King of Ashes did not disappoint—it’s a solid five-star read! S. A. Cosby’s storytelling is exceptional, blending gritty crime with deep family drama. Roman Carruthers returns home to find his family in turmoil, debts piling up, and dangerous criminals closing in. As secrets unravel and tensions rise, Roman must make unimaginable choices to save those he loves.

The characters are complex, especially Roman and Neveah, whose journey to uncover buried truths adds a haunting layer to the story. The narration by Adam Lazarre-White is top-notch, pulling you straight into the action with his powerful voice.

This book is gripping from start to finish, and I’m already craving more from Cosby. Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

This was my first S.A. Cosby novel and I thought it was brilliant. Now I’m wondering why I sat on this author for so long!


King of Ashes is a gritty, godfather inspired southern crime family drama. In the Virginia town of Jefferson Run, the owner of Carruthers Crematorium is left in a coma under suspicious circumstances. When his eldest son Roman comes home after hearing the news, he finds his younger brother Dante in debt to some dangerous criminals, and his sister Neveah struggling to keep the family buisness together.

While his sister agonizes over the disappearance of their mother from when they were teenagers, Roman uses his financial skills to work for the criminals to save his brother. But Roman proves to be smarter than the criminals and is willing to do anything to save his family.

Cosby wrote some killer characters here and the narrator Adam Lazzare-White , really brought them to life 🙌. I can have a tough time with audiobooks but this one was truly exceptional.

The story itself was fantastic. A true crime drama with some jaw dropping twists and masterful ending. I definitely got some Ozark vibes from this and have a new, and disturbing, outlook on what a Slushie is 😳.

King of Ashes is a dark, slow-burn family thriller steeped in tension and Southern grit. When Roman Carruthers returns home to a crumbling crematorium business and a family in crisis, he’s forced to face not just financial ruin and criminal threats, but long-buried secrets. The novel blends crime drama with family dysfunction and a simmering mystery, anchored by Roman’s transformation from calculating financier to desperate protector. While the pacing occasionally lags, the stakes feel real, and the moral murkiness adds weight. Gritty, tense, and quietly tragic—this is a story about what we’re willing to sacrifice when there's nothing left to lose.

Wow!!!!I want to say this is my favorite book by S.A. Cosby, but Razorblade Tears keeps me in a chokehold! King of Ashes is a photo finished second! I was held in suspense the entire story! Dante had me ready to lay hands on him, and Roman took his older brother responsibilities seriously! S.A. can weave some great stories and back stories in his masterful web. And to have cameos of characters from past books popping up, I just absolutely loved every minute of the ride!

This is my second SA Cosby book, and it won't be my last. Roman is a fascinating character to follow. He is a flawed, though deeply sympathetic man. This book moves quickly into a dark world of violence and survival. Roman makes many choices that seem wrong, yet he is committed to his own purpose and by following his thought process they are understandable. The plot moved quickly and steadily forward, and gave little room to breathe as everything builds to it's tragic conclusion. I appreciate the depth SA Cosby brings to this terrifying world of power and pain. Adam Lazarre-White is an incredible narrator. He really brings Roman and his world to life in the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing an eALC in return for my honest thoughts.

When Roman Carruthers returns home to find his father in the hospital, chaos ensues. His brother Dante is neck-deep in debt to some seriously dangerous criminals, and his sister is obsessed with uncovering the mystery of their mother’s long-ago disappearance. With the whole family targeted by a ruthless gang, this gripping saga of family, vengeance, and dark secrets will keep you on the edge of your seat. How far will Roman go to protect his loved ones? Buckle up, because EVERYTHING BURNS!

This twisty crime thriller is dark, intense, and packed with complex characters. Plus, it gives a nod to The Wire! I usually don’t annotate thrillers, but I couldn’t help marking some brilliantly crafted lines that deserve recognition. Get ready to walk alongside this family in crisis, with their backs against the wall!

🎧 Audiobook Highlights
Narrated by the incredibly talented Adam Lazarre-White, who has lent his voice to all of Cosby's novels, this audiobook is pure magic! He brings each character to life, perfectly capturing Roman’s troubled soul and fierce determination to protect his family. You can’t go wrong with either format, but trust me, the audiobook is an experience you won’t want to miss!

King of Ashes is an unforgettable journey that unfolds like a cinematic masterpiece. Don’t miss this thrilling ride!

S.A. Cosby's KING OF ASHES pulled me in from the start. It is an enthralling story of crime and family. The author moved the story along at the right pace with believable characters, leaving me wanting more.

I look forward to more of Roman, the complex big brother you want to hate but can't!

Wow.

This book.

SA Cosby is a master at creating multi dimensional characters. Almost everyone in this book is both the bad guy and the good guy, occasionally at the same time. I very much enjoyed getting to know Roman. He is such a complex character, an excellent MC to spend the most time with. It did take a little while to keep some of the side characters straight (who hated who etc) but I had it down by the end.

I would be interested to see if this story has anything left to tell. This particular chapter closes well, but I could see another book with these characters in the future.

SA Crosby ignites the pages in this mystery/thriller following one family when their father in left in the hospital after a suspicious hit and run. Combine this with their mother’s disappearance years earlier and it looks like someone is out to eliminate the Carruthers family.

Told in a third person but varying timelines, this novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Roman, Dante, Tranquil and Torrent were flushed out characters that felt like real people. Crosby’s writing has this ebb and flow quality that brings the reader to the edge, leaves on a cliff hanger, and then brings them back down. It is such an amazing way to write a book with different characters, locations, and timelines.

Never have I read a book and could see it being turned into a movie like I had with this book. This is a testament to Crosby’s solid foundation and fleshed out characters. He knew this story and could probably tell you more backstory and motivations for these characters outside what he has already written.

The characters in this novel were compelling and were so vivid. I was scared of some of the characters while knowing the book was fiction! It is wild to think this type of violence happens every day in our country.

Overall, while violent and graphic at times, this is the epitome of a thriller novel. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy to listen to and share my humble thoughts and opinions.

Having read and loved every Cosby book before this, I thought I was prepared for this story, but I was NOT 😭
Adam Lazarre-White is my favorite narrator for a reason, and I really hope he wins an award for this narration because it was fantastic - the different voices, tones, diction and emotions came through clearly and really helped paint the picture. As I was listening I could easily imagine watching it play out as a movie. I listened to the whole book with my husband and he was just as captivated.
For me, this is the most dynamic and emotional Cosby novel since Razorblade Tears (and how about that little Easter Egg of Ike?!) as it truly begs the question how far would you go for family?
Roman is easily the most morally gray character I’ve seen from Cosby yet. Every decision, from in his past, to throughout the book led up perfectly to THAT ENDING 😳
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my advanced listening copy!

S.A. Cosby creates characters that I feel so connected to by the end of the book and King of Ashes is no different. The roller coaster of emotions I felt for Roman and his family was all over the place. I found the first chapter a little slow to start but I really enjoyed this audiobook overall.

𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙎. 𝘼. 𝘾𝙤𝙨𝙗𝙮 is a gritty, slow-burn crime novel that doesn’t rush anything. At the center of it is Roman Carruthers, a wealthy Atlanta finance guy who’s called back to his crumbling hometown, Jefferson Run, when his sister tells him their father’s in a coma. What starts as a reluctant trip home quickly spirals into something darker, as Roman gets dragged into the mess his brother Dante has created including a dangerous debt that comes with serious consequences.

Cosby writes violence like he means it. It’s intense, precise, and somehow still layered with emotion. Roman isn’t your usual hardened noir lead. He’s slick, conflicted, and trying hard to stay grounded in who he used to be, even as he slowly becomes someone else.

I really liked how the book blends family drama with a crime plot without losing momentum. The setting feels vivid and gritty, and you can practically feel the tension.

The audiobook is *chef's kiss*. The King of Ashes audiobook is intense on its own, but with Adam Lazarre-White narrating? It hits another level. He doesn’t just read the story. He inhabits it. Perfectly matched to Cosby’s gritty, emotionally raw writing.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for sending the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

King of Ashes is my third book by S. A. Cosby and I feel every book he comes out with is just gold. He writes a mystery book that just sucks you in! And that's not even including the narrator. I do not think he could find anybody more suited for the narration. I always listen to the audio because Adam Lazarre-White literally brings the story to life. His voice is just perfect for these books. I will always recommend the audio when it comes to S.A. Cosby. He will always have a reader from me, no matter what he comes out with. They are all perfection.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

Award-winning NYT Southern superstar S.A. Cosby returns following his hit, All the Sinners Bleed, with this best yet, KING OF ASHES. A dark and riveting Godfather-inspired Southern Gothic crime thriller and family drama that will leave you breathless!

The author’s popularity has exploded in recent years, as has his brand of Southern noir crime fiction (and rightly so), with a TV series based on the novel upcoming!

TOP AUDIOBOOKS OF 2025!

About...

Roman Carruthers is called home after his father’s recent accident to help out. His younger brother, Dante, unfortunately, is in debt to a gang of dangerous criminals. His sister, Neveah, is tired of holding down the family business by herself. She and her father run the operations at their family's business, Carruthers Crematorium, located in the rundown town of Jefferson Run, Virginia.

When Roman discovers the crash that landed their father in the hospital in a coma was no accident, and then Dante finally comes clean about his recklessness, he knows they are all in danger.

Roman must fix this problem and use all his tools, plus the family Crematorium, to outsmart the thugs, or they all will wind up dead. After all, he is a financial wizard and makes people rich, so he begins pulling some tricks out of his bag. But will they be enough?

However, his tactics only buy him a little time; the danger and stakes are higher. How far will he go to protect his family?

At the same time, Roman and Dante are trying to deal with the criminals, and their price goes higher, and they are in more danger, trying to keep their sister in the dark; however, she is working on a long-ago mystery of what happened to their mother, who disappeared when they were teens. Everyone thought it was their father, possibly, who killed her, but he was not charged.

What happened to their mother? The answer may be closer than she knows. How will this one end when they see no end to this web of criminals, drug lords, gangsters, and their payback?

My thoughts...

EXPLOSIVE! Oh my, what a book!. S.A. Cosby has outdone himself and pulls out all the stops in this thrill-by-the-minute, knock-out Southern crime thriller. This is a stay-up-all-night-and-never-stop kind of book that will leave you spellbound and heart pounding.

These three siblings could not be more different.

Roman, who is a numbers guy, driven, and couldn't wait to get out of this small town for the big city. However, he is selfish and self-centered, looking for a way out. A solution. A fixer. He is not afraid to cross moral lines for the end result. He likes power. He, too, makes a deal with the Devil and thinks he can outsmart the enemy. What is he hiding?

Dante is impulsive, reckless, and not interested in the family business, with no thought to his actions nor the outcome to others. Continues to be a screw up making poor decisions and wants someone to bale him out. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed and is out for a good time. He has some childhood issues as well. He has made a deal with the Devil, and the time has come to pay up or else.

Neveah is the rock, the glue that holds the family together. Growing up without a mother, she is resentful. She wants answers. She does not want to work in the family business, facing death every day, but she feels loyalty to the family. She is ready to kill the person who took her mother. She is desperate for answers. Just wait, you may think she is in the back seat, but wait until she is ready to release her rage.

Crematoriums are freaky, creepy, and scary, and even more so than funeral homes, as in the movies, a way to get rid of bodies. Even though I have already paid for my cremation, after reading this, it makes you think, will my sons get my ashes? Also, removing any chance of what happened to the dead, erasing all evidence?

Cosby is a pro and combined with this edge-of-your-seat storyline, the danger, nerve-wrecking suspense, the setting, the crematorium, the well-developed characters, and the parallel mystery of the mom from the past, you have a home run! No one could have written this story better than S.A. Cosby, the King of Southern Gothic Fiction.

Audiobook...

The audiobook was EPIC! I am talking SMOLDERING, STELLAR, BEST AUDIO OF 2O25, and the performance by the mega talented Adam Lazarre-White was award-winning! Stupefying! Off the charts fabulous! He nailed every voice, character, mood, intensity, fear, and thought, elevating the story to new levels. I was so engrossed, hanging on his every word—there was no way I was putting this audiobook down. Unputdownable. I listened to it in one sitting and couldn't wait to see how it would turn out. I highly recommend the audiobook!

MOVE-WORTHY! Yes, a TV series based on S.A. Cosby's novel "King of Ashes" is planned. Netflix, along with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and the Obamas' Higher Ground Productions, has acquired the rights to develop the book as a TV series. The series is described as a family crime drama.

The author is on fire 🔥! I will be buying the hardcover for my home library, but the audiobook and narrator are not to be missed!

Recs...

It is difficult to compare this book to anything out there as S.A. Cosby is in a class of his own, but if you are a fan of his work, KING OF ASHES is a must-read, must-listen. My favorite of his. Fans of dark and gritty crime fiction and those who enjoy works by Karin Slaughter, Dennis Lehane, and Walter Mosley will devour.

Also the family dynamics reminded me of Terah Shelton Harris' (top book of 2024-highly recommend as well; see my Author QA) Long After We Are Gone: An explosive and emotional story of four siblings―each fighting their own personal battle―return to their NC home in the wake of their father's death to save their family's home from being sold out from under them.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and #MacAudio2025, for a gifted advanced listening copy via Google Play for the opportunity to review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Top Audiobooks of 2025
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
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“Everything burns.” Whenever Roman said it, you knew something or someone was about to go up in flames. S.A. Cosby delivers yet again, with a suspenseful, fast-paced story that absolutely lives up to its title. I couldn’t put this book down and devoured it in a one day.

The lengths Roman goes to in order to keep secrets buried or burned are both chilling and mind-blowing. The plot twist was full of tension, danger and moral complexity. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I absolutely did not. Excellent read - 5 stars!!!!

Wow. This was amazing. As usual per a S. A Cosby book. It’s a slow burn ish kind of thriller, it’s about family and what you would do to try to save them. “It’s us or them” is the best way to describe this book without giving anything away.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

King of Ashes is an absolute crime masterpiece! S.A. Cosby has crafted a gripping tale that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Roman is an incredible main character, driven by an unwavering love for his family, and his journey to uncover the truth behind his mother's death is both compelling and heart-wrenching. The twists and turns in the mystery were completely unexpected, making the story even more thrilling.

I was particularly struck by the raw and haunting portrayal of violence throughout the book; it lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. Listening to the audiobook was a fantastic experience—Adam Lazarre-White's smooth narration brought the characters and their emotions to life in a way that truly enhanced the story. His voice is captivating, and I always look forward to hearing him narrate Cosby's works. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an unforgettable read!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an ALC. All opinions are my own.

The narration on this was AMAZING. He did the "bad guys" so well, they were so creepy! This was excellent - so dark and pretty graphic but a very compelling story, I couldn't put it down. He just keeps getting better & better!

I love this author so much. These books are hyper masculine but never toxic. If you do not get it, I suggest reading/listening to some of his books. This book is disturbing and wonderful. I loved it all. The end was a shock.
The narrator was perfect too.

Fans of S.A. Cosby's work will likely love this one but to a casual reader looking for a good book, I have big feelings.

"King of Ashes" pretty much follows this author's trademark writing style where the plot is crowded with profound psychological issues that forever remain unexplored, motivations are unconvincing, and finally all is talk and no show. Also, does this author likes his platitudes.

I really dislike how S.A Cosby repeatedly makes grief and trauma an integral part of his characters' traits but then is unwilling to do his own research to make them believable. Roman is a financial magician promising wealth to everyone right and left. He just walks through life with answers to all issues at the ready. He has connections, street smarts, undisclosed but always sufficient amount of money to solve all problems. In the end, because the author did not do his research he lands on making Roman's sexual 'deviancy' a choice rather than a psychological issue that again just gets explained away in the most lazy way.

It is not often you meet a book where there is too much yet not enough, all at the same time.

Absolute fabulous narration of the audiobook by Adam Lazarre-White.