All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby, Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

With All the Sinners Bleed, S. A. Cosby further cements himself–in my mind at least–as one of the greatest living authors writing today. His characters breathe from the page, forcing themselves to feel as real to the reader as they are to the man writing them. This novel is no exception.

Sheriff Titus Crown is the first black sheriff in a Virginia county where racism is still alive and well, as it is in far too many places in the real world. A former FBI agent haunted by the traumatic events of his past, Sheriff Crown is thrust into the midst of a horrific nightmare of child torture and murder when a young man kills a well-loved high school teacher in broad daylight before being shot by deputies. The investigation unveils monstrous secrets hiding beneath the surface of a small town, connected with an evangelical church…as the latent tension and bigotry within the community come to a boil while a monster roams free, hidden in plain sight.

There’s humor, horror, drama, and suspense alike within this story, as with all of Cosby’s books. The narrative is as heartbreaking as it is thrilling, and the fleshed-out family dynamics for Sheriff Crown are so true-to-life as to feel like we’re learning about a real man facing impossible odds.

The narration provided by Adam Lazarre-White is as spectacular as always, and I sincerely hope he continues as the voice attached to Cosby’s novels.