and they don't much care how they do it.

The book starts out with the oppressive, weird, creepy discovery of a body in the middle of a Primate Park - dead for sometime, the animals are unsettled by the corpse's presence and the police are unsettled by the animals. The discovery of a partially-digested tarot card in the dead man's stomach is one thing - his business colleagues dead in the boot of his car is another - but the discovery of his entire family butchered makes it another case altogether. The paths of the investigating officers cross that of pimp Carmine Desamours and his voodoo priestess mother Eva. Eventually all paths lead to the mysterious Solomon Boukman - a man everyone has heard of, but very few have seen.

If all of this is starting to sound a bit complicated - it is. There's an awful lot that happens in the early part of this book, and that's possibly one of the areas that I struggled with the most - dead bodies building up; personal things happening to Max and to his partner Joe; menacing and unethical behaviour from their boss; Eva and Carmine had their own stuff going on and it all got very very busy. Obviously there's an awful lot of connections being built and frequently the writing just carried you along - but occasionally I found my attention wandering or having to back track as I got lost in the cast or in the events.

That's not to say that much of the writing isn't visual, stark, sometimes quite lyrical and, as with the earlier book, graphic to the point of stomach-churning. KING OF SWORDS builds a world in which these people live - that frankly I'm not sure you'd even want to visit, but you are drawn into some of the elements of what's happening, whilst being utterly repulsed by other components of the book.

The only other complaint with KING OF SWORDS is that there is so much build-up, this world that's generated around these crimes, that the ending and resolutions seem to come in a rush. There's a bit of a tendency to have the inexplicable happen and then explain it away a bit later in the narrative. It got a bit breathless, it seemed in too much of a hurry for a book that ultimately is 560 pages. Mind you, if you've read MR CLARINET first, you're going to be able to make a pretty reasonable guess about the outcomes for many of the main characters - probably doesn't matter too much - the ride could be more than enough, nevermind the ending.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in Nick Stone's Max Mingus trilogy. However, it's actually a prequel to the first book. This takes place when Max is 31 years old and working with his partner and friend Joe in Miami's MTF (special task force). This is a dense, heavy read. It's much more complex than the first in the series, Mr. Clarinet . I don't know which I'd suggest reading first--you could read The King of Swords first, really, and then move to Mr. Clarinet, but you can read them in published order, too: I kind of liked that--meeting Max when he was 46 then going back and understanding how he got to where he was. (The last book in the series, Voodoo Eyes, jumps to the almost-present day when Max is in his 60s--and really finishing the story started in The King of Swords from what I can see.)

In this book, we get the background to many things alluded to in Mr. Clarinet . We see how Max's relationship with Sandra develops, we see what events transpired to make him quit the force and become a private investigator. And we see how the case involving Solomon Boukman changed him forever. This book won several awards for crime fiction, and I can see why. It's gritty and noir. The 80s setting works and you feel transported back to an earlier time. Also, the character development is well-done. What I liked about Max before was his Byronic Hero tendencies: that comes through even more clearly here. The overall plot involves a set of murders that appears to have been committed by a voodoo "zombie"--a person who is sort of brainwashed into committing acts of violence against his will. When Max and Joe get put on the case, they find the crimes reach into even darker areas than they first realized. These crimes are being orchestrated by an underground, very powerful voodoo priestess and her one-time "assistant," who are running Miami, both financially (with the new coke market emerging there in the early 80s) and through fear of their un-wordly powers. The book makes most of the crime human, but also delivers a deliciously spine-tingling ambiguity to the reader, not always explaining away all of the creepiness. It's a great combination of a crime noir and a spooky voodoo story.

I'll be reading Voodoo Eyes to see how the Solomon Boukman plot finally resolves itself, but I also can't help but wonder if there's not another Max Mingus book in the works. Clearly, Stone doesn't feel compelled to follow any chronological timeline in Max's life, so there's a great story somewhere which would get us from the end of The King of Swords to the beginning of Mr. Clarinet. I'm crossing my fingers for that.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det. Max Mingus and his partner, Joe Liston are assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding a body found in Miami's Primate Park.

They think it's a routine case until a partially digested tarot card is found in the man's stomach. The tarot card is The King of Swords.

It's after the Mariel Boatlifr in 1980 when Castro expelled 125,000 people from Cuba, many were the most vicious criminals. Miami is strife with drugs, murders and superstitions.

Solomon Boukman runs an organization selling drugs, prostitution and extortion. He uses intimidation and Haitian black magic to control the members of his organization.

One of Solomon's employees is a pimp and petty criminal named Carmen. His mother is a fortune teller Eva Desamourn.

Max spots Carmen attempting to recruit a young woman to work for him by posing as a photographer. His goal is to turn her into a prostitute. Max roughs Carmen up and tells him to stay away from the girl. Carmen's mother sees the marks on Carmen and through looking into the future she can see that this policeman will be attempting to find and destroy Boukman.

There is a court sceen where a major drug dealer is on trial and something happens (without giving a plot spoiler). This has to do with voodoo and Max and Joe are assigned to the case.

It seems normal until Solomon asks Eva to read his fortune. When Solomon cuts the tarot card she sees something planning against Solomon. The King of Swords comes up and this can represent a valuable ally or a fearsome enemy, depending on when it comes up in the reading.

Stone tells a terrific tale. This should be considered as one of the best thrillers of the year. With the emphasis on voodoo, the manner in which Boukman can change his looks, his followers having a religious or tribal connection and finally the magic potions that can almost make their victims zombies, I see an influence of John Connolly. It feels like Connolly's "Traveling Man" or Caleb Kyle have returned to cause more mayhem.

I recommend this to Connolly fans or to anyone enjoying the mix of superstitution and mystery.

Highly recommended!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

King of Swords, Nick Stone’s follow up to his debut Mr. Clarinet knocks it out of the water and most of his competition also. He has crafted a grand epic of evil, racism, greed, drugs, power, tarot, and voodoo (or hoodoo). Set in a very dramatic period of Miami’s history where the cocaine cowboys had turned it into the murder capitol, the Mariel boatlift, race riots, Haitians fleeing Baby Doc’s fascist corruption(U.S. endorsed), and Reagan’s rise to power and his war on drugs and machinations south of the border, all of which get pulled into the story. The tale is never toppled by this historic concern and remains compulsive reading throughout. The voodoo gangsters invite a couple knowing jokes from cast about Live and Let Die but the grit and the danger of the story keeps the book about as far away from Roger Moore camp as can be. Comparisons could be made of other documents of the era like Miami Vice and DePalma’s Scarface but better comparison is to Ellroy’s La Quartet, Charles Willeford’s Hoke Mosely novels, and George P Pelecanos’s D.C. Quartet. Along with Cathi Unsworth and David Peace, Nick Stone shows the absolute ascendancy of British crime writers right now(though he does a good job disguising his origin in his writing), influenced of course by their brilliant American counterpoints and forefathers.. Stone is indebted to Ellroy, Richard Price, Charles Willeford, Mosley, and especially George Pelecanos but he never apes any of them and uses their inspiration to fire an ascendant imagination and a trenchant grasp of politics and has already proved a thoroughly compelling author on his second book.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick Stone brings back Detective Max Mingus. We were first introduced to Max in his first novel, "Mr. Clarinet". In "Mr. Clarinet", Max finds himself trying to solve a crime that takes him to the island of Haiti. One of the more interesting aspects of this book was the incorporation of the history and plight of the Haitian people.

In "The King of Swords", Max is again trying to solve a mystery but this time in the city of Miami. Stone again uses the Haitian people and their efforts to establish a community in the city of Miami as the catalyst for this story.

Max is called out to a murder and the autopsy shows a partially digested Tarot card in the victim's stomach. The Tarot card is the King of Swords. The investigation lead off into many directions that include more murders. Max is put on the trail of a Tarot card reader who practiced a form of Voodoo on Haiti. This also leads him to Solomon Boukman. Solomon is feared by everyone in the community, but not one person is able to identify him. He has been said to take on multiple personalities and identities.

The investigation takes on added significance when corruption is discovered in the Miami Police Department.

This mystery will be especially interesting to those who are interested in Tarot card reading and Black Magic. The reader needs to be aware that there is both rough language and sexual content in the book.

Although it is not necessary, I would suggest that it might be of benefit to read "Mr. Clarinet" before reading "The King of Swords".

[Robert Intriago · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like crime noir, you'll love it. This is the prequel to the author's first book: " Mr. Clarinet." That book won several awards including the Macavity and Ian Fleming Dagger. The main character is a very good investigating cop, but corrupt. He is involved in framing suspects, bad individuals, in order to pat the stats of the group and please a corrupt political system. Along the way he has to deal with Haitians in Miami during the Liberty City Riots of the early 1980s and the Murielito boatloads. The book involves Vodoo and the author has quite extensive knowledge of the matter. It also has a little bit of history about the independence of Haiti.
The book is well written, full of local color and constant action, with the exception of a few pages. It is violent, crude and dark, but it is a page turner. I liked it so much that I plan to reread the first book. I wish I could tell you more about the book, but then I would give you spoilers. The main character lives in South Beach, before the cool people moved in, and his description of the area is fascinating. Overall the author captures the Miami lifestyle at the beginning of the cocaine trade and much before the Dan Johnson and Miami Vice era and crack.

[Mihir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book on a whim, I hadn't heard much about the author but I had seen the previous book "Mr. Clarinet" on the shelves. So when I got to know that this was a prequel book set in 1980 in Miami, I picked it up and immersed myself in it.

First in Hardcover, it a nice big book & secondly it has a very meaty story. The main character Max Mingus is the protagonist of this tale, however we are given views from other characters such as his partner Joe Liston, the pimp and some other characters. The world of 1980 Miami with its rampant drug abuse, social dysfunction & racial overtones is very vividly portrayed. The plot takes a while to get running as the strory often veers into different sides when new characters get a voice however this enriches the story & the world(imo) and makes this book that much stronger. There's also a vivid Haitian Voodoo element which is a fascinating to read about and gives the antagonists a very dangerous hue!

This book is a good thriller however the only element going against it is its languid pace in the earlier half however readers who persevere will a get a wholly rounded tale. Since this is a prequel story I'll be definitely checking out Mr. Clarinet & this series in the future as well

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the prequel to Mr. Clarinet, but I read it after. This is a stand-alone novel, and it is a good one. Max Mingus is a cop in Miami. Not just any cop, but a special task force cop. This book builds Max's character and background, but it's a great story all in itself. There is crime and drugs and a form of Haitian voodoo. There is also corruption within the police. But there is a bit of a supernatural hint or two throughout. Eva the high priestess really does seem to have some psychic ability. And the main baddie, Solomon, is extremely weird. He uses trickery and bribery and Eva's abilities to be everywhere at once. No one knows what he really looks like. He has built a following and a reputation of fear. It seems he is into everything but can never be found. Yet Max and his partner find everything leads to Solomon, and they work together to bring him down. The issue is that Solomon is so powerful, and some of his allies are in the police force as well. Plenty of twists and turns, and the bad guys' characters are built-up as much as Max's. One could read this book before reading Mr. Clarinet and probably have a bit more of an understanding to the characters, etc. Great read!

[Alvin Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King of Swords,
is romantically Violent; not in the classical sense of romance, in so that violent crime is the main focus through out but the main characters have lives in need of love of something(s). Two good detectives go up against a crime lord of has voodoo backed killer. The story is based in 1981 in Miami just as the Haitian population was increasing.
The King of Swords, tales of two men with some evil within themselves mixed with their good and moral souls VS the bizarre and heinous murder, black magic, pimps, police corruption and as always money. Nick Stone is an award-winning writer, and he can keep you deep and twisting in a story, and never leave you confused. I’m now looking forward to reading more of his work.

[Fidelis Eka Satriastanti · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a heavy read. I am not sure that I like the ending. It's sort of an open one maybe the author is preparing for a third.
Anyways, the plot was simple but got too complex with long narratives. I have to force my eyes to scheme them over. Because, the killings were not for the faint of heart.
Nevertheless, I like this new 'adventure'! I got to check out about Haiti and its culture. It was a very different run.
Plus, I get to know up-close about autopsies......

Overall, I find this book very adventurous but not one I would like to read over again. Enough with killings @___@


So, happy reading, good people!

[Travis Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voodoo, cocaine, murder, and Miami crica 1981. A jaded and corrupt detective and his partner

investigate a series of murders involving voodoo rituals amid the cocaine wars in Miami in the early

1980's. Stone does a great job of bringing the intensity of Miami alive during the era. He also throws in

lots of pop culture references from the era. The novel is quite bloody and bleak. The plot is interesting but

often predictable. Still,a real page turner and quite a good mystery/action novel.

[Sebastian Haberland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wie schon Vodoo - der erste Roman von Nick Stone - ist auch "Der Totenmeister" sehr spannend; mir stellenweise aber etwas zu brutal.
Obwohl in Miami (und damit im "Sunshine State" Florida angesiedelt) ein recht düsteres Buch, in dem die Grenzen von Gut und Böse immer wieder verschwimmen.
Beim Lesen fängt man irgendwann unwillkürlich damit an anselbst an Tarot und Vodoo zu glauben.
Eine Geschichte, die mich nach etwa 200 Seiten gepackt und bis zum Schluss nicht mehr losgelassen hat.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max Mingus and his partner Joe are working a bizarre case of murders in Miami in which the victims turn up with pieces of "The King of Swords" tarot card within their stomachs. The case seems to keep leading back to a Haitian sorceress and her pimp son.
The book has sections on Miami's infiltration by Cuban and Haitian refugees and the impact of these immigrants on the culture of the city. It also has background info on the Tarot and on various Haitian religions.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give the first half of this book 3 stars and the second half 5 stars. The first half of the book dragged somewhat for me. The author seemed to wander around a lot without real focus. The second half however got back on track and was the exciting follow-up to Mr.Clarinet that I hoped for. Like Mr.Clarinet, King of Swords, gives a lot of insight into the world of voodoo, hoodoo, and zombies.