Laws of Solomon (Martyr Maker)

By Eriq La Salle

This book can be read as a standalone "Beautiful and heartbreaking." -- Walter Mosley "An amazing read!" -- S.A. Cosby "Lush and brutal, a poem hiding out as a novel." -- Rachel Howzell Hall "La Salle writes with verve." -- Dennis Lehane Redemption isn't given. It's fought for. 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 brings readers into the world of his acclaimed Martyr Maker series with this standalone novel--the perfect entry point for readers new to La Salle's writing.

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Published Sep 8, 2026

304 pages

Average rating: 8.05

21 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

rccohill
10/10 stars
This by far was my favorite of the series! This was book 4 of the series by Eriq La Salle called Martyr Maker. This was an ARC and an honor to read an advance copy through Netgalley. This gave a back story the character The African. He was a hitting in NY and finally "retired' from his job. He has moved out to California to live a family life with his love. Unfortunately things turn for the worse where he turns back into the crime life he tried to get away from. Gaby is such a great character and inadvertently brings out the humility out of The African! I definitely cried in this book. It is definitely a must read!