55 pages • 1 hour read
King of Ashes
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Background
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, antigay bias, racism, and death.
Authorial Context: S. A. Cosby
S. A. Cosby is an American author known for his Southern noir crime fiction. He was born in Newport News, Virginia, in 1973, and his works often explore themes of race, class, and violence. Cosby’s debut novel, My Darkest Prayer (2018), is a thriller that follows Nathan Waymaker, a former Marine and sheriff’s deputy, as he delves into his small town’s corrupt underbelly to uncover the secrets behind a beloved local minister’s death. Like King of Ashes, My Darkest Prayer features elements of mystery and crime as well as a large cast of characters that includes gang members, crime lords, and unscrupulous police officers.
In 2020, Cosby published Blacktop Wasteland, a Southern noir thriller about Beauregard “Bug” Montage, a former getaway driver and father of three. Although Bug tries to put his criminal past behind him, he sets a series of perils and tragedies in motion when he participates in one last robbery. Similar to Roman, Bug is a morally ambiguous character who commits ethically dubious deeds to help his family but finds himself increasingly enmeshed in crime and corruption. The novel won numerous awards, including the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel.
