My letter “K” pick for the A To Z Challenge was KINGSLAND by Dwayne Alexander Smith. This story is set in an alt-historyish dystopian future where the United States funds a Black reparations country – an island off the coast of Georgia named Kingsland – a place purported to be an idyllic paradise. Only it’s not so much with lingering racial tensions and constant police-state surveillance that can’t seem to catch a serial killer on the loose.

Enter detective Jamison Wright, a former FBI profiler who soon learns all is not as it seems in Kingsland. I can’t tell you much more without spoilers, but overall this was a strong story with gripping plot twists and plenty of escalating action – though at times it’s a bit formulaic The real selling point here is the all-star cast (this is an Audible Original). Winston Duke just knocks it out of the park along with the supporting cast and the top-notch production values fully immerse you in the story. Overall a good read that fell just short of a great read. Three and a half stars.