Queen of Spades

Queen of Spades #1

by Kristi Belcamino

From the dark underbelly of Sicily's Mafia to the heart-pounding streets of America, Eva Santella's tale is one of betrayal, vengeance, and an unquenchable thirst for justice.

Once a fearless Mafia boss, Eva's world shattered when rival Sicilian families betrayed her. With a bounty on her head, she fled to America, seeking refuge in shadows and anonymity. But even there, they found her. They destroyed her life, her family, everything she cherished.

But they made one they didn't finish the job.

Rising as the indomitable Queen of Spades, Eva is fueled by a singular obsession—making them pay. Her journey takes her through the intricate maze of the criminal underworld, where every turn holds danger, secrets, and a relentless pursuit of retribution. It's a path she walks with a fierce determination, for she knows there is no turning back.

Prepare yourself for a relentless, fast-paced thriller that grips you by the throat and doesn't let go. Experience the raw intensity of a flawed but big-hearted heroine who takes no prisoners in her quest for justice. If you're a fan of gritty dramas, take-charge heroines, and edge-of-your-seat excitement, Kristi Belcamino's Queen of Spades is your next can't-miss read.

The Queen of Spades isn't just a book; it's a pulse-pounding adventure that combines the ferocity of action with the complexity of emotions. Perfect for fans of high-octane thrillers, it's a journey that will leave you breathless, inspired, and hungry for more. Get ready to create your own brand of justice!

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adventure, Ebooks

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2019

About the author

Kristi Belcamino is a USA TODAY bestselling author, an Agatha, Anthony, Barry & Macavity, award finalist, a newspaper cops reporter, and an Italian mama who makes a tasty biscotti.


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FULL LIST OF BOOKS:

Gia Santella Crime Thrillers:


Related to Gia Santella Crime Thrillers:
Gia (prequel novella)
Lone Raven (novella)
Taste of Vengeance

Queen of Spades Thrillers


Related: Eva (prequel novella)

Vigilante Crime Series:


Stand Alones:


Nonfiction


Gabriella Giovanni Mystery Series:

Blessed are the Dead
Blessed are the Meek
Blessed are Those Who Weep
Blessed are Those Who Mourn
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Blessed are the Merciful

Related:
The Saint (prequel novella)
Misc:
City of Angels
Tomb of the Queen
Crush Your Query

Reviews

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story deals with assassins and how she avenges her family. Quick paced and the story gets into the back story of the heroine’s dark past. The heroine comes off as very tough and willing to do anything to avenge her family and her characterization was impressive. The action and the thrill was maintained all through till the very end. Enjoyed it.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having fallen in love with the Gia Santella series by Kristi Belcamino, I am thrilled that the author has extended the story backwards to Gia's family roots in Sicily with Eva Lucia Santella's, aka The Queen of Spades, story. Readers of the Gia books have already been introduced to Eva, who has come to Gia's aid both in Italy and Gia's home of San Franciso. In A Queen of Spades, the dark past of the Santella family is revealed, their Sicilian Mafia past, where Eva Lucia Santella learned in her teens how to be a powerful and much-feared assassin. When Eva's father dies in prison, she takes over the running of the family and the position of Mafia boss, a decision of her father's that leaves her two stepbrothers unhappy. In the brothers' attempts to descredit and overthrow Eva, Eva kills one of her brothers. As in any men's world organization, other bosses side with the remaining brother and decree a death sentence for Eva. Of course, they have to catch her first.

Twenty years from her Sicily days, Eva has found a place to hide in Los Angles, California and is living a "normal" life with a husband and two children. It's been a wonderful decade since she married and became a member of the PTA and lived the good life of a Malibu Beach resident. But, she hasn't been complacent. Eva has been careful to keep a low profile and make arrangements for herself and her family if the Sicilians catch up with her. Sitting in a PTA meeting, Eva receives a message on her phone that turns a fund-raiser meeting into a scramble for her family's lives. The tables of vengeance soon turn, as Eva discovers too late that the worst has happened, but even the worst brings unexpected evil and betrayal. Now, vengeance is all that Eva lives for. Training her body, her mind, and her emotions to be a killing machine again is her focus. And, yet, the author brilliantly is able to show readers in Eva’s interactions with a young boy that Eva’s compassion and looking out for those unable to do so for themselves is a large part of who this tough survivalist woman is. Her concern for the less fortunate was ingrained into her as a child, and she has not lost touch with that core piece of herself even in the depths of tragedy. However, her quest for revenge must be fulfilled, and after she learns the name of her target, she is relentless in her pursuit.

I have yet to read a Kristi Belcamino book that doesn't grab me up in its excitement. Her ability to engage the reader is masterful. And, who writing novels creates more kickass characters than Kristi--Gabriella Giovanni, Gia Santella, and now Eva Santella. Kristi Belcamino is truly the queen of kickass characters. Perhaps there should be an addendum to that title though, Queen of Kickass Characters with Heart. Each of these three strong women show their strength not only in how tough they can be, how they can fight, but also in how dedicated they are to righting a wrong. Eva, the Queen of Spades, could be a super-hero in any world of right versus evil. She is someone you will be invested in from the beginning of her tale. I'm so pleased that Kristi Belcamino made the move to bring us Eva's story, but then this is an author who instinctively makes all the right moves.

I received an advanced copy of Queen of Spades from the author, and my enthusiasm at sharing its publication is a genuine expression of my delight as a reader and reviewer.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Eva's family is murdered in cold blood, Eva must find the person who did it and take her revenge against him. Can she do it before she gets killed first? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good assassin action story. If you like stories like this, be sure to check this out on Amazon and wherever eBooks are sold.

[K Huskić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva is such a tough woman. Through her own heartache she powers on, seeking vengeance after a devastating loss. She discovers that her life in America all these years, hasn't actually kept her hidden, and it is people from her past who are seeking their own vengeance.

This was a great read. You really feel for her, and totally understand the actions she takes. Even with revenge on her mind, she still has a good heart and is willing to do what she can to help the people she deems worthy.

I so hope there'll be a second book, I would love to read more of her story.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Queen of Spades in less then two days! When Eva's past catches up to her present she knows she has to be strong for her family! Great story with strong characters. A must read!

[Denise H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was fabulous! I absolutely loved Eva’s character. She was a survivor. She had strength, compassion, determination, fought for what she believed, and even in a time of great tragedy she put herself out there to help others in need. She was both soft and hard, light and dark and Belcamino did a great job of showcasing all sides as we follow Eva’s deadly journey on the quest for vengeance. When her past meets her present in a devastating way, she has to push her new life to the background and dig deep for her roots if she is to carry out her plan. Those who once knew her would get a firsthand reminder of how deadly she could be.

Queen of Spades was a definite page-turner that will hold your interest as you follow Eva’s quest for revenge. After Eva being mentioned in Gia’s books, I was curious about her character and Belcamino did a wonderful job of giving us her story and bringing her character to life.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

[Birdie.Recommends · Rating 4 out of 5]

How’s this for Minnesota Nice? Kristi Belcamino personally reached out and generously shared several e-books from her series with me. I don’t know what rock I’ve been hiding under—she’s a new-to-me Minnesota author, and I’m already hooked!

I just finished Queen of Spades, the first book in the Queen of Spades Thrillers, and it absolutely delivers:
⚡ Fast-paced
🖤 Gritty
👊 Featuring a fierce, resilient female lead

Kristi’s no stranger to strong women and high-stakes drama—she’s also the author of the prolific Gia Santella series, so if you’re into revenge-fueled, female-driven thrillers, you’ll never run out of pages to turn.

Can’t wait to keep reading this series!

[Kathi Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUTSTANDING! If you don't love this book, we can never be friends!

I love the Gia series, but this book is straight up serious business & wound much tighter than the Gia series.
Kristi Belcamino shows us & makes us feel Eva's heartbreak over her loss, but also shows The Queen is a NFG kind of gal, strong in heart & body. Bless her enemies heart, Eva will not stop till it's over - she doesn't care about getting even....she goes 1better & gets AHEAD! Loved Francesco too, a different kind of kick ass woman!! Some woman are planners & some woman are doers - the world needs both. You will not want to put this book down until it's finished.

[William Wehrmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and characters. As a lover of "Hallmark" stories, getting in tune with Eva was a challenge but worth undertaking.

Don't read this without first reading the separately published short intro to Eva. It's equally engaging and builds a platform on which to set "Queen of Spades."

[Ruby Bibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

-The author, who I’ve been following throughout several of her series, has hit a home run with this novel. She’s at her best with action scenes and this story, showing the early days of Eva, Queen of Spades, is filled with almost non stop action. It’s only with reluctance that you put the book down before the story’s ending as each peril that she faces leads to another.
-Eva Santella, a mob boss in Sicily, was forced to escape from Sicily after she killed her brother, who was trying to kill her and take over from her. Though she was a Mafia boss, she had refused to get involved with the sex trade, which was very profitable and which the other bosses wanted to deal in, including her brother. She would kill those that she felt deserved it (though what that meant is not really clear but it’s meant to give us the impression that she still had certain morals) and would leave her calling card, which was the Queen of Spades. After she killed her brother, a hit was put on her by the other bosses, but she was able to escape to Los Angeles, while still only 19.
-While there, she met someone who had his own issues with a drug problem, but seemed to be recovering. The two of them married and her husband, Mathew, was deeply committed to and was in love with Eva, and never probed about her past.
-Ten years later, Eva had settled into her life as a housewife with 2 children. We come across her as she’s attending a PTA meeting. While there, her life is shattered as her past seems to catch up with her. A photo is sent to her phone. It’s of her husband, who is lying in their home with a hole in his chest from a gunshot wound. She rushes home to find her husband, as well as her two children, dead. She becomes a suspect and expects that when the police check the security cameras, they’ll know she’s innocent, but when she views a copy of the scene which was sent to her phone, she’s shocked to see that the killer is a woman who looks just like her. She’s now wanted for murder.
-Now she’s got to go underground, and use her electronic smarts to hide from the authorities while seeking out this killer in order to exact vengeance. She must also retrain herself in order to prepare for battle against this killer, who proves to be a lot more capable than Eva and almost kills her.
-We follow this cat and mouse game, but all of Eva’s plans to out maneuver this assassin end up with the killer being one step ahead. Each time Eva sets up her plan of attack, she falls into a trap laid out by this assassin and manages to survive but this killer seems to know about as much of how her mind works as she herself does.
-It’s a great opening novel after the introductory novella of this character, and ties in very closely with another character in a different series by the author - that of Gia Santella.

[Maryann Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of Spades, Avenger of death

I am such a fan of Kristi Belcamino, and her newest release Queen of Spades validates why she is one of my favorite authors.
In Queen of Spades readers get to know the aunt of Gia Santella. She was introduced in Gia and The Dark Night of the Soul, a wonderful, mesmerizing action series also by Belcamino.
In Queen of Spades we learn what drove Gia’s aunt to become a woman feared by the ruthless Mob bosses of Sicily.
Eva Lucia Santella was born into a Cosa Nostra family, and by age 17 her father had turned the reigns of leadership to her with one condition: that their family would never participate in the sex trade. Others in the organization respected this fearless, yet honorable young woman, she was dubbed “donna d’orore”- a woman of honor. Her calling card became the Queen of Spades, a symbol of death in Sicily. She was not afraid to kill evil, however she extended kindness to many in need.
Unfortunately her 2 half-brothers were jealous of her, and tried to undermine her leadership and dishonor their father’s wishes. In order to stop them, she was forced to kill one while the other was in prison. She was condemned by the mob, and had to escape to America at 19.
For 10 years she lived a quiet yet idyllic life as Eva White, wife of Matthew and mother to Lorenzo and Alessandra. Then her life dramatically changed forever with the brutal murder of her family.
She always knew that she might be found and had taken precautions to ensure that she could hide and defend her family. She never anticipated the horrific acts of hatred and violence that befell her loved ones or what she would have to do to avenge their death.
Queen of Spades is an action-driven book with a gripping storyline; I read it in one day as I simply could not put it down. Eva is a strong, fierce, determined and fearless woman. The other characters in the novel are also intriguing and relatable. I highly recommend this well-crafted and fast-paced thriller-a ***** read.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author. I started writing down my thoughts on the story and made a mistake in going back into one of the early chapters to verify an incident I was mentioning. I wound up re-reading the whole book again! It’s THAT good! If you’ve read any of Kristi Belcamino’s ‘Gia Santella’ books, you’ve probably wondered about her aunt that shows up in a few of those stories. Well, here it is: the phantom and phenomenal aunt!
Evangeline: Soccer mom, PTA food drive organizer, California wifey and mom. Who is this woman and what have you done with Eva, Queen of Spades, female mafia boss? During a boring food drive meeting, a text appears on her phone a picture of a severed, blood-dripping head, and that world, that last 10 years, just goes to heck! What follows is a rollicking badass thriller, as Eva is both the hunter and the hunted. She has a ‘hit’ on her head, put out 10 years ago by the mafia and now is wanted by the police! She’s hunting for the person who has destroyed her life while trying to avoid those who are hunting her! I like the ‘Robin Hood’ side of Eva, that good side that drives her to help other people (but in some pretty unconventional ways!) Highly recommended!

[Beth Birnbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristi Belcamino is always great, her characters are memorable feminist icons, the toughest women on the planet. She also has the ability to get inside a teenager's mind, something not for the fainthearted, but that's for some of her other books.
This time she's invented a new genre, the Mafia Kung Fu movie Italian style, with a feminist twist.
The book starts at a parents association type meeting, (they have their own fancy name for it) which after 20 years as a PT/PTA member and officer (retired) I can relate to. The vicious ambition and fights for power in these organizations rival any cut throat business you can think of. When I was asked by someone to run for co-president, the reigning president said it would be over her dead body, but I'm pretty sure she meant mine. I waited until her kid graduated to run for office.
But that's just the opening. Eva is thrust into a world where her entire family (karate school) is wiped out, and her quest for vengeance is a story that will keep you reading long after you should have turned off the light and gone to sleep. Fortunately I read fast, I made it to bed by 2:00 am.
It's well written, of course, and there's excitement on every page. Can't recommend it enough. It was a great mother's day present to me.
Brava Kristie

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 star rating

I got this book because of all the five 🌟 ratings.
Needless to say, it was good but not a five star rating kind of good. I would rate it at 3.5 to 4 star rating.
I like the storyline itself with a strong female character being the lead character and to top it off, an assassin. The FMC is supposed to be the best but there were plenty of spots where she just crumbled and is almost not worth anything.

Now we get to the editing. I'm not perfect by any means but even I was able to spot sentences that were incomplete due to missing words. Then there's plenty of areas where the writer seemed to have forgotten who she was referencing. She would be talking about a male character during a particular paragraph but then instead of using "he or him", the author would use " she or her". Those types of editing mistakes makes reading interesting. You would need to go back and double check to make sure you read it correctly.

Overall, the book was good. I can say that much!

[Jackie Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Queen of Spades is an exceptional read! Eva Santella is the Queen of Spades, who loyal readers of the Gia Santella series (also by Kristie Belcamino), were introduced to as a mysterious ninja-like assassin and the long, lost Aunt of Gia. This novel provides the back story to the mysterious Eva. It is a story of great love and heart wrenching loss, filled with intrigue and mystery and that edge of your seat anticipation of who is the murderer and why. A tangled tale of how one moves forward from vengeance, to discover a new purpose. As usual this is a woven mixture of complex female characters who unite for revenge but ultimately become the avenging dark heroines for the most vulnerable of society. Kristi Belcamino is an exceptional author who never ceases to please her fan. Bravo Bella!

[Antigone Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a hit is put out on her the Queen of Spades the female head of a mafia crime syndicate, flees Italy for the US. Reinventing herself in Southern California she lives in affluent bliss with her husband and two children. But her life is shattered when the past comes back to destroy her. Vowing vengeance she utilizes the skills that lead to her rise and makes some unlikely allies. But her enemies are relentless and determined.

This is an action packed novel. Eva is strong and smart. It was rather amusing that she runs afoul of the other families by drawing the line at the sex trade. Considering the other crimes these syndicates are known for including drugs, murder, theft and graft, she is not exactly up for canonization. However she still is a sympathetic and likable character. Fast paced entertainment.

[Sumit · Rating 4 out of 5]

*plot reveal ahead*
The story is about Eva who is a part of mafia family in Italy and handles the reigns after her father. She fleds to america, starts her life anew, her family gets murdered and then she avenges them.

The book was gripping and kept me wanting for more. It was well paced and had decent twists and surprises.
I think the end was rushed though. After th assasin gets the better of her 3 times and she finally has the chance to take here revenge it is all over in a mere 3-4 pages. Just like that all mafioso heads are killed along with the assasin.
They could have built that part better. It wasnt like it was rushed to lay some foundation for book 2 or so.
It did leave me a tad bit disappointed honestly.

A 4.5 stars easy. Light read, enjoy with a cup of coffee and rains. :D

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Kristi Belcamino, that is riveting and just plain awesome from the very first page. We are first introduced to Eva in a Gia novel, and like those books, this one will have you swiping your Kindle way past your bedtime, because, plain and simple you just don't want to put it down! Never a spoiler in my reviews, suffice it to say, this is one badass heroine that doesn't disappoint! Eva confronts some tough situations with challenges from the past resurfacing. Thrilling action, great plot and overall a wonderfully penned story of how this strong-willed woman faces huge tragedy and confronts it head on as she is on a quest for revenge plain and simple. I initially received this book as an ARC, but I loved it so much I purchased it! Get it now you won't regret it!

[Dammions Darden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kristi Belcamino has to be a writer than this. Her attention to details was horrible. The book was suppose to take place in the 90s but she kept referencing stuff from the 2000s. That turned me off on the book because it is easy to research and google.

Concept wise nice story and probably gonna be a great series if the attention to detail becomes better.

1. Michael Phelps was born in 85 so wouldn't be winning a medal in the olymipics for another 19 years. his first win was in 04 .

2. Real housewives aired for the first time in 06 again not the 90s.

3. First time you could use a VOIP # on your CELL Phone would have been in 05-06.

4. Lets not even start on the internet search and food delivery service you used multiple times in the 90s. LOL

5. VR games

6. Twitter feed..lol

The timeline is not accurate at all.

[Lauren A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now we know that Gia's wit, passion and talent are genetic!! Great story of the background of her aunt Eva, aka the Queen of Spades. Lays a great background of her life and involvement in her Sicilian Mafia family and what happened to turn her into such a savvy, shrewd and feared woman. Forced to flee to America because a mob hit was put out on her, she starts a new life. Flying under the radar with her beautiful family for years, her past catches up with her in a horrific way. To exact revenge she becomes a vindictive hunter that will stop at nothing until she hunts down the people responsible for ruining her life. One you won't be able to put down!

[Jennifer Soppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am screaming for more

Eva, a Malibu housewife, thought she had found a new life in America, until the day her past caught to her. As the story progresses her secrets are slowly revealed, she strives to seek the truth, and returning to her homeland could either end her search or her life. Kriisti Belcamino has provided a thrilling tale showcasing the temerity of a woman on the run from her past. I am screaming for more books to be written about Eva and seeing how this will lead up to Gia’s series.

I received a free copy of the book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

[Joanne Ranzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was quite the adventure to meet Eva Lucia Santella, aka The Queen of Spades. Strong, fierce, loyal, you don’t mess with her and the ones she loves. She’s also vulnerable at times and will go out of her way to help those in need. Even in her darkest hour, she finds the kindness and light inside of her. This is what I love about Kristi Belcamino’s characters. All the nuances of their souls and how they deal with the blows life throws at them. I always ask myself at the end of her books : "What would I do if faced with the same events?" Looking forward to reading another Gia book so we can reunite with Eva.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen of Spades

Overall I was quite disappointed with this book. I have read the Gia books and in those it was understandable that she made mistakes as she didn't come from a p.i., Mafia, or assassin background so get beginning mistakes were understandable. But Eva was supposed to be a skilled, high level assassin who had killed dozens of people. A reader might imagine that even when rusty a high level assassin would remember that surveillance is quite import rather than running until an unknown situation and getting ambushed 3x in a short amount of time.

I liked everything about the book that didn't have to do with assassination or mafia revenge.

[Bettyboop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read Eva, prequel

My first read for author, Kristi Belcamino, will not be my last. Her latest series Queen of Spades featured Eva White, a character with a past she wanted forgotten.
Must read ‘Eva’ the prequel for insight.
A texted photo from the past sent her reeling and into ready planned action. Her character drew me in and her compelling story was a page turner. The play by play scenes of action fueled by vengeance plus character twists made it an outstanding thriller. The end was one time I was glad to see continued, definitely want more of Eva, seems she has family she didn’t know. Intriguing.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eva Lucia Santella grew up in Sicily the daughter of a Mafia boss and while still young became an assassin for her family and eventually the head when her father died. When she refused to involve her family in the sex trade and actively worked against it she became an enemy of the other families and had a price on her head. She escaped to the us and went undercover with a new name and a marriage and two children and was having a good live until her past caught up with here and her family murdered. Vowing revenge she goes after the killer and soon becomes hunted by the killer and the local police. This is the first of a set of 6 books in a box set for the kindle.

[Dianne Biscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD!!! I would have finished it the first night but I had to get up at 5:30 AM to babysit! The next day every time the kids were playing by themselves I was reading my Kindle and finished in record time!!

Ever since Eva has shown herself in the Gia books I have wanted to know more about her and this book did not disappoint. And just knowing Eva's strength gives insight into how and why Gia is so strong and determined. Gives new meaning to "bad ass & strong" female character.

Loved it!

[Anima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eva is a tough chick out for revenge. She has a past that may have caught up with her. The prequel, Eva, gave a brief history of her childhood in Sicily. It adds to the story but not required reading to enjoy it. I really wanted to give it five stars, but I think parts of the story were missing intensity. I wanted to experience feeling from Eva, times of combat could have had more excitement. Really enjoyed knowing how the Queen of Spades came about and her reasons for revenge. My copy came through the author, review was voluntarily written.

[Sharon Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense!
I was introduced to Kristi's writing through one of my favorite authors, Emily Kimelman, and have been a huge fan of hers ever since. I have read all the Gia books and every book of Kristi's I can get a hold of. But I have to say, that this one is the Best yet! A page turning thriller that I could not put down. It was full of twists and turns and suspense. I loved this book so much that even though I received this book as an ARC reader, I purchased it! Thank you, Kristi, for sharing your gift with us!

[Sherie Lundmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva is a heroine not to be messed with. Fierce, determined, passionate and filled with love for her family. When her family is hurt, Eva will approach the adversary as only a true Sicillian mob boss will. When innocent victims need help, Eva will step in with the same intensity to assist. All the while keeping her focus on the final target to get justice for her family. I loved getting to know about Eva and her history. If you like a great thriller with a strong heroine who has a little bit of a dark side, this is the book for you.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next book!

Oh what a great book! Eva is a real badass, kicking butt and taking names. She has a good reason to be the bold killer she is, but low and behold, she has a soft side. I really enjoyed reading the backstory for this character whom I first encountered in the Gia Santella series and am pleasantly surprised at the depth of her character. I always wondered what had happened to make her so strong and capable. Now I know and can't wait for the next book in this series.