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Laws of Solomon by Eriq La Salle
Published by Poisoned Pen Press on September 8, 2026
Genres: Crime Thrillers, Black & African American Mystery Thriller and Suspense, Crime, Psychological Thrillers
Pages: 336
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After years of violence, Solomon leaves the brutal backdrop of New York and its underworld to find peace in California where he settles for the quiet life of a gardener defined by routine, restraint, and a fragile kind of peace that had alluded him. Having been a former child soldier, mercenary, and hit man, he is determined to put his past behind him. But as violence erupts on the grounds he tends, his hard-won tranquility shatters when he encounters a young boy named Gaby whose life is in danger.
Protecting the child pulls Solomon back into a world he swore he'd buried. As they set out on an unexpected journey, hunted by men who will stop at nothing to get what they want, Solomon must confront not only the threat closing in but the darkness he carries within.
Propulsive and deeply human, Laws of Solomon is a story of redemption, found family, and the cost of choosing compassion in a brutal world. In saving Gaby, Solomon may finally discover whether peace is something a man like him can earn―or something he must sacrifice everything to protect.
Eriq La Salle didn’t just keep the series going; he took it to another level.
From the beginning, you notice a shift. The story moves beyond action or revenge, focusing instead on what a man does when he’s tired of living by the world’s rules.
In this fourth book, La Salle changes the focus. It’s not just about what a man has done, but about what’s left of him after everything is taken away.
Solomon is at the heart of the story, both as a character and as a symbol.
He is heavy, and I mean that in the best way. He is not loud. He is not flashy. He is not trying to prove anything. He is a man carrying a lifetime of violence, grief, and ghosts that refuse to let him rest. And the way La Salle writes him is controlled and intentional. You can sense every scar even when Solomon is not speaking a word.
The action in this book matters. It isn’t just for show; it’s the result of everything that’s come before. Each moment feels important because it’s about more than just surviving; it’s about who Solomon really is. He has to face what he’s tried to hide, not just his past but his true self. The story asks: Can someone shaped by violence ever really leave it behind, or is he just waiting for it to return?
Then the child appears, and everything changes.
This is where the story elevates beyond the mechanics of a thriller. The boy is not just there to move the plot. He represents innocence that has not yet been claimed by the world’s brutality. In his presence, Solomon is no longer just reacting. He is being measured.
Protection becomes more than instinct. It becomes a purpose.
Through this bond, La Salle looks at redemption in a real way. There’s no simple forgiveness or easy answers. Instead, there’s responsibility and choice, the hard, quiet work of changing your actions when it would be easier to stay the same.
Faith and philosophy are blended naturally here. Thoughts about God, justice, and the power of nature come together to ask something deeper: Where do we really find meaning? It’s not just in what we believe, but in what we do when faced with the impossible.
Even the dialogue carries weight. Nothing feels like filler. Every conversation is layered with history, ideology, and tension.
La Salle’s writing is steady and purposeful. The pacing is confident, letting the story breathe but never losing its tension. He knows when to pause and when to move forward. This balance gives the story depth. The violence hits hard because the quiet moments matter, and those quiet moments feel important because they’re always at risk.
Laws of Solomon stands out because it focuses on inner struggles instead of just solving problems on the outside. This isn’t the end, it’s where everything starts to come together. The past, present, and future all meet here, hinting at something bigger to come.
This book is the SOUL OF THE SERIES!
Laws of Solomon is a thoughtful and complex addition to the series, taking it to new depths. It questions what redemption means, examines survival, and forces its main character to face a life he can never truly leave behind.
Reviewed by: Orsayor
