Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
Date Published: 06-06-2023
Publisher: KCIN Entertainment Group, LLC
Books 1 & 2 (Book 3 releases September 8, 2026.)
The Dark Waters series follows the rise and fall of one of Philadelphia’s most powerful families.
Judge Keenan Waters and his family have spent decades building a legacy of power, influence, and respect. But behind the perfect public image lie buried secrets, betrayal, and deadly consequences that threaten to destroy everything they’ve built.
As loyalties are tested and relationships crumble, the Waters family is pushed closer to the edge of ruin. With shocking twists and intense family drama, the Dark Waters series keeps the readers turning pages until the very end.
Perfect for fans of Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction, the first two books are available now, with the shocking conclusion, Dark Waters 3, arriving September 8, 2026.
EXCERPT
PROLOGUE
It will be a sweltering summer in Philadelphia for the Waters family. The temperature in the city will match last year’s heat, but the pressure, hatred, and drama will bring record highs and crushing lows for all of them.
Judge Keenan Waters Sr. sets the tone for betrayal and disloyalty when he decides one family isn’t enough—so he creates another. His ten-year affair with Mia, his mistress, is a deliberate slap in the face to his wife and children. Lost in a haze of love and lust, he doesn’t care about their feelings. He’s made it clear: Mia is non-negotiable. He doesn’t hide that he loves her or spends most nights at the house he bought for her on the other side of town. She completes him in ways thirty-five years of marriage simply cannot. From the very beginning, he’s been upfront with Lillian: he’s not leaving Mia. He even reiterated it two weeks ago when Lillian confronted him—again.
Though Keenan Sr. doesn’t anticipate or expect it, everything will change suddenly for him, Mia, and their secrets. He knows Lillian still loves him wholeheartedly, but he doesn’t realize she’s finished rolling over and taking his shit. This time, she’ll make sure it all stops—one way or another.
Keenan Sr. reaches for his phone on his desk, scrolling to his wife’s number. Instead, he dials his eldest son, DA Keenan Waters Jr.
After a few rings, Keenan Jr. answers.
“Hey, Dad. How are you doing today?”
Keenan Sr. can tell his son is busy. He shakes his head, thinking, I hope you’re not stuffing your damn pockets again. Clearing his throat, he says, “Good afternoon, son. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
Keenan Jr. gestures to his assistant as he answers. “Julie, we’ll review the criminal history and Bob Stanton’s ties to the community for tomorrow’s bail hearing this afternoon. Also, CC me on the sample grant proposal email for my brother. Thanks.”
Once Julie leaves, Keenan Jr. focuses back on the call. “Sorry about that, Dad,” he says. “Just finishing meeting notes before heading to court.”
“Okay, well, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to confirm that you, Taylor, and my grandbaby will be at the house tomorrow night for the anniversary party. Your mother moved dinner to six instead of seven-thirty. You three will still make it, right?”
Keenan Jr. picks up on his father’s desperation—a ploy he’s used for the past three years to avoid another anniversary meal alone with Lillian.
They’ve fallen for it every time. Distracted by a text on his phone, Keenan Jr. responds with a rushed, “We’ll be there, Dad.” The words he’s typing on his screen demand his attention: Where in the fuck is my money? “Alright, son. I’ll let you go. See you tomorrow night.”
“Okay, Dad.”
While his parents fight and hate each other, Keenan Jr. has a loving marriage with his wife, Taylor Christine. She’s his and their daughter’s lifeline, the backbone of their family, and he loves her to pieces for it. Taylor keeps it all together while Keenan Jr. lies, steals, and cheats his way to the top.
Sitting behind his desk in the District Attorney’s office, he works incredibly hard to become the next mayor of Philadelphia. He attends charity galas with Taylor by his side, repaying the city with a sliver of the money he’s stolen. He’s an ideal candidate on paper: an eighty-two percent conviction rate, volunteer work with underprivileged kids, and a great campaign slogan, Building a Safer Philadelphia. But his dirty dealings are a ticking time bomb.
Just as he’s about to send a death threat in response to a string of angry texts, his phone rings. He answers, his tone sharp and impatient. “Hello.”
“Hey, Keenan, bud. I couldn’t keep texting; I’m in traffic, so I called you,” says the man on the other end.
“Muthafucka, let me tell you something,” Keenan Jr. growls. “I sent that official letter to the FDA to sway the judge against revoking your guy’s liquor license. My name and reputation are on the line here.” When he doesn’t get an immediate response, he snaps, “Did you forget that, or do I need to break your jaw to jog your memory?”
The man chuckles dismissively. “Chill out, dawg. I’ve got it covered.”
“Don’t fucking mock me, you fat-ass.”
“Relax, man. Raynard Kordan knows the email you sent to save his ass will cost him 20k.
I’ll drop your cut off tomorrow. And ease up with the name-calling, or else.
” Keenan Jr. leaps to his feet. “Or else what, you sloppy—”
Click!
The man hangs up, cutting him off mid-rant.
Fuming, Keenan Jr. grabs his suit jacket and storms out of his office, texting his sister, Naomi, as he heads to the elevator.
Naomi reads her brother’s message about tomorrow night as she sits at a red light on Chestnut Street. She rolls her eyes before texting back: I don’t want to come, but I’ll be there, Keenan, damn
After texting her brother, she makes a call. She grins when Jace, her on-again, off-again engaged boyfriend, answers.
“Wassup, Naomi?”
Her tone is nasty. “What size shoe does your new bride wear?”
“What? Why do you want to know her shoe size?”
“Because I just passed a second-hand work boot shop and thought of her,” Naomi replies, smirking. “I was going to grab her a pair as a wedding gift, but I think I’ll get her something else since I don’t know her size.”
Jace sighs. “Naomi, come on. I already asked you not to show up tomorrow.” “And I was thinking of asking you the same thing.”
Before he can respond, Naomi hangs up and sends him a text: See you tomorrow.Then she blocks his number.
Tears threaten to fall as she thinks about the boy she can’t have. He’s getting married tomorrow, though Naomi has tried to stop him. She used everything from her body to threats, but nothing worked. Jace told Naomi from the start how much he was into her, but when she turned down his ring, he asked another girl, who happily accepted it.
With Jace heavy on her mind, Naomi angrily pulls into the mall’s parking lot, parks, and gets out. “I know what I’m going to do… I’m going to expose his stupid-ass, but first, I have to find something cute to wear and just the right gift for the bride.”
As she’s walking up to the main entrance, she calls her brother, Saint. When he doesn’t answer, she hangs up and texts him.
Saint laughs as he reads the text from Naomi: Did you really just press ignore on me punk? LOL!
Sitting at the plaintiff’s table in a dark-colored athletic-fit stretch suit, he quickly types back, trying not to let the judge or the senior associate he’s assisting notice his phone. Lol I’m in court
Saint Kenny is the youngest of the Waters children. Unlike his brother, tainted by greed and power, or his sister, consumed by sex and control, Saint is different. Different from his siblings. Different from his sneaky, manipulative parents. To everyone, he’s the good one. The baby boy who can do no wrong—the saint of the family. He’s an attorney, too, with a bright future, a girlfriend named Porsha, and a secret boyfriend named Jonathan.
Saint keeps Jonathan and his sexuality hidden from his family, parading Porsha as the perfect girlfriend for everyone to see. Jonathan, however, holds the keys to Saint’s heart and bedroom. Saint fears his family won’t accept him for who he truly is. So he lies. And lies. And lies—until someone gets hurt.
“Mr. Waters, is your client working now?”
Saint quickly stuffs his phone into his pocket and stands to address the judge. Clearing his throat, he replies, “Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Benton has been employed at the oil refinery in South Philadelphia for the past twelve months.” He thumbs through the manila folder in front of him. “However, my client is a contractor and hasn’t been called back to work since the Easter holiday.”
The judge peers down at him. “So, he’s not working?”
“Well, Your Honor, as I stated, Mr. Benton is a contractor, and—” “Mr. Waters,” the judge interrupts, “without steady employment, my judgment would normally be jail time. But I’m in a good mood today, so I will recall this case thirty days from now. If your client is not working by then, he will be locked up until he can start making payments toward the twenty-six thousand dollars he owes in back child support.”
The judge bangs the gavel, and Saint gathers his belongings. He, the pencil-nosed senior attorney, and their client leave the courtroom. In the hallway, the senior attorney says, “See you back at the office, Saint,” before walking off.
Outside the courthouse, Saint’s client—a pale, thin man—speaks up, his voice shaking. “He was ready to lock my ass up in there, Saint. What am I going to do? I can’t go back to jail.”
Saint’s phone vibrates in his pocket as he responds, “I won’t let that happen. Listen, Austin, sit tight, and I’ll call you around three to discuss our next steps.”
“Alright,” Austin mutters before heading off in the opposite direction.
Saint smiles as he answers his phone. “Hey, Mama.”
“Hi, baby. Are you working?”
Saint gets into his car and exits the courthouse parking lot. “No, I’m just leaving court. What’s going on, Ma?”
“Your father and I are making our rounds to remind you and your brother and sister about the time change tomorrow night.”
“Yes, Naomi messaged me while I was in court. She said dinner is now at six instead of seventhirty?”
Lillian’s tone is flat. “Yep.”
With his turn signal clicking in the background, Saint says, “Ma, what is it? I know you, and I know how mad Dad can make you.”
“Baby, what does that have to do with dinner?”
“Because I can hear that you’re upset.” Saint pauses. “Ma, why don’t we go to dinner instead? Just me and you. I’ll pick you up on time, bring those purple orchids you love so much, and I’ll even let you listen to your favorite oldies station in the car—no rap this time. I promise.”
“You and Porsha just make sure y’all aren’t late tomorrow.”
“But, Mama—”
“Bye, baby. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
After hanging up on Saint, Lillian sits in the living room, lost in thought. The children are all in place for dinner tomorrow night. But tonight is our actual anniversary.
Over the years, Keenan Sr. has given her cars, furs, and jewelry to make up for his absences. But none of it has been thoughtful. None of it has been loving. Once, he stooped so low as to hand her a generic greeting card stuffed with cash. It’s been like this since Mia came along. He used to be so attentive, so caring. Now, he doesn’t even show up half the time.
Lillian takes a deep breath. “…Keenan, I told you how important this anniversary is to me. You promised you would be here. And you better be. But if you mess this up in any way, this will be one anniversary dinner that you or the kids will never forget. I can promise you that…”
About the Author
Nick Haskins is the author of the Dark Waters series, as well as novels She’s Obsessed, Betrayed, My Husband’s Wife, and On the Edge of Heat.
Known for his suspenseful storytelling and unforgettable characters, Haskins has spent more than a decade building a catalog of contemporary drama and suspense that has attracted readers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where he still resides, Haskins began his publishing career in 2011 and has remained committed to independently producing professional, reader-focused books. In addition to writing novels, he is creating film and visual media projects based on his work.
Haskins continues to connect with readers while developing new stories to expand his publishing catalog.
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