Several weeks ago I found myself clicking around on Amazon for new book finds. Not that I needed to purchase new books (wait did I really say that?), but I find the online conglomerate one of my favorite sources for discovering books outside of the YA realm.

Then I happened upon the cover art for Aric Davis’s Nickel Plated, and had a hard time believing it was YA. (Even with the boy on the cover.)

What I love the most about the cover is its noir look. It’s equal parts Bond, retro, and mystery. The story seems intriguing, too — it’s about a 12-year-old private investigator who’s hired to track down a girl’s missing sister. The story is dark, edgy, and the cover seems to match its tone to a T.

I asked author Aric Davis to weigh in on the cover art as well:

AD: I was asked for three different ideas for cover design.  Initially, I was blown away, I had expected no input on the cover whatsoever, so to be asked for three ideas was really cool.  My suggestions for the way the cover for Nickel Plated turned out were meant to evoke a kind of classic detective feel, while utilizing the elements of my book.  One of my main sources of inspiration for the writing, both stylistically, as well as content, was the legendary Richard Stark and his infamous character, Parker.

When the Parker novels were re-released by the University of Chicago Press, the covers were amazing, almost as good as the writing.  I wanted Nickel Plated to act as a tribute to such wonderful books, as well as be readily identifiable to fans of the genre.  Here is an example of one of the Stark covers:

As for how the cover turned out, I think the work speaks for itself, the designer did an amazing job.

I highly agree, awesome job Brian Zimmerman and the CreateSpace/Amazon team! I’m looking forward to reading Nickel Plated soon!