Reviews

I went back to read this 2019 debut novel on the strength of author S. A. Cosby's later works Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears, and I can confirm that his talent for immersive storytelling is already apparent here. It's another crime thriller / southern noir, in which an unconventional investigator digs into a local mystery, gets impressively bloodied by the various factions he riles up, and deals back his own damage twice as hard. I once saw someone refer to Cosby as the Black Elmore Leonard, and that's honestly not too far off the mark!

On the other hand, there are some definite weaknesses in this earlier text, like a reliance on character archetypes he'd subsequently learn to either skew or avoid altogether. The romantic interest feels particularly egregious in this regard, as a literal porn star who falls for the protagonist immediately and assures him that he's better in bed than anyone she's ever been with before. (Sex workers of course deserve love stories just like everyone else, but this femme fatale seems less like an attempt at representation and more like a juvenile bit of wish fulfillment for the writer's stand-in.) The plot is also fairly straightforward, again using familiar pieces very well but never quite elevating them into something distinctive. Still, it's a first book with a lot of promise, and I'm delighted the author has now fully grown into that.

[Content warning for racism including slurs, gun violence, torture, child rape, and gore.]

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larachism's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

moderenan's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

laurensbookvibes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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