King of Ashes was one of my most anticipated book releases for the year and it did not DISAPPOINT! Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listener copy!

S.A. Cosby is an auto read author for me. His pen game is the best when it comes to thriller and action. It’s like the reader becomes apart of the story and is watching it all happen. That’s how cinematic I feel his writing style is. If you are familiar with his work; you know drugs, family drama, and crime are at the forefront and King of Ashes ran through all of that. The narration by Adam Lazarre-White was absolutely incredible as always.

I can’t wait to get a physical copy on release day.

5 stars

5 stars. No question. This is the kind of story that will stay on your mind long after the last page.
Richmond, VA is my hometown so its always fun to read books that are in or around an area I am aware of.

I went into this book completely blind & I am so glad I did. In true SA Cosby form this book packs a punch! There are so many twisted things in this story. It is incredibly well written, keeps you hooked, on the edge of your seat and unable to put it down.

The main character Roman return home to help because his father is in a terrible car accident, in the hospital but was it an accident? Upon his return he finds the town he grew up in has changed, many places have closed , and now the town is dangerous due to gang violence. His brother Dante screws over a top gang and now his families lives are in danger. His sister Neveah is obsessed in finding out what happened to their mother several years ago when their mom disappeared. Roman also is helping to run the family business, a crematorium.
What lengths would you go to in order to protect your family?

S.A. Cosby’s writing is incredibly expressive—action-packed & emotional. Its dark, its gritty but all grounded in love & loyalty.
Once again, Adam Lazarre- White came through with an amazing narration!
Thank you @netgalley, @macmillan.audio & Flatiron Books

First, let me start by issuing a sincere apology to the audiobook I was listening to when I got the email from NetGalley and the publisher offering me this audiobook as an advanced copy. I dropped you like a hot rock, and honestly, that wasn’t very nice. But come on—King Cosby and his royal prince Adam Lazarre-White came calling. Who am I to deny royalty? I’m reading everything he writes.

All kidding aside, the king of crime noir has done it again. King of Ashes is another gripping, gritty, bleak, and violent story packed with some of the most compelling characters you’ll ever meet—none of whom are particularly likable, by the way. And yet, Cosby is so damn good at what he does, you still get them. You might not agree with their choices, but you understand where they’re coming from. That’s real storytelling.

Now, unlike All the Sinners Bleed, where I straight-up loved the character of Titus, this one doesn’t have that kind of anchor. You won’t find many hearts of gold here. But again, that’s not what this book is about. It’s a scorched-earth revenge tale that reads like a big-budget, high-stakes movie—complete with an ending that absolutely obliterates. And let’s talk about that twist… didn’t see it coming. At all.

This book is dark. Like, NC-17 level dark. Violent, brutal, and emotionally raw in a way that hits hard and doesn’t let up. It’s unlike anything I’ve picked up in a while, and I mean that in the best way possible.

And a special shoutout to Adam Lazarre-White—his narration is ELITE. His voice is just built for Cosby’s worlds. So yeah, correction: I’ll continue to consume everything Cosby writes… but I’ll be listening, not reading. Because that combo? UNMATCHED!

Ooooof that ending. So good. Once again SA Cosby delivers a gritty, dark, wild novel. Roman is a fully fleshed character who deeply loves his family but is certainly flawed. This didn’t have quite the emotional impact that Razorblade Tears or All The Sinners Bleed had but still really enjoyed it!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGally for an ALC!

S. A. Cosby has done it yet again! I was completely enraptured by this story and invested in our main characters from the start. As Roman Carruthers works to pick up the pieces of his brother’s life and protect his family, he finds himself in deeper than expected. There is violence, mystery, and a splash of romance in this epic novel about family loyalty and organized crime.

Thank you, S. A. Cosby, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this audiobook! The sound quality was excellent. The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White, was a familiar voice and did a fantastic job of bringing the story and characters to life.

I dropped everything to read this as soon as I got it. S A Cosby is a master storyteller and I was all in with King of Ashes. This was one of the books that I most looking forward to reading and it did not disappoint one little bit. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more.

Brilliant narrative from Adam Lazarre White once again, he just has that voice that is perfect for these characters that Cosby creates. He always does a magnificent job keeping all the characters unique for the listener, so that at no time do we get confused.

Now there are some pretty detestable characters in this book. It is a a look into the world of underground criminal gangs. It is dark, dangerous and violent, really violent. Some scenes did turn my stomach, but they felt so real. When the family owns a crematorium it makes sense to make use of it! Everything Burns….

Roman was a bit of a hard character to warm to, although he was doing his best to help his family. There was just something about him that keeps me from liking him. He was pretty selfish but I guess with his way of life you have to be.

The many twists were just brilliant, especially that last one. Wow, I didn’t see that coming.

A brilliant crime epic and family drama from a favourite author. Absolutely one to get in your TBR.

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio for my early copy to listen to . Out on June 10th

4.5 stars!

When Roman Carruthers returns home after his father's car accident, he discovers that his family is in deep trouble. His brother is in debt to dangerous criminals, his sister is overwhelmed with running the family business, and it becomes clear that his father's accident was no accident. Roman, a financial expert, tries to use money to solve the problems, but soon realizes he must use his skills to save his family from real danger. As Roman works for the criminals, his sister tries to uncover the mystery of their mother's disappearance. Roman is determined to do whatever it takes to save his family, as everything around them begins to crumble.

What an exhilarating rollercoaster of a book! I was lucky enough to receive both an audiobook and a digital copy, and let me tell you, the audiobook was top-notch. The choice of narrator was absolutely perfect. I loved the narrator's voice and the way he expertly used different voices to bring the characters to life. A fantastic choice indeed!

From the get-go, the main character Roman and his family had me hooked. As a newcomer to this author, I found their writing style to be quite enjoyable. While some parts may have been a bit lengthy, they were necessary to help us navigate the timeline jumps and unravel the family's deeply rooted secrets.

The vivid descriptions of the environment and the thrilling action scenes made me feel as though I was right there in the thick of it, experiencing the gunpowder's scent and the characters' pain alongside them. It added an extra layer of depth to the story that I truly appreciated.

If you're a fan of buried family secrets, clever storytelling, and characters who aren't exactly warm and fuzzy, then this book is a must-read for you. I found it nearly impossible to tear myself away from the pages, and I'm sure you'll feel the same. Happy reading!

Thank you, Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar and Macmillan Audio, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is best book I've read this year. I can trust S.A. Cosby with writing a family drama, a domestic thriller and imagery that can bring so much emotion in such a few amount of words. Adam Lazarre-White is a phenomenal narrator and brought this story to life. I was fully invested in every aspect of the story and I did not want to stop reading this book. After reading King of Ashes, I want to read the rest of S. A. Cosby's backlist that I have not read yet.

What a wild ride! 4.5 stars.

This is a fast-paced, violent, emotional story of sibling and family loyalty, revenge, secrets, and deals with the devil, read by my favorite narrator. It's dark and sinister, full of dread, and though you want there to be a happy ending, it seems impossible. There are twists, so many twists, and Cosby's usual calm lead male with a wily and kinda crazy partner with no moral compunction outside of loyalty to the main. Great pairing. The straight sister and damaged but fun younger brother round out the "good guys" with perfect complimentary traits, making them highly sympathetic and relatable. The crematory setting was both terrifying and dark as heck. And the cameo by another of Cosby's characters was lovely. I really wanted him to join the crew.

Great book, so gut-wrenching I will need time to recover.

S. A. Cosby never disappoints. I really despised Dante through this entire book, and then realized why he was the way he was. Then that last suicide mission, smh. The twists in this book were a whole lot.

This was just a mess of a story. The mess that Dante created, and that Roman had to clean up. Cassidy got on my nerves. If she was so bored, she should’ve read a book. Chauncey made my behind itch. Like sir, you sleeping with all these women, one is bound to say something. Oh, but when Torin’s (sp) turned on him, siding with Roman, that was oh so sweet.

Nevaeh killed her own daddy, thinking that he killed her mama, when it was an accident that she died. Then when she found the ashes, that was the icing on the cake. Roman, Dante, and their father should’ve been told her. That was wrong to keep her in the dark.

🌱| Wow! What the….. This was a plot twist of plot twists!!!! Such a great, engaging read! Thanks for the ALC.

Great book. Loved the characters and the narrator was absolutely excellent. Will definitely be reading more of Cosby's work soon!

An Absolute Powerhouse of Storytelling

As expected from S.A. Cosby, this book delivers gritty, grounded, and painfully real storytelling that grabs you from the first page. The characters are raw and deeply human, shaped by a tough upbringing and haunted by secrets too terrible to speak aloud—even to family. The tension between gang dynamics, the brutal realities of the drug world, and the lingering trauma of childhood poverty create a backdrop of constant suspense.

Every scene pulses with emotion, and the stakes only get higher as the story unfolds. The narration is absolutely beautiful—gripping and emotionally rich without ever feeling overdone. Cosby proves once again why he's a master of Southern noir.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Wow WOW when I got this I dropped everything and finished it in one day. S.A. Cosby is a must read, and I'm never disappointed. This book is probably his best one yet.
This story is so dark it was Shakespearean. So harsh and tragic, Marlon is the one who feels like he has to protect the family while sister Nevaeh is the caretaker. Dante is the brother who struggles with addiction and is in debt to some dangerous people. When their father is injured in an automobile crash, Marlon comes home, and everything comes to a head.
This book starts out fast and never slows down. I didn't expect what happened and I'll be thinking about these people for a while. The narrator was excellent, with the voices and the accents and the feelings.

WOW- I am utterly speechless and stunned after reading this incredible crime fiction novel. I am a big fan of SA Cosby books but this is definitely my favorite. In the last few chapters I had to put the book down because I was sobbing, I am wrecked emotionally.

A retelling of the Godfather, Roman is a rich music executive from Atlanta that has to go home because his father Keith is in the hospital. His sister Nevaeh is keeping the family together as usual, and his brother Dante has gotten himself in seriously hot water again. Their mother went missing 10 years ago, and everyone in town thinks that their father Keith murdered her, because he is the owner of the town Crematorium. Hence the title, King of Ashes.

The title has a double meaning, not only because of the crematorium, but also Roman may be the head of this family but it is a family in ruins. In trying to help Dante out of trouble, Roman takes what comes at him. A typical SA Cosby hero, Roman is morally gray, smarter than everyone around him, and always appearing to be in control. These characters are so fantastic and they will stay with me a long time. This was fast paced, very gruesome, even by SA Cosby standards, and utterly tragic. The story unfolded like sinking into quicksand.

Audiobook review- the narrator Adam Lazarre-White has voiced all of the SA Cosby books (and also some sports memoirs I have listened to). I think he is at the absolute pinnacle of narrators. It is wildly difficult to voice as many characters, male and female, and be as engaging as he is.

This is absolutely the best crime fiction of 2025, and one of the top 10 mystery/thrillers of 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published June 10, 2025.

Family drama hits different when everything is on fire!

S.A. Cosby’s writing is cinematic—action-packed and emotional, like you're right there in every smoky room, and every dangerous deal. It’s dark, gritty, and grounded in love, loyalty, and survival.
5 stars. No question. This is the kind of story that burns into your brain long after the last page.

Once again, Adam Lazarre- White came through with an AMAZING narration!

Thank you Flatiron Books for the advanced listener copy!

Wow. This was intense and dark, even by S.A. Cosby standards. I know it says it was inspired by The Godfather, but add quite a dash of Breaking Bad into the mix. What lengths will a man go to in order to protect his family? How will he justify it to himself? This is bleak, dark, violent, and so very compelling.