This was dark and captivating. I still think about this book weeks later. Sheriff Titus is knowledgeable of his abilities and deficits. This makes him a likable character and makes you invest in both his professional and personal struggles. The crimes are handled with enough details to make the reader horrified and angry, but not on page to drive the plot. An original southern noir.

4.5/5.0

Story 4.0
Narration 5.0

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. I listened to the audiobook on cloudLibrary for this review.

I wasn't expecting the school shooting in the beginning but then it just gets more and more wild as the story progressed. Lazarre-White is such a great narrator.

4.5 stars!

Gripping, visceral, and profound, S.A. Cosby's "All the Sinners Bleed" is an absolute must-read. It is full of thrilling twists, bloody action, and important conversations about race, good versus evil, police brutality/necessity, religion, and the general direction in which our country is headed. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, and just when you think you know what will happen, Cosby yanks you in a different direction. I was enthralled and entranced by this book. This story is dripping with suspense and mystery and intrigue, and I loved every single minute of it. S.A. Cosby is an immensely talented writer, and I cannot wait to read what he writes next. Some readers might find this book too violent and bloody, but I think it serves a purpose and is integral to the plot. Adam Lazarre-White's voiceover narration is some of the best I have ever heard. His voice aids in making this book effective and potently powerful. Just tremendous work here all around.

Thank you to NetGalley, S.A. Cosby, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I just couldn't get into this book. The narrators voice was amazing but this just wasn't for me.

Loved this. This was my first S.A. Cosby novel but it certainly won't be my last. Gripping and profound.

Unpopular opinion: i don't connect to S. A. Cosby's writing at all. I tried to start this one on audio a few times and did not get into it. I couldn't get past like 10%, even though I tried. The story was interesting but the writing was just not working for me. I had a similar experience with Razorblade Tears, though I do intend to give that one another try at some point. Just not for me!

Razorblade Tears is a favorite of mine and this one is right up there! I loved the audio version and am so glad I got to listen to this one.

My love affair with S.A. Cosby continues - #allthesinnersbleed was a wild ride of a book that lots of twists and great character arcs. Adam Lazarre-White's narration does so much justice to the excellent and thrilling story - he is an incredible asset to Cosby's fantastic novels.

This is an EXCELLENT depiction of Crime Fiction. Crosby really did his due diligence with this story. From the writing, to the anticipation of finding the killer. It was just fantastic. I will say that I did not care for the narrators voice so I ended up switching to reading a physical copy but the story is still excellent.

S.A. Cosby does it again! I adored Razorblade Tears, so I was excited to see that this one was available. It is like his other books, bloody, full of action, and suspenseful. His MC was well-rounded. I'll forever be a Cosby fan, and can't wait to see what he thinks up next. The narrator was perfect for this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

This gripping mystery revolves around Titus, Charon County's first black sheriff in Virginia. Titus being a former FBI agent who uncovers hidden complexities in his seemingly quiet town. The aftermath of a school shooting unravels unimaginable secrets, leading to escalating emotions and feuds. As a suspected serial killer taunts Titus, the narrator, Adam Lazarre-White, impressively brings the characters to life, enhancing the overall listening experience. If you enjoy intense mysteries, "All Sinner's Bleed" is highly recommended.

Give me S.A.COSBY ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!!! I just absolutely love the way these books are BEYOND comprehension and SO FULL of OOMPH, danger, VIOLENCE AND ACTION!

I devoured this book and it was delicious!! I swear, I am a non-violent person, but something about reading these books gets me all amped up and my heart rate climbing....I just want to be a part of the retribution and the destruction!


READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT- AUDIO IS A MUST AS WELL IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN THE ACTION!


This is definitely not a book for all readers, if anyone has triggers they should do their due diligence in researching the type of content and situations that arise in this author's work because I cannot fully capture or list every single thing that could be bothersome to people.

This audiobook leaves you on the edge of your seat while forcing you to think of real life things. I very much enjoyed the narrator and recognized him from First 48.

Honestly, though, can Cosby do any wrong?
I have been obsessed with this author since reading Razorblade Tears and I will continue to read every single book this man writes while simultaneously praying the Gods will answer my prayers and someone will adopt at least one of them into a movie.
This book does not shy away from violence.
Again?
THIS BOOK IS VIOLENT AF
I'm curious to know how Cosby finds the perfect men for his books.
Black, charming, hung (yea, sometimes I just assume, aight?) and they just trying to do good but trifling ass mofos keep testing them left and right, uhhggh.

Titus is probably one of my favorite characters ever, loyal but lethal.
I loved every crevice of this book. It's a mystery thriller, heavy on the crime and downright dirty.
Nothing was left to chance and I was truly satisfied at the end.
Phenomenal!!!

I continue to be blown away by SA Cosby’s talent as both a writer and a storyteller, though I’m not sure I’d exactly say I “liked” this.

This is a tough read, and contains a LOT of really awful and deeply disturbing content. I’m no great fan of serial killer novels, especially when the killer tortures and murders children. Cosby is so brilliant as a writer that I’ll always read anything he puts out there, but this wasn’t exactly a fun read.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a very, very good book. I might contend that this is Horror rather than a crime novel, but the quality of writing here far transcends what’s typical of that genre.

Cosby is so good at creating complex and intriguing characters and rich setting, and he has a way with words such that he can make the most banal or unpleasant thing feel powerful through turn of phrase.

Plot-wise I hope in the future he returns to material more akin to Blacktop Wasteland, but I also really respect his ability to tackle more difficult subject matter.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Flatiron Books for providing advanced copies of the eBook and audio book for review consideration.

This review expresses my own personal opinion. I have not been asked to post it by the author, his publishing company, or anyone connected with the book or author.

I decided to listen to the audio version narrated by Adam Lazarre-White, and so glad I did. More on this later. First, my take on the story.

Let me start by saying this book was a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2023), which got my vote. While it didn’t win, the mere fact it was nominated tells you this is a book to read.

For those of you who are fans of the series involving FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, former FBI, now independent criminal profiler, Alex Cross by James Patterson, and troubled former cop, now FBI consultant, Amos Decker by David Baldacci, comes a new sheriff in town, literally, as the main character, Titus Crown is also of FBI stock. Note the trend here, each of these formidable law enforcers have FBI backgrounds. A shout out to the Bureau.

Set in the Virginia County of Charon, former FBI Agent Titus Crown returns to his hometown of Charon, to see after his aging father, who by the way you’ll quickly want a dinner invite from, Titus’ father’s cooking is on par with that of Alex Cross’ Nana Mama. Reading some of the meals he cooks up will make you want to jump inside the book searching for the kitchen, but I digress.

After returning home Titus runs for and gets elected as the first Black sheriff in a historically white dominated rural town, where the high school is named after Jefferson Davis and a statue honoring the Confederate cause stands outside the local courthouse. A year later, almost to the day that Titus was elected, a beloved white teacher is shot by a former student, who is black and he then is shot and killed by Titus’ white deputies, which the Black community questions, did they have to kill him when it appeared he was surrendering with gun in hand. Sounds like an open and shut case, justifiable shooting, the killer is then killed. But all is not what it appears to be. Titus’ FBI training kicks in and as he begins to investigate the motive for the shooting of the teacher and questioning his deputies’ quick fingers, he uncovers unspeakable horrors which quickly reveals there is a serial killer preying on young Black girls and boys, a killer that could be hiding in plain sight.

Titus knows all too well that being the first Black sheriff the expectations are much higher than if he were white, the bar is higher and he must not fail. In addition to catching the killer, he still must carry out his sheriff duties, crime and stupidity does not stop. He has to contend with a far-right racist group that is still living in the pre-Civil War days, where black folks should know their place. This group of Neanderthals are planning to hold a parade to celebrate the town’s Confederate history, and a young charismatic Black activist is having none of that and plans to hold a counter-march. You get the picture, another Charlottesville, VA in the making.

Are you exhausted yet! Wait, there is more. Not only does Titus have to carry out the duties of being a sheriff, he is also battling his own personal demons – his discarded faith in God for allowing his mother to die while Titus was young, an estranged relationship with his brother, his only sibling, and a painful and haunting secret from his past.

Cosby delivers strong characters within a story that pulls you in from the very first page. The Washington Post hit it straight on in their review, which stated, “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.”

Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca said, “Crimes often return to their teacher.” There are plenty of examples throughout this story.

This is a rollercoaster of a ride, full of emotions ranging from regrets, anger, hate, love lost, gained, lost, humor, sadness, and so much more mixed in. Like any good crime story, Cosby does not spare us the horrible side of crime, the ruthlessness, ugliness, and brutality, this story is definitely not for the faint of heart.

An audiobook can rise or fall based on the narration, no matter how well written the book is. Adam Lazarre-White delivers a stellar performance, he is Titus Crown. Lazzare-White’s narration brings the small-town vernacular front and center, you know you are in Charon. The story comes alive in so many ways, the delivery is spot on and you are captured from the very first spoken words. The voice inflections, the delivery, the style generates almost unbearable tension and unease from start to end, in fact so much so, I had to stop listening for periods of time just to regroup. You are in Titus’ world.

The ending will have you go, “What the @##$%!!!! “ and there is an epilogue that will put a smile on your face and make you pump your fist.

This is an awesome good book, one that will stay with you long after you have stopped listening or closed the cover. I rate this 5-Stars, with no further explanation needed.

Unpopular opinion;

I didn’t love this book. I loved Razorblade Tears and I quite liked Blacktop Wasteland. This book…I struggled to not DNF.

First of all, one of the reasons that I much prefer Razorblade Tears to Blacktop. Wasteland is the reduction in metaphors and similes. A great metaphor is lovely. I appreciate wonderful metaphors. I just don’t enjoy them practically every other sentence.

Razorblade Tears reduced the metaphors in sheer volume and cherry picked the best ones. The editing was on point. All the Sinner’s Bleed is bloated with metaphors to the point where it felt almost like a prank. Just how many could Cosby get by the editors without the red pen coming out. It was like there was NO red pen at all…

No book needs TWO instances of the Shakespearian phrase “mortal coil” Cosby slips this one into each of his books I think. But twice?! C’mon. It’s pretentious AF. My ex loooved using this one and he’s not the kind of guy any author (or human of any ilk) should want to be associated with/share favorite phrases with.

One of my other qualms was the level of graphic horror. It was too much for me. I would compare the level of unnecessary gore and torture here to one of the most over the top episodes of Criminal Minds.

I also did not enjoy that only the main character was really three dimensional. I felt I didn’t know anyone else in the book. They all felt like paper dolls to me with the exception maybe of the serial killer and that’s not what I’ve come to expect from this author at all.

The thing I really hated the most, though, was the narrative/moral that people who endure terrible terrible abuses-are destined to visit their pain upon others. I myself went through horrifying psychological, sexual and physical abuse from in my infancy, all through into adulthood at various times. I have never wished to hurt others. Some people who go through hell come out the other side and NEVER want anyone to hurt like they have been hurt.

As always, audiobooks for SA Cosby are the way to go! So much suspense & excitement packed into this one & audio brings it to life.

A multi-faceted, gritty small town mystery, All the Sinners Bleed feels like a HBO crime series in the best way possible: dimensional characters, a setting with an underlying sociological tension, and not shying away from putting violence on page when necessary.

The novels takes its time setting the scene; with my previous reference point from S.A. Cosby being the Michael Bay-esque, fast-paced Razorblade Tears, I was initially a little thrown off by the intentionally slow pace. All the Sinners Bleed is more tension rather than action, and I came to appreciate it allotting space to flesh out characters and their complex dynamics (racism is very thought-provokingly explored here) before kick-starting the central mystery. Speaking of mystery, while the serial killer plot unfolds at a steady pace, with many gruesome set pieces making me wince along the way, I did find the reveals a little too straightforward (in many cases the red herring turn out to be the truth).

All the Sinners Bleed is eloquently written, drenched in dread, and featuring many current societal issues, which makes the violence all the more visceral and close to home. I wouldn't label this a 'fun' thriller—but if you're seeking something immersive with a fleshed-out protagonist (I can see this being a series starter), this will be the one to pick up.

This book is a steamy Southern mystery that brims with racial tension. Titus Crown is a stalwart protagonist that must keep this pressure cooker from exploding. Another winner from Cosby!