The Protectorate
A Phoenix Rises
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Pub Date Sep 1 2026 | Archive Date Jan 15 2027
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Description
Durham, North Carolina, 2012. When Detective Sofia Rodriguez is called in on her day off to find a plumber dead in his van—posed with Black-Eyed Susans and a Sylvia Plath verse cradled in his bloodied hands—she knows this is no ordinary murder. By the time the second body surfaces, then a third, Sofia and her partner Detective Jones are hunting a serial killer with a message, a method, and a symbol none of them can identify. That symbol belongs to The Protectorate—a century-old secret society of elite women that has quietly shaped American history from the shadows. When their emblem appears at a crime scene, the organization's leadership launches its own parallel investigation, desperate to contain the exposure before the FBI closes in.
Advance Praise
Retired NYPD officer Samantha Sonnett brings a cop’s eye for investigative detail and a bold new female voice to crime fiction. The Protectorate is a gripping, provocative thriller about women, power, and the dangerous territory between justice and revenge. A spectacular debut.
—Marshall Karp
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the NYPD RED series
"The Protectorate is the kind of book that makes you forget you’re reading a debut. Samantha Sonnett writes with authority, heart, and nerve, pulling you into a morally complicated world where justice, loyalty, and truth keep colliding. The final reveal hit so hard I had to go back and read it again."
—Retired NYPD Homicide Detective Danny Corcoran
Marketing Plan
Marketing Plan
The Protectorate: A Phoenix Rises by Samantha Sonnett
"You've never read a book like this before."
Publisher: Sonnett House Publishing
Publication Date: September 1, 2026
Audiobook: October 2026, narrated by January LaVoy (Eljin Productions)
The Protectorate: A Phoenix Rises is the debut thriller from Samantha Sonnett, a retired NYPD Counterterrorism/COBRA Unit officer with over 20 years of service. Drawing on real investigative and counterterrorism experience, the novel follows a serial killer investigation that uncovers a century-old secret society of elite women operating in the shadows of American history. Book one of a planned trilogy.
Advance Praise
Marshall Karp, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the NYPD RED series: "A gripping, provocative thriller about women, power, and the dangerous territory between justice and revenge. A spectacular debut."
Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author: "Stylish, utterly absorbing, and intoxicatingly original... a fresh voice thriller fans won't want to miss."
Publicity & Media
Targeted outreach to true crime, thriller, and law enforcement-focused podcasts and media
Author press kit available at authorsamanthasonnett.com, including high-resolution images, synopsis, and interview angles
Bookseller Outreach
Direct outreach to independent mystery and general-interest bookstores nationwide
Distribution via IngramSpark (standard discount, fully returnable) and KDP
Available in paperback, hardcover (case laminate and dust jacket editions), eBook, and audiobook
Events & Appearances
Killer Nashville (2026)
Murder in the Magic City, Birmingham, AL (Feb 2027)
Murder on the Menu, Wetumpka, AL (Feb 2027)
Additional regional author events planned
Digital & Social Media
Active author platform across Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | X (@authorsamanthasonnett)
Regular newsletter featuring launch updates, behind-the-book content, and reader engagement
Custom playlist from the book on Spotify
Ongoing content built around the author's law enforcement background and the novel's real-world-inspired setting
Awards & Recognition
Submitted for consideration: Book Industry Book Awards (BIBA), Killer Nashville Claymore/panel programs
Community Engagement
Active member of Sisters in Crime
Goodreads Author Program
For review copies, interview requests, or additional marketing materials, please contact Samantha Sonnett via authorsamanthasonnett.com.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9798995583608 |
| PRICE | |
| PAGES | 452 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 3 members
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 47558
SO many thanks to NetGalley and Sonnet House Publishing for the opportunity to read The Protectorate, A Phoenix Rises by Samantha Sonnett. I am telling everyone I know about this book. I could not put it down. Best book by a new to me author in a very long time. That it's the beginning of a new series filled with relatable characters tickles me pink!
Debbie J, Reviewer
Absolutely awesome reading…. Great characters, complex, action packed. I loved this book - we need book 2 and a film of book 1. Thank you to the author. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
Lynn R, Reviewer
An intriguing and original plot, with some nice turns and twists. The different viewpoints help with building suspense. Unfortunately, the writing style was somewhat flat, taking away some of that suspense and making the characters feel a bit one-dimensional.
I did enjoy the inclusion of the literary and musical soundtrack at the end of the book!
Thanks to Sonnett House Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
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