Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) by Joseph Lewis
A 2025 Maxy Award Finalist!
A 2025 Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner!
“On one side, unconditional familial love supported by the camaraderie of law enforcement. On the other? Guns, drugs, and hatred. Black Ye’ii stages an epic battle between good and evil.” –Cam Torrens, award-winning author of the Tyler Zahn thriller series
“Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) is a gripping crime thriller that kept me turning pages even when I needed to get up and do something else. Lewis created an intricate plot, complex characters, protagonists I could root for, and an enjoyable, high-octane read. This is the second novel I’ve read by Lewis. Going back to find more. He has me hooked.” Karen E. Osborne, award-winning author of True Grace and Justice for Emerson
“Weaving family and friendship with gangs and murder, Lewis has a flair for packing high-octane action into his world of high school boys, brothers, and small-town Wisconsin. With a personal vendetta and more lives on the line, the suspense jumps from the page as a fabricated truth takes center stage. Never one to shy away from action, death, and despair, this latest read brings with it new, yet familiar pulse pounding villains as author Joseph Lewis stuns once again, in this his tenth book.” Jill Rey, Reviewer: For The Love Of The Page Blog
“Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) is a psychological thriller based in a small town in Wisconsin, featuring a group of young men recovering from traumatic events a year ago. Unfortunately, the past is coming back to haunt them, and hunt them down. This thriller features complex characters and relationships that evolve throughout the story, leading to a stunning conclusion. Lewis delivers in this story of police trying to protect the innocents from the evil that is hunting them.”
Gary Gerlacher, MD, MBA, author of Last Patient of the Night, Faulty Bloodline and Sin City Treachery
“The author masterfully weaves together a complex plot filled with twists, turns, and unexpected revelations. Characters are well-developed and believable. Tension builds steadily throughout the book, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the detectives race against time to prevent further bloodshed. Black Yé’ii explores both the darker side of human nature and the positive theme of family and friendship. The author’s vivid descriptions of the brutal nature of gang violence create a truly immersive reading experience. If you’re a fan of crime thrillers with a twist, this novel is a must-read. It’s a captivating story that will keep you guessing until the very end.” Sublime Book Reviews
“A Complex Thriller That Strikes at the Heart, Black Yéʼii is a compelling thriller with family, honor, and the battle between good and evil as central themes. Young Diné (Navajo) man, George Tokay, helps police investigate a cover-up involving cops and the notoriously vicious gang, MS13, now hell bent on revengeful torture and murder.” International Writers Inspiring Change Review
“Gang revenge in a small Wisconsin town – a prescription for tense action sequences – elevated by the nuances of a psychological thriller. The novel features two kinds of family – the supportive kind that rests on unconditional love, and the toxic kind that binds gangs, which is a stark contrast and befits a battle between good and evil. The author’s writing is clean and quick, and the characters are beautifully drawn. A wonderful read.” Brian Kaufman, reviewer and award-winning author of A Persistent Echo.
The police fabricated a story about the night four members of MS-13 died in a tiny home on a quiet city street almost two years previous. George Tokay and his friends were not supposed to share the secret about what really happened that night. No one was to know the truth. But someone talked, and now MS-13, ruthless and wanting revenge, is back in town, and people are dying.
Can Detectives Graff, O’Connor, and Eiselmann find the killers and put a stop to the killing before anyone else dies?
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Author Bio:
After 49 years in education, Joseph Lewis has retired as a teacher, coach, counselor and administrator. He’s an award-winning author and uses his psychology and counseling background to craft thriller/crime/detective mysteries with a strong coming-of-age theme embedded within.
Born and raised in Wisconsin in a musical family of ten, he has been on stage singing and acting since fourth grade. In his profession as a principal, he opted each year to sing a song to his graduating seniors in place of a commencement address. Years later, kids and parents would recall how much “their song” meant to them.
Lewis now resides in Virginia with his wife, Kim. Together, they have three wonderful children: Wil (deceased 2014), Hannah, and Emily, and one grandson, Mason. His second grandchild, Olivia, is coming soon!