King of Ashes is a gritty Southern crime thriller set in the small town of Jefferson Run, Virginia. The story follows Roman Carruthers, a successful financial expert who returns home when his father is hospitalized under suspicious circumstances. He has to return back to the town he tried to leave behind, where he finds his family falling apart. His younger brother is in deep with dangerous criminals, and his sister is struggling to keep their family’s crematorium business afloat.

As Roman digs deeper, he finds himself pulled into a world of real danger, forced to use his skills in new and sometimes questionable ways to protect the people he loves. At the same time, his sister Neveah is trying to uncover the truth behind their mother’s long-ago disappearance, a mystery that still haunts the family.

This was a really enjoyable thriller. I really enjoyed the smooth voice of the narrator, this was very solid as an audiobook.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

S.A. Cosby the King of Southern noir, southern crime stories that are a fast-paced thrill.
I am a huge fan of this author and have read and listened to all of his books. This new book does not disappoint. Cosby's writing has gotten better with each book! His writing is poetic, full of southern drawl and colloquialisms, funny, and will have you quoting his work! The author shows his devotion to his craft, and all accolades go to him.

The amazing Adam Lazzarre-White narrates the audiobook and does an excellent job of bringing the characters in this novel to life. King of Ashes had my hair standing on end, I was almost crying and had me yelling in frustration! And I'm here for it all!

Oldest son Roman has to return home when his brother gets the entire family in danger. Roman must work to save them all. The family is also dealing with the decades-old mystery of what happened to their mother. This has a complex cast of characters, and the combination of the cunning story and characters will keep you on the edge of your seat. Hold on tight, you are in for a wild ride that you are sure to enjoy!

I was so excited to get approved for an advanced audiobook. I absolutely love SA Cosby’s. Writing and storytelling. Let’s put it like this if he writes it I will read it. I absolutely love this book and look forward to reading more from him.

When you get in over your head and your big brother has to come and pull you out to try to save everyone you’re connected too. Roman is back home and his siblings need him more than he knows and he needs them. Family ties, lies and corruption in this small town Roman wants to escape. He doesn’t know but his return is the start he needed to close that chapter of his life he has been running from to finally be free but will his siblings feel that same freedom.

Suspense, frustration and love are some of the emotions you will come across when reading this book. SA Cosby gets another 5star review from me

🔥🌟𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨🔥🌟

Every single thing about this edge-of-your-seat thriller reminds me of that phrase you'd hear as a kid --ℐ𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝒷𝓊𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹.

Roman Carruthers is called home after his father has been in an accident. His sister, Neveah, and his father have been running Carruthers Crematorium, the family business while his little brother, Dante has gotten himself into some hot water with local criminals. When Roman learns that his father's accident may not have been an 'accident' and that his brother, Dante has put them all in danger, he knows he must step in. Roman, a financial whiz by trade, takes the local criminal group to task, trying to beat them at their own game. On top of that, Neveah and the boys are all still dealing with the aftermath, trauma, and mystery (?) of their mother's disappearance from their childhood.

As usual, Cosby's writing is so raw, gritty, vivid and with beautiful descriptive prose. He does not shy away from the difficult moments and, gulp, there are a few jaw dropping moments that are extremely disturbing in their graphic violence. He captures the gruesomeness of these moments with such perfection. I've seen the comparison's to The Godfather and I can see it, because there is a beauty and almost symphony to the violence that Cosby captures like no other.

I will say that there was soo much going on, with the vast number of secondary characters, girlfriends and sociopathic gang members, at times I felt a little disconnect to the main story line.

The ending, while disturbing, really brought everything together for me. In this world, there's is no black and white, no good or bad. I've seen many reviewers comment that this book is about what you would do to protect your family. For me, it's even more about what doing anything to protect your family will cost you.

“𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙞𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙.”

If you’ve never read a book by S.A. Cosby, you must be living under a rock. This man is talented, prolific, and knows how to write a Southern thriller like no one else.

King of Ashes is a book you simply cannot put down, no matter what. Roman Carruthers is a money man, that’s what he does. He uses his financial skills to make money for himself and his clients. When he’s called back to his hometown after his father is involved in an accident, he quickly learns that it wasn’t an accident at all. It was the work of criminals connected to his younger brother Dante, who owes them money.

Roman decides to use his expertise to get Dante out of debt and make the gang problem disappear. What he doesn’t realize is that these aren’t just street thugs, they are real gangsters, and they don’t play. Roman is suddenly caught in a life-or-death situation. His father owns a crematorium, which is being run by his sister Nevaeh, who is struggling with her own internal battles. Their mother disappeared years ago, and Nevaeh believes their father killed her.

While Roman hustles to make the money needed to save his brother, Nevaeh is on a mission to solve the cold case of their mother’s disappearance, all while having an affair with a police officer. Dante is of no help, lost in addiction and completely unreliable.

Now Roman finds himself pulled into the criminal underworld, operating from the crematorium, surrounded by ruthless people. But he knows two things for sure, he has the skills to survive, and his father’s words still ring true, everything burns.

Now on to the audio, Adam Lazzarre-White narrates this book and that man can speak! He does an amazing job of capturing the intensity of the characters voices and the moments. He does the male and female voices and his voice is smooth like butter. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

Thank you to Macmillan audio for the advanced listening copy of this audiobook and thank you to Pine and Cedar for the advanced read copy of this book.

I was so surprised at how much I was rooting for this flawed family with so many secrets and the fact that I still rated this book five stars and there was no epilogue speaks volumes.

King of Ashes is a gripping, dark and extremely gritty story that grabbed me and would not let go until the very end. The setting of this book was so vivid it felt like a character in and of itself. And the ending? I honestly get chills just thinking about it.

Cosby's characters have a raw depth to them that makes them feel real, and Adam Lazarre-White, narrator of the audiobook, did an incredible job bringing them to life!

5/5
amazinggg!!
The thrill, mystery, crime, family ties, and drama was EATING!!
S.A Cosby is now an auto-buy author of mine. Make sure yall pick this one up June 10th 2025!
Thank you NetGally & Macmillan audio for my ARC!

In King of Ashes, S.A. Cosby delivers a gritty, emotionally charged crime saga about family, loyalty, and the cost of legacy. When Roman Carruthers returns home to a crumbling family business and dangerous secrets, he’s forced to confront the darkness he thought he’d left behind. Intense, raw, and unforgettable.

When Roman received the call from his sister about their father's terrible accident, he had no idea he was about to enter a fierce battle for the safety and well-being of his family. Will he find an easy way out, or will everything end in ashes?

S.A. Cosby is an incredible author; I loved this book, even with the reckless little brother who just wouldn’t listen! There were moments when I wanted to choke him myself! Once again, Adam Lazarre-White does a phenomenal job of bringing these characters to life. This is a story you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.

I loved "King of Ashes" and Adam Lazarre-White's narration was excellent! This is probably my favorite of S.A. Cosby's novels. The narration is what made this book so AMAZING!! The ending I didn't see coming, soo good! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of King of Ashes! I hope any thriller lover reads it!

Jeeeesus this was dark 😅 It was twisty and interesting and all of the characters were so real - all complicated and un/likable and making decisions you want to scream at them for but totally understand. I did not see the ending coming but it was satisfying in a dark, dark way.

As always, Adam Lazarre-White's narration is impeccable and lends itself perfectly to Cosby's story-telling.

Highly recommend for Cosby fans especially and gritty murder mystery/crime fans in general - a fantastic idea for a vaca read.

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.