King of Ashes Hardcover by S. A. Cosby – Southern Crime Epic

by S. a. Cosby (Author)

King of Ashes – Hardcover by S. A. Cosby is a powerful Southern crime novel and family drama inspired by the intensity of classic organized-crime stories. Set in Jefferson Run, Virginia, the story explores loyalty, ambition, revenge, corruption, and the lengths one man will go to protect his family.

Roman Carruthers has built a successful career as a financial adviser in Atlanta. When his father is seriously injured in a car accident, Roman returns home to help his siblings and manage the family’s crematorium business.

Roman soon discovers that his younger brother, Dante, owes a dangerous debt to local criminals. While Roman attempts to protect his family and resolve the growing threat, his sister Neveah investigates the long-standing mystery surrounding their mother’s disappearance.

As secrets emerge and the danger intensifies, Roman uses his financial knowledge, intelligence, and willingness to cross moral boundaries to fight back. The result is a fast-moving Southern noir thriller filled with family conflict, escalating violence, organized crime, and morally complicated choices.

An instant New York Times bestseller, King of Ashes is ideal for readers who enjoy crime thrillers, Southern Gothic fiction, family sagas, antiheroes, and suspenseful stories about power and survival.

Book Highlights

• Written by bestselling author S. A. Cosby
• Hardcover edition
• Southern crime and noir thriller
• Godfather-inspired family drama
• Follows financial adviser Roman Carruthers
• Set in Jefferson Run, Virginia
• Features the Carruthers family crematorium
• Includes organized crime and a dangerous financial debt
• Explores the mystery of the family’s missing mother
• Examines loyalty, revenge, corruption, power, and survival
• Features morally complex characters and escalating danger
• Instant New York Times bestseller
• Publisher: Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar
• Number of pages: 352
• Publication date: June 10, 2025
• ISBN-13: 9781250832061

Author Biography

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 forty 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.