A review by serendipitysbooks
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 All the Sinners Bleed is a story about Titus Crown, the first Black sheriff of Charon County, Virginia. It opens with a school shooting. A Black teen has shot a beloved teacher and is in turn shot by police. The subsequent investigation takes Titus and his deputies in unexpected and horrific directions. This was one of the darkest books I have read in a long time. Thankfully the worst of the subject matter was alluded to rather than graphically depicted. I thought Cosby did a great job highlighting the chilling reality of white supremacism and the toll facing up to it places on Black officers. I also appreciated the way current issues - such as those surrounding statutes of Confederate soldiers - were woven into the plot, making the novel feel both real and relevant. There were other layers to the plot as well - religious extremism, the legacy of child abuse, Titus’s personal and family situations. The story does incorporate some potentially tired cliched tropes, as is often the case with genre fiction. But the plot and pacing made for a gripping read, and the many contemporary issues, particularly those related to race, helped to elevate it above its tropes. 
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