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The Switchblade Svengali
When the bell tolls midnight, it’ll be 1968.
Royce Pembrook is living well in a new city, with new patrons, a new name, and a new trade. But he’s the same scam artist he’s been for thirty years. Since youth, Royce has made his money and found trouble in fraudulent séances that prey on the grieving widows of high society. Now he’s expanded his con, posing as a hypnotist, a Svengali, swindling everyone in Phoenix from scions of old wealth to a UFO cult led by a heroin-addicted visionary.
Life is good. Royce has the luxury he craves. And that’s when trouble out of the past creeps into his world. Even in the domain of fake spirits, the relentless specter of murder is real, and Royce’s former life is one thing that won’t stay in the grave.
When the bell tolls midnight for Royce Pembrook, will it be time to abscond? Or will he fight to keep all that he’s gained, no matter the violent cost to those around him?
What folks are saying...“When the cornered lamb realizes he’s always been a wolf …”
—M.E. Proctor, author of Love You Till Tuesday
“This is a man out of time and control. Royce’s facade is degrading and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study.”
—Adam Hulse, author of Below Economic Thresholds
“Coy Hall’s The Switchblade Svengali captivates with a tale of long-con mediumship, bludgeonings and a UFO cult! A precise meld of elegance and blood curdle.”
—Ilyn Welch, author of Bad Makes Bad
“Royce Pembrook is up to his old spook show tricks, this time at the height of the 1960s counterculture movement. But the ghosts he conjures aren’t the only things haunting these pages—his past has caught up to him too, threatening to derail everything he’s built since the harrowing events of A Séance for Wicked King Death . Vengeful women, gullible marks, and UFO cultists make this book impossible to put down. Coy Hall’s Switchblade Svengali is so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dead crossed from the other side just to read it.”
—C.W. Blackwell, author of Hard Mountain Clay
“Very happy to report that this is a sequel that’s even better than the first book.”
—Regan MacArthur, author of One Lash to Kill
Royce Pembrook is living well in a new city, with new patrons, a new name, and a new trade. But he’s the same scam artist he’s been for thirty years. Since youth, Royce has made his money and found trouble in fraudulent séances that prey on the grieving widows of high society. Now he’s expanded his con, posing as a hypnotist, a Svengali, swindling everyone in Phoenix from scions of old wealth to a UFO cult led by a heroin-addicted visionary.
Life is good. Royce has the luxury he craves. And that’s when trouble out of the past creeps into his world. Even in the domain of fake spirits, the relentless specter of murder is real, and Royce’s former life is one thing that won’t stay in the grave.
When the bell tolls midnight for Royce Pembrook, will it be time to abscond? Or will he fight to keep all that he’s gained, no matter the violent cost to those around him?
What folks are saying...“When the cornered lamb realizes he’s always been a wolf …”
—M.E. Proctor, author of Love You Till Tuesday
“This is a man out of time and control. Royce’s facade is degrading and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study.”
—Adam Hulse, author of Below Economic Thresholds
“Coy Hall’s The Switchblade Svengali captivates with a tale of long-con mediumship, bludgeonings and a UFO cult! A precise meld of elegance and blood curdle.”
—Ilyn Welch, author of Bad Makes Bad
“Royce Pembrook is up to his old spook show tricks, this time at the height of the 1960s counterculture movement. But the ghosts he conjures aren’t the only things haunting these pages—his past has caught up to him too, threatening to derail everything he’s built since the harrowing events of A Séance for Wicked King Death . Vengeful women, gullible marks, and UFO cultists make this book impossible to put down. Coy Hall’s Switchblade Svengali is so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dead crossed from the other side just to read it.”
—C.W. Blackwell, author of Hard Mountain Clay
“Very happy to report that this is a sequel that’s even better than the first book.”
—Regan MacArthur, author of One Lash to Kill
- GenresNoir
Unknown Binding
Published November 19, 2024
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Coy Hall
36 books241 followersCoy Hall lives in West Virginia, where he splits time as a professor of history and author. His books include Grimoire of the Four Impostors (2021), The Hangman Feeds the Jackal: A Gothic Western (2022), The Promise of Plague Wolves (2023), and A Séance for Wicked King Death (2023).
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 25, 2024
Another win for @CoyHallBooks with The Switchblade Svengali. While people will be taken in by the seances, cult, and tale of revenge (and rightfully so), for me this book excelled at the portrayal of Royce’s inner turmoil, making for one of the better character studies I’ve read.
November 22, 2024
Although over a decade has passed, conman Royce Pembrook is still up to his old tricks, until trouble arrives on his doorstep.
Featuring smooth prose, a tight storyline, and sparkling dialogue, this is an outstanding sequel to A Seance for Wicked King Death (Have you read that one? You should.). Every bit as good as you’ve come to expect from this exceptional author.
This book is not to be missed.
Featuring smooth prose, a tight storyline, and sparkling dialogue, this is an outstanding sequel to A Seance for Wicked King Death (Have you read that one? You should.). Every bit as good as you’ve come to expect from this exceptional author.
This book is not to be missed.
October 5, 2024
Hall uses pinpoint historical accuracy to fully immerse his readers in this taut thriller. In Royce Pembrook, he has created a character who has pulled himself up from the gutter to finally move in the lavish circles he craves. But now a ghost from his past threatens to tear it all down. This is an excellent thriller showing the culture shock of the sixties to those who were more accustomed to the forties and fifties.
Hall will smother you with tension in this spectacular high-stakes tale of cults, grifts, and heartbreak.
The main character is a man out of time and control. Royce's facade is degrading, and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study from historical fiction author Coy Hall.
Hall will smother you with tension in this spectacular high-stakes tale of cults, grifts, and heartbreak.
The main character is a man out of time and control. Royce's facade is degrading, and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study from historical fiction author Coy Hall.
November 27, 2024
Hall is a natural at writing crime fiction — this hit the spot for me. The first Royce Pembrook tale was excellent, and this one isn’t far behind. Setting the story ten years ahead of its predecessor is a fun choice because there’s a lot that happened in that timeframe to catch up on. I enjoyed seeing Royce and Dom’s relationship deepen — and struggle. The new setting made for a fun read too, and the new challenge of hypnotism set this one apart from the first book. Yet there are still threads that tie the two books together, Royce isn’t done with his past, and his past isn’t done with him. Can’t wait for more in this series.
December 1, 2024
In the sequel to A Seance for Wicked King Death, author Coy Hall channels a little of Highsmith's Ripley as he weaves a story about anxiety, distrust, and of course violence, set amid the UFO craze of late 1960s Arizona. Here, we have an older Royce Pembrook, conman, spiritualist, liar, and criminal. He's built a life for himself and his partner Dominic following the events of the first book, but it's a house of cards and a hurricane is coming when old enemy Anna Vogel gets out of prison.
Reading the first book is, I think, a requirement. The characters and their motivations will make so much more sense if you don't skip that excellent introduction. Go ahead. Come back when you're done.
The first book had a ton of atmosphere. The setting and the cold was as much a character as Royce and Anna. Here, the setting is almost secondary. This is a deep dive into the dark mind of Royce Pembrook, and though he had proved to be sympathetic in the first novel, I suspect most of that was due to the monsters who surrounded him. Alone? He might be the most frightening sociopath in the room.
This isn't a novel with twists and turns. It's a rollercoaster of anxiety-inducing bad decisions that steadily climbs the hill...until the final plunge.
Royce cares for nothing and no one but himself and the life he has carefully fabricated and any threat to that existence will result in startling violence. As Hall delves into his mindset, Royce is a man filled with a deep-set rage against anyone who would inhibit him from what he "deserves".
Excellent characterizations make up the bulk of this sordid tale, though the people on the periphery of the story get painted in far fewer brushstrokes (particularly the troublemaking skeptics, Mr. and Mrs. Landrum), but that's hardly an issue when you are along for a Coy Hall ride. Any fan of crime fiction would be doing themselves a disservice skipping out on this one. It's a cut above the rest.
Reading the first book is, I think, a requirement. The characters and their motivations will make so much more sense if you don't skip that excellent introduction. Go ahead. Come back when you're done.
The first book had a ton of atmosphere. The setting and the cold was as much a character as Royce and Anna. Here, the setting is almost secondary. This is a deep dive into the dark mind of Royce Pembrook, and though he had proved to be sympathetic in the first novel, I suspect most of that was due to the monsters who surrounded him. Alone? He might be the most frightening sociopath in the room.
This isn't a novel with twists and turns. It's a rollercoaster of anxiety-inducing bad decisions that steadily climbs the hill...until the final plunge.
Royce cares for nothing and no one but himself and the life he has carefully fabricated and any threat to that existence will result in startling violence. As Hall delves into his mindset, Royce is a man filled with a deep-set rage against anyone who would inhibit him from what he "deserves".
Excellent characterizations make up the bulk of this sordid tale, though the people on the periphery of the story get painted in far fewer brushstrokes (particularly the troublemaking skeptics, Mr. and Mrs. Landrum), but that's hardly an issue when you are along for a Coy Hall ride. Any fan of crime fiction would be doing themselves a disservice skipping out on this one. It's a cut above the rest.
September 13, 2024
A crime story like no other, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪 will reward long-time readers of Coy Hall and be a real treat for newcomers.
Set in Phoenix during the 1960s, the story is narrated by Royce, a middle-aged gay man in an era when he could be thrown in jail simply for following his heart. He's worthy of your sympathy, but don't give him too much, reader. Royce is no angel. He makes his money by swindling old ladies as a psychic medium who can communicate with the dead. Royce is doing well enough to provide him and his partner Dominic a soft, comfortable life.
When the plot kicks in, Royce is lining up a new sucker - the leader of a UFO cult - when a person from Royce's sordid past comes to town. Anna will be familiar to readers of the previous book. Yes, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪 is a sequel, but Hall is a deft enough writer that it isn't necessary to have read 𝘈 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 (though you should because it's a pretty damned good book).
Once Anna goes on a rampage telling anyone who will listen that Royce is a fraud, it seems like the sweet life is over for Royce and Dominic. Will they flee and have to start over somewhere new? Or will Royce find a way out? I'm not telling, but I am very happy to report that this is a sequel that's even better than the first book.
All the signs of a book by Coy Hall are on display here: smooth prose, rich characterization, historical authenticity, and a dash of spine-tingling horror. Highest recommendation.
Set in Phoenix during the 1960s, the story is narrated by Royce, a middle-aged gay man in an era when he could be thrown in jail simply for following his heart. He's worthy of your sympathy, but don't give him too much, reader. Royce is no angel. He makes his money by swindling old ladies as a psychic medium who can communicate with the dead. Royce is doing well enough to provide him and his partner Dominic a soft, comfortable life.
When the plot kicks in, Royce is lining up a new sucker - the leader of a UFO cult - when a person from Royce's sordid past comes to town. Anna will be familiar to readers of the previous book. Yes, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪 is a sequel, but Hall is a deft enough writer that it isn't necessary to have read 𝘈 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 (though you should because it's a pretty damned good book).
Once Anna goes on a rampage telling anyone who will listen that Royce is a fraud, it seems like the sweet life is over for Royce and Dominic. Will they flee and have to start over somewhere new? Or will Royce find a way out? I'm not telling, but I am very happy to report that this is a sequel that's even better than the first book.
All the signs of a book by Coy Hall are on display here: smooth prose, rich characterization, historical authenticity, and a dash of spine-tingling horror. Highest recommendation.
July 29, 2025
Royce Pembrook is back with a bang. Or a switchblade. Or a sap. Whatever it takes. The Switchblade Svengali is a more than worthy follow up to A Séance for Wicked King Death. Taking place a few years after the end of Séance, we find Royce living the ideal life - a move out west to a new town, a boyfriend, a terrific apartment, a cat, and best of all wealthy patrons. But ghosts, one particular ghost that is, from the past arrive out of the blue, lobbing metaphorical hand grenades and Royce’s perfect life begins to collapse.
Like Séance, The Switchblade Svengali features quick, snappy, noir-worthy prose as well as a top-drawer cast of characters. I particularly liked the mudra-throwing, LSD-taking, UFO cult leader. Set in the late 1960s, Hall does a great job of capturing the zeitgeist of the period, including how the war in Vietnam is an inescapable, constant backdrop to life, as well as the care that must be taken by two gay men cohabitating, or even just traveling together during that time. In this book, there is a more in-depth look at the complexity of Royce’s character. Once cornered, he has to decide how far he will go to protect himself, and well, turns out it’s pretty far.
I’m so glad I ran across these two books. The writing absolutely stands up to the eye-popping covers. Definitely, highly recommended. I’d add that I also recommend reading them in order. If you have already read A Séance for Wicked King Death, you’ll be best prepared to appreciate the depth and complexity of The Switchblade Svengali and Royce Pembrook's journey.
Like Séance, The Switchblade Svengali features quick, snappy, noir-worthy prose as well as a top-drawer cast of characters. I particularly liked the mudra-throwing, LSD-taking, UFO cult leader. Set in the late 1960s, Hall does a great job of capturing the zeitgeist of the period, including how the war in Vietnam is an inescapable, constant backdrop to life, as well as the care that must be taken by two gay men cohabitating, or even just traveling together during that time. In this book, there is a more in-depth look at the complexity of Royce’s character. Once cornered, he has to decide how far he will go to protect himself, and well, turns out it’s pretty far.
I’m so glad I ran across these two books. The writing absolutely stands up to the eye-popping covers. Definitely, highly recommended. I’d add that I also recommend reading them in order. If you have already read A Séance for Wicked King Death, you’ll be best prepared to appreciate the depth and complexity of The Switchblade Svengali and Royce Pembrook's journey.
September 15, 2024
Royce Pembrook is a conman, talented, persuasive, debonair and congenial. He doesn’t have marks, or victims, he has friends. The social circles he moves in are like a terrarium where the fauna cohabits in harmony. The concept of prey and predator does not apply. Royce’s life is in exquisite balance. Then suddenly, it isn’t anymore. His past comes screaming at him and disaster camps in front of his door. In The Switchblade Svengali, Coy Hall carefully and brilliantly peels off the layers of his main character’s psyche, little by little, from the soft exterior to the hard nugget of ruthlessness at the man’s center. The reader discovers at the same time as the protagonist what naked desperation can do to a civilized individual. It is a journey of transformation that won’t be easily forgotten, neither by the reader nor by Royce Pembrook. He is a changed man. Cross his path at your peril. The Switchblade Svengali is an exciting and dark follow up to A Séance for Wicked King Death, less fireworks and deeper shadows. A great read.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book.
September 22, 2025
I finished “Switchblade Svengali” by Coy Hall.
This is the second part of the Roy Pembrook series.
The plot takes place in Arizona 12 years after the events in Cincinnati. He and his friend Dom settled in Phoenix. Phoenix in the year 1968 is a better place for two gays than Cincinnati in 1956. But they have to be careful in Phoenix too. Roy carries out seances and has upgraded his skills by learning hypnosis. He is a conman and milks wealthy people who moan about their deceased relatives. He sees himself as a performer rather than a conman who helps these people instead of only squeezing money out of them. Unfortunately, his past catches up, thus he has to do some mean actions before the noose finally tightens around his neck.
While he was more the victim last time, who acted rather in self-defense, he is again the target now, but one who more inexorably strikes back than the last time. He is far less sympathetic than last time, but interesting and entertaining as hell. Megan Abbott said everybody is bad in a noir novel. That isn't exactly the case in most of these novels, but this one is close. The ambiguous atmosphere of the 60s, on the one hand flower power and on the other hand reactionism and drug abuse, is rendered well in this novel. Recommendable!
This is the second part of the Roy Pembrook series.
The plot takes place in Arizona 12 years after the events in Cincinnati. He and his friend Dom settled in Phoenix. Phoenix in the year 1968 is a better place for two gays than Cincinnati in 1956. But they have to be careful in Phoenix too. Roy carries out seances and has upgraded his skills by learning hypnosis. He is a conman and milks wealthy people who moan about their deceased relatives. He sees himself as a performer rather than a conman who helps these people instead of only squeezing money out of them. Unfortunately, his past catches up, thus he has to do some mean actions before the noose finally tightens around his neck.
While he was more the victim last time, who acted rather in self-defense, he is again the target now, but one who more inexorably strikes back than the last time. He is far less sympathetic than last time, but interesting and entertaining as hell. Megan Abbott said everybody is bad in a noir novel. That isn't exactly the case in most of these novels, but this one is close. The ambiguous atmosphere of the 60s, on the one hand flower power and on the other hand reactionism and drug abuse, is rendered well in this novel. Recommendable!
May 2, 2025
The Switchblade Svengali by Coy Hall. A decade later, Royce Pembroke has made it to Phoenix. He now holds his séance con in a penthouse for two wealthy elderly sisters and their former silent film star friend. Chain-smoking his Chesterfields and living the high life well until his past comes screaming back. Royce has grifted too hard to attain his current lifestyle and he will not allow anyone to take it away from him. Not anyone, not his enemies, nor those closest to him.
The author is not afraid to show us Pembroke's dark side and that made this second book even a better read than the first. I am eager to see where Coy Hall will take Royce Pembroke next, but wherever it is, I will be there to read and enjoy.
The author is not afraid to show us Pembroke's dark side and that made this second book even a better read than the first. I am eager to see where Coy Hall will take Royce Pembroke next, but wherever it is, I will be there to read and enjoy.
December 15, 2024
Another great Royce Pembrook thriller! After the first superb novel in the series, A Séance for Wicked King Death, Hall brings back the supremely intriguing conman, Pembrook, for another descent into the gilded gutter of grift. This time, Royce is conning a drug-addled 60's UFO cult, while at the same time trying to subvert an intrusion from his dark past that threatens his comfortable present and his prosperous future. How does Royce handle the situation? As only he can; with, class, professionalism, and absolute brutality. Read it and let a sense of fascination, dismay, and horror envelope you, as it did me.
March 18, 2025
THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI is a fantastic sequel to A SEANCE FOR WICKED KING DEATH. This marks the eighth book I have read from author Hall, and it may be my new favorite. I found this one to be the most entertaining, and especially loved the UFO cult led by a loony named Saint Paul. There are some shocking moments in this one as well, and I read through them with a grin and a smile. Coy's dialogue and pacing are fantastic as usual, and there are no wasted scenes, making it read like a noir film. Once again I loved being in the sordid world of Royce Pembrook. He's a real piece of work, and I highly recommend visiting him on the page.
September 13, 2024
Royce Pembrook is up to his old spook show tricks, this time at the height of the 1960s counterculture movement. But the ghosts he conjures aren’t the only things haunting these pages—his past has caught up with him too, threatening to derail everything he’s built since the harrowing events of A Séance for Wicked King Death. Vengeful women, gullible marks, and UFO cultists make this book impossible to put down. Coy Hall’s Switchblade Svengali is so good, I wouldn't be surprised if the dead crossed from the other side just to read it.
January 9, 2025
No one writes noir better than Coy Hall and with this sequel to A Seance for Wicked King Death, he's hit it out of the shadowy park. This is a dreamy stew of atmosphere and razor sharp characterization as we follow Royce Pembrook operate in a slick world of seances, psychic mediums, elaborate grifts, and even a UFO cult. Hall is the only writer I know who could weave all of these elements together into a brilliant narrative. Seeing Royce stripped down from his debonair exterior to his ruthless core is like a master class in character revelation. Absolutely brilliant.
September 15, 2024
In THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI, a trusty black jack, a UFO cult and ruthless calculation aid Royce Pembrook when his status among Phoenix's crème de la crème is threatened. A stylish, lurid and terrifying crime story.
November 20, 2024
Coy Hall dives right into the darkness of the human soul with The Switchblade Svengali. Con men, UFO cultists, wealthy dilettantes, and a man on the edge all set in the America that was in 1968. Stark, violent, and razor sharp.
February 23, 2025
The Switchblade Svengali catches up with conman Royce a decade after the events of A Séance for Wicked King Death. Filled with vivid, period-specific details, unique, sometimes unstable, hard-partying characters, and an acid-eating UFO cult, this is a thoroughly entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews