King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
In S. A. Cosby’s latest novel, King of Ashes, money manager to the stars Roman Carruthers has long abandoned his Virginia roots. For years, he’s been living large in Atlanta, making millions for his clients and indulging in every fantasy he can imagine. The deep scars of a troubled childhood remain buried within him and his hometown of Jefferson Run, Virginia, a small city on the edge of ruin by crime, drugs and zombie buildings.
He’s also left behind his ambitious father and his sister, Neveah, who run the family’s crematorium business, and his wayward younger brother, Dante, who can’t quit his addiction to drugs, women and the dark underbelly of Jefferson Run. They are all haunted by the 20-year-old disappearance of their beloved mother, Bonita, whose death sparks layers of guilt that bind them together while pulling them apart.
Betrayal, Power Struggles and Murder
The prodigal son, Roman returns home when his father is hospitalized after a near-fatal auto collision with an oncoming train. He immediately discovers that Dante is deeply in debt to a local gang that rules Jefferson Run, and which is threatening his family at every turn. He suspects the gang is responsible for recent tire slashings at the crematorium and his father’s accident.
As the oldest sibling, Roman feels obligated to protect his kin and the thriving business his father sacrificed so much to establish. He immediately enters “big brother protective” mode and is drawn into a world of corruption and crime to save his brother, sister and comatose father.
As a result, Roman becomes trapped in a web of betrayal, power struggles and murder that won’t let him go. Each day presents deadly choices that leave him wondering whether there is a way out of the fiery hell called Jefferson Run.
Dark and Convoluted Family Dynamics
King of Ashes is a dark, complicated “Southern noir” tale of family relationships and the way the Carruthers family deals with the tremendous weight of guilt they carry over their mother’s long-ago disappearance. For 20 years, the siblings have lived without closure of the unsolved mystery of their mother’s vanishing. Their obsession with their mother colors every aspect of their lives; every decision they make and turns every dream into a nightmare.
Neveah is convinced her father incinerated her mother in a jealous rage, while the boys try to make peace with the memories of growing up without a loving mother but with a dominating, career-consumed father. Having raised themselves, it is no wonder they cling to each other like life preservers in a storm.
At the heart of King of Ashes is the adult siblings’ realization that their parents are human beings with fatal flaws, and trying to preserve them as idols has reaped a heavy moral price. Neveah has begrudgingly dedicated her life to the family business. Roman has bolted from Jefferson Run to distance himself from his family’s issues, and baby brother Dante has struggled to identify his place within a family of strong, competent personalities.
Ultimately, it is Dante’s stupid mistakes that shake the family — and their futures — to the core, and make each sibling reexamine their priorities.
Another Mesmerizing Cosby Thriller
In King of Ashes, Cosby drives home that the small-town cycle of violence and crime can be without escape and deadly. Drive-by shootings, crooked cops, fire bombings, and drug deals gone awry are some of the obstacles the characters face as they struggle to survive Dante’s fatal error.
However, Roman quickly grasps the hierarchy of power within his hometown, and that loyalty and revenge force him to engage in previously unthinkable actions to protect his loved ones.
King of Ashes, once again, proves that S. A. Cosby is a mesmerizing crime fiction storyteller. And he cleverly utilizes his in-depth personal knowledge of the crematory business (his wife is a mortician) as the framework for a heart-pounding tale of murder and revenge. The depth and sincerity of the Carruthers siblings and their trials will resonate with the reader long after the final explosive page.
About S. A. Cosby:
S. A. Cosby is a New York Times bestselling writer from southeastern Virginia. He is the author of All the Sinners Bleed, which was on more than 40 Best of the Year lists, including Barack Obama’s, as well as Edgar Award finalist Razorblade Tears and Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Blacktop Wasteland. He has also won the Anthony Award, ITW Thriller Award, Barry Award, Macavity Award, BCALA Award, and Audie Award and has been longlisted for the ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.
