4.5🔥⭐️ “King of Ashes” - ALC Review 🎧
Release Date: June 10, 2025

Sometimes it's not good for your benefit to know every part of a person and I learned that by reading King of Ashes. Wow. 
This novel is now tied with All the Sinners Bleed as my favorite SA Cosby novel. I cannot wait to put it on my shelf and read it again. 

Roman, Dante and Naveah, are siblings from Virginia who own Carruthers Crematorium  with their father who is currently comatose. Their mother disappeared 20 years ago and they never heard from her again. Roman moves back to VA from Atlanta to help out with the family business and to get his little brother Dante out of a messy financial situation with local deviants. 
Roman was the most dynamic character for me. The desires he fulfilled in Atlanta made me wonder about his past and his current situation. Once he returns home to Virginia, Roman is a different person. Those desires are still there but his focus and his demeanor is softer and calmer, especially when it comes to his siblings. He will do anything for either of them.  

Cosby points out three things through Naveah's observation of life now that Roman is back and trying to get Dante back on the right path for life. The Unknown, Secrets, and The Truth. So many secrets. So many lies. So much truth to tell but to whose detriment? 🔥🔥

"The more you love somebody, the more a broken heart turns that love into hate.” 🔥🔥

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of King of Ashes.

WOW!!! What an incredible book from SA Cosby and a fantastic audio performance from Adam Lazarre-White.

“Oldest son, Roman Carruthers, is called home after his father is in a truck accident that leaves him in a coma. His sister, Neveah, is struggling to keep the family business afloat - a crematory. And youngest brother, Dante, has gotten on deep with the wrong people. Roman will have to use his particular set of skills to save the family.

Because everything burns.”

Cosby wastes no time getting you into the story. Roman is called back home and finds his family in trouble with local gangsters. They are scary people. and borderline psychopaths. ALW is terrifying as Torrent and Tranquil. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a narrator as scary as ALW with a character voice. One of Cosby’s gifts as a writer is to put all of the reader’s senses in a story. You can hear the music, hear the gunfire and feel the crematory ovens burning.

Adam Lazarre-White gives another Audie-worthy performance in this audiobook. You are fully immersed in the story with his voice.

This is also a story about the evolution of Roman. He’s morally gray
and has his own secrets.
Another wild, explosive ending that you won’t see coming.

Thank you very much Flat Iron Books and Netgalley.

S A. Cosby is hands down one of my favorite authors. I never mind waiting for his books to be released because I know when they drop, it'll be a banger. King of Ashes was no exception. This is a story of addiction, corruption and dysfunctional families (those created out of blood ties and those born of gang ties). We meet Roman, Navea and Dante who's mother went missing one day when they were kids. Her absence left them with their workaholic, alcoholic dad who ran a crematorium. We witness how their mom's absence affected each of the siblings and the life choices they've made. A tragic event brings Roman back to his hometown and we see the unraveling of Dante's actions (caused by his addiction and immaturity) have a dangerous domino affect on those he loves. As with any S.A. Cosby book you're going to get graphic violence yet, Adam Lazar White's soothing voice makes it digestible. Cosby and White are the equivalent of Wakanda and Vibranium, extremely rare and powerful. This book is my 2nd favorite Cosby book right after Razorblade Tears. I would have loved a little more interaction between siblings Jealousy, Torrent and Tranquil but overall what an incredible gut wrenching story.

I have yet to read a book less than 5 stars for this author. He’s impressive with his writing chops of tight storylines and rich characters.

In this book it’s a mob, sopranos type book. Full of family, drugs, money and the cover up.

Sweet baby jeebus and holy shit, S.A. Cosby has done it again. 🔥 King of Ashes was violent and dark AF and so beautifully written I almost forgot people were getting mangled and murdered and burned up left and right. Audiobook narration by Adam Lazarre-White was spectacular, and I think I (definitely) have a new narrator crush. Wowza. If you already love Cosby, read this. If you don’t already love Cosby, read this.

S.A. Cosby has done it again. He took me on the roller-coaster ride I did not know I needed.

King of Ashes is gritty, emotional, and brutally honest. This book had me from page one. The mystery of the missing family member all the way to the end I had my jaw on the floor. I highly recommend this book just like all of S.A. Cosby's books!

This is my first from author Cosby and it certainly won't be my last. The action in King of Ashes takes place in the southern town of Jefferson Virginia where the Carruthers family lives and operates the Carruthers Crematorium--run by the family patriarch (who is currently in a coma) alongside sister Naveah.

The characters are so well drawn, each with their own strengths and weaknesses with eldest son Roman trying to tie everything together while sibling Dante is deep in debt to a dangerous crew.

It is a dark story filled with acts of violence and mystery. Narrator Adam Lazarre-White does a great job creating individual characters voices and transporting the listener to the southern locale. 4.25 stars.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

King of Ashes was an amazing book! Cosby had a way of detailing things so will that you feel like you’re really there with the characters. Dante, Nevaeh, and Roman were such complex characters that you really didn’t love or hate them. I will say that I spent most of the story mad at Dante because HS decision making was the absolute worse, but the way Cosby tied it all together was genius. The book showcased how anyone can be the villain and showing how Roman paralleled with Torrent and Tranquil at the end was powerful. There wasn’t a happy ending like we tend to look for in these types of stories… just rawness. The end was heartbreaking though… Roman did a lot of tons to preserve his family for it all to be for nothing.

"King of Ashes" is peak SA Cosby: full of family drama, suspense, and of course, violence. It's creative enough to feel like a new story but will be very familiar to and on point for his existing fans who enjoy his work. The audiobook narrator was great and really conveyed the intensity of the book.

Another banger from SA Cosby with incredible narration. I was so invested in this story, the characters especially the idea of someone wanting pain physically inflicted upon them to process their trauma.

S.A. Cosby does it again! King of Ashes is a dark and disconcerting tale of family, violence, and revenge. Roman and his siblings grew up with their family owning a crematorium in a town riddled with gang violence. Roman moved out for college and rarely visits, but when his dad ends up in the hospital, his sister calls him to come home. Roman finds out his little brother got mixed up with the BBB, the most ruthless gang in town, over a drug deal. To save his brother, Roman makes a deal with the devil. King of Ashes got me hooked and wouldn't let go. There were twists and turns in every chapter, and an ending that will stick with me for a long time. The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White, does an excellent job of telling the story and drawing the listener in. This is one of my top 3 audiobooks of 2025. 5/5 Stars!

Warning: As with all of S.A. Cosby's work, this audiobook is deeply disturbing, violent, and some scenes will have your stomach turning. There are graphic descriptions of torture.

His voice is exactly how I pictured Roman narrating his story. Thank you to NetGalley and McMillian Audio for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review.

At this point, having read 2 of his books, I feel like SA Cosby is an automatic read for me. He just tells his stories in such raw and realistic ways. I also am a huge fan of the narrator of his audiobooks, Adam Lazarre-White. He captures the myriad characters he portrays expertly.

This story kept me guessing and I couldn't stop listening. I am left feeling lots of feelings about the resolution of the story, and while they may not all be good feelings, they all mean I loved this book.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With King of Ashes, S.A. Cosby has again swept me completely off my feet as I binge-listened to all 13 hours and 20 minutes of the audiobook in two days. I have listened to each of Cosby's novels, with narrator Adam Lazarre-White, who IMHO embodies each of the characters with perfection. I cannot imagine experiencing this novel through any other media than audio.

Roman Carruthers is a fascinating main character, and the lengths to which he must go to save his family are unimaginable. He is educated, a financial whiz, and yet he doesn't hesitate to take on some extremely violent criminals and try to beat them at their own game. I loved how Cosby interweaves the mystery of what happened to Roman's mother with the action-packed, violent crime saga of gangster revenge. There are a few good twists and a lot of brutality, mixed in with a little romance just to keep things interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby. The opinions in this review are my own.

Wooooowww!!! SA Cosby does not miss… this book is nothing short of a grand slam! Dont even think twice… just READ IT!

This is a crime drama centered around a decently affluent family in a dying city. When the youngest Carruthers child wrongs the dominate local gang, all hell breaks loose. Middle child, Roman, comes home to try and fix everything. But it seems to be pulling him in, too. Can he bail Dante out? While saving them all?

I'm finding this hard to review without spoilers. Basically, they are all pretty terrible people. They have their reasons for being that way. Some people get what they deserve. Some people get what they DON'T deserve. Some people need their comeuppance.

Adam Lazarre-White does a great job narrating.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

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 exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of this book!

SA Cosby is an auto-buy/auto-read author for me. King of Ashes is written in the same gritty, raw style that I've come to know and love when visiting the seedy underbelly of Cosby's world.

This book makes you feel all sorts of things about its characters - from love to loathing - which is why they ring so true. Nobody is perfect in Jefferson Run, and I found myself caught up in the emotions of the Carruthers family, wondering alongside them just how we managed to get sucked into this mess and how we're going to get out alive.

Adam Lazarre-White, the narrator, does a great job of capturing the intensity of the evolving storyline. I do think he was a very slow speaker, though, and I had to listen on 1.5 speed just to make it sound like everyday conversation (for me).

If you are looking for a dark story full of morally gray characters that you still manage to care about, and want a peek behind the curtains of criminal life in small-town Virginia, this book is for you. My favorite Cosby novel is still Razorblade Tears, and we get a quick cameo from one of those characters in King of Ashes. Buckle up because you're in for a wild ride when you grab this (or any!) SA Cosby novel.

What it’s about:
When Roman Carruthers comes home after his father’s suspicious accident, he finds his brother drowning in debt to dangerous criminals and his sister barely holding the family—and their crematorium business—together. To save them, Roman has to call on some serious muscle from his past… and he’s willing to do whatever it takes.

King of Ashes is a gritty, Southern godfather-style thriller that’s intense, fast-moving, and impossible to put down. The characters are sharp, the story is gripping, and Roman is a force to be reckoned with. This one practically demands a movie adaptation.

I did this one on audio and it was fantastic—the narration added even more intensity and richness to an already powerful story.
Heads up though: if you’re sensitive to violence, graphic scenes, or heavy language, this might not be your thing. Otherwise, buckle up—you’re in for a wild ride.

Sheesh! Dare I say I loved this more than Razorblade Tears? Cause I did. I am so thankful to have received this ALC from Macmillan Audio because It was seriously like watching a movie.

The Narrator Adam Lazzare-White was phenomenal as always. He just gets the characters and delivers in such a way that you forget your reading a book because it's so genuine and full of emotion.

S.A. Crosby's ability to tell a story is like no other. I believe he was a movie producer in another life because his attention to the smallest of details to make sure we are reading the book as he intended is profound.

I absolutely loved the siblings. Succesful Roman finally returning home due to his father being in a coma, Dante trying to live up to everyone's expectations and prove himself while carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders as he makes the most terrible decisions, and Naeveh holding down the family cremation business... their banter with each other and their different relationships they have with their father and each other brought this story together. ❤️

The extent to what they were willing to do for their family had me gasping and eager to hear the next chapter. As much as I thought I knew how this was going to end, I was so wrong, and that made it so much better.

For sure a top read for 2025.

4 stars

This is my fourth book by this author, and it lives up to the powerful nature of its fellow entries in the Cosby collection. That is to say it is remarkably dark, gritty, and sinister and somehow utterly un-put-downable at the same time.

First, I want to strongly recommend the audio version of this book when and where accessible. This narrator really brings the characters and tone to life.

Roman comes home after his father is in a car accident, and when he gets there, he is reminded quickly of exactly how complicated his family and home town are. His family owns a crematorium (a creepy tie-in with the title). They have ties to the community that are both positive and reflective of the underbelly. In the case of the latter, Roman's younger brother, Dante, has gotten himself into serious trouble, and Roman throws himself right into the center of that with him.

While much of the book centers on the present drama, there is a constant undercurrent from the past present, too. Their mother disappeared many years ago, and her case has never been solved. This is something that all of the kids (Roman, Dante, and their sister, Neveah) deal with and blame folks for in very different ways). It's fascinating to see the intersections between the horrors of the past and present at every turn.

Readers familiar with Cosby's work know that this won't be a light-hearted jaunt in any way, but if you're the kind of reader who can manage and even enjoy this kind of content, it's time to meet Roman and company.