Before there was Razorblade Tears, before even Blacktop Wasteland- there was My Darkest Prayer. The debut novel by S.A. Cosby.

If you have somehow missed out on the well-deserved buzz around Cosby, let me introduce you to one of the most important authors working today. Having now read all of his books, I can honestly say I will read anything this man writes. Cosby perfectly blends edge-of-your-seat thrills, complex troubled characters, and important themes to create an unforgettable reading experience.

My Darkest Prayer, published first years ago and now out in a new edition, is no exception. This debut novel is laced with intensity, and was extremely hard to put down. While I can definitely see the ways that Cosby has grown as a writer in his later books, this is a commendable debut and one that I enjoyed greatly.

Have you read any of this authors books? If so, did you enjoy them as much as I did?

Nathan Waymaker has trouble staying out of trouble. So when a local pastor dies under mysterious circumstances and the ladies of the church ask Nathan to look into it, boy, does it open a can of worms!

Nathan is a character in which I love! He really tries to do good, well…until he just can’t. He is tough as nails and smart as a whip. And he is loyal to a fault. He is also a smart aleck. I found myself laughing out loud in places.

This story had me jumping for joy, gasping for breath and just plain terrified all in the same paragraph! Talk about intense! This is a book I would love to see made into a movie. And I never say that! Hollywood never gets it right. But this would make a fabulous, action-packed thriller.

Y’all! The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White is one of the best I have ever heard. His deep voice fit my image of Nathan to a “T”!

Need a book you can’t put down…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

S.A. Cosby has a way of writing that feels like you are living the story. His vivid descriptions are phenomenal. I’ve read Blacktop Wasteland by the same author and now this one, he doesn’t disappoint. I’m even more eager to read Razorblade Tears.
This book is set partially in a funeral home which is unique and I haven’t seen done often and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. In the story, a local preacher is found dead and our main character, Nate is trying to help some of the townspeople get to the bottom of what happened. This story is a wild ride and does not disappoint. S.A. Cosby is an auto buy author for me and I look forward to whatever he comes out with next.

Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears were magnificent works of fiction by S.A. Cosby. His work is dark, gritty, incredibly detailed, humorous and even poetic.

My Darkest Prayer follows a former marine who now works at a funeral home. When the local minister is found dead, Nathan takes on the job to find the truth behind his death. What follows is a whirlwind of corruption, criminals, crooked law enforcement, and a small town filled with so many secrets about the most “honorable” people. This is a violent book that also has glimpses of humor when you least expect it. The way Cosby writes his narratives and his characters makes his stories hard to put down. I’m looking forward to what else he comes out with in the future!

I had a very hard time getting into this. I felt similarly about the previous book I read by the author. It was a little too dark for me.

Nathan Waymaker is a former marine and former sheriff’s deputy, but he has found work at his cousin’s funeral home and he knows how to take care of bodies. Nathan also has a side hustle of righting the wrongs and typing up lose ends when the cops fail to do their jobs. When the body of a local reverend comes in as a suicide, the ladies of the church ask Nathan to look into the reverend’s demise and they are willing to pay him for his time. Nathan thinks it will be an easy job for the money and agrees to ask around. What seems like a simple task leads Nathan to crazy events, ruthless crime lords, porn stars, and crooked police officers. As dark secrets of his own threaten to surface, Nathan uses his skills and wit to navigate a dangerous conflict involving small town corruption.

Cosby writes such complex and flawed characters that when they don’t always follow a strict moral compass, as a reader, you are still pulling for them. This is a re-release of S. A. Cosby’s very first novel and having loved Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland I needed to add this one to my collection. I received the book as a Christmas gift, but as I was perusing NetGalley I discovered the audiobook. I jumped at the chance to listen to it before I read it because it’s narrated by Adam Lazard’s-White who I have come to think of as the voice of all of Cosby’s characters. The narrator has a deep gravelly voice that really lends itself to the gritty characters.

After reading My Darkest Prayer I can see how much Cosby has grown as a writer and storyteller, yet for a debut novel it was still an impressive read.

I am a huge S.A. Cosby fan and knew I had to read his first book! My Darkest Prayer is a page-turning ride filled with sex, violence, grit, and everything I’ve come to know and love from Cosby’s books. The writing is so good, but the narrator makes the story even better.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ALC.

This book was really good. It was a quick read but packed with action. Again a warning that his books are EXTREMELY violent so if that bothers you definitely skip that. This was a reissue of his first book. I could listen to this narrator all day.

Another gem from S. A. Cosby. Hard to believe it was his debut novel. His writing is always so gritty and compelling. Excellent narration.

Thank you S. A. Cosby, MacMillan Audio Productions, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this excellent book.

MY DARKEST PRAYER is S. A. Cosby's first novel, which is now being re-released after the success of his second and third novels, BLACKTOP WASTELAND and RAZORBLADE TEARS and in advance of he new novel, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED, which releases June 6 2023.

In this mystery/thriller, ex-marine-turned -ex-cop-turned-medical-examiner Nathan Waymaker is an all around tough dude with a respectful heart who tends to help folks when they have no one else to turn to. As luck would have it, the minister of his local and very successful church turns up dead. As a favor to the minister's relatives-- one of whom is connected to his new love interest-- Nate agrees to ask some questions. He quickly discovers he's asking the *right* questions-- but right for whom? And at what price?

The characters felt complete, believable. I love Skunk. More accurately, I love the friendship between Skunk and Nathan. Nathan recognizes Skunk as dangerous, and vice versa, but they don't fear one another. A profound intimacy exists between the two men that is sublime in how Cosby expresses it. The human element of this novel is beautiful and real.

Cosby's writing is gritty, sharp, and deeply addictive, and the wonderful narrator Adam Lazar White reads with a mesmerising quality that had me finishing this book in 2 days. (I even put my phone in a ziploc bag and listened in the shower, because I *could not stop*!) I really hope White decides to narrate for Cosby again.

Rating 🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊/ 5 haymakers from Waymaker
Recommend? Absolutely
Finished December 2022
Ready this if you like:
👀 Thrillers
🤑 Stories about corruption
🥊 Good fight scenes
👥️ Men's Friendship
🥰 Healthy romantic relationship

Cosby's crime fiction is bold with propulsive plotting and an astute ear for good dialogue. He's also very funny. This church is up to some shit.

Dear My Darkest Prayer,
was so excited when saw you on Netgalley. love the way that Cosby writes, his balancing act between violence and humanity. I loved seeing how his writing has evolved, and matured through his books. You have the first in Cosby's line of anti-heroes. Nathan is put in an impossible position, being asked to look into a situation that he had absolutely no stake in, and as a consequence, he is sucked into the underbelly of his small town, unable to escape the web he is drawn into. You are written with dignity and beauty, despite the violence inside your pages.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

I'll read anything by S.A. Cosby as he's a born storyteller. The narrator is excellent and really brings the story to life. You can't help root for Nathan as he searches for the truth about the reverend's murder. There's a great deal of violence which some may find disturbing but otherwise, this is an excellent compelling read for any thriller fan.

Requested this title in e-book format almost immediately upon its arrival on NetGalley. I was in pending purgatory for a really long time with Flatiron and Macmillan Audio came to my rescue AS USUAL with a speedy approval for an audiobook copy!

Y’all I DEVOURED this one. I alternated between a rented ebook from my library and the audio version. Both were perfection. The narrator for the audio was fantastic. I really enjoyed the first-person writing style. The plot was a really fascinating thriller/murder mystery that kept me hanging on until the very, very end and I had no idea what was coming! I also wanted to verbally scream when I realized the author so perfectly tied in the title of the book to the story and characters.

This was my first SA Cosby book and I am OBSESSED! I love his southern gothic style of writing. It’s now my understanding after further research post-read that this was really his first debut novel as a re-release. Makes sense given the unique introduction by the author which I really enjoyed too. Can’t wait to read his other works!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the listener’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Listened to the audiobook.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

It was okay.

I love S.A. Cosby's stories because they're a very similar experience to watching an action movie.

This was a great listen! The story was fast-paced & filled with action that had me hooked.

I absolutely adored the narrator, Adam Lazarre-White. He did an outstanding job portraying this story to the readers. He has the perfect voice! It's soothing to listen to yet keeps you at the edge of your seat!

I highly suggest checking out the audio for this book.

The letter from Cosby at the beginning is really touching. It's really nice getting an inside look at how they were inspired to write a story. I got goosebumps when I heard the author himself say "Relax. Let me tell you a story..." It really set the tone and made me extra excited to dive in.

There's a lot to love about "My Darkest Prayer," My favorite part being that it reads like a movie. You will have a hard time stopping. It's bingeable. It's intense. It's action-packed. It's wild.

But when I went in I forgot how raw and uncensored Cosby's writing is which can be very shocking at times. Don't get me wrong I liked it. Reading his work is a breath of fresh air when it feels some thrillers and mysteries authors censor themselves to leaving their stories without its full potential.

Cosby truly puts it all out there. He unapologetically gets all the details into his novels that can be off-putting.

"My Darkest Prayer" is gruesome. The scenes Cosby writes can be tough to get through especially when it comes to violence and gore.

I did enjoy my time listening to this story. I was immediately gripped.

I did have my issues even though I really enjoyed reading this book. I was repulsed by the way women characters were written in this book. I didn't like how demeaning the men were when they saw literally any woman that crossed their path. The male characters were constantly commenting on their thighs, boobs or ass which.... yes, it adds to the setting and the character but it got old... We get it, these females are hot.

It seemed to belittle women in a way but I could be reading to deeply into it.

I had a hard time distinguishing between all the characters. I am grateful to have paired the physical book with the audio or I really would have been lost. A lot of characters are introduced into the mystery and for someone who's doing solely audio I can see it being a lot to juggle.

Read this book, if you love:
• Books that read like movies
• A hardcore & gritty story
• A bad-a$$ main character
• Aren't deterred by horror & gore
• Love shows like Law & Order, Dexter, True Crime Documentaries
• Can handle a story with lots of characters

SA Cosby has become a must read author for me. This novel was his debut now reissued. The narration was wonderfully executed and I highly recommend this format.

Wow.

Really, that's all I can saw is Wow. This is one powerful debut by author S.A. Cosby and I don't understand how it didn't get much attention the first time around. While it doesn't have quite the impact of Razorblade Tears, Cosby once again gives us an antihero worth cheering for in the form of Nathan Waymaker, Marine turned ex-deputy turned funeral home employee dragged in to investigate the death of a local minister with a past more checkered than a chessboard, and finds himself dealing with porn stars, gangster wannabes, and crooked/racist cops. Nathan comes across as a sort of Terminator, bigger than nearly everyone he faces and so hopped up on adrenaline he shrugs off broken bones and bullet wounds. He seeks help from a sociopath named Skunk, who has some great one-liners. Religion, racial tension, and organized crime all center heavily in this action-packed thriller. The audiobook is once again narrated by the incredible Adam Lazarre-White, who could narrate a car rental contract and make it sound powerful. Thanks to Cosby, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.

I'm not even sure where to start with this. I guess that I absolutely LOVE everything I've read by S.A. Cosby and this is no exception. The man is a genius with words. His stories / plot lines aren't even really my kind of thing, but he can string words together in a way that, even when it's describing the ugliest kind of hateful violence, somehow it sounds beautiful. This story, like Razorblade Tears, is gritty and ugly and violent. But it is told by S.A. Cosby - do I really need to even say anything more? I listened to the audio version of this book and it was great. Someone deserves an award for choosing the absolutely perfect narrator. I mean, the man reading this book could read anything to me. He has the most beautiful voice I think I've ever heard in my life. The combination of that voice and S.A. Cosby's writing is almost too much. But seriously, I'm going to look up this narrator and buy anything else he's read just to listen to that voice. I might have to listen to this again. Solid 5 stars - the book stands alone with 5 stars, but the narrator does nothing but add to the experience of listening to this.