#1504. My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

Meet Nathan Waymaker . . . resident of Queen County, VA (SE Virginia) and former Queen County deputy . . . single and biracial . . . both parents died in a car accident (of a suspicious nature) . . . Marine . . . sometime bouncer at a favorite bar . . . full-time associate in his cousin’s funeral business . . . big man (Jack Reacher big). Given his history, he knows how to handle bodies.

The funeral home has a bit of a delicate task ahead. The right Reverend Esau Watkins just died. The sheriff’s office says suicide. Some of the parishioners think otherwise. Now the dead reverend hasn’t led a pious life. He is a wounded counselor with a small to middling criminal history who found the Lord during a turn in prison. Seeing as how Nate used to be a deputy, these curious members of Reverend Watkins flock try to enlist Nate's help as a liaison with the Sheriff who’s not known for being too aggressive when it comes to non-white victims.

Nate's not going to be well received by the sheriff seeing as how Nate left on less than civil circumstances. But Nate starts turning over some rocks and checks in with a deacon who had recently left the church. The deacon tells Nate that Rev. Watkins was in negotiations to merge his church with Rev. Thomas Short, the head of a massive non-denominational church based near DC. And plenty of the church are concerned. And if it wasn’t just that, a local hoodlum has been placing about $10K into the offering plate twice a month. Nate’s thinking drugs and a money laundering operation are going on.

But when he turns over the next rock, Nate finds out what lies deeper in rural Virginia, and it’s not about drugs. Far from it.

To go much further would wreck a superb story. Typical with the other two Cosby books reviewed by the MRB boys, expect plenty of twists, betrayals, colorful characters, to-die-for dialogue, and a shitload of in-your-face-ball busting-head cracking-rivers-of-blood confrontations between Nate (and his good bud Skunk), with the Queen County Sheriff’s office, Reverend Esau’s porn star daughter, Rev. Short's protection squad, and the shady crime boss Shade (yes, that was intentional).

Turns out My Darkest Prayer is Cosby’s preceded Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland (loved them both) and there is a 4^th that might be a touch hard to find (Brotherhood of the Blade). He had established a good reputation in short stories, mostly in the mystery trade publication ThugLit (I’ve got to find that). His trio of standalone novels have been highly praised by people of considerably more literary oomph than MRB (e.g., Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Stephen King, et al.). His novels (so far) have appeared on Best Of lists from the NY Times, Washington Post, Time, NPR, Boston Globe, plus numerous literary awards.

If Cosby is a new name to you, probably should find out where to obtain these books. They’ll grab you by your lapels for a vicious headbutt. And when it comes to Redneck/Country/Hick Noir, Cosby’s a welcome member to the club. But I sure hope Cosby tells us the backstory of Nate and Skunk. These two stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski (by CJ Box) and Elvis Cole and Joe Pike (by Robert Crais). Would love to learn how Nate and Skunk joined forces.

Regardless, find this or any of Cosby's books. Betting you won’t regret the effort. This guy is good. Just say good things about him when you're done. What happens when people run afoul of Nate? 

'Talk shit. Spit blood."

ECD

 

 

Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby

My God, where do I start?

Start with Ike (aka Riot, as in 'one-man Riot')? Had been in the life for years. Earned his nickname honestly for whatever gang he was running with. Did serious time at the Hotel Graybar and missed most of his son Isiah’s early years. When released, he swore he was out for good. Started a landscaping business and has 15yrs on the straight and narrow highway, but always on the cops radar for most any legal transgression that happens in and around Red Hill, VA. Linebacker big. Country strong. Black.

Start with Buddy Lee? A self-aware man who knows he’s a “hell-raising, whiskey-drinking, hard-loving  redneck son of a bitch” who slept like a baby. Also did some time at the Hotel. Divorced from Margo and estranged from his son Derek. Rail thin. Lives in a shit trailer and does mostly day jobs and the occasional 'delivery.'  Buddy Lee is the living, breathing epitome of white trash in the flesh.

Start with Isiah? Never really saw eye-to-eye with his dad, Ike. Went to college. Graduated with a degree in journalism. Works for a Richmond-based newspaper that focuses on LGBTQ issues.

Start with Derek? He was the oil to Buddy Lee’s water. Every exchange seemed to end in an argument. And those got worse after coming out. Still in the process of perfecting his chef credentials.

Start with Isiah and Derek? Instant connection upon meeting. Moved in together. Got married. Adopted a mixed-race toddler daughter. A marriage so loving that most could only dream they had. Living a blessed life in Richmond.

Start with Isiah and Derek shopping at a sweets and spice shop? Upon exiting, both are summarily executed on the sidewalk. From behind. In the back of the head. Rolled over and the killers added a double-tap to the face. Forget about open casket funerals. Buried side-by-side. Ike and his wife Mya take in the adorable Arianna. 

A professional, hired hit. After a few months, the cops put the case in the unsolved pile.

Buddy Lee is steaming. Ike is red hot. Neither want justice. They want outright down in the dirt, violent and bloody revenge. Driven by vengeance, these two unlikely partners start looking into the murders. To hell with the police. To hell with the consequences. This is their one chance to make things right with themselves and for their sons.

These two don’t like each other. A white redneck loser and a black former enforcer who continues to live under the oppressive boot that is Virginia. Neither was able to accept their son’s lifestyles. Never able to even talk about much less speak the words. But they have a common goal and the where-with-all to see that vision through regardless of the cost.

Starting with the spice store, Ike and Buddy Lee backtrack their son’s last steps. And in doing so, must slug their way through the Virginia mire that no one wants to see, to talk about, or to  experience. And when faced with lethal obstructions, they abandon traditional methods and resort to machetes, blades, landscape tampers, fully automatic shotguns, wood chippers, MAC 10s and 11s, a mace-like weapon from a baseball bat and nails, rusted out trucks as battering rams.

At first this is all in the name of Isiah and Derek, but when the perpetrator pulling the strings takes their . . . can they finally admit it? . . .  granddaughter, all differences vanish as they plan out and execute a brutally lethal plan that results in dozens of dead in the pasture of a 2^nd amendment mob’s practice ground.

If this book doesn’t take your breath away, then something’s missing inside you. It’s filled with themes of revenge, redemption, begrudging acceptance, white privilege, the underclass being kept in their place, political power, and cruelty fueled by that most violent of weapons – love.

Buckle up because Cosby tackles all these issues in a way that bloodies your knuckles, punches you in the gut, kicks you in your groin, slashes your throat. This isn't for the faint of heart. It's for the brave who want or need to dig deeply into the emotions that drive hard men out to correct wrongs poured on their sons.

Call it what you will: country noir, southern noir, redneck noir. Whatever it is, Cosby will duke it out with guys like JD Rhoades and Brian Panowich for genre supremacy. And I’ll be there reading every title they put out. Good lord, Hollywood. Why are you wasting time on comic books?

Just make sure that you put SA Cosby at the top of your must-read list. If you don't, I may just send the author to find you. If you see this guy up at the Wal-Mart or waiting for you outside of Costco, be afraid.

Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby

The location: 

South central Virginia. Maybe 1.5hr north of Winston-Salem

The players: 

Beauregard (Bug) Montage and wife Kia. A high school age daughter and 2 boys on the verge of puberty. Cousin Kelvin. Bug and Kelvin own a car repair shop in Red Hill, VA. Losing some money since someone opened a Prestige Car Care franchise. Boonie is Bug's surrogate father. Runs an auto salvage yard and has been known to turn his back when someone needs to borrow his car crusher.

Ronnie and Reggie Sessions. Poster children for the concept of 'poor white trash.' Ronnie always seems to have a plan to hit it big so he can head for highways that end at a beach side Tiki bar and all the umbrella drinks he can stand. Reggie follows whatever Ronnie plans.

Lazarus (Lazy for short) is a regional bad guy who runs women, drugs, weapons, drugs and anything else that'll turn a profit. Shade is Lazy's prime competition. Shade is based in NC and wants to expand to VA. Lazy will do anything to keep that from happening. Neither one is to be underestimated. 

Now you have the players. The book opens at a street race in SW Virginia. Bug has his daddy's old Duster. He and Reggie are looking to race for some serious cash. Bug needs money. The mortgage on his garage is overdue. His mom's nursing home want's to toss the old battleax for non-payment after Medicaid cut her off. His daughter has been accepted to VCU and he needs tuition money. His two boys need either glasses or braces. Bug really needs the money.

He wins the race. After the race, his opponent sets Bug up with some phony cops and a roadside heist. Bug manages to leave with some money, but far less than he'd hoped for. 

Ronnie Sessions comes to Bug with a sure thing. A girl he knows works in a jewelry store in Newport News. Her boss lets it out that about $1.5 million in loose diamonds is coming to the store. He and brother Reggie and maybe one other guy will hold up the store. All Bug has to do is drive because Bug's rep is that he is the best wheelman on the east coast. Once they get the stones, Ronnie's DC-based fence will buy the gems. Bug's take on a 4-way cut will cover his immediate money needs.

Reluctantly, Bug agrees, much to Kia's chagrin. The heist goes down, but not without some gun play. A jewelry store gets robbed, the cops may show a little interest. But a dead patron? The cops will be coming hard. Ronnie fences the stones, Bug gets his cut. Pays down on all that debt with a little left over. 

Here's where Lazy comes into play. He owned that store. It was a middle stop in processing stolen money and precious stones. And he ain't happy. Not one bit. The store manager winds up dead. Ronnie's girl in MIA. Ronnie's been seen throwing some money around, exactly what Bug said not to do. 

Lazy's guys close in on Bug's family. Not smart. But Lazy sees a way to take care of Bug's debt to Lazy from the theft and a way to bust Shade. Lazy has a guy on the inside of Shade's operation. A truck loaded with contraband platinum in coming through to Shade. If Bug will hijack it, Lazy will forget about the jewelry store. 

Sounds simple enough, right? But the east coast's best wheelman has his own plans and wants to bust up not just Lazy but Shade, too. Clean up that section of the middle Atlantic. 

If one had to ask about the book's overall theme, it's probably something to do with the duality of man. His personal yin and yang. The good and the evil. As Bug says, "I used to think of myself as two people. I was Bug with his Duster sometimes and Beauregard with his wife and kids, ran a business, went to school plays. Bug . . . he robbed banks and armored cars, drove 100 mph on hairpin curves, threw people who killed those he loved into a car crusher. But you can't be two types of beasts. Eventually, one of the beasts gets loose and wrecks shop." And the book is about how well, or how poorly, Beauregard or Bug keeps the other beast at bay. What Bug's family has to go through may have you levitating off your chair.

Whether it's his Duster, a wrecker, a beat up panel truck, caddy, or some junker Boonie found, Bug will push Beauregard to the background when he gets behind the wheel of a car, because that's were it all makes sense. And when a car won't do, his .45 will because "you can't argue with a .45."

Cosby is an Anthony Award winning author with around a half dozen books to his credit. Too bad my county library has only this title; the purchasing dept is staffed by idiots. I will find the others. Count on it. This book is drop dead spectacular. Stellar writing, stellar plotting, and stellar character development. I haven't been this enamored with a new (to me) author since stumbling across Brian Panowich and his Bull Mountain trilogy. This is Southern Noir of the first order. No joke and no hyperbole. A great book by a great writer. Found an interview with Cosby and he said that Hollywood has been sniffing around. This would be a spectacular movie or limited series. The book is so well written that you practically see the storyboards in your mind's eye while reading. In that interview, some delusional critic complained that Cosby used too many similes. I've never heard such a foolish statement. The similes are what make this book come to life. While reading, I thought Cosby combines the talents of two power rotation authors: George Pelacanos, for the gritty dialogue, and Brian Panowich, for his ability to stage the southern scene. For me, putting Cosby up there with Pelacanos and Panowich is running in some high cotton.

Get this book. You won't be disappointed. You'll tear through it just like I did. The way Bug's daddy taught him how to drive: 

"Drive it like you stole it."

East Coast Don