S.A.Cosby does it again! If you have not read of his books what are you waiting for? No really

This crime thriller has so much to keep you entertained and captivated. Roman is making moves and you will have to read and see how it all plays out because Roman will do anything and everything to protect his family.
Buckle up for the ride!


Sidenote: If you haven't read any of their books before I highly encourage you to do so. There may be some people you see again here.

I received the advanced listening copy (ALC) from Macmillan audio via Netgalley. Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me to provide my genuine and authentic review on this ALC.

First off, the narrator? EXQUISITE! I will be listening to many other books with this narrator and by SA Cosby.

I enjoyed listening to this book. It was my first SA Cosby novel but he has always been on my radar and TBR.

I really enjoyed the story, and there is a twist! Multiple twists I say, and I really enjoyed how all of that came together in the end.

I highly recommend this novel. It is a good crime/thriller read, perfect for anytime you need that fix and it didn’t disappoint!

S.A. Cosby just doesn’t miss! This was a wild ride filled with mystery, violence, trauma, secrets, and pain. The way he writes is absolutely beautiful and this did not let me down. The family dynamics in this was great. I loved the mystery surrounding the mom and I was SO wrong! Roman and his relationship with both his siblings was written really well. Each sibling had their “stuff”. Roman was a true protector type big brother.
The ending had my mouth on the floor!
Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc.
There were a lot of side characters and I think the narrator did an awesome job distinguishing different voices through the audiobook. This was amazing as are all his other novels.

Thank you for an advance audio copy of this book. I have LOVED this author in the past, Razorblade Tears and All the Sinners Bleed were 2 of my favorites and this one did not disappoint. We meet the Carrauthers family who own a crematorium in Virginia...a bad sign of things to come. Roman returns home when his dad is in a bad accident...and finds his brother is in a bad situation with a local organized crime gang. The trouble goes from there. This book is definitely dark. Violent. But it needed to be that at times. The mystery and suspense is top notch. Great writing. These are not perfect characters. But they love each other...family over everything. That was intense. 4:5 stars .

Absolutely incredible! S.A. Cosby can write a damn book! When you combine his writing with Adam Lazarre-White’s narration, it’s going to be amazing every single time. The story was perfectly paced, with just the right amount of grit and action.

What I love most about Cosby’s writing style is how he always gives us a character you know, a character you can identify with, and a character you shouldn’t be rooting for—but you do anyway.

And don’t even get me started on how he writes the sidekicks in these novels—I love them just as much!

*Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan audio for this audio ARC!*
Ughhhhh this was absolutely heart wrenching! No one does a gritty family drama quite like S.A. Cosby. I read Razorblade Tears a couple of years ago (loved the little crossover near the end of this book!) and absolutely loved it!
There's something about Cosby's writing that is so immersive. I always find his characters so easy to picture in my head and feel like his books would make amazing tv series. The audiobook is fantastically done, I believe Razorblade Tears was narrated by the same person and they really bring the story to life. Cosby's books can be a bit violent but if you can handle that, I think it's done in a way that really adds to the story.
It's really rare for a book to make me tear up but King of Ashes does it for me! I won't forget about Roman, Nevaeh and Dante for a looong time.

Not sure how Cosby keeps doing it, but here we are. First off, the narration of all his books is ALWAYS spot on. Absolutely gripping. This book was very, very dark but super engaging. I couldn't stop listening. Do your self a favor and don't miss anything that Cosby puts out!!

Cosby does it again. Everything this author writes is golden. The character development, the suspense and the loyalty to family are a few things that captured me in this book.
This book was dark. Gave me Godfather vibes but man was this book good. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this book. The audiobook was very good. The narrator was easy to follow, passionate when delivering and kept me listening.
A great book that I will recommend once it is released.

I have loved all S.A. Cosby's novels. He is exceptionally skilled in describing flawed, violent anti-heroes, who will do indescribable acts, but are still likeable. Roman has had a difficult childhood and has left his hometown in Virginia to get away from the past and his family and put his money managing skills to the test in Atlanta, Georgia.
He loves his family though, and when trouble is brewing, he will return to his hometown and stand up to family members, gangsters, politicians and police to try and safe his siblings.

I highly recommend this new novel by S.A. Cosby. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

3.5 voted up. I am very vested into Romans life and family. I hope there is more to come.



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 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.

This book was so, so good! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and the ending—oh, the ending! I can’t even find the words to describe it. “A monster ain't nothing but a beast that you don’t understand.” This audiobook is easily among the top five I've ever listened to, and S.A. Cosby’s writing is truly on another level.

🔥 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 by SA Cosby
★★★★★ 5/5 stars
Pub Day : June 10, 2025

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔.

S.A. Cosby Is on FIRE 🔥 I've read three of
his books this year, and he hasn’t let me down yet. He's the undisputed king of southern crime thrillers, and King of Ashes cements that title. The story blazes off the page, burns into your brain, and leaves a mark.

Cosby's attention to detail is unmatched. The writing is eloquent without losing its grit, the characters are raw and real, and the suspense? Absolutely electric. The stakes are high and the twists are brutal in the best way possible. It's a masterclass in gritty storytelling, emotional depth, and cinematic pacing — I could 100% see this playing out on screen. Cosby truly is in a league all his own.

The audiobook, narrated by Adam Lazarre-White, is phenomenal. He brings Cosby's words to life with intensity and nuance. I've been recommending this — and all of Cosby's books — on audio to everyone I know. If it isn’t already, put King of Ashes at the top of your summer TBR!

•read if you like :
-richly developed characters
-Sons Of Anarchy
-mob boss vibes
-fast paced, action packed crime thrillers
-family drama

Thank you @macmillan.audio + @netgalley for the opportunity to read & listen to this ARC!

Y’all…Get excited about S. A. Cosby’s newest novel, King of Ashes! It publishes on 10 June 2025 and it is easily my favorite audiobook that I have listened to this year.

The novel is a dark Southern crime thriller that is full of family drama. It explores family trauma, small town corruption, gang life, and violence all within the setting of a rural Virginia town. I could not stop this audiobook and found myself sitting in my car for just a few more minutes of listening. The twists in the story are unexpected and the overall story was as realistic as it was heartbreaking.

Go ahead and pre-order this one! 🖤

I loved Razorblade Tears, so I went into King of Ashes knowing it would be the opposite of cozy—and wow, was it dark. Crosby doesn’t hold back: the story is brutal, gory, and packed with disturbing moments, but the writing is so good I couldn’t stop reading.
Crosby has this talent for making you root for the "least bad" of the bad guys. I was stressed the whole time (so many terrible choices) but underneath all the violence is a powerful theme about how far you’d go to protect your family. That part hit hard.
The narration of this was so good, his voice is perfect for the theme.

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

This book was so, so good. It was tense and gruesome, it was sad and painful, it was revengeful and chaotic. I absolutely devoured it. I was obsessed with the Carruthers family and knowing what happened to each member of it. The ending.... the ending!!!! There are no words. "Everything burns". Easily top 5 audiobook I've ever listened to. Adam Lazarre-White is unbelievable and S.A. Cosby is on another level.

Cosby is one of my favorite authors and as soon as I was approved for this ALC , I stopped other books and started to read this. This did not disappoint, it was gritty, dark and violent. I will be getting a hard copy to reread as it was sometimes hard to keep the characters straight. I am sure this will bump up to a 5 star. Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for an opportunity to listen .
4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced review copy of this book!
Here are my real-time thoughts/reactions while listening to this book:

First 20 minutes: 😳😳😳 whoooaaa! What did I get myself into?!
9-18%: The Black Getty Boys are introduced….hot damn! This is serious & these men mean business!
24%: 🫢🫢🫢😬😬😬. POV switchs begin between Roman, Neveah, & Donte (siblings).
34%-45%: *rubbing hands together*….. plan drafted & underway! Sheeeessshhhhhh 😮‍💨
65%: Uh-Oh 😬
84%: NO FREAKING WAYYYYY🫨! Cassidy😡
90-100%: 🤯🤯🤯🫢😳💣🫣🫨😮‍💨😮

This is my very first book by S.A Cosby and I was MORE than excited to be approved for the newest title! Overall, I think that the plot was fantastic, action-packed, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I love that this book has multiple points of view, but it’s not overwhelming nor is it difficult to keep up with. There were family secrets and unresolved trauma that led to worsening mental health issues, varying from sibling to sibling: Donte with his substance abuse issues, Neveah’s issues with abandonment and men, and the guilt Roman has carried for so long. I have to say that Roman surprised me the most….riding in on his white horse to save the day and literally becoming what he despised, all in the name of love. The book was well-paced and written well. Can’t wait to read more from this author….definitely sooner rather than later!

The narrator did a brilliant job and SA Cosby does an excellent job with detail so you can clearly visual each scene. Roman is the oldest child and he will do whatever it takes to protect his siblings. Dante is an emotional wreck and has gotten in financial debt with a sociopath and they are making his life a nightmare. Roman steps in to solve the problem but it forces him to do some horrible things. I really liked the sibling relationships and how protective they were of each other and how each of them dealt with their family problems differently. This is dark and violent as it weaves family drama, drugs, alcohol, and murder. How far would you go to protect your family? Roman is one person you don’t want to mess with.

🎧4.5-4.75⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Adam Lazarre-White whose voice can move from smooth and chocolatey to gravelly and then full on raspy. I could listen to him endlessly.

Standalone Southern crime thriller with the authors unique voice which seamlessly blends street and literary fiction. Roman returns home to find his father in a coma following a car crash, his brother Dante in deep trouble with dangerous gangsters, Neveah his sister has been left trying to hold everything together.
It is mostly told in the present, but does look back to when they were young as there is a mystery still surrounding that time.

The plot is well constructed with a good level of complexity, several sub threads which keep the entertainment levels and tension high. The characters conduct themselves in morally grey areas, so theres only shades of right and wrong, it’s all about family love and loyalty.

There’s and sadness and surprises along the way making this another winning combination of author and narrator.

I thought this book was really good! It kept me on the edge of my seat and as always SA Cosby’s pen did its big one! I loved the story line with all the jaw dropping moments and the audio was amazing! It felt like a movie in my head. I’d definitely recommend everyone to check this one out