The King of Methlehem written by Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist

The King of Methlehem: A Novel

Excerpt:  “Wyatt could conduct the interview back at the station, but he prefers the eerie atmosphere of the cook site. They are in a clearing surrounded by fir trees. On a grill mounted on rocks over a campfire is a shallow pan crusted with white powder and littered around the site are mason jars, porn magazines, shredded lithium batteries, cans of muriatic acid, a propane tank with blue tinting around the valve, and a plastic soda bottle with rubber tubing snaking out to nowhere. Despite a chilly fall breeze, ammonia lingers in the air and stings Wayne’s nostrils. ”

Book reviews from Amazon:

“The King of Methlehem is utterly compelling and so realistic that you may find yourself crashing — scratching your arms and rubbing your bloodshot eyes when you finally put it down in the hour before dawn. Mark Lindquist has written a taut, stylish, and gritty thriller.”

“”Write what you know about.” That’s what Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist has done in his latest novel. Great book. Lindquist takes you deep inside the methamphetamine (“meth”) world from the aspect of the users, dealer, “cook,” prosecutor, police, and the defense attorneys. The complex characters find they share more than they think. One entertaining part of the book is the dialogue used by some of the meth users who often find themselves confused and struggling to keep up in the conversation.

The main story of the book is rivalry between the head meth “cook” of the county Howard Schultz and Pierce County Sheriff Mike Lawson. Yet, the personal lives and the issues of the hereafter and Nirvana weave their way into the book. A must read for anyone who wants to know the mechanics and realities of meth use and addiction in the US and especially Washington State and how they are treated in the criminal justice system. Fortunately, Lindquist places his experiences in an entertaining novel rather than a documentary. Linquist also incorporates in detail the dozens of different landmarks, restaurants, blogs, civic leaders, judges, attorneys, politicians, local personalities, in Tacoma which makes in an enthralling read for locals.”

“In my work I have interacted with scores of meth addicts. If you have not done so, be prepared to be shocked when you read this. In fact, you may believe that the addict/dealers in this book are overdone charicatures. They are not. They were so believable that the book really shook me. Mr. Lindquist describes their lifestyle, their homes, their conversational style, and how they treat their children to a “T”. In that way this book is truly remarkable and an eye-opener who doesn’t understand the impact of this most sinister drug. The underlying story is also very engaging. I read this in only a couple of quick sittings over 24 hours.”

“I went to my local bookstore searching for a different book entirely. They did not have the one I was looking for, but King of Methlehem was right there where my book should have been. The title made me laugh, so I picked it up and read about it. I usually don’t go for the cop-thriller genre, but it sounded very interesting, since Meth is getting to be a problem in my region, also. I got home and finished it within the next four hours. It is an awesome, awesome book. The description on the back does not do it justice. The characters are all incredibly interesting. You’ll run the gamut of emotions with this one, laughter, sadness, anger, suspense. I only wish it had been longer!”