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BooksfictionKing of Ashes
Cover of King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby

King of Ashes,

by S. A. Cosby

Ask AI
Rating4.0/ 5
Ratings49
Pages352
Reading Hours7h
Published2025
LanguageEnglish

§Synopsis

01

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby returns with King of Ashes, a Godfather-inspired Southern crime epic and dazzling family drama.

When eldest son Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father’s car accident, he finds his younger brother, Dante, in debt to dangerous criminals and his sister, Neveah, exhausted from holding the family—and the family business—together. Neveah and their father, who run the Carruthers Crematorium in the run-down central Virginia town of Jefferson Run, see death up close every day. But mortality draws even closer when it becomes clear that the crash that landed their father in a coma was no accident and Dante’s recklessness has placed them all in real danger.

Roman, a financial whiz with a head for numbers and a talent for making his clients rich, has some money to help buy his brother out of trouble. But in his work with wannabe tough guys, he’s forgotten that there are real gangsters out there. As his bargaining chips go up in smoke, Roman realizes that he has only one thing left to offer to save his brother: himself, and his own particular set of skills.

Roman begins his work for the criminals while Neveah tries to uncover the long-ago mystery of what happened to their mother, who disappeared when they were teenagers. But Roman is far less of a pushover than the gangsters realize. He is willing to do anything to save his family. Anything.

Because everything burns.

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§Genres
fiction1mystery1thriller1
§Moods
adventurous1challenging1dark1emotional1mysterious1sad1tense1
§Tags
#a mix driven1#diverse characters1#plot driven1#strong character development1#unloveable characters1#weak character development1

§About the Author

S. A. Cosby
S. A. Cosby

2 books in catalog

Southern noir crime fiction gained a distinctive, hard-hitting voice through propulsive rural crime novels that examine racial tension, family duty, and small-town justice. S. A. Cosby established his reputation with award-winning novels set in the American South, earning widespread praise for grit-infused storytelling in hits such as Blacktop Wasteland and All the Sinners Bleed.

Career & Background

Shawn Andre Cosby was born on August 4, 1973, in Newport News, Virginia, and grew up in southeastern Virginia, where he began telling stories seriously at age sixteen. His path to publication involved personal sacrifice, including dropping out of college to care for his sick mother before dedicating himself to writing. Residing in Gloucester, Virginia, along the York River, Cosby published his debut crime novel, My Darkest Prayer, followed by breakout thrillers that achieved New York Times bestseller status. Beyond his Southern noir adult fiction, he co-authored the children's book The Rhythm of Time with Questlove and appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Writing Style & Themes

Cosby's prose blends fast-paced action with deep thematic explorations of race, grief, family ties, and redemption in the American South. Drawing inspiration from his experience growing up in the shadow of Confederate history and regional culture, his books combine visceral noir grit with empathetic social observation. His body of work has earned numerous industry accolades, including the Anthony Award, ITW Thriller Award, Barry Award, Macavity Award, BCALA Award, Audie Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, alongside an Edgar Award finalship and an ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal longlist recognition.

Major Works

  • All the Sinners Bleed — Centers on a Black sheriff navigating murder, bigotry, and dark secrets in a small Virginia county. The novel was named to over forty Best of the Year lists and included on Barack Obama's summer reading list.
  • King of Ashes — A prominent crime novel in Cosby's body of work, continuing his exploration of Southern noir, personal morality, and high-stakes conflict.
  • Blacktop Wasteland — A breakout thriller following a former getaway driver attempting to secure his family's future, winner of the 2020 Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
  • Razorblade Tears — A revenge crime novel featuring two grieving fathers seeking justice for their murdered sons, recognized as an Edgar Award finalist.

§Other Editions

Cover of King of Ashes

King of Ashes

engPaperback333 pgs
Headline20259781472299192
§Genres
fiction1mystery1thriller1
§Moods
adventurous1challenging1dark1emotional1mysterious1sad1tense1
§Tags
#a mix driven1#diverse characters1#plot driven1#strong character development1#unloveable characters1#weak character development1

Metadata

ISBN-139781250832061
ISBN-101250832063

Editions and availability

Find King of Ashes S. A. Cosby in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.

Bookshop.orgGoogle Play BooksBarnes & NobleOpen Library

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