King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
on June 10, 2025
Genres: Fiction / African American & Black / Mystery & Detective, Fiction / Southern, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Format: Audiobook
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If you’re drawn to dark, twisty mysteries with a gritty edge and a slow burn that erupts into high-stakes drama, King of Ashes will pull you in and keep you guessing until the final reveal.
The story follows Roman Carruthers, a financial advisor living the high life in Atlanta—far from his family’s crematory business in Jefferson Run, Virginia. But when his sister calls to say their father is in a coma after a suspicious hit-and-run, Roman returns home and steps back into the flames of a family scorched by secrets, debts, and unresolved trauma. With his brother entangled in dangerous criminal dealings and his sister desperate for answers about their long-missing mother, Roman is thrust into a life-or-death fight for truth—and for survival.
This novel delivers a gritty, suspenseful narrative that blends elements of a mob-style thriller with the emotional intensity of a fractured family drama. It’s atmospheric and raw, with a simmering tension that lingers throughout. The Carruthers siblings are complex and compelling, each bearing scars from the past as they try to navigate the chaos of the present. The setting—a family-run crematorium—is as symbolic as it is eerie, echoing the book’s core theme: everything burns.
King of Ashes isn’t just about solving a mystery; it’s about reckoning with buried pain, family loyalty, and how far you’ll go to protect the people you love. And just when you think you’ve figured it all out, the twist at the end hits with a gut-punch you won’t see coming.
This is a great pick for readers who enjoy gritty thrillers with emotional depth, morally gray characters, and layered family dynamics. If you like stories that sit somewhere between crime fiction and psychological drama, this one is for you.
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