Review: All The Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby

 

Some books are relatively easy to review. Other books are far more difficult as they deal with deep themes, context, and nuance. Those are tougher as those elements can also be spoilers and one never wants to reveal too much. Such is the case with the powerful book, All The Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby.

Sheriff Titus Crown is back home in Charon County, Virginia. He is the first black elected sheriff and ran on a platform of doing right by all the people, regardless of race or economic status. He knows the power of the past and what one man can do to another. Having grown up there, he knows the secrets and the history. History is ugly.

So too is the present as a year after being elected, shots are fired at the local high school. Sheriff Crown and his deputies arrive and stop the shooter. In the aftermath, not only is the shooter dead, so is a beloved teacher.

An investigation is launched and terrible secrets are unearthed going back years. As pressure builds among the local citizenry, often along racial lines, Sheriff Crown tries desperately to keep the peace while very much aware the land of Charon county is steeped in tears and blood.

All The Sinners Bleed is the latest book by S. A. Cosby and it is an incredible read of depth. Reminiscent of the writing of James Lee Burke, Mr. Cosby writes of the pain of the past and present with an eloquence that few other writers can achieve. Throughout the book, he paints a picture of grief, faith, and legacy while also spinning a complicated mystery.

All The Sinners Bleed will collect nominations by the handful and win a slew of awards. It also is a read that should touch a cord, if not several, within the reader. It is incredibly good and well worth your time.

Make sure you read Lesa Holstine’s review as well.

 

My reading copy came by way of the Oak Lawn Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023