
We Were Kings
Court Stevens(Author)
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Published on 5. January 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-0-7852-3857-7 (ISBN)
Description
Twenty years ago, eighteen-year-old Francis Quick was convicted of murdering her best friend, Cora King, and sentenced to death. Now the highly debated Accelerated Death Penalty Act has passed giving Frankie thirty final days to live. Surprising everyone, one of the King family members sets out to challenge the woefully inadequate evidence and potential innocence of Frankie Quick.
The at-first reluctant but soon-fiery Nyla and her unexpected ally-handsome country island boy Sam Stack-bring Frankie's case to the international stage through her YouTube channel, Death Daze. They step into fame and a hometown battle that someone's still willing to kill over. But who? The senator? The philanthropist? The pawn shop owner? Nyla's own mother?
Best advice: Don't go to family dinner at the Kings' estate. More people will leave in body bags than on their own two feet. And as for Frankie Quick, she's a gem . . . even if she's guilty.
Praise for We Were Kings:
"We Were Kings is the best kind of mystery novel-intelligent and bursting with heart. As Nyla untangled her family's secrets, the twists left me breathless." -Brittany Cavallaro, New York Times bestselling author
"Bingeable. Atmospheric. A book that grabs hold and doesn't let go. We Were Kings offers a delicious mystery perfect for fans of We Were Liars and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I savored every word from beginning to end." -Caroline George, author of The Summer We Forgot
Young Adult suspense with some romance
Stand-alone novel
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
The at-first reluctant but soon-fiery Nyla and her unexpected ally-handsome country island boy Sam Stack-bring Frankie's case to the international stage through her YouTube channel, Death Daze. They step into fame and a hometown battle that someone's still willing to kill over. But who? The senator? The philanthropist? The pawn shop owner? Nyla's own mother?
Best advice: Don't go to family dinner at the Kings' estate. More people will leave in body bags than on their own two feet. And as for Frankie Quick, she's a gem . . . even if she's guilty.
Praise for We Were Kings:
"We Were Kings is the best kind of mystery novel-intelligent and bursting with heart. As Nyla untangled her family's secrets, the twists left me breathless." -Brittany Cavallaro, New York Times bestselling author
"Bingeable. Atmospheric. A book that grabs hold and doesn't let go. We Were Kings offers a delicious mystery perfect for fans of We Were Liars and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I savored every word from beginning to end." -Caroline George, author of The Summer We Forgot
Young Adult suspense with some romance
Stand-alone novel
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Reviews / Votes
'Stevens deftly weaves multiple threads, including diamonds, meth, national politics, and human trafficking, into a riveting narrative of betrayed friendships and fraught family ties. Pairing old-fashioned amateur sleuthing with a decidedly on-trend, online true crime investigation, this taut mystery unspools with a chillingly calibrated pace, and the violent, stunning payoff is sure to surprise even the most genre-familiar reader . . . readers looking for their next addictive page-turner can mine this well-crafted whodunit for every worthy twist.' * The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books * 'Stevens explores small-town atmosphere and politics very well. The mystery and suspense build consistently . . . While there are some reveals that seem a bit obvious, others are clever and twisty enough to pick up the slack. Nyla is a likable and relatable protagonist, as is her relationship to Sam Stack, the son of Cora King's former boyfriend. Easily consumable with a fast-paced plot, this is a quick and enticing read for fans of murder mysteries and family dramas . . . Stevens delivers a cunning tale that will appeal to existing fans and could attract some new readers. A solid addition to any YA collection.' * School Library Journal *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Nashville
United States
Target group
Young adult
Interest Age: From 13 to 99 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 209 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
328 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7852-3857-7 (9780785238577)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Court Stevens grew up among rivers, cornfields, churches, and gossip in the small-town South. She is a former adjunct professor, youth minister, and Olympic torchbearer. These days she writes coming-of-truth fiction and is the director of Warren County Public Library in Kentucky. She has a pet whale named Herman, a bandsaw named Rex, and several novels with her name on the spine: Last Girl Breathing, We Were Kings, The June Boys, Faking Normal, The Lies About Truth, the e-novella The Blue-Haired Boy, Dress Codes for Small Towns, and Four Three Two One. Find Court online at CourtneyCStevens.com; Instagram: @quartland; Facebook: @CourtneyCStevens; X: @quartland