Cover Reveal: “The Gangster Crown,” my upcoming crime novel.
Here is the cover of my latest novel, a crime saga set in the 1990s.
Although I’m better known for my history work, many of you know that I’m also a novelist. Back in September I did a profile (for the paid-level readers) of my upcoming book, The Gangster Crown. Well, it’s coming soon, and here is the cover! The book will be available on Amazon Kindle on December 17, 2024, in only a few weeks. I’ll have an announcement on this blog together with a link where you can pre-order it.
The Gangster Crown is derived from the pattern of classic gangster tales, but with some unusual twists. Taking place mostly in the 1990s, it’s the story of Terry, a down-on-his-luck military veteran of the Gulf War, who after mustering out of the service finds himself working a dead-end retail job at a record store in an urban mall. Terry parlays a casual act of petty shoplifting by one of his friends into a side hustle reselling stolen compact discs, but as he becomes more ambitious and sophisticated, he builds the side hustle into a sprawling empire of organized crime. As the unlikely gangster kingpin of the city, Terry inevitably comes into conflict with the local Mafia boss, Gaetano, who was under the mistaken impression that he was the city’s criminal emperor. Then it becomes an all-out battle for the titular gangster crown, and the glory—and tragedy—that comes with it.
The Gangster Crown is my third crime novel, following In Deadly Mirrors and The Son Thief though it is not in the same series as those books. It’s also my second novel for the year 2024, the previous one being the mystery Daniel Vanished. The cover, by UK artist Cherie Fox, is possibly my favorite of any of my recent books and I think it captures the essence of the story personally. Terry believes he is a man destined for greatness, a would-be Caesar, whose lofty ambitions to rule the fates of others are thwarted by the accident of having been born in late 20th century America. That’s why a Roman-style crown appears on the cover, and figuratively in the title.
The book will be out December 17. In a future article, coming soon, I’ll let you all know the link where you can pre-order it. In the meantime, enjoy the cover! I think it’s going to be a fun book.
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