A twisty, thrill ride by an amazing new voice of crime fiction and southern noir. Gritty, real and addicting.
You're heart might break for Beauregard "Bug", but you'll root for him in this fast charging muscle car of a novel that will have you checking to see if your seat belt is buckled in tight, you'll need it!
Cosby is on my radar and I can't wait for more. 5 stars. Thank you to Flatiron books for my copy. All views are my own.

I just finished reading Blacktop Wasteland by Shawn Cosby. I received a free electronic copy provided by the publisher (Flatiron Books) and this is my honest review.
I’ve known Shawn for only a short while. I first met him at a local “Noir At The Bar” event where we were both sharing readings for the crowd. I told my wife at the time I thought he was the best writer there. Now that I’ve finally read Blacktop Wasteland, I’m happy to report that my first impression was right on the money.
To say I liked Blacktop Wasteland would be an understatement. I loved it. The book is crime fiction and it is a gritty and realistic example of that genre. I write mostly mysteries. These two genres are cousins, and they both give the reader a peek at similar issues, but each uses a different focus. My experience with mysteries provided a good backdrop for enjoying this story because so many aspects of it were sub-mysteries of their own.
Cosby waltzes around plot structures in both standard and unique ways, the way Fred Astaire could dance an amazing solo, but then pull a mop into the mix and make you think the mop was dancing just as well as he was. Cosby makes effective use of flashbacks as well, and they weave in and out of the story the way Beauregard weaves in and out of the mess he has made for himself.
I am wary to share too many details because I in no way want to spoil this story for you, but in short, Beau has done his best to put a criminal past behind him and forge a family life on the straight and narrow. But the universal truth “life is hard” rears its ugly head and he figures just one more “job” might provide the easy money he needs to right his ship for clear sailing.
Then another more pertinent universal truth pops up: there is no such thing as “easy money.” It’s a deep well and Cosby effectively plumbs the depths of that well just until you think it can’t go any deeper, but you have to keep feeding the line because neither he nor Beau has reached the bottom yet.
Blacktop Wasteland is fast-paced and the plot employs a sinister intricacy that slides into your brain the way your feet can slide into a comfortable pair of old slippers. But don’t get too relaxed … you will need to strap on your reading comprehension hat real tight because even the tiniest of details may pop up to surprise you later. Cosby zinged me in this way several times and even made me laugh out loud more than once.
Be warned, the book is about lowlife individuals who lurk on the dark edges of society, so there is a bit a language, but I thought he used a measured amount that fit the dialogue. It’s a crime thriller so there’s violence too. If you are turned off by either of these I’d have to say, everything fits the story and this story is well worth reading on so many other levels. At the least, you should revel in experiencing this breakout novel of a gifted writer.
As a writer myself, I want to hate Shawn because I don’t need this kind of competition, but I can’t hate him, not at all, simply because I love his insight and skill so much. Look for Blacktop Wasteland in mid-July. If you can catch him reading at a bookstore or a local "Noir At The Bar" -- catch him there, his readings are not to be missed. I’ll finish by just saying: WOW! Just WOW! A well-deserved Five Stars!

Blacktop wasteland. A stretch of desolate road. Ideal for drag racing. Or getaways. Presumably a metaphor for the life of the somewhat amusingly albeit memorably named Beauregard Montage, a one time low rent criminal, getaway driver extraordinaire, who left the Life in favor of the straight and narrow and is now a failing autoshop owner and a family man in desperate need of money. So how does one get back up financially? Well, since this is apparently once a criminal always a criminal sort of story, Mr. Montage decides to commit more crimes. And mind you, he has other options, legal options, such a remortgaging or (as per his wife’s insistent suggestion) selling his beloved muscle car, but he vehemently refuses both, the latter on account of a potently sentimental attachment to his daddy, another low rent criminal who has disappeared on his wife and son when Beauregard was 12 and needed his dad the most. Despite all that, our protagonist is profoundly hung up on his daddy, ghost conversations and all. With a man of low character and a lead foot, who drove well, charmed easily and left once and for all. Way to pick your role models there. So needless to say, baby Montage grows up into some version of his daddy and, though he tries to be a good man, just can’t seem to stay away from the Life. Oh, how often everyone mentions the Life. That means there are guns all over his doublewide, despite having two young children around. That means hooking up with criminals so trashy they make the Montages look like high society. Mostly that means making stupid decisions that endanger those around him, over and over and over again. Oh, Beauregard makes excuses for himself, it’s genetic, he believes, the Montages propensity to violent conflict resolution, so now you have three generations of Montage criminals…because of anger management…seriously, that’s pretty lame. And that’s essentially the protagonist of the book here and since he is the main attraction and literally and figuratively the driver of the story, the reading enjoyment will be directly proportional to your enjoyment of Mr. Montage. So for me it was somewhat reduced. I certainly wouldn’t garnish it with praise like some well known authors. Southern Noir they say, yeah, maybe. It’s dark and testosterony. But it’s also oh so trashy, country fried trailer trashy, between the Southern accents and the low end lingo, some of the most brutal crimes of this book are those the characters commit upon the English language. The driving angle is fun, I actually read this the day after watching Ford/Ferarri, another testosterony action fest so there’s that racing element to get the spirits high, although the movie did a nicer job of putting you in the driver’s seat. But who wants to read Fast and Furious the novel. Well, maybe someone does. And maybe that someone also likes the soul searching criminal, the man at war with himself and too dumb to win sort of stories. It isn’t just stupidity either, we are told over and over again that are protagonist is in fact smart, demonstrated outwardly by his ability to do some basic math mentally and remember things well, plus he really knows a lot about cars. It’s also that misguided sort of pride, the fronting and posturing. In the very first scene, Beauregard wins a drag race to make some much needed money instead of taking it and leaving, he gets into a completely unnecessary conflict to defend his integrity presumably and is almost immediately liberated of his winnings. You know, like that saying…fool and his money. So you know right away the sort of man you’re dealing with here and as the book proceeds he only seems to double down on this. Devoted father and spouse scenes alone aren’t gonna cut it to offset the balance. The daddy’s footsteps…or tire threads…are too irresistible. So anyway, I’ve beaten up on Beauregard enough. And frankly the novel dishes out enough abuse on him already. Guess the gist of all this is…the story didn’t quite work for me, the characters were too trashy. It’s like whatever the opposite of Ocean’s movies as far as crime novels go. The writing was pretty good actually, consistently and at times distractingly smarter and more eloquent than the novel’s denizens and, since it is Southern Noir, it’s littered with funky and/or odd metaphors and such. But in the end, it’s basically fast and Furious Dumb and Dumber style. Overtly masculine energy, lots of violence and action and significant literary pretentions, it’s certain to attract some fans though. Thanks Netgalley.

Holy shit this was good. Literally from the first chapter this book went off like a firecracker and never let up. Beauregard Montage might be the most inherently badass character I’ve ever come across while reading, all in a way that doesn’t feel contrived by the author.

I’ve been lamenting lately that the Thriller genre has been too homogenous, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. Blacktop Wasteland is a crime thriller that’s full of memorable characters, intensity and a whole lot of heart-racing action. The novel follows Beauregard, a former notorious getaway driver, as he’s tried to settle into the quiet life with his family. Through circumstances both within and outside of his control, he finds himself in constantly escalating situations that put the life he’s built in danger.

The world he’s left behind is not for the light-hearted. It’s harsh and ruthless and left me audibly gasping multiple times. Not everyone is cut out for that type of environment. The tone is set right away; you’ll know if this is a book you’d like by the end of chapter one. As a character, Bug’s strength has an quiet quality to it—understated until it isn’t. He’s easy to identify with and there’s a good amount of second-hand catharsis whenever he catches up with those who did him wrong.
I also liked that Beau didn’t try to hide what was happening from his wife, Kia. He wasn’t necessarily forthcoming and didn’t go into detail, but I feel like that’s more because she didn’t want to know specifics. Any questions she had, he more or less answered. I fully expected him to just lie to her face about both the heist and what Javon did, but was pleasantly surprised when he told her immediately. The one thing I wish S.A. Cosby did differently is give Kia a little more to do in this story. She’s the loving but no-nonsense wife who ‘worries about him’. Her and the kids’ role is reduced to being liabilities that Beauregard needs to protect. I honestly think this book would struggle to pass the Bechdel Test.

In all, though, I absolutely loved this. It’s well-plotted and paced and totally captivating. Natalie and I did this as a buddy read, and even her stingy butt gave it 5 stars! If you’re looking for a gripping and action-packed thriller (thats *not* centered around a drunk white lady or a ‘rogue cop‘), I definitely recommend Blacktop Wasteland.

So gritty and well written. A dark and atmospheric book that takes you on an adventure. The characters develop in a way that really has you invested in this book. I loved how different it was and how the author isn't afraid to show the flaws of his main characters.

S. A. Cosby has written a powerful book about a man who is torn between his life as a family man or a life as a gangster. Beset by money troubles due to a failing business and a mother in a nursing home, Bug Montage needs to get cash fast. A man from his past may have the answer to his problems with the offer of a jewelry store heist. Bug’s decision leads to violence, heartbreak and a heart pounding roller coaster ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the turbulent climax. Highly recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//REVIEW
Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A.Cosby, is the brilliant Southern noir crime thriller I never knew I needed. I devoured this dark, gritty, captivating novel in one day. People, this book is one that stays with you.

Beauregard “Bug” Montegue was one of the best getaway drivers on the East Coast, just like his Dad, who eventually skipped town and abandoned him and his mother. Bug wants a different life for his family, but times are tough and the bills aren’t going to pay themselves. Opportunity knocks on his door for one more job, a diamond heist that will solve all his money troubles for good.
Or will it?

The struggle of being black in America and living in poverty is in the forefront, but there is so much hope and heart within these pages, as well. I loved every second of it. Full of descriptive prose that puts you right in the middle of the action. You can smell the oil and asphalt; hearing the squealing tires as Bug skillfully maneuvers his old Duster down the road.

“Listen, when you’re a black man in America you live with the weight of people’s low expectations on your back every day. They can crush you right down to the goddamn ground. Think about it like it’s a race. Everybody else has a head start and you dragging those low expectations behind you. Choices give you freedom from those expectations. Allows you to cut ’em loose. Because that’s what freedom is. Being able to let things go. And nothing is more important than freedom. Nothing. You hear me boy?”

S.A. Cosby is one hell of a talent and I am honored to read his work and appreciate his perspective as a black author. I can’t wait to read more!

Thank you to @netgalley and @flatiron_books for the digital #arc! Pub date July 14th!

S. A. Cosby has a multifaceted bio that spans the spectrum from bouncer to wearing a cow suit at a Chik-Fil-A (well, maybe those aren't that far apart now that I think about it), but whatever the source of his inspiration, he is one hell of a writer. This neo-noir set in Virginia features Beauregard (Bug) Montague, an inspired criminal planner and genius getaway driver, who realizes that a penchant for violent resolutions to problems is woven into his DNA, passed from his absentee Dad and his, shall we say challenging, Mom. Bug is a good man who finds himself in deep water in all aspects of his life, a perfect storm of debt, hopelessness and danger, and trapped by circumstances and his past only sees one way out of his difficulties. I join others in comparing Cosby's writing to that of Lou Berney, with its depiction of originality in characterizations and jaw dropping action sequences.

Shawn Cosby's "Blacktop Wasteland" is a heart thumping rush of nitro right into your veins. It's a tight, well-developed, fully realized crime thriller that takes the well known tropes of heist stories and speeds them up to 130 mph. I savored this book, wanting to enjoy Cosby's prose and his ability to keep the pages turning. He introduces Beauregard "Bug" Montage as a man who's trying to be two kinds of beasts, a great father and a greater stick-up driver, but finds that it's impossible to be both at once. What I find brilliant about the story is Cosby takes Bug from being a man who makes bad choices to a man who has no choice but to be bad. We go from Hard Case crime to Noir crime in one novel with one character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Five fabulous action packed stars!

Buckle in for an edge of your seat crime thriller that will leave you breathless.

Beauregard, also known as Bug, is a man locked in a personal battle between two conflicting identities. A man emotionally split down the middle between his past and future. Ultimately, those two worlds are destined to collide.

Bug is the best getaway driver this side of the ole’ Mississippi! Actually, probably safe to say both sides of the line! Bug is a major risk taker and thrill seeker. One that not surprisingly, doesn’t always play by the rules, or the law for that matter.

On the other side of the coin, Beauregard is a devoted family man still deeply in love with his wife and wants only the best futures for his children. Here’s where things get, well…complicated. Beauregard feels confident he’s left Bug in the past until he finds himself in a pinch only Bug can get him out of.

S.A. Cosby writes a superbly executed, gripping and emotionally-charged crime thriller. Make necessary arrangements, because once you start you won’t be able to set this one aside. It’s dark, it’s gritty and without question one of the best books I’ve read this year!

The author did such a fabulous job of painting a picture of Beauregard. Capturing his loyalties and struggles leading me to feel as though I knew him personally.
.
This book would make an excellent action movie! Have the movie rights been picked up for this book💁🏻‍♀️ Hollywood what are you waiting for!? 🎥

Thank you to Flatiron Books Via NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

Publication date: July 14th 2020

"You can't be two types of beasts.
Eventually one of the beasts gets loose and wrecks shop. Rips shit all to Hell,"

--
Beauregard is a man on the edge struggling to keep things together. He's caught between two worlds: his one as Beauregard, mechanic and business owner, loving father and husband and his other "past" life as Bug, the best getaway driver in the South.
Like the quote says, you can't be both and yet Beauregard tries to be and that makes this a Thriller with nonstop action as he goes through hell to try and make things right.

Honestly, this had everything I didn't even know I wanted in a book: twists and turns at 135 mph, car scenes straight out of an action movie with heist scenes better than I've seen. There's also the pain of poverty and the life of being Black in America mixed in with killer lines of dialogue like this exchange:

"Wait, what time you get off?" "About fifteen minutes after you roll off me and go to sleep." Jenny said and hung up the phone."

... That had me smirking up a storm.
Basically, Blacktop Wasteland has everything and more to keep you interested and you need a copy!

Fascinating, invigorating, raw, harsh, adrenaline pumping, one of the greatest reads of the year highly recommended to the lovers of tasty crime novels and noir genre.

Nope, I cannot give anything less than five gazillion stars because from the first pages, breathtaking, action packed, truly dramatic Beauregard Montage’s story enhances you. You feel the several harsh slaps of reality against cheek throughout your reading journey.

Beauregard a.k.a. Bug loses the fight with his inner demons, hearing whispers to his father who introduced him to the criminal life when he was younger boy. He wanted to be a good husband, a good father who is capable to provide his own children’s needs. He wants to keep the roof over their heads and conduct a successful business but he fails: he is behind the mortgage payment of his car shop and he gets a call from his mother’s nursing home inform him they’re so close to kick his mother out.

It’s simple and clear: He cannot make his ends meet. He needs to find ANOTHER SOURCE TO GET OUT OF HIS GROWING DEPTH PROBLEM ASAP!

He hears the sound of screaming tires, smelling the dust of asphalt, shivering with adrenaline pumping. He is not Dominic Toretto! Nope, he’s incarcerated Steve McQueen. The passion of racing is in his blood, soul. It helps him to stay alive. He cannot deny the dark side’s calling: he enjoys the speed, adrenaline rush, facing the danger like a sea breeze brushing his cheeks.

He is still a good man who is dealt a very bad hand. So he needs to cheat for winning this game. He has too at stake so one more driving job won’t make things worse, right?
But as you may imagine, things can get more complicated than he expected!

I’m not giving more spoilers. You just have to learn what’s gonna happen next by yourself but I’m so sure for one thing: as soon as you get this book into your hands, you will be captivated by the high skilled, mesmerizing writing and well-developed characters, getting lost in dark, intense, realistic crime world. It was more effective than watching an action packed, exciting thriller. There is no cliche, no pretense, no exaggeration. Everything is so real, shocking, soul crushing.

I cannot thank enough to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for sharing this fantastic Arc with me in exchange my honest review.

What can I say about the complex, grey character of Beauregard “Bug” Montage? He’s a man chasing a ghost, living and longing for the chase, and one hell of a driver (think Dom Torretto from Fast and Furious).

“You can’t be two types of beasts.”
Beauregard Montage is a father, husband, and business owner. Bug is a wheel man, a man who lives for the thrill of living his life behind the wheel of the car doing 100 mph. Bug is the criminal. Beauregard and Bug are one in the same, but two different beasts. Throughout this book, this is the struggle Beauregard is trying to reconcile.

Beauregard finances are in the dumps. He is behind on his rent for his shop (due to a new business opening), all of kids are in need of something, and he’s stealing from Peter to pay Paul. A former associate makes Beauregard an offer he can’t refuse (although he knows he shouldn’t trust him). Everything goes downhill, after the job is finished. Now everything Beauregard loves is in danger and he’s has to fight to save his life as well as theirs.

This is an easy, fast paced read. Like I stated earlier it felt like I was reading Fast and the Furious in novel form. I enjoyed this book and the ending was as honest as Bug Montage can get. If you’re looking for something fun to read, I highly recommend this book.

This a relatively quick read but a decent one. Bug Montage basically leaves his less than savory lifestyle to settle down, but hard times ensue and thus he must try for one easy score that isn't so easy. Well written.

Many thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy of this eagerly-awaited book!

Beauregard "Bug" Montage used to be the best getaway driver on the East Coast - just like his father. But his father was also absent in his life - and Bug vowed to do it differently when he became a husband and a father. 

Only times are tough, money is impossible to come by, and Bug has to decide how to provide for his family - and he agrees (against his better judgment) to take part in a diamond heist that should solve his financial troubles. 
Is Bug most alive when he's the family man or when he's in his getaway car - or is it even that simple?

This book is a portrait of life and desperation, and what happens when you walk the gray line of living and the consequences that come with it.

I finished reading Blacktop Wasteland knowing I wouldn't be able to write a review that will come close to doing this amazing book justice. It's that good! To say this book's release is timely is an understatement, but the release date doesn't matter. In my opinion, this story was destined for the best seller list the moment Cosby penned "The End". Blacktop Wasteland is raw, graphic, and authentic. It seeps into your heart and soul refusing to turn loose, always calling, much the same way Beauregard (Bug) Montage's ghosts whisper in his head, luring him back to a life of crime first learned at his father's side. One that fuels his need for high speed, screaming tires and motors, curvy roads - all for just one more high-octane adrenaline rush and some much needed funds. Bug's tried to go straight - to break the chains of poverty and make a good, honest living for his wife and kids, but the mortgage on his car shop is due, his mother is one day away from being kicked out of a nursing home, and his money is funny. One more driving job will get him out of debt so he rolls the dice one more time. Will it be one time too many?

S.A. Cosby held me in the palm of his hands from the beginning to the end of Blacktop Wasteland. I couldn't look away or stop reading as he wrung every drop of blood, sweat, and tears out of these characters imprisoned by poverty, race, and reality. The story is emotionally draining, the anguish real, and the author doesn't pull any punches in delivering it. With a plot line more twisted than a curvy, southern back road, readers ride shotgun in a souped up car on a trail of desolation. Cosby nails the setting - rich with the scent of motor oil, sound of screaming tires and grinding shifters, and trails of smoke in taillights. Bugs point of view drives home the dire situation he's facing - the hopelessness and desperation, the need and determination. Blacktop Wasteland is a fantastic example of grit lit done right. It will knock you down and break your heart . . . and yet somehow, leave you with a ray of hope. A fantastic story that deserves all the attention and accolades I hope it receives. Highly Recommended!

This book is perfect for the Pulp Fiction/Kill Bill fanatic. It was full of action and suspense. I think the author is a genius for coming up with such a compelling storyline. 5 stars easy!

Blacktop Wasteland is a terrific bit of OwnVoices crime fiction from African-American author S.A. Cosby, featuring African-American lead Beauregard Montage, one of the best -- if not the best -- wheelman in Virginia. To say this book is a ride is a helluva an understatement.

Montage has been trying to go straight and do right by his family, but living in poverty doesn't make life easy. The mortgage on his auto body repair shop is past due, Medicaid stopped paying the nursing home caring for his ill mother, his daughter's future is college is in jeopardy, and medical bills for his sons are piling up. When it rains, it pours, and Beauregard is absolutely drenched. He's feeling the pinch hard when Ronnie Sessions, a con decked out in a litany of Elvis tattoos and fresh out of prison, comes with the promise of a lucrative heist and in need of a pro get-away driver. The money's too good to ignore, and Beauregard promises both himself and his wife that after this one last job, he's done for good.

Blacktop Wasteland is built off a number of tropes and cliches seasoned crime readers know by heart, but Cosby gets some really good mileage out of these well-worn treads, and even puts a fresh coat of paint on a few thanks to his focus on generational legacies and rural poverty, writing with a voice of authenticity. It's a book that's got character where it counts, and it's the characters peopling this book that really make Blacktop Wasteland shine.

Beauregard is the kind of guy I'd like to have some beers with and listen to his stories, if he'd be willing to share them. Cosby builds a wonderfully tragic character with this dude, and we come to know him intimately by book's end. There's a constant pull of tension throughout, as we want to see him succeed and gets him what's owed, but we also want him to breakaway from this life of crime and not have to repeat his father's mistakes. Generations of poverty, racism, and crime have worked to severely limit his options, and making an honest living with his hands has only left him boxed in, with his back tight against a corner. Cosby does a great job illustrating how a man can be lured back into a life of crime, particularly after life keeps landing one blow after another. Beauregard is an utterly sympathetic figure, and smart as hell, to boot.

In Blacktop Wasteland's opening chapter, we become immediately familiar with Beauregard and the type of man he is when he takes revenge on a con artist who robbed him of his drag street race winnings. It's a terrific opening, and shines a light on his quick wits and sharp as a tack mind. Beauregard's intelligence is on full display in the heists that follow, as he plans his routes and makes his daring escapes. Cosby writes some marvelous chase scenes, which, while exciting to be sure, put Beauregard's brains front and center, and help illustrate why he's the best wheelman in the biz.

Blacktop Wasteland is an absorbing, and frequently adrenaline-fueled, read. Cosby has a natural and fluid writing style, occasionally accented with welcoming moments of humor, like when Beauregard is greeted by the summer heat at 10AM, "the sun beating down on him like he owed it money," or in highlighting Ronnie's supposed charms, who "would sweet talk her until she had Type 2 diabetes...." Gritty, authentic, and featuring a fantastic protagonist, Blacktop Wasteland is a must-read crime novel, and instantly cements Cosby as an author I'll be following from here on out.

For awhile now now I've been looking for a good heist book and I finally found it. S.A. Cosby does a great job of making you feel as if you're in the car chases and action. One of my favorite books I've read this year.

WHEW. This book will grab you and not let go. It's intense, gritty, dark, and from the start you get the sense that anything could happen.

The story follows a getaway driver, mechanic, father, husband, and take-no-shit badass wrestling with the legacy of his criminal dad who left when he was a kid. When bills come due and his whole life is about to fall apart over money he doesn't have, Bug gets back into the getaway driving game - and gets wrapped up with some truly bad people.

I feel like this is a book I'm going to be thinking about for a long time to come. It grabbed me and didn't let go.