S.A. Cosby Delivers a Thrilling Return with 'King of Ashes'

S.A. Cosby’s dynamic fifth novel, 'King of Ashes,' opens with a haunting glimpse into youth marked by desire and violence. Roman Carruthers, the story’s central character, has escaped the decay of his hometown, Jefferson Run, Virginia, to become a wealthy investment manager living lavishly in Atlanta. His world shifts when he wakes to news that his father has suffered a mysterious car accident and remains in a coma.

Returning home, Roman finds his family fractured. His sister Neveah, worn down and bitter, struggles under the weight of running the family crematory, while his younger brother Dante battles addiction and behaves immaturely despite being in his thirties. Roman recognizes the sense of abandonment his family felt when he left Jefferson Run and, as the eldest sibling, feels compelled to restore what has been broken.

Within hours of his return, Roman uncovers a violent truth: their father’s accident is linked to Dante’s troubles. Deeply indebted to a brutal local gang controlling Jefferson Run, Dante’s failure to repay has drawn deadly consequences. Roman, combining his sharp business acumen with familial loyalty, believes he can negotiate with these menacing figures to protect his brother.

Roman has honed his skills in navigating shady dealings and concealing secrets — from insider trading to personal indiscretions — but confronting a gang that kills without remorse is an entirely different challenge. Unlike the detached calculations of corporate boardrooms, this violent underworld demands a willingness to engage in savagery. To defend his family and seek justice for his father, Roman must confront the darkness within himself.

The narrative races forward with escalating peril, shifting between tense encounters in cars and the family crematory, and moments of gritty allure set in nightclubs and bedrooms. Cosby vividly brings Jefferson Run to life as a poverty-stricken Southern town plagued by economic collapse and corruption at every level — from city officials to law enforcement. The gang’s grip extends across the city’s abandoned streets and thrives in businesses ranging from illicit drug and gun trades to nightclubs and even the town’s finest restaurant.