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All the Sinners Bleed: A Novel Hardcover – June 6, 2023

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13,239 ratings

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • USA Today Bestseller • Washington Post’s The Twelve Best Thrillers of the Year • TIME’s 100 Must Read Books of the Year • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee • USA Today’s Best Reviewed Books of the Year • BookPage's Best Mystery of the Year • Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of the Year • New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • Cover of the New York Times Book Review • Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List • The Financial Times’s Best Crime Books of the Year • ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction Longlist • SIBA’s 2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist • Starred Publishers Weekly • Starred Library Journal • Starred BookPage • Starred Booklist
“Fresh and exhilarating. . . Cosby keeps his eye on the story and the pedal to the metal.” ―Stephen King,
TheNew York Times Book Review

A Black sheriff. A serial killer. A small town ready to combust.

The new novel from New York Times bestselling and Los Angeles Times Book Prize-winning author S. A. Cosby, "one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction.” ―Washington Post.

“An atmospheric pressure cooker.” ―People

Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface.

Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes and a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon.

With the killer’s possible connections to a local church and the town’s harrowing history weighing on him, Titus projects confidence about closing the case while concealing a painful secret from his own past. At the same time, he also has to contend with a far-right group that wants to hold a parade in celebration of the town’s Confederate history.

Charon is Titus’s home and his heart. But where faith and violence meet, there will be a reckoning.

Powerful and unforgettable,
All the Sinners Bleed confirms S. A. Cosby as “one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction” (The Washington Post).


"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

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From the Publisher

All the Sinners Bleed S.A. Cosby

All the Sinners Bleed S.A. Cosby Dennis Lehane quote

All the Sinners Bleed S.A. Cosby Roxane Gay quote

All the Sinners Bleed S.A. Cosby The Washington Post review

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of June 2023: S. A. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed is a full tilt Southern Gothic murder mystery that draws on race, religion, politics, and even small town policing in the modern age. Your common or garden variety thriller could collapse under the weight of all that social commentary, but that's Cosby's signature: like Michael Connelly with his strict adherence to police procedures, or Lee Child with his forensic accounts of hand-to-hand combat, Cosby skillfully uses his characters to show what he wants readers to see, rather than tell them. And Titus Crown, the first Black Sheriff of Charon County, is one of his most skillfully etched characters yet. His strong moral compass compels him to try to clean up his hometown's bigoted police force. But when his investigation into a school shooting ends up pointing at a serial killer hiding in plain sight, it's a tussle with demons of many stripes in this complex and atmospheric thriller. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

Review

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • USA Today Bestseller • Washington Post’s The Twelve Best Thrillers of the Year • TIME’s 100 Must Read Books of the Year • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee • USA Today’s Best Reviewed Books of the Year • BookPage's Best Mystery of the Year • Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of the Year • New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • Cover of the New York Times Book Review • Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List • The Financial Times’s Best Crime Books of the Year • ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction Longlist • SIBA’s 2024 Southern Book Prize Finalist • Starred Publishers Weekly • Starred Library Journal • Starred BookPage • Starred Booklist

“The body count is high and the action pretty much nonstop. . . A crackling good police procedural. . . Cosby delivers a fine climax. Then, in an epilogue, he serves up a final treat that’s worth the whole trip. . . Fresh and exhilarating.”

―New York Times Book Review, Stephen King

“S. A. Cosby’s novels always hit the grand slam of crime fiction; unstoppable momentum, gripping intrigue and deep character with a hard and telling look at culture and society.
I hesitate to call All The Sinners Bleed his masterpiece because he has many more books to write and they only get better and better. Cosby no doubt carries the mantle of Faulkner with him as he uses the crime story to show us where we are and how far we still need to go. Sheriff Titus Crown lives in these pages and your heart. He's a character for the ages.”
―Michael Connelly, #1
New York Times bestselling author of Desert Star

“Riveting. . . What elevates this book is how Cosby weaves politically charged salient issues ― race, religion, policing ― through the prism of a serial murder investigation and the perspective of one of the most memorable heroes in contemporary crime fiction. . . Deeply moving and memorable.”
―Washington Post

“On the basis of four novels, each better than the last (and
All the Sinners Bleed the best of them all), it’s fairly easy to say that American crime fiction has found its future and his name is S.A. Cosby.”
―Dennis Lehane,
New York Times bestselling author of Small Mercies

“Cosby vaults his own high bar. . .His most deeply resonant, timely and timeless novel to date.”
―Los Angeles Times

“Dark, wildly entertaining. . . All the Sinners Bleed is rough, smart, gritty, intricate, and Southern to the core.”
―NPR, Gabino Iglesias

“Superb…A thoughtfully plotted, unflinching look at Cosby’s familiar themes with precise character studies, crackling dialogue and the backdrop of a small town in Virginia.”
―South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Compelling characters, dark plot twists, mordant humor and ruthless violence. . . He’s a master of building a sense of creeping dread that explodes into hair-raising action. He’s also deft at bringing complex characters to life, and at pointed humor. . . Riveting ride.”
―Tampa Bay Times

“A rural, hair-raising crime story.”
The New York Times, 9 New Books Coming in June

“An atmospheric pressure cooker.”
People

“Breakneck noir crime thriller.”
TIME

“An excellent, gritty novel about how eventually, all sins must be reckoned with...The action is nonstop and Titus has real depth...Layered. Dark. True.”
―Roxane Gay,
New York Times bestselling author

“A bold, raw new voice in the thriller landscape. All the Sinners Bleed has a dark, raw, Southern gothic/noir feeling combined with a hard-edged look at the dark places in our past. Really enjoyed it.”
―Kristin Hannah, #1 bestselling author of
The Nightingale and The Four Winds

"A chilling, terrifying serial killer hunt.”
―Philadelphia Inquirer

“A taut and riveting whodunit.”
―Garden & Gun

“Superb…The hard-edged storytelling is supplemented by richly developed characters, especially Titus and his family, and Cosby elegantly layers his narrative over Virginia’s racial history, giving the proceedings uncommon emotional depth. This is easily the author’s strongest work to date.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Cosby’s literary skills are exceptional. His characters feel so real, his dialogue is pitch-perfect, and the story...is of such moral complexity it wholly commands the reader’s close attention. This is a crime novel to savor and ponder.”
Booklist, starred review

“At once a gripping character study and a darkly compelling example of Southern noir...All the Sinners Bleed is a nerve-jangling, thought-provoking, often heartbreaking read, but also one that reminds readers 'there was beauty in the world . . . if you knew where to look.'"
BookPage, starred review

“Cosby, the multi-award-winning author of
Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears, has a unique, powerful voice for social justice and racism. His compelling writing will have readers rooting for his latest unforgettable, flawed hero.”
Library Journal, starred review

All The Sinners Bleed further cements S.A. Cosby's place as one of the most important new voices in crime fiction. Uncompromising, poignant and compelling, it seamlessly merges an action-packed mystery with thoughtful commentary on what it’s like to live in America right now. I won’t read a better book this year. Incredible.”
―M. W. Craven, bestselling author of
Fearless

All The Sinners Bleed is another banger from S. A. Cosby. Titus Crown is one of the most compelling characters I've read in a long time.”
―Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of
Thirteen

“Only S.A. Cosby could bring poetry to the darkness.
A dark, disturbing and gripping masterpiece that reaches into the depths of your soul.”
―Nadine Matheson, bestselling author of
The Jigsaw Man

“With the release of All The Sinners Bleed, S. A. Cosby further cements the arrival of a great American author. Although the story is cleverly veiled as an engaging suspense/mystery, he manages to deftly examine issues of race, class and religion with impressive effectiveness. Loved the ride.”
― Eriq La Salle, Actor/Director/Producer and author of
Laws of Wrath

“S. A. Cosby does Thomas Harris!! And proves that the serial killer novel is back with his cleverly plotted and socially relevant take on the hunt for a monstrous killer…A fast-paced book that will also have you asking deep questions about the nature of faith, All the Sinners Bleed is bound to be one of my favorite books of the year."
―Lithub

“S. A. Cosby is a proven master of crime fiction, and
All the Sinners Bleed continues his hot streak….This socially conscious southern noir is about as violent and grizzly as novels get ― a heavy but necessary read for those sultry nights steeped in moonlight and moonshine where the ugly truth gets the justice and the reckoning it deserves.”
―Vulture

“Cosby’s growing body of work represents
a muscular take on race relations in America. In All The Sinners Bleed, he again forces the reader to dwell on how prejudice lingers and shapes contemporary society, particularly in America’s south. A powerful crime thriller that pulls no punches.”
―Vaseem Khan, bestselling author of the Baby Ganesh Agency series and the Malabar series

“An uncompromising, blistering Southern Gothic with a compelling, beautifully drawn protagonist in Titus Crown. Cosby's writing sings.”
―Mason Cross, author of the Carter Blake series

“A gripping cat-and-mouse game...Readers will cheer at Titus’ brutal screeds against those who push him past the point of patience....Another provocative and page-turning entry in the Southern noir genre.”
Kirkus

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flatiron Books (June 6, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250831911
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250831910
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.12 x 9.56 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13,239 ratings

About the author

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S.A. Cosby
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S.A. Cosby is the New York Times national best selling award-winning author from Southeastern Virginia. His books include MY DARKEST PRAYER, Blacktop Wasteland, Amazon's #1 Mystery and Thriller of the Year and #3 Best Book of 2020 overall, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Winner of the LA Times Book Award for Mystery or Thrillers and a Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist and the winner of the ITW award for hard cover book of the year, the Macavity for best novel of the year, the Anthony, The Barry , a honorable mention from the ALA Black Caucus and was a finalists for the CWA Golden Dagger. He is also author of the best selling RAZORBLADE TEARS which also won the Anthony, The Barry , The Macivity and The ITW award and The Dashiell Hammett award. His book ALL THE SINNERS BLEED was nominated for The Lefty The Edgar and The LA Times Book award and The ALA book award

His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, and his story "Slant-Six" was selected as a Distinguished Story in Best American Mystery Stories for 2016. His short story "The Grass Beneath My Feet" won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story in 2019.his short story NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR won the Anthony in 2022.

His writing has been called "gritty and heartbreaking" and "dark, thrilling and tragic" and "raw ,emotional and profound "

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
13,239 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the characters well-developed and fully expressed. They also praise the writing style as great and the storyline as outstanding, gritty, and riveting. Customers describe the pacing as well done, smooth, and contemporary. They find the content insightful, revealing, and true to life. Readers describe the plot as suspenseful, gripping, and resonant. Opinions are mixed on the emotional tone, with some finding it gripping and others finding it disturbing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

202 customers mention "Storyline"196 positive6 negative

Customers find the storyline outstanding, thrilling, and perfect for their mood. They also describe the book as Southern fiction at its finest.

"...all plots and sub-plots were laid out in a straightforward, crystal clear narrative...." Read more

"...His protagonist, Titus Crowne, is very likable and compelling...." Read more

"...ALL THE SINNERS BLEED is rich in place and character. Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, a riveting Southern rural, small-town police..." Read more

"...All The Sinners Bleed is more of a literary thriller, the story is bigger, there's more nuance, some of the characters are less obvious... Wolves in..." Read more

168 customers mention "Plot"137 positive31 negative

Customers find the plot suspenseful, action-packed, riveting, and entertaining. They also say the book is the best mystery book they have read this year. Readers also mention that the story includes romance, crime, and truth.

"...For certain it is the best of 18 other mystery books I have read this year. A masterpiece for this genre. I give it a 97. (A+)" Read more

"...Thought-provoking, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Southern fiction at its finest...." Read more

"...A page turner that keeps you guessing and then leaves you rushing to finish while trying to pace yourself to make it last. It's that good!..." Read more

"I liked the overall lead character, the gory details of the plot, and the anti-religion elements...." Read more

139 customers mention "Writing style"115 positive24 negative

Customers find the writing style enjoyable, well-written, and descriptive. They also appreciate the author's sharp wit and fully expressed emotions. Readers also mention that the characters feel real, authentic, and lived-in.

"...The author writes with emotional power. I enjoy being apart of it like that, and that raises its value as a book to me...." Read more

"Cosby is a very talented writer. His protagonist, Titus Crowne, is very likable and compelling...." Read more

"...Dark and complex, beautifully written with lyrical prose. Thought-provoking, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Southern fiction at its finest...." Read more

"...Cosby has social conscience, sharp wit, and knows how to tell a good story...." Read more

102 customers mention "Characterization"95 positive7 negative

Customers find the characters in the book well developed and original. They also say the author is one of the best and most original writers of crime fiction to come along in quite some time.

"...The main character was fully developed in many ways, and wow - I cried with him and for him. The author writes with emotional power...." Read more

"Cosby is a very talented writer. His protagonist, Titus Crowne, is very likable and compelling...." Read more

"...ALL THE SINNERS BLEED is rich in place and character...." Read more

"...He's one of the best, most original writers of crime fiction to come along in quite some time...." Read more

42 customers mention "Content"36 positive6 negative

Customers find the content insightful, timely, and important. They also say the subject matter brings forth many emotions, and the book weaves in the subject of race well. Readers appreciate the brilliant descriptions of sights, smells, and culture. They mention that the book has well-developed characters, lots of background, powerful messages, and interesting setting.

"...Dark and complex, beautifully written with lyrical prose. Thought-provoking, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Southern fiction at its finest...." Read more

"...Bleed is more of a literary thriller, the story is bigger, there's more nuance, some of the characters are less obvious... Wolves in sheep's..." Read more

"...almost any passage from the Bible, which creates an interesting exploration of the topic, demonstrating that Crown was very much a believer at one..." Read more

"...It is bold, it is courageous, it is full of unsettling truths, and it is in the tradition of modern classics like “Silence Of The Lambs”...." Read more

29 customers mention "Pacing"24 positive5 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book very well done, patient, and observant. They also say the book is timely and smooth-flowing. Readers mention that the book has a contemporary and timely background.

"...The performance was outstanding, and I highly recommend the audiobook.#JDCMustReadBooks" Read more

"...A page turner that keeps you guessing and then leaves you rushing to finish while trying to pace yourself to make it last. It's that good!..." Read more

"Easy read, and i stayed engaged, I could not figure out who committed the crime. A perfect read for my mood. Very well written." Read more

"...the kind of mystery story you come to expect for your money, fast and easy reading, sickening violence, a hard man wanting to be good, fighting men..." Read more

19 customers mention "Authenticity"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book true to life, genuine, and honest. They also say it's a true depiction of the country and the new south. Readers also appreciate the well-established plot and small town VA setting.

"...Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, a riveting Southern rural, small-town police procedural/crime thriller...." Read more

"...The place seems so real, you can almost taste the grits. The book is a real character study of a place...." Read more

"...and religion in a way that’s both powerful and unapologetically authentic.“..." Read more

"...with nonstop action and develops all the characters with complexity, realism, and relatability...." Read more

32 customers mention "Emotional tone"20 positive12 negative

Customers are mixed about the emotional tone of the book. Some mention that it grabbed at all their emotions, is brutal, and left them breathless. Others say that it's disturbing, not for the faint-hearted, and graphic.

"...Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, a riveting Southern rural, small-town police procedural/crime thriller...." Read more

"...Wow this book starts off with a bang and keeps going. It is not for the faint hearted. A lot of violence in the story...." Read more

"...It made me laugh, made me cry, and had me on the edge of my seat! I will definitely be reading his other novels." Read more

"...It's tightly crafted, intense, and riveting - just maybe have something light ready for after you finish." Read more

Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, & powerful!
5 Stars
Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, & powerful!
Southern master storyteller S.A. Cosby returns, following Blacktop Wasteland (2020) and Razorblade Tears (2021), both optioned for film, returns with his latest Southern Noir page-turner, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED. A riveting cat-and-mouse twisted game between a White religious killer and the first Black sheriff of a small rural Virginia town.Titus Crown was born in Charon County, VA, founded in bloodshed and darkness, literally and figuratively. A former FBI agent, he returns to the Chesapeake Bay area to take care of his father.Recently elected Sheriff Titus Crown is on the case —justice and vengeance—White supremacists, racists, bigots, and murderers.He becomes Charon's first Black Sheriff and deals with the usual crimes. However, on the anniversary of Titus's election, a former student walks into the local school and shoots Mr. Spearman, a white teacher, in the classroom before being shot by his deputies.The shooter and the victim are connected to abuses targeting Black children. After they get into Spearman's phone, there are photos and videos, and in addition, there is a third masked man, and the madman is still out there—a mysterious serial killer on the loose consisting of gruesome crimes involving Scripture and religion.Seven Black children had disappeared from the area over the past several years. Things get complicated and intense— tension turns to action-packed high adrenaline. From hate and racism, religious connections to a church, and messages carved in their bodies.~Titus's ex enters the picture to interview him for her true crime podcast.~A far-right group is pushing for a parade to celebrate the town's Confederate history.~A secret from Titus's past haunts him.~The bodies pile up, and the killer is taunting Titus. Titus has his work cut out to attain justice for the victims and restore the town.ALL THE SINNERS BLEED is rich in place and character. Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, a riveting Southern rural, small-town police procedural/crime thriller. From family, trauma, grief, violence, injustice, and faith.Dark and complex, beautifully written with lyrical prose. Thought-provoking, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Southern fiction at its finest. My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading his backlist.AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook by Adam Lazarre-White for an intense Southern Gothic murder mystery that blends race, politics, religion, and small-town procedurals. The performance was outstanding, and I highly recommend the audiobook.#JDCMustReadBooks
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2024
That Cosby kept my interest is an understatement; thus it certainly was a page turner. Why? The writing was not impaired by confusing flashbacks, or unfinished scenes. The plot rocked with new events seemingly every few pages to create ongoing conflicts and stress for our main character, and on me the reader looking over his shoulder. That’s called “suspense”! There were sub-plots, but they all fit together clearly. For example the preparations for the Fall Festival are mentioned throughout; this was good because it shows how difficult it is for a small law enforcement agency to deal with multiple issues simultaneously - which is realistic. The entire story with all plots and sub-plots were laid out in a straightforward, crystal clear narrative.

The main character was fully developed in many ways, and wow - I cried with him and for him. The author writes with emotional power. I enjoy being apart of it like that, and that raises its value as a book to me. Of course, it helped that I connected strongly with many of his views, especially about churches, and religion generally. I guess it is not a series but I badly want to read more of Titus and his life and adventures. I have read all of Connelly's books multiple times and feel like I love Harry Bosch like a brother. Of all other law enforcement characters I have read, Titus is stealing my heart.

For certain it is the best of 18 other mystery books I have read this year. A masterpiece for this genre. I give it a 97. (A+)
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024
Cosby is a very talented writer. His protagonist, Titus Crowne, is very likable and compelling. As the first African-American sheriff in a small Virginia town he is called to a school shooting. The SWAT team kills the young shooter before Titus can talk him down. The youth murdered a beloved teacher, but as Titus explores the case, he find the teacher had a dark side. He and the shooter were part of a three person torture/murder group that killed Black teens. Titus must find the identities of the victims and the third killer. Each possible clue leads to another graphic killing, which i started to skim over because i felt the descriptions too gratuitous. When the killer is finally revealed, I had to reread the solution, because the killer didn't appear earlier in the book, just clues to his identity. Titus would make a great central character in a series. But the author should tone down the violence and concentrate building better clues and suspects in the plot line.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2023
Southern master storyteller S.A. Cosby returns, following Blacktop Wasteland (2020) and Razorblade Tears (2021), both optioned for film, returns with his latest Southern Noir page-turner, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED. A riveting cat-and-mouse twisted game between a White religious killer and the first Black sheriff of a small rural Virginia town.

Titus Crown was born in Charon County, VA, founded in bloodshed and darkness, literally and figuratively. A former FBI agent, he returns to the Chesapeake Bay area to take care of his father.

Recently elected Sheriff Titus Crown is on the case —justice and vengeance—White supremacists, racists, bigots, and murderers.

He becomes Charon's first Black Sheriff and deals with the usual crimes. However, on the anniversary of Titus's election, a former student walks into the local school and shoots Mr. Spearman, a white teacher, in the classroom before being shot by his deputies.

The shooter and the victim are connected to abuses targeting Black children. After they get into Spearman's phone, there are photos and videos, and in addition, there is a third masked man, and the madman is still out there—a mysterious serial killer on the loose consisting of gruesome crimes involving Scripture and religion.

Seven Black children had disappeared from the area over the past several years. Things get complicated and intense— tension turns to action-packed high adrenaline. From hate and racism, religious connections to a church, and messages carved in their bodies.

~Titus's ex enters the picture to interview him for her true crime podcast.
~A far-right group is pushing for a parade to celebrate the town's Confederate history.
~A secret from Titus's past haunts him.
~The bodies pile up, and the killer is taunting Titus. Titus has his work cut out to attain justice for the victims and restore the town.

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED is rich in place and character. Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, a riveting Southern rural, small-town police procedural/crime thriller. From family, trauma, grief, violence, injustice, and faith.

Dark and complex, beautifully written with lyrical prose. Thought-provoking, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Southern fiction at its finest. My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading his backlist.

AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook by Adam Lazarre-White for an intense Southern Gothic murder mystery that blends race, politics, religion, and small-town procedurals. The performance was outstanding, and I highly recommend the audiobook.

#JDCMustReadBooks
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5.0 out of 5 stars Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, & powerful!
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2023
Southern master storyteller S.A. Cosby returns, following Blacktop Wasteland (2020) and Razorblade Tears (2021), both optioned for film, returns with his latest Southern Noir page-turner, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED. A riveting cat-and-mouse twisted game between a White religious killer and the first Black sheriff of a small rural Virginia town.

Titus Crown was born in Charon County, VA, founded in bloodshed and darkness, literally and figuratively. A former FBI agent, he returns to the Chesapeake Bay area to take care of his father.

Recently elected Sheriff Titus Crown is on the case —justice and vengeance—White supremacists, racists, bigots, and murderers.

He becomes Charon's first Black Sheriff and deals with the usual crimes. However, on the anniversary of Titus's election, a former student walks into the local school and shoots Mr. Spearman, a white teacher, in the classroom before being shot by his deputies.

The shooter and the victim are connected to abuses targeting Black children. After they get into Spearman's phone, there are photos and videos, and in addition, there is a third masked man, and the madman is still out there—a mysterious serial killer on the loose consisting of gruesome crimes involving Scripture and religion.

Seven Black children had disappeared from the area over the past several years. Things get complicated and intense— tension turns to action-packed high adrenaline. From hate and racism, religious connections to a church, and messages carved in their bodies.

~Titus's ex enters the picture to interview him for her true crime podcast.
~A far-right group is pushing for a parade to celebrate the town's Confederate history.
~A secret from Titus's past haunts him.
~The bodies pile up, and the killer is taunting Titus. Titus has his work cut out to attain justice for the victims and restore the town.

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED is rich in place and character. Razor-sharp, gritty, intelligent, emotional, a riveting Southern rural, small-town police procedural/crime thriller. From family, trauma, grief, violence, injustice, and faith.

Dark and complex, beautifully written with lyrical prose. Thought-provoking, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Southern fiction at its finest. My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading his backlist.

AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook by Adam Lazarre-White for an intense Southern Gothic murder mystery that blends race, politics, religion, and small-town procedurals. The performance was outstanding, and I highly recommend the audiobook.

#JDCMustReadBooks
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Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2023
All The Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby evokes aspects of 'In the Heat of the Night' in terms of racial tensions and the search for truth amid dark secrets and blatant deception. It's the kind of thing that could be ripped from the headlines of today yet resonates back through generations past. A page turner that keeps you guessing and then leaves you rushing to finish while trying to pace yourself to make it last. It's that good!

I've been a fan of author S. A. Cosby since reading Blacktop Wasteland. He's one of the best, most original writers of crime fiction to come along in quite some time. His writing invites comparisons to such masters as Walter Mosley and Joe R. Lansdale as well as the more contemporary works of Dennis Lehane. Cosby has social conscience, sharp wit, and knows how to tell a good story.

This book is a bit different than what he's written before; his previous books were more gritty, in your face crime fiction (at its best I might add), rough men and women in rough circumstances living hard lives. All The Sinners Bleed is more of a literary thriller, the story is bigger, there's more nuance, some of the characters are less obvious... Wolves in sheep's clothing who are all the more dangerous for it. I absolutely loved this book. If you like a good dark thriller with a conscience that doesn't beat you over the head with its message then this one is for you. If you like a gritty crime story you'll still enjoy it.

Highly recommended!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Cosby goes next level with this riveting thriller
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2023
All The Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby evokes aspects of 'In the Heat of the Night' in terms of racial tensions and the search for truth amid dark secrets and blatant deception. It's the kind of thing that could be ripped from the headlines of today yet resonates back through generations past. A page turner that keeps you guessing and then leaves you rushing to finish while trying to pace yourself to make it last. It's that good!

I've been a fan of author S. A. Cosby since reading Blacktop Wasteland. He's one of the best, most original writers of crime fiction to come along in quite some time. His writing invites comparisons to such masters as Walter Mosley and Joe R. Lansdale as well as the more contemporary works of Dennis Lehane. Cosby has social conscience, sharp wit, and knows how to tell a good story.

This book is a bit different than what he's written before; his previous books were more gritty, in your face crime fiction (at its best I might add), rough men and women in rough circumstances living hard lives. All The Sinners Bleed is more of a literary thriller, the story is bigger, there's more nuance, some of the characters are less obvious... Wolves in sheep's clothing who are all the more dangerous for it. I absolutely loved this book. If you like a good dark thriller with a conscience that doesn't beat you over the head with its message then this one is for you. If you like a gritty crime story you'll still enjoy it.

Highly recommended!
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Kozzy
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book that I hope gets made into a Tv Show one day
Reviewed in Canada on May 31, 2024
Another wonderful book from the super talented S.A. Cosby. It is a pretty heavy book as far as the subject and story of the book, but it is wonderfully written and well worth a read.

From the great description of the locations, to the great characters, to the fantastic story that is being told, it all had me picturing how these all would look right away.

The basics of the story is that it is about a Sheriff from Charon County Virginia who has to deal with a teacher being shot by a student at a school. It morphs into a story about a Serial Killer being on the loose and so much more. I don't want to spoil to much so I won't say to many more details, just that it is so well written and you should check it out.

After I finished the last pages last night I was thinking about everything that went on in the book, but the main characters family, to his lady, to the cops that worked with him, to the nasty stuff that they are investigating (it goes much deeper than just a story about a Serial Killer or a teacher getting shot).

I really would love a TV Show made about this book, even just a mini series of 8 episodes or so would do. It reminded me at times of Season 1 of True Detective (And to be honest, was closer to Season 1 than any of the other later seasons of that show), it really would make a wonderful show, I can already picture certain scenes when big things in the story happy and same goes for the locations and characters, I already have been thinking what they all would look like.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book, just be warned that it does touch on some very heavy and intense subject matter, so be ready and in the right mind frame. Yes it touches on intense/heavy elements but S.A. Cosby does it all so well and weaves his magic throughout the whole book and does this type of subject matter so very well.

I enjoyed Blacktop Wasteland to and loved this book and have ordered his other stuff, give this extremely talented writer a chance and he will have you turning page after page late into the night, or like me the last few days as I got towards the end, reading while I was eating my dinner, while I was in the washroom and while I was in bed, superb book and I can't wait to see what this writer has in store for us for his next one.
O.R
5.0 out of 5 stars atemberaubend
Reviewed in Germany on May 11, 2024
Neben der grundsätzlichen Empfehlung für dieses Buch wäre meine weitere Empfehlung, das Buch im Original zu lesen. Sprachlich auf hohem Niveau lässt der Autor aber im Original auch viel durchscheinen, wie bzw. in welchem Duktus der südliche Teil der USA spricht. Das wird in der Übersetzung zwangsläufig verlieren, mag der Übersetzer auch noch so gut sein.
Sehr gut, ohne besserwisserisch zu erscheinen, kann der Autor den noch immer vorherrschenden Rassismus in USA, speziell in den Südstaaten, vermitteln, den wir so in Deutschland nicht kennen, bei allen Diskussionen um 'Black Lives Matter', etc.
Die Story selbst ist sehr gut aufbereit, spannend und ein wahrer Page-Turner. Es bleibt bis zum Schluss nicht klar, wer hinter allem steckt. Die Geschichte des Sheriffs ist auch gut erzählt, gibt Hinweise zu seiner Vergangenheit, die ihn sein lässt, wie er ist, und hinterlässt auch einen glaubwürdigen Abschluss hinsichtlich seiner Zukunft.
Ich war bereits von 'Razerblade Tears' begeistert, 'All Sinners Bleed' steht dem in nichts nach.
Insofern: Sehr klare Kaufempfehlung.
Paul Baker
2.0 out of 5 stars Lectura pesada, historia estúpida.
Reviewed in Spain on April 16, 2024
Este es uno de esos libros que te hacen preguntarte: "¿Por qué estoy leyendo esto?" Y luchas hasta el final, y sigue empeorando, hasta que termina, y el malo está muerto, y no tienes la más remota idea de por qué hizo todas esas cosas malas, porque acabas de encontrarlo, a 5 páginas del final. La historia es derivada y la prosa es muy pesada. Personalmente, me gusta leer novelas literarias, pero me encanta leer de vez en cuando alguna novela criminal, digamos, de Elmore Leonard, Michael Connelly, Higgens, Mendoza, Camilleri... pero a veces pruebo con algo nuevo, normalmente atraída por un precio bajo y buenas opiniones y, ocasionalmente, todo funciona bien. Pero esta vez, no. Mi más sincero consejo es... evita a este autor.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars What a story !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2024
I loved this book. Great story, characters and writing. Could not put it down. Can't wait to read more from this author. Brilliant !
JicamaSam
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in Japan on April 20, 2024
Satisfying conclusion