In Savages**,** Don Winslow introduced Ben and Chon**,** twenty-something best friends who risk everything to save the girl they both love**,** O. Among the most celebrated thrillers in recent memory—and now a major motion picture directed by Academy Award–winning filmmaker Oliver Stone—Savages was picked as a best book of the year by Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly**,** Janet Maslin in The New York Times**,** and Sarah Weinman in the Los Angeles Times.
Now**,** in this high-octane prequel**,** Winslow reaches back in time to tell the story of how Ben**,** Chon**,** and O became the people they are. Spanning from 1960s Southern California to the recent past**,** The Kings of Cool is a breathtakingly original saga of family in all its forms—fathers and sons**,** mothers and daughters**,** friends and lovers. As the trio at the center of the book does battle with a cabal of drug dealers and crooked cops**,** they come to learn that their future is inextricably linked with their parents’ history. A series of breakneck twists and turns puts the two generations on a collision course**,** culminating in a stunning showdown that will force Ben**,** Chon**,** and O to choose between their real families and their loyalty to one another.
Fast-paced**,** provocative**,** and wickedly funny**,** The Kings of Cool is a spellbinding love story for our times from a master novelist at the height of his powers. It is filled with Winslow’s trademark talents—complex characters**,** sharp dialogue**,** blistering social commentary—that have earned him an obsessive following. The result is a book that will echo in your mind and heart long after you’ve turned the last page.
Review
“Blazing . . . Mr. Winslow's keen attention to drug culture isn't going to keep readers away from him. He's too damn good to be polarizing. His characters are smart about their self-interest. His dialogue is tight, laconic, and razor sharp; if Elmore Leonard or Lee Child discovered surfing, they might sound something like this.” (Janet Maslin *The New York Times * )
“Made funnier by the seditious spin Winslow puts on the romanticized 1960s hippie culture of peace and love and hard drugs . . . [and boasts] the same pulsing rhythms and raw vocals that made “Savages” feel a little dangerous.” (Marilyn Stasio *The New York Times Book Review * )
“Don Winslow, whose book The Kings of Cool , just came out, is a rarity among writers of fiction: He doesn't just make it up.” (Chip McGrath *The New York Times * )
“A fast, fun, smart jazz-riff of a book, a prequel to Savages and every bit as good. . . . What sets Winslow apart in the crowded field of crime/mystery/thriller writers is the white-knuckled way he writes and thinks. The dialogue is sharp and funny, full of knowing nods to pop culture, history, and geography. . . . A frenzied ride into the heart of what family and love and loyalty mean.” (John Wilkens *San Diego Union-Tribune * )
“Don Winslow's crackerjack Laguna Beach thriller The Kings of Cool. . . gives background and back story to Mr. Winslow's novel Savages , published in 2010 and just made into a film by Oliver Stone. . . . It's a treat to trace the crossings of this trio's paths with those of other characters over the years. . . . One way or another, they scheme and tough their way through this often gruesome, sometimes witty saga and into the future fates already devised for them.” (Tom Nolan *The Wall Street Journal * )
“Blistering . . . Winslow serves up nonstop action, tempering the tension with his trademark razor-sharp wit. . . . This cool, clever entry is sure to be a royally popular summer read.” (_Booklist (starred review)_ )
“Another Winslow roller-coaster thriller.” (_Library Journal (starred review)_ )
About the Author
Don Winslow is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels. He lives in Southern California.****