I’ve been an S.A. Cosby fan since his debut, Blacktop Wasteland so was eager to read his newest novel, King of Ashes. Once again, Cosby settles in the small-town South, this time with a prodigal son forced to return home after his father is in an accident that leaves him in a coma. Roman Carruthers is adept with numbers, specifically money, and he makes lots of it for his ... Read More...
All the Sinners Bleed
It occurred to him no place was more confused by its past or more terrified of the future than The South. It's always gratifying to watch a new author come into their own. I’ve been reading S.A. Cosby since his debut Blacktop Wasteland and have found his writing getting stronger with each of his novels. His latest, All the Sinners Bleed, is a taut, propulsive thriller ... Read More...
Razorblade Tears
Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins are middle-aged men with only two things in common. And both are things they’d like to forget: their prison time and their gay sons. One is easier than the other because their sons, Isiah and Derek married and have a little girl. Other than that, Ike is Black and the proud owner of a flourishing landscaping business and Buddy lives in a ... Read More...
Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
Beauregard (“Bug”) is a man dedicated to his work. His work being cars and anything to do with them, especially muscle cars. This means when Blacktop Wasteland begins, he’s also a man torn. He’s gone legit and opened an auto repair shop, but a new competitor in the small town of Red Hill, Virginia is trying to put him out of business. Despite his promise to his wife Kia and his ... Read More...
When These Mountains Burn
There are few things I love more than an evocative writer. Someone who makes me feel what and where they’re writing about. Two that come to mind immediately: Pat Conroy in Prince of Tides, not only for the low country of South Carolina, but for New York when Tom goes there and Kent Haruf for Holt, Colorado, a small town that served as the setting for his Plainsong trilogy. I ... Read More...
Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek
Ellie’s life has never been what you’d call normal. Her mother is unusually high strung, enough so that having people over to the house or going out as a family is not feasible. But her father is the best father in the world. He works in the general store nearby and 11-year-old Ellie goes by every day after school to help him. When her mother gets pregnant everyone is happy. ... Read More...
