Wow, what an incredible book! This is like an action packed movie, well written, the plot thickened the more we dive deeper into the family. This is about 3 siblings, Roman who is a successful financial advisor in Atlanta, but when he goes back home to Virginia to after he receives a call about his father being in an accident, well everything just goes nuts after that. Increíble I couldn’t put it down.

Alexa, add King of Ashes to my favorite books, and while you're at it - find every book Adam Lazarre-White has ever narrated.

There are some books that NEED to be listened to, and this is one of them. Not only is this story so captivating and incredible, but the voice actor played the role of every character in this book to perfection! I'm blown away.

The antagonists in this story are ruthless, and the suspense continues from start to finish. I was especially interested in the mystery surrounding what happened to Roman, Dante, and Neveah's mom. I highly recommend this audiobook!

Roman is called to come home after his father is in a serious car accident. Upon his return after many years, he discovers that his brother, Dante, has gotten himself into a significant amount of debt with local drug dealers. He realizes he has to help his brother or else his family faces ruin.

Cosby does it again with a dark, seedy action-packed thriller. You could tell Roman was messed up and dysfunctional right from the start, and things only went downhill from there. I liked his character arc as I thought it was interesting to track how he developed as he got deeper into the chaos. The ending made me think there could be a sequel. The theme of family ties is really examined and how thick blood is supposed to be. I always find Cosby’s writing to be cinematic and this would make a great movie!

S.A. Cosby stays slaying the thriller/action genre. I am so excited I got early access to the audiobook book for this one, as he is one of my absolute favorite auto-buy authors. The narration was perfect.

The story itself wasn't my favorite of his but it was still so engaging and thrilling. I think my main issue is more with some of the characters just being SO frustrating that it took me out of the store a few times. I'm also not super into the financial aspect of the storyline so it wasn't quite as up my alley as some of his previous works have been. But I fully recognize that that is just because that's typically isn't my cup of tea with books. Still incredible work by one of the greats and I recommend it to anyone that is a fan of his.

I give it 3.5 rounded up to a 4 because the man just doesn't mess around with the grit and I live for it, even when some of the characters are making choices that make me want to pull out what's left of my hair. 😂

WOW!! Honestly, this was a solid 4 ⭐️ for me until the last 10%… mind blown, easily became a 5⭐️

This story is TOO GOOD

Roman Carruthers is living large in Atlanta. He’s worked hard to have a good and successful life. When he receives a call from his sister, Neveah, that their father was involved in a car accident and is comatose in the hospital, he begrudgingly finds himself back in his hometown of Jefferson Run Virginia.

When Roman arrives, he learns that his brother Dante has been messing with the wrong people and those people are responsible for driving their father off the road. Roman tries to get his brother out of trouble with the local criminals but his plan is turned upside down when he becomes the money man for them instead.

Feeling trapped, Roman will do anything to protect his family. He’ll lie and kill if he has to. After all, his father’s family business is the local crematory, the perfect place to hide secrets.

In true S A Cosby, this book reads like a movie and I was hooked. It’s fast paced, raw, and gritty. The ending will literally make your mouth drop and nothing can prepare you for the multiple plot twists.

The narrator for the audiobook was fantastic and I highly recommend this to my crime thriller fans 🔥

# ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ S.A. Cosby Delivers Another Devastating Masterpiece

S.A. Cosby has cemented his reputation as one of crime fiction's most vital voices with *King of Ashes*, a scorching family saga that burns with the intensity of a funeral pyre and the depth of generational trauma. This is Cosby at his absolute best—raw, unflinching, and impossibly compelling.

The Carruthers family crematorium in Jefferson Run, Virginia, becomes the perfect metaphor for a story about what remains when everything else has turned to ash. Cosby's ability to find profound meaning in the most unlikely settings is on full display here, transforming a funeral home into a shrine to both life's fragility and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Roman Carruthers emerges as one of the most complex protagonists in recent memory. His evolution from slick financial advisor to a man willing to sacrifice everything for his siblings is masterfully handled. Cosby peels back Roman's layers with surgical precision, revealing a character whose moral compromises feel both shocking and inevitable. When Roman declares he's "willing to do anything," you believe him completely—and that's what makes this novel so electrifying.

The supporting cast shines equally bright. Neveah's exhausted strength as she holds the family together while pursuing the mystery of their mother's disappearance creates a perfect counterpoint to Roman's descent into darkness. Even Dante, whose recklessness sets the plot in motion, feels fully realized rather than simply a plot device. Cosby understands that family dysfunction isn't about good and bad people—it's about flawed people loving each other imperfectly.

What elevates *King of Ashes* beyond typical crime fiction is Cosby's unflinching examination of how economic desperation creates moral flexibility. The criminals Roman faces aren't cartoon villains but products of the same systemic failures that have hollowed out places like Jefferson Run. This isn't just a story about one family's crisis—it's an indictment of an America that abandons its most vulnerable communities.

Cosby's prose crackles with authenticity and purpose. Every sentence feels necessary, every scene builds toward the devastating climax with mathematical precision. The pacing is relentless without feeling rushed, allowing space for both explosive action and quiet moments of familial tenderness.

The mystery of the missing mother weaves seamlessly through the present-day crisis, proving that some ghosts refuse to stay buried. Cosby handles this dual timeline with the skill of a master craftsman, ensuring that past and present illuminate each other rather than competing for attention.

*King of Ashes* stands as essential reading—a novel that operates simultaneously as a white-knuckle thriller, a meditation on family loyalty, and a searing portrait of contemporary American decay. S.A. Cosby has written something special here, a book that will haunt readers long after they've closed the cover.

This is the kind of novel that reminds you why you fell in love with reading in the first place. Absolutely unmissable.

Cosby returns with another nail biting thriller set in a small Virginia town. When Roman Carruthers learns his father is in the ICU he must return to his hometown and check in with his family. His mother long disappeared leaving Roman and his siblings, Dante, and sister, Neveah, in their father’s care.

Roman’s return sets the town of Jefferson ablaze when he learns of the financial situation his brother is in with the wrong crowd. His sister Neveah is still looking for answers on their mother’s disappearance. Roman knows he has to do whatever it takes to take care of his family, and truly whatever it takes.

Cosby lives up to his slow burn nature of writing giving us another set of complex characters that we want to root for and against. This was perfection to the very last page.

S.A. Cosby delivers another thrilling and intense book! This was an amazing crime thriller with a small-town setting, violence, and family secrets. Every time you pick up one of S.A. Cosby's books, it feels like you have been teleported to that time. Roman may be one of my favorite characters he has ever written, and I liked the dynamic between him and his siblings, Dante and Neveah. The twists in this book really took me by surprise, and the ending was unexpected.

I'm so glad I received the audiobook because the narration was amazing and truly captured the emotion, suspense, and realism.

Publication date: June 10, 2025

WOW, just simply WOW!
How far would you go to protect family?

"Everything Burns"

S.A. Cosby continues to be a must read for me. King of Ashes tells the story of The Carruthers Family, a family overrun with secrets and a multitude of lies. Dante is an addict who has gotten himself into trouble with the local gang, Roman is a financial wizard who comes back home from Atlanta after their father is involved in a rather sketchy train accident and Neveah is keeping the family business (a crematorium) afloat while making some very questionable personal choices.

We are introduced to some very vicious people who will stop at nothing to ensure their drug and gun running businesses keep making money. What I love about all of the author's books (yes I've read them all) is that his characters are deeply flawed, multi-faceted people, they're not one dimensional and this makes them real.
A recurring theme in the book is " It's us or them" and this leads to utter mayhem.

This book is fabulous, but you must be prepared for explicit language and graphic descriptions of violence.

I'd recommend in a heartbeat and like I said, S.A. Cosby never lets me down. The audio narration by Adam Lazarre-White is as always stellar. I hope they continue to pair their talents to bring us these thrilling stories.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my unbiased review.

#KingofAshes #NetGalley

Thank you MacMillan Audio! This audiobook really brought the story to life! I love how this really felt like I was listening to a movie. Roman is one badass of a character who had a 180 transformation. He really got into the mindset of his enemies and that’s what made him 10x better than they were. I throughout enjoyed how S.A. Cosby weaved us in and out of those reflections with their mother. Imagine my surprise!!!! I honestly cannot wait to reread this with the physical copy!! Absolute masterpiece!

King of Ashes is a gripping and intense thriller that showcases S.A. Cosby’s signature style of Southern grit—raw, brutal, and deeply human. The story follows Roman Carruthers, a financial genius forced to return home after his father’s suspicious accident leaves him in a coma. Roman’s family is unraveling: his sister Neveah is overwhelmed running the family crematorium, his brother Dante is tangled in dangerous criminal debts, and long-buried secrets about their missing mother begin to resurface. Cosby expertly weaves a dark, violent tale filled with tension, loyalty, and betrayal that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go.

What stands out most in this novel is Cosby’s talent for creating complex, flawed characters that feel authentic and compelling. Roman is a fascinating protagonist—confident and sharp, but also morally conflicted as he battles to protect his family in a world full of ruthless gangsters and impossible choices. The atmosphere of the crematorium, with its ever-present furnace and smoke, perfectly mirrors the simmering danger and emotional weight that hang over the story. The plot is fast-paced and explosive, packed with twists that keep you on edge, but it’s the emotional depth and vivid character relationships that truly resonate.

Narrator Adam Lazarre-White brings the story to life with an emotionally charged and compelling performance, adding an extra layer of intensity. While the large cast of secondary characters can sometimes be challenging to track, especially in audiobook form, the story’s relentless momentum and raw, lyrical writing make it impossible to put down. King of Ashes is a brutal, heart-wrenching exploration of family, survival, and the cost of loyalty—definitely a must-read for fans of gritty, character-driven thrillers.

I don’t think there will ever be a S.A. Cosby book I don’t love!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everything. Burns.

Wow this just soared past Razorblade Tears & Blacktop Wasteland as my favorite SA Cosby books and I LOVED both of those.

Roman Carruthers comes back home to help out his brother and sister after their dad is in a car accident. He soon learns his brother is in DEEP with the local gang and he makes it his mission to repay debts to keep his brother and family out of danger.

This had a mafia feel to it and had me cringing like you would when watching a scary movie. (I'm hoping it will have a screen adaptation because I think it would be amazing.)

Like all SA Cosby books I read this on audio because it's narrated by Adam Lazarre-White and I would listen to him read the dictionary.

Thank you Macmilan Audio and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every review refers to Crosby's writing as gritty, but this crossed the line to gruesome for me. I couldn't finish it. Still, it is getting good reviews and should be popular.

I have become a fan of S.A. Cosby this past year. As I saw this for request on Netgalley, I knew I had to get.

In this book we follow Roman, who is called home frome Atlanta when his father has an accident.

When he returns he finds his brother Dante, is in extreme debt to some not so good criminals and his sister Neveah is fighting to hold the family together.

As all the obstacles come at then fast it is up to Roman to fix and save his family. This book hits deep with family secrets.

I really enjoyed this book and the audiobooks is phenomenal. I rated this 4.5 stars

Look- if S.A. Cosby writes it, I’m gonna read it. I thought I was ready for this book. I was not. I was lucky enough to get an advanced listener copy and as I expected, I was blown away. This was an emotional, dark, riveting, gritty, and moving story about family, loss, secrets, and redemption. No one does Southern crime noir with complex characters like Mr. Cosby.

Shoutout to the narrator @realadamlw who was incredible. He brought so much depth to the characters and made every moment feel alive. The buildup, the tension, the END. My heart. This is one will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio @macmillanusa and S.A. Cosby for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Powerful, emotional, and gritty, SA Cosby always delivers!

Roman Carruthers is called home to Jefferson Run, VA when his father is left in a coma from a car accident. Younger brother, Dante, has foolishly become involved with a group of really bad gangsters and he owes them money. Roman is a financial genius with a strong track record of making his clients rich. He takes on Dante’s problems in order to save his brother but he has no idea just how deeply corrupted his soul could become in the process.

Neveah, oblivious to the dangerous activities of her brothers, is handling all of the details of the family Crematorium business. But she is also on a mission to finally solve the mystery of what really happened to their mother when she went missing many years ago. The Carruthers siblings are each on a collision course that just might cost them everything. But they will do anything to protect each other. Because with their father hanging by a thread and their mother gone, they’re all they have left in the world.

This story was action packed from the first chapter to the last, I couldn’t put it down. No one writes an action thriller like SA Cosby, but what really sets him apart is the ‘heart’ he incorporates in his novels. His characters leap off the pages. Their flaws, decision making, loyalties, and moral codes become so real I can’t help but root for them no matter how sketchy their activities might get. If you haven’t read a book by this author yet, put this on your TBR and find out what all the buzz is about.

Audio narration performed by Adam Lazarre-White is always excellent.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on June 10, 2025

This book absolutely blew me away. I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrator was perfectly chosen. The book tackles difficult family dynamics, the dangers of getting too close to gangs, and also somehow a touching, intimate relationship, and does it all with raw emotion. While there were a lot of storylines at play all at once here, the only problem I had was trying to remember all the different characters’ names and roles since I couldn’t flip back to remind myself who was who. The one downside of the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an ALC of S. A. Cosby’s newest thriller, King of Ashes. Once again the dynamic duo of Cosby and narrator Adam Lazarre White makes for an incredible reading experience. This book/audio was FIRE!!!

What I love most about all of S. A. Cosby’s books are the multilayered characters- the good guys are never all good and the bad guys aren’t all bad…okay, a few are just plain psychopaths but that’s a different category.
This time we are introduced to the Carruthers siblings; Roman, Dante and Neveah. Roman, the eldest left for college and never looked back, leaving his brother & sister to run the family business - Carruthers Crematorium. When Neveah calls to let Roman know he’s needed back home he has no idea about the firestorm that awaits him. It’s best to know little about this story and just go with the flow. It’s heart pounding action, fiery drama, endless chaos and unexpected outcomes. I highly recommend this book, especially on audio!!! Available for purchase June 10.

Wow this a doozy of a book - it is dark, violent, graphic and emotional. When I finished I stared at the wall for a while, unsure if I loved or hated this book. I received the audio ARC- thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio- and I could not stop listening to the last 5 hours of this! We follow Roman as he goes home to a small town in Virginia after his father is in an accident. From there, things spiral out of control as he tries to fix a horrible mistake his brother Dante has made, as well as help his sister Nevaeh keep the family crematorium going. This lives up to the rest of Cosby’s work, with his usual poetic prose and deeply flawed characters.
While this book is thrilling and an exciting read I did have a couple issues. First, Cosby’s dialogue sometimes comes across as a bit cheesy - it sometimes feels as though lines of dialogue are written to be a movie poster quote. And I find myself getting pulled out of the story for a moment cringing.
Second, there are a lot of really horrible characters who do vile things and it gave me a little bit of fatigue to constantly be stuck in that head space. I do acknowledge part of that is my own fault since I literally could not stop listening for the last 5 hours of this book, but was looking for some sort of levity at times and it was nowhere to be found!
Lastly, I did not love the way women were portrayed in this book. I know in a book set in gang culture it’s not common, but thought there was an opportunity for the two main female characters to serve a bigger role than they did and instead they were relegated to stereotypical matronly and sexual roles which left me a bit disappointed.
Overall this book is thrilling, dark, suspenseful and a crazy ride. Please check your trigger warnings!

I love S. A. Cosby! This book took me a little longer to get into, but once the story starts rolling it plays like a movie in your head. It’s rough and gruff. Not a story for everyone, but definitely a good time.