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Find The Cartel crime saga by Ashley Antoinette in order, with book-by-book summaries, family background, and tips on entering this dangerous Miami underworld.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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The Cartel books in publication order

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9 books

1

The Cartel

by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2008

The first Cartel book introduces the Diamond family, Miami’s most powerful drug clan, and the enemies who want to knock them off the throne. When loyalty collides with ambition, the empire Carter built begins to crack from the inside.

2

Tale of the Murda Mamas

by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2009

Tale of the Murda Mamas spotlights a crew of deadly women who handle business with the same cold precision as any cartel boss. As their paths cross with the Diamonds, contracts and vendettas intertwine, proving that the most dangerous killers sometimes wear heels.

3

The Last Chapter

by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2010

In The Cartel 3: The Last Chapter, Miamor fights for her life while Carter faces federal time and the Diamond empire shifts to new hands. Every character must choose between family and self‑preservation as the saga comes full circle.

4

Diamonds Are Forever

by Ashley, Ashley & JaQuavis, Cary Hite, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2012

Diamonds Are Forever proves that walking away from the game is never simple. As old alliances fracture and new bosses emerge, the Diamonds discover that their enemies are more patient and more ruthless than they ever imagined.

5

La Bella Mafia

by Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2013

La Bella Mafia weaves the Cartel world into a powerful story about a woman born into an Italian crime family who longs for freedom. When her path crosses with the underworld readers already know, love and loyalty ignite a war she cannot escape.

6

The Demise

by Ashley, Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2016

The Cartel 6: The Demise pushes the family to the brink as betrayals, federal pressure, and past sins converge. Legends fall, new leaders rise, and the Diamonds learn that every empire eventually pays for the blood it was built on.

7

Illuminati

by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2017

The Cartel 7: Illuminati brings the bosses to a secret roundtable where power is brokered at the highest level. As hidden agendas collide, the Diamonds must decide whether to play by someone else’s rules or burn the whole system down.

8

Long Live The Cartel

by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2020

Long Live The Cartel jumps to the next generation, following Carter “CJ” Jones II as he is pulled into the life his father never wanted for him. In Miami, family legacy and street curses are hard to outrun, especially when blood is in your name.

9

Money Devils 1

by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

2020

Money Devils 1 introduces a secretive group of powerful women who move money for the world’s richest and most corrupt players. When their interests collide with the Cartel’s, manipulation, seduction, and revenge turn into weapons as sharp as any gun.

The Cartel books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Cartel"

    The Cartel

    by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2008The Cartel, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Tale of the Murda Mamas"

    Tale of the Murda Mamas

    by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2009The Cartel, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Last Chapter"

    The Last Chapter

    by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2010The Cartel, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Diamonds Are Forever"

    Diamonds Are Forever

    by Ashley, Ashley & JaQuavis, Cary Hite, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2012The Cartel, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "La Bella Mafia"

    La Bella Mafia

    by Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2013The Cartel, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Demise"

    The Demise

    by Ashley, Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2016The Cartel, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Illuminati"

    Illuminati

    by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2017The Cartel, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Long Live The Cartel"

    Long Live The Cartel

    by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2020The Cartel, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Money Devils 1"

    Money Devils 1

    by Ashley & JaQuavis, Ashley Antoinette & JaQuavis Coleman

    2020The Cartel, Book 9

Series background & context

The Cartel is the blockbuster series that cemented Ashley Antoinette and JaQuavis Coleman as titans of street lit. Set in Miami, it follows the powerful Diamond family as they build and defend a drug empire that stretches from glittering nightclubs to the darkest corners of the underworld.At the beginning, Carter Diamond is the ruthless patriarch whose empire rests on equal parts fear and loyalty. His children grow up in mansions, surrounded by luxury, but they are never far from the violence that pays for it. When Carter’s reign is cut short, his sons and protégés are forced to decide whether they will walk away from the life he bled for or embrace the legacy he left behind.The early books focus on turf wars, betrayals inside and outside the family, and the collision between the Diamonds and the deadly women of the Murder Mamas. Characters like Miamor become fan favorites precisely because they are as dangerous as any man in the game, using beauty and intelligence as weapons. No one is safe—from federal indictments to sniper bullets, the body count stays high.As the saga expands into later installments like La Bella Mafia, The Demise, Illuminati, Long Live the Cartel, and the Money Devils spin‑offs, the story grows more global and more complex. Rivals emerge in other cities and other countries. Old secrets shake the foundation of the Diamond lineage. Younger generations, including Carter’s children and grandchildren, are pulled into cycles of crime that their parents desperately tried to escape.What makes The Cartel stand out is how Ashley and JaQuavis balance explosive action with soap‑opera‑level family drama. Love affairs cross enemy lines, friendships implode under pressure, and every victory seems to come with a devastating cost. The series asks whether a family built on blood money can ever truly find peace—or whether the street will always demand its due.For readers who crave sprawling crime epics full of twists, betrayals, and unforgettable characters, The Cartel is essential reading.

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Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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