King of Ashes

Roman Carruthers is 35, sharp, successful, and carefully distanced from Jefferson Run, Virginia — the small, struggling town where he grew up. He manages money for wealthy clients in Atlanta, and has cultivated a very specific skill set for making problems disappear, financial and otherwise. When his father Keith gets in what appears to be a car accident but probably wasn't, Roman comes home for the first time in five years. What he finds: his sister Neveah, quietly heroic, holding the family crematorium together with sheer will and exhaustion. His younger brother Dante, deep in debt to a pair of genuinely terrifying local drug lords. And a family still haunted by the night in 2003 when their mother Bonita disappeared. Described show more everywhere as The Godfather set in the Black South, with Shakespearean levels of tragic inevitability. The crematorium is not incidental — it does a lot of work in this book, and not just metaphorically. Netflix adaptation incoming from Steven Spielberg's company and the Obamas' Higher Ground.

[May contain spoilers]
The truth about Bonita's death is the novel's devastating core. In 2003, teenage Roman and Dante discovered their mother having an affair with one of their father's employees. When they confronted her, she struck Roman, a struggle ensued, and she accidentally fell and hit her head. Keith wasn't there — but he arrived to a dead wife and two horrified sons, and burned her remains in the crematorium to protect them all from prosecution. Fifty-two years of a secret. Neveah, who wasn't there that night, eventually finds where Keith hid their mother's ashes, concludes her father murdered her, and kills their comatose father herself by giving him aspirin knowing it will cause an aneurysm. When Roman finally tells her the truth, it's too late. She leaves town, cuts off all contact. Roman, who came home to fix things, has become something unrecognizable — he incinerated people alive in the family crematorium along the way. The final image is Roman planning to reshape the local criminal organization with his associate Khalil. There's no going back. Shakespearean is right.
What I think: This is absolutely your kind of book — brutal, propulsive, morally complex, character-driven, and it doesn't flinch. The crematorium twist is genuinely haunting. Roman's slow transformation into exactly what he was trying to fight is done with devastating precision. The one thing that might knock it slightly is the relentless darkness with zero relief — Cosby goes pitch black and stays there. show less

This was my first time reading S.A. Cosby’s work, and right away King of Ashes reminded me of The Wire. At first, the plot feels straightforward, but as the story unfolds, it begins to resemble The Godfather: a family drama wrapped around a shift in power within a criminal organization.

Cosby’s prose is stunning, building a vivid, brutal world steeped in blood and violence. I came across a review that described his novels as feeling like films, and I couldn’t agree more. The imagery is striking, the pacing cinematic, and the ending satisfying.

One element that pulled me out of this richly crafted world, however, was the compressed timeline. It seems like the entire story takes place over the course of just a few weeks, which is show more wildly unrealistic. Roman is a compelling protagonist, but beyond the opening chapters, it sometimes feels like things come a little too easily for him. You definitely have to suspend disbelief to fully immerse yourself in the story.

Still, this was an excellent read, and I’ll absolutely be seeking out more of S.A. Cosby’s work.

“The morning sun baptized both sinner and saint alike. Before the day is done, they will encounter both.” show less

I listened to this in audiobook format.

This novel is a gangster-crime drama in the same vein as the Fargo TV series. Despite the brutal violence and high body count, the characters are complex, flawed humans with inner emotional lives. The men in particular are painted very well and not basic gangster stereotypes. There's a family mystery and romance to top it off. If you like a crime drama but want a little more depth, S.A. Cosby's novels are a great choice. I love his audiobook narrator as well. And I'll add, if you want to get rid of a body, owning a crematorium is not a bad way to go.

S.A. Cosby is the undisputed master of southern noir and this is no more evident than in his latest opus, King of Ashes. If I had to describe this in one word, it would have to be whoa! Cosby combines action, rage, and violence with complex characters and social commentary to create one non-stop, unputdownable thrill ride. This is an absolute must read for anyone who loves raw, visceral noir stories with interesting characters and story-line and an ending that will leave you shaken. But, one word of caution, this is definitely not one for the weak of heart. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Adam Lazarre-White who does an absolutely pitch-perfect job.

I received an early audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio in show more exchange for an honest review show less

When Roman returns home to his father in a coma after a suspicious accident and his little brother in big trouble with some local gangsters, he comes up with a plan to fix everything for his family. Meanwhile, he and his siblings eke out their existence under the long shadow of their mother‘s disappearance while they were still children. Cosby‘s careful tangling of this family‘s secrets, their good intentions, and their fatal flaws combine to give the distinct impression of a gritty modern spin on a Shakespearean tragedy.

Dammit Mr. Cosby, you did it again! Though I'm not surprised, I knew I would love it and didn't even read the synopsis because it doesn't matter. Just strap in and enjoy the journey you're about to be taken on. While this hasn't replaced Razorblade Tears as my absolute favorite of his, it's right up there. The heart of this family is amazing and though I can't fully relate to their struggles, I was right there with them, and poor Neveah, I just wanted to hug her and learn how to work in a Crematorium so I could help her out, she was so overworked. I don't know how S.A. Cosby does it, I really don't, he must have traded his first born for a magic pen or something because he truly has a gift when it comes to writing complex characters and show more horrible situations in a way that you care about them deeply and are so invested you question what's real life.
Oh, if you're a fan of his already, watch out for some easter eggs in this one, it was great fun! show less

As I made my way through this novel, I figured this one might be the most polarizing book of Cosby's bibliography and, judging from the reviews, I don't think I'm far off.

Honestly, while I enjoyed the hell out of this novel—as I have every single other novel he's written—he does take a few more chances this time around. Cosby's the king of mostly unlikeable characters with just enough redeeming qualities that the reader can still root for them, but this time?

This time, Cosby goes dark. Aside from Jealousy, there's truly not an entirely likeable character in the story. And I think that's the point. Cosby ensures that we know "everything burns" and I believe that starts with Roman's delicate morality.

The story pushes and pushes and show more pushes Roman deeper into the void, until that screaming you hear could be the void, or it could just be the dying gasp of Roman's humanity.

Still, this is an engaging read, with some truly shocking violence, and a bleakness that challenges the reader.

I won't say this is my favourite novel by Cosby, but I do believe it's the one he's taken the most chances with, and the one that challenges the reader the most, and I applaud that.

Definitely worth the read, if you're in the mood to hold hands with darkness for a while. show less