We Were Kings

Written by Court Stevens

Narrated by McKenzie Fetters

A twenty-year-old crime, an accelerated death penalty, and an elitist family cover-up: Nyla races against the death row clock to save a woman the world is rooting for . . . and against. Which side will you choose?

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

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780785238492

Court Stevens

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

Reviews for We Were Kings

[Maureen Mackay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A real page turner! I was surprised at the end - I hadn’t figured it out before!

[Amanda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't put it down!! I had to know what happened and kept guessing the whole time. I swore that someone was in on it the whole time and I was wrong lol I loved that it completely wraps up at the end!

[melissa_o-399736 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I completely devoured We Were Kings. Although labeled as a YA thriller, I think all lovers of mystery and suspense books would like it. The book centers around Death Daze, a You Tube channel, started by Nyla Wagner with the purpose of proving the innocence of a family friend and convicted murderer on death row. Frankie is about to be executed so it is a race against time for Nyla to find out the real truth of what happened in the death of her aunt Cora King. This is a hard book to review for fear of giving too much away. From cover to cover, this book is full of family secrets, surprising twists and turns, and an ending I definitely never saw coming!! I also appreciated that this book was free of language. I appreciate this characteristic in any book especially one geared for young people.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.