When You Come at the King

Elie Honig is the author of Hatchet Man and Untouchable. He worked as a federal and state prosecutor for fourteen years. He prosecuted and tried cases involving violent crime, human trafficking, public corruption, and organized crime, and successfully prosecuted over 100 members and associates of the mafia. Honig is CNN’s Emmy-nominated Senior Legal Analyst, writes a weekly column for New York Magazine and Cafe.com, hosts podcasts on the law and true crime for Vox Media, is a Rutgers University scholar, and is special counsel to the law firm Lowenstein Sandler. He lives in New Jersey.

"CNN legal analyst Honig delivers a disturbing analysis of how the U.S. justice system makes it so difficult to hold the wealthy and well-connected to account for their crimes. . . . Honig’s fluid prose and sharp analysis amount to a slam-dunk case that American justice is far from blind." — Publishers Weekly on Untouchable"Cogent analysis of how privileged individuals skirt criminal prosecution... A distressing account of how power often trumps justice within the American criminal justice system." — Kirkus Reviews on Untouchable“Elie Honig’s When You Come at the King is a valuable (and at times eye-poppingly colorful!) look at the tough choices prosecutors have had to make investigating their own boss, the president of the United States. His examination of the delicate balancing act of the Constitution, justice, and democracy provides crucial historical context for our times.” — Garrett Graff"[A] deeply researched, keenly analytical, and frequently provocative chronicle of this singular judicial entity. . . . A senior legal analyst for CNN and former assistant U.S. attorney, Honig is well-suited to the task of providing a historical overview of the special counsel's function with the ever-evolving context of politics, partisanship and political skepticism." — Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)“A damning, convincing account….A resounding excoriation of an unquestionably corrupt operator.”  — Kirkus Reviews on Hatchet Man“A fascinating, fast-paced insider’s account of the trials and tribulations of the nation’s highest-stakes cases from Watergate to today. In this riveting, deeply reported book, Honig offers unique historical insight and a timely and important look at the future of presidential accountability.” — Anderson Cooper“Every page hums with gripping anecdotes and breaking news journalism of the first order. A riveting and judicious investigation of the oversized role a spate of Justice Department–appointed Special Prosecutors have played—for better and worse—in twenty-first-century presidential history. Not only does Honig, one of America’s most astute legal analysts, speak truth to power but he ably delineates on the long-term consequences of what these crucial cases mean for our nation’s current Constitutional checks-and-balances debate.” — Douglas Brinkley“Elie Honig takes his gift for making complicated issues accessible and applies it to the fascinating history of our most memorable and important criminal investigations, from Nixon to Clinton to Trump, and many in between. This marvelous book uncovers new facts and ugly truths about how the most important decisions were made by omnipotent investigators and the highest-profile political subjects. By interviewing participants on both sides, Honig brings us into the room where the critical decisions were made in a way never before possible.” — Dan Abrams“What Honig does with this terrific book is not only explain the fraught moments in history where federal prosecutors investigate a US president, he does fascinating primary reporting by talking to the actual players who were leading the charge. Honig is an incredible lawyer and explainer of all legal things on television, and with this book he also shows that he is a fantastic writer and storyteller.” — Dana Bash“In his new book, When You Come at the King, Elie Honig does not miss. He offers an exclusive insider perspective into the most important cases in American history. Honig delivers first-rate investigative journalism and a reminder that no one is above the law. This book is a vital reminder why upholding the rule of law is crucial, now more than ever.” — Preet Bharara