Riveting, nuanced, and timely. All the Sinners Bleed is both a serial killer mystery and layered story about a Black sheriff in the south dealing with hatred from white supremacists and distrust from Black people who have been harmed by police violence in the past. This was a page-turner while also having really beautifully written prose, excellent character work, and thoughtful explorations of issues affecting the United States in the current climate. It gets into the harm that can be caused by religious fundamentalism, and the ties between some churches and white supremacy.

Titus grew up in a small town and now he is their first elected Black sheriff. He's haunted by his past as an FBI agent and struggles to balance his intent to protect people and change the system from the inside with the legal constraints he is under, and all of the competing demands from members of the community. Then a school shooting changes everything. The son of his friend goes back to the highschool he attended and kills a beloved teacher, only to be shot during a standoff by a deputy. But further investigation uncovers a history of abuse by that teacher, disturbing images, and a trail of bodies with a missing third party.

This was beautifully written and really thoughtful in how it handled many sensitive issues. One thing I appreciated was that while there are scenes that are more graphically described, the images of Black children being abused and murdered are only discussed in more vague terms. We see their emotional impact on the main character and get a general sense of what happened to them, but it's never described in an explicit or salacious way. And you don't need it to feel the impact. I wasn't sure what to expect given that content but while there are more gruesome scenes of murders of adults, I appreciate how the harm to children was dealt with. Cosby is truly an excellent writer and this novel offers food for thought without being didactic or stereotyping people in different groups as all good or all bad. It does question whether good intentions are enough to fix things in a system that is broken. The audio narration is truly fantastic, I would listen to this narrator on other projects. I received an audio review copy from Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Holy crap... This book was so good! It's not your typical popcorn thriller/beach read (though I like those too), but very lyrically written. A dark police procedural (similar to Karin Slaughter) - beware, there are some gruesome scenes that are difficult to read. The audiobook narrator was fantastic. It would make an excellent movie! I also appreciate a thriller written by an author of color as those are hard to find (or aren't marketed enough?).

I have read Razorblade Tears by this author too, which I liked but didn't love - too much action for my taste.

Razorblade Tears was one of my top reads back in 2021 and I honestly didn’t know if he would ever be able to top it, but All the Sinners Bleed holds it’s own and is right up there with Razorblade Tears.⁣
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If you’ve read his books, you know they are intense, gritty and they do not hold back when it comes to subject matter and All the Sinners Bleed is no different. It was hard to read at times because your heart just sinks at some of the topics but it is so well done that you can’t help but keep going. ⁣
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I listened to the audio and LOVED the narration, so if you do plan on reading this one, my vote is for audio, but regardless, if you can handle the subject matter, put this book at the top of your summer reading pile!

One year after Charon County gets their first Black sheriff, a school shooting takes place where a beloved teacher is killed and then the young man is shot by the police. During the investigation, many other sins are uncovered and it turns out that this is more than just a student who randomly hated his teacher.

I'm new to S.A. Cosby. I read Razorblade Tears for the first time a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Although these aren't my typical reads, I was excited when I was accepted for an ALC of his new novel, All the Sinners Bleed.

This book is DEEP. Legal issues, racism in the south, family struggles, right vs wrong, religious trauma, and so many other issues are represented in this novel and its done so well! I enjoyed this one even more than I did Razorblade Tears and I was invested the whole way through. Because my copy was audio, I feel like I should also mention that the narrator did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life.

This is one of those books I finished and immediately recommended to friends. In fact, I didn’t even wait to finish it before reaching out to those I knew had to read it. I love how Cosby brings a fresh lens to a genre that can feel over saturated at times. The main character was multifaceted despite what appeared to be a black and white moral code and he was unlike anything else I’ve read before.

I really enjoyed the examination of race and culture as a central theme although we were focused on tracking a serial killer. The small town connections made things interesting. It’s a wild world when you know the best and worst of those you see every day. I also really liked that the procedural decisions made were well thought through and felt realistic.

The narrator was great as well. Took me a minute to sink into the frequent long pauses but it works and I loved the narration and book as a whole.

Highly recommend!

CW for graphic violence, abuse, and racism

Adam Lazarre-White narrates S.A. Cosby's ALL SINNERS BLEED audio with incredible gravitas. The story is an an unstoppable tour de force in Southern noir. Gritty characters with more at stake than their lives, but the soul of their town, and the futures of their children. Bold, timely, and most of all, thrilling. If you can put this book down, reevaluate your life.

The narrator is top notch. I don't think anyone is doing it better right now. One if the best produced audio books I've heard recently.

S.A. Cosby has knocked it out of the park with All the Sinners Bleed. The story is compelling, it is easy to follow, but has plenty of twists and turns. The story of the first Black sheriff of a rural Virginia county with a history of racial animosity provides the background. A school shooting sets the stage to a much broader set of killings, and the book's primary goal is to solve the crime, but it does this in a way with great character development, and a plot which never gets boring. The audio book is incredibly well done, and very well narrated.
Of Cosby's three books, this is my favorite.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

All the Sinners Bleed is the second audio I have read by this author. The world-building and characters are so good. The racism and white supremacy folks are horrifying but probably rather accurate.

Titus is a former FBI agent and comes home after a bad incident when his father needs more help. He ended up running for sheriff in this Virginia county where he grew up. He is sort of reconnecting with his father and brother. Their history isn't great. It's so strange because I think of Virginia as being north but it is really part of the south.

Titus has to weed out the good officers on his team and the cronies of the good ole boy (white) sheriff who policed for the whites and ignored some crimes against blacks, in fact, facilitating them to a degree. He has some good deputies but there is always a political battle with the board and its entitled head.

Things start with a school shooting. As Titus handles it, and all the fallout, things get scary for the black populace. Titus is dedicated to solving the crimes, but is being threatened by the board who would prefer a white sheriff. Titus has good instincts but needs more forensics. He is about to be bullied into turning more over to the state police when he gets a break. He risks everything to try to save a kidnapped black child and others who can identify the killer.

I loved this engaging, edgy read. I am not knowledgeable about these cultural issues. I grew up in a rural area with almost no ethnic, cultural or religious diversity really. All the Sinners Bleed is amazing and likely one of my best reads this year.

Narration:
I love this narrator. He also narrated the other audio I listened to by this author. The voices are such a great fit for the characters and regions. The performance certainly enhanced my enjoyment. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S. A. Cosby (Blacktop Wasteland) is another fantastic mix of mystery, crime, and social commentary by this award-winning, gifted author. Cosby introduces Titus Crown, a former FBI agent who is now the Black sheriff in a rural Virginia community. In addition to all of the prejudice and bigotry Titus faces there is also a school shooting and gruesome discoveries about a serial killer. Like his other novels, Cosby offers non-stop action and an interesting, well-developed cast of characters – readers learn about Titus’s family (deceased Mom, Pop, and brother), former and current girlfriends, and a mix of co-workers, each with their own issues. We listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the presentation, including subtle changes in inflection and accent to represent different characters. ALL THE SINNERS BLEED received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, plus it was a LibraryReads selection for June. For yet another positive opinion (“a far better novel than Cosby’s earlier books” which, given their high quality is saying something) see Stephen King’s review in The New York Times. Highly recommended.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/02/books/review/sa-cosby-all-the-sinners-bleed.html

Titus Crowne is the first black sheriff in Charon County, Virginia. A school shooting occurs in their small town. A teacher is found dead. Shot by a former student. As Titus attempts to deescalate and get the boy to surrender, his deputies fire a fatal shot. The investigation opens secrets that no one could have imagined.

I was so excited when I heard I was accepted for this ARC from NetGalley, considering how much I loved Razorblade Tears! I’m normally a romance girl but SA Cosby does something to me with his writing. He’s such a smooth story teller. His stories are detailed, concise, and makes you feel as if you’re in them. This book kept my attention and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. In this he touches on details about racism, faith, and grief that make you think and see things from different perspectives. There were parts of the story that were hard to listen to for me (I’m not a true crime girl that listens to murder-y stuff). So just a heads up on that. I’m adding Adam Lazarre-White to my list of favorite narrators. I loved his voice when I listened to Razorblade Tears and made this an easy sell to listen to. His voice is the perfect amount of deep, gravelly, and sensual. I highly recommend if you’re into true crime, serial killers, and unlocking hidden secrets!

I’d like to thank NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I know y’all are not surprised. 🤣

I can’t stress enough how ready you need to be to read SA Cosby’s work. It is gritty, emotional, vivid. This story grips you by the heart and doesn’t let go until the last page. The narration on the audiobook version is well done. Really enjoyed this one.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

When I first completed the audiobook for All the Sinners Bleed I decided to give it 4.5-stars, not rounded up. My thought process was that I didn't connect to it emotionally in the same way that I did Razorblade Tears, which I gave 5-stars. For some reason, in my little pea-brain, I was thinking because I didn't feel that way that it wasn't as good a story for me as that one. Hence the slightly lower rating.

Even though that was my reasoning initially, and I stress the initially part, I was wrong. Here we are, a full 4-days after I completed the book, and I cannot stop thinking about Titus, Charon County, or this mystery.

First, can we all acknowledge that Adam Lazarre-White is one of the most talented voice artists out there. I could listen to him read anything and be lulled into happiness. It's true. You think I'm embellishing, but I'm not.

In this story we follow Titus Crowne, the first black sheriff of Charon County in Virginia. Titus used to work for the FBI, but decided to come home for a number of different reasons. He ran for sheriff with the hopes of making a difference in his community; changing it for the better. The job has had it's ups-and-downs, but overall, it seems they're are making headway. Then, a year to the day after his election, a school shooting rocks their small community.

Caution: Scenes from school shooting on page.

A teacher is dead and the shooter, a former student and someone Titus knows well, is shot and killed by the responding deputies. Even though there are many witnesses, Titus insists on an internal review of the shooting. It's the right thing to do. Looking into the teacher, and the former student, Titus and his department unknowingly open up a big ole' can of worms. It appears the student was abused by the teacher. The teacher everyone felt was so pristine was anything but.

Y'all, this story goes dark and I loved it. It's extremely interesting. There are religious elements, a cult-like atmosphere, buried bodies and so many secrets it makes Washington D.C. seem transparent. The most compelling thing about this novel though is simply Cosby's quality of storytelling. From the very first chapter I was reminded of how easy it is to get swept away by his writing. The way the plot and characters are developed is a masterclass in style.

Titus is such a great main character. He has so many admirable qualities, but he also has a past. He's human, he struggles with things and second-guesses himself, but he always works hard to do the right thing. He's the type of character you want to succeed. He's also the type of character I'm really hoping I will meet again. To my knowledge, this is a standalone novel, but man, would I love to someday get a follow-up. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Titus.

The mystery aspect, which involves many dead bodies, goes there. It gets graphic. I was actually surprised by how dark certain scenes got. I was living for it. I recommend this to Readers who enjoyed The Echo Man. If you like that mystery, I think you could end up really vibing with this one as well. There was just something about this that gave me the same level of toe-curling enjoyment that that one did.

I loved following along with this investigation and felt my pulse ratchet up a notch every time the stakes were raised, which spoiler alert, was a lot! I highly recommend this one for your Summer reading list. If you love a fast-paced, intense, Police Procedural Thriller, this is an absolute must for you. It's a nail-biter!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I loved this!

This was actually my first read by this author. I know there are a few others I’ve been wanting to read as well. This was a fast paced read and something was always happening. The authors writing style just pulls you in and takes you for a ride. The main character is a former black FBI agent who becomes sheriff in the south. When a shooting happens at the school it is all hands on deck to find out what happened and why but that is only beginning and the story unravels. This mixed community has very different opinions on how things are being handled which is actually so relevant to today. There was strong character development which lead to emotional connections. People aren’t always who they seem to be and can’t always be trusted.

I did listen to this on audio and the narrator (Adam Lazarre-White) did a phenomenal job with voicing the different characters. This is so worth the read but please check trigger warnings.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillion Audio for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

Dark, gruesome, sinister…I enjoyed it, overall.

Adam Lazard-White is one of my favorite narrators! I always love listening to the audiobooks he does, and he reads this one seamlessly.

No one writes a crime thriller quite like SA Cosby 👏🏻 this was more of slow burn than I anticipated but I liked the writing style, he had some zingers in there and great quotes.

I appreciated the insight and perspective of the MC, a black police sherif in the South. This story touched on topics of racism, religion, politics, and various social issues.

There was more of a mystery aspect and much less action than is typical to a Cosby novel. I didn’t mind, but did kinda miss those high stakes actions scenes. (There’s a bit toward the end)

I don’t think this book will be for everyone due to the heavy & disturbing elements of child murder and molestation. It was hard for me to read about and is a central portion of the storyline as the sheriff tries to solve a case involving a murderous suspect in a wolf mask who has entered the realm of serial killer and begins to really spiral in increasingly terrible ways.

While this isn’t my fave Cosby book, it was solid and kept me interested from start to finish.

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED
S. A, Crosby

Titus Crowne is the new sheriff in town. He is the first black sheriff ever to be appointed in the history of Charon County. A fact that Titus carries both as an immense responsibility and a heavy burden.

A year into appointment Titus is called to a school shooting. The school shooting unwinds in a way that causes a divide between Titus, his police force, and the community of Charon County, which they protect. Creating an atmosphere of conflict and contempt in an already tense racial atmosphere.

Upon investigating the school shooting Titus unveils hidden motives and harbored secrets that will unravel the community. Titus must spend his time trying to solve the case while keeping racial tension at bay.

Leave it to Cosby to go where others are scared to go and to discuss topics that are uncomfortable and do it in a way that is exciting and engaging so you feel duped into learning a lesson. This is the first Cosby book I’ve read but it won’t be my last. I enjoyed the conversation as much as I enjoyed the writing. Sometimes those two don’t come together. It’s nice when it does.

I appreciated exploring the dynamics between Titus and his community. I liked the questions of victimhood that were brought up. That felt like it was ripped from the headlines. I loved the idea of a sheriff seeking the truth above all else. It’s a nice romantic notion that felt good to spend time believing.

I gave ALL THE SINNERS BLEED four stars and recommend it to readers looking for a riveting crime thriller set in the South.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S. A. Cosby comes out tomorrow. Order your pre-order today and get your copy at midnight!

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! Once again S.A. Crosby does not disappoint! The books will always enrage you if you aren't dead inside or a racist bigot, but also educate you and help you see into the mind and hearts of black people in America. Life is so hard, nuanced, and layered and S.A. Crosb does a fabulous job getting that down on paper and making you feel the conflict. Throw some good ole Jesus and hypocrisy in there and you have a book that you can't stop reading! I will ALWAYS read a book by this author without hesitation!

A huge thanks to @macmillan.audio, @netgalley, and @flatiron_books for allowing early access in return for a honest review. #AlltheSinnersBleed by @leoking8473 is my first finished read of June and WOW 🤩 it was a fantastic read! I expected it to be action packed like Razorback Tears and although parts of it was, other parts were just #damngoodwriting !!! The story revolves around a town in rural Virginia (Charon) and a Sheriff named Titus, the very first black sheriff of the town ever. As he deals with the ins and outs of the job, dealing with racism and the struggles of wearing the badge, trying to reconcile his conscience and keep the community safe, one unexpected death becomes the catalyst to a chain of events put into motion that will rock the community with blood and horror.
This story was fantastic, in so many ways. The audio was narrated by @realadamlw - who embodies so many different characters so expertly - loved his voice as Titus!!! The story itself is a fantastically fast-driven small town mystery with a psycho killer that will keep Titus on the run trying to catch him before his next kill!
Can’t recommend this enough! Coming out June 6th!!

Advance Audiobook Review – All the Sinners Bleed – S.A. Cosby
Whenever author Shawn Cosby releases a new book, I can’t wait for the audiobook to come out as well. All of audiobook narrator Adam Lazarre-White’s readings of S.A. Cosby’s books are phenomenal! “All the Sinners Bleed” is one of those audiobooks where you want to set and listen to all the way through while savoring every minute of the story. This narrative is about the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia – Sheriff Titus Crowne. A former FBI agent and criminal profile expert, Crowne returns home to take care of his elderly father and troubled younger brother. A year after his election, a school shooting rocks the small southern town when a beloved teacher is killed by a former student. As Titus attempts to get the young black student to surrender, one of his white deputies shoots and kills the student just when he was about to surrender. During the investigation, it becomes clear that the student the deputy shot had been abused by the dead teacher, as well as by another unidentified perpetrator. The investigation trail leads to buried bodies of young black kids—and other dreadful secrets. While Titus tries to track down a killer, while balancing daily duties like protecting Confederate pride supporters, he must face what it means to be a Black man wearing a police badge in the historic Deep South. Cosby handles this tale with a plethora of difficult and dark subjects and issues with grace, magnetism, and uprightness. His writing style is – at times – poetic, intuitive, and insightful. He combines heartbreaking details with nonstop action and develops all the characters with complexity, realism, and relatability. I was extremely captivated by this outstanding audiobook and highly recommend it! As usual Adam Lazarre-White did a wonderful narration of All the Sinners Bleed, and this is another exceptional audiobook that shouldn't be missed! Special thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advance Listener’s Copy of All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby.

I alternated between physical and audio and I have to say that the narrator was wonderful. Cosby’s writing is so descriptive and I loved the main character, Titus. Some hard subject matter but a great story!

Thank you to the author S.A. Cosby, publishers Macmillan Audio, and as always NetGalley, for an advance audio copy of ALL SINNERS BLEED.

Adam Lazarre-White narrate and brings so much depth and character to this story. I expected no less, as he did the same to the last Cosby book I heard him narrate, Cosby's first, MY DARKEST PRAYER. In both readings, he brings a gravity the story needs and benefits from. Both excellent performances.

ALL SINNERS BLEED is dark and intense and definitely beautiful, gorgeous settings, stunning writing, moody as h-ll. I could feel the humidity on my skin, smell the next rain coming, hear the chronic thrum of life persisting through every inch and second of the once-swamp proud home of some very desperate people. Desperate racist people, and still not the people you might think. Or maybe exactly them.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less."

This book seems to plod, but it has a rhythm. Each big step is a conversation with a new person who doesn't even know they will and do and have revealed something critical about the case to Titus, the town's first black Sheriff. To him, in the face of his determination and will, all adversity falls in the end. He has seen its truth and it makes him careless. Powerful, but like a bullet from a gun.

"Treat people bad, and bad comes back to you."

I love this book, as I did MY DARKEST PRAYER. I love horror that honors the dignity of death and the dead. I love horror that builds on the horror of the living, like racism and child trafficking. This is a great book. Not for the squeamish, but everyone still needs to read this book.

Here are my trigger warnings for: violence against children, child murder, possible SA, extreme racism, n-word

Rating: 🎡🎡🎡🎡🎡 / 5 Fall Festivals
Recommend? You need this book!
Finished: June 4 2023
Format: Audiobook, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🦇 Gothic tone
🌈 Diverse books & authors
🔪 Murder mystery
👮🏾‍♂️ Police procedurals
🌩 Dark thrillers