DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Adam Lazarre-White performs S.A. Cosby’s reissued debut novel. Nathan Waymaker is a former law enforcement officer now working at his cousin’s funeral home in the Chesapeake Bay area. When a local pastor dies under mysterious circumstances, two women from the pastor’s congregation approach Waymaker, offering to pay him to look into the pastor’s death. Lazarre-White’s performance is subtle, a master class in narrating a book from a single viewpoint. Lazarre-White captures Waymaker’s character perfectly, embodying his wounded spirit and his resilience in the face of the constant injustices he witnesses while trying to find out why the pastor died. K.D.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
“S.A. Cosby’s reissued debut thriller proves he was a master from the start…Cosby has in three books emerged as one of the genre’s best living practitioners, testing the ways racism, misogyny and homophobia have distorted men’s views of themselves and asking how they can be made whole. The protagonists in his subsequent novels are further explorations of the themes he approaches so beautifully in this debut — which is just one reason its reissue is a brilliant idea.”
—Los Angeles Times
“[A] colorful tale of small-town corruption...[Cosby's] powerful storytelling skills shine through.”
—Washington Post
“A bold, confident debut from a natural storyteller.”
—Crimespree magazine
“A compelling character, a tangled mystery and crisp writing make this southern-fried investigation a hit. Rarely have I read a debut so self-assured. On nearly every page was a line I wish I’d written. S.A. Cosby has arrived fully formed.”
—Eric Beetner, author of Rumrunners and Leadfoot
“With his debut novel My Darkest Prayer, author S.A. Cosby enters the crime fiction arena shoulder first, splintering open the door, and announcing his presence with a resounding crash. Consider yourself warned: his presence has been announced.”
—Eryk Pruitt, award-winning screenwriter, author, and filmmaker
“Shawn Cosby knows how to turn a phrase. His similes are as masterful as they are entertaining. The man can write a hell of a fight scene, coupled with some authentic dialogue, and that’s a perfect combination. Recommended? Absolutely.”
—Paul Heatley, Mystery Tribune
Praise for S. A. Cosby:
“S. A. Cosby is a welcome, refreshing new voice in crime literature.” —Dennis Lehane
“S. A. Cosby reinvents the American crime novel.” —Walter Mosley
“Cosby’s prose is vibrant and inventive, his action exuberant and relentless. . . . You may come for the setup, but you’ll stay for the storytelling. Cosby writes in a spirit of generous abundance and gleeful abandon. . . . This is how crime writers establish a following: by priming readers to get excited about whatever’s coming next. If that’s the true measure of making a name for yourself, then Cosby’s already there.” —New York Times Book Review
“Elmore Leonard, wherever you are, you’ve got competition. . . . S. A. Cosby has reappeared as one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction.” —Washington Post
"With writing that's as precise and emotionally engaging as it is cinematic, character and relationships reign supreme. . . . Addictive, arresting entertainment. S. A. Cosby might be a miracle worker. . . . Cosby's high-octane drama cements his ascension as a prince of the literary action thriller.” —NPR
Library Journal
07/01/2022
Having blasted into the thriller stratosphere with Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland, Cosby earns a reissue of his debut novel. Here, former marine and deputy sheriff Nathan Waymaker, now working at his cousin's funeral home, is tasked with uncovering the truth about a local preacher's untimely death. With a 75,000-copy first printing.
DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Adam Lazarre-White performs S.A. Cosby’s reissued debut novel. Nathan Waymaker is a former law enforcement officer now working at his cousin’s funeral home in the Chesapeake Bay area. When a local pastor dies under mysterious circumstances, two women from the pastor’s congregation approach Waymaker, offering to pay him to look into the pastor’s death. Lazarre-White’s performance is subtle, a master class in narrating a book from a single viewpoint. Lazarre-White captures Waymaker’s character perfectly, embodying his wounded spirit and his resilience in the face of the constant injustices he witnesses while trying to find out why the pastor died. K.D.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
