A Book A Week

S.A. Cosby has quickly become one of my favorite authors. He writes dark, gritty crime novels rooted in the American South, stories populated by deeply flawed characters grappling with race, class, masculinity, and generational trauma. These are crime novels with teeth. Cosby’s voice is distinct, his perspective unflinching, and his storytelling electric. I first encountered his work with Razorblade Tears, a breakout novel that blew me away, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Now, with his latest release, King of Ashes, Cosby may have delivered his most complex, haunting story yet. It's a Southern noir epic with echoes of The Godfather, soaked in blood, betrayal, and moral reckoning. The book is relentless, gripping, and impossible to put down.

Roman Carruthers, the eldest of three grown siblings, has spent years avoiding his roots in the rundown town of Jefferson Run, Virginia. A successful financial advisor with a talent for turning big risks into bigger rewards, Roman has built a comfortable life far from the shadows of his past. But when his father is left comatose after a mysterious car crash, Roman returns home to help his fractured family pick up the pieces.

Waiting for him is his sister Naveah, who’s spent years holding things together, running the family business, Carruthers Crematorium, and managing their father's care. She’s also still chasing answers about their mother’s decades-old disappearance, though deep down, she suspects she already knows the truth. After all, as their father always said: “Everything burns.”

Then there’s Dante, the youngest Carruthers sibling, and a mess of grief and panic. At first, Roman assumes it’s all about their father. But soon, he learns Dante has gotten in deep with a dangerous drug crew, is heavily in debt, and is convinced the car crash wasn’t an accident. Roman, ever the fixer, tries to throw money at the problem. But he underestimates how dangerous real gangsters can be.

With few options left and time running out, Roman makes a deal. He’ll utilize his financial expertise to aid their illicit activities. He launders money, manipulates markets, anything to keep his family safe. But as the stakes rise, so do the secrets. And the gangsters are about to learn that Roman is far more dangerous than they imagined. Because when it comes to protecting his family, Roman isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Or bloody.

In King of Ashes, S.A. Cosby delivers an epic American crime novel that's gritty, emotionally rich, and bursting with raw, grounded characters. This is a story steeped in themes of family, love, loss, and the dark legacies we inherit. Roman is a prodigal son returning to the small-town traumas he once escaped. He’s built a life for himself far removed from Jefferson Run, only to be pulled back into its web of secrets and sins. His siblings react much like those in the original parable, being either unable or unwilling to see the good that his return could bring. The tension that unfolds from these strained relationships is masterfully rendered.

Cosby plots this drama with precision, pacing the novel in a way that builds both dread and depth. The stakes rise with each chapter, culminating in an unforgettable ending that is full of revelations, brutal inevitabilities, and a reckoning with the past that feels as mythic as it is deeply personal. With King of Ashes, Cosby continues to cement himself as one of the most powerful and essential voices in American fiction today. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Add it to your list.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 45)