Welcome to Litsy!

#BookScavengerHunt prompt -moon 15 pts
#BookRecommendation 30 pts One of my favorites authors, so good and the audiobook is amazing

1,030 pts (previous) + 45 pts (current) = 1,175 pts

#bookscavengerhunt #moon
#bookrecommendation #dark
#hauntedshelf #hexesandcrows @Catsandbooks @PuddleJumper

Sheriff Titus has his hands full with an anticipated march in support of a statue honoring a Confederate hero and likely counter protesters organized by a black preacher, when a bloodthirsty serial killer‘s evil deeds are discovered following a school shooting of everyone‘s favorite teacher. No simple solution to find the killer, and things get pretty twisted and bloody very quickly. And yet there are the most endearing moments between Titus & ⬇️

#two4Tuesday Thanks @TheSpineView for the tag!

1) I received the most beautiful scarf from @TEArificbooks and I plan to wear it. Daughter suggested I go as a fortune-teller so if I can figure out what else will work with the scarf, I will dress up for work. We don‘t dress up, so I‘ll be the odd man out. Happily.

2) My Halloween books haven‘t been scary or spooky. But the tagged book was very very dark. I highly recommend it

Play @AnnCrystal ?

My next audiobook

#halloweenatoz #letterA

#trappedinaspookyhouse @CSeydel
#hauntedshelf #hexesandcrows @Catsandbooks @PuddleJumper

Another solid thriller from SA Cosby. If you‘ve read his other books, you know what to expect: this one is equally violent, dark, well-plotted, and evocative as his previous novels. This one follows a small-town sheriff trying to track down a serial killer found operating out of his town. Sheriff Crown must simultaneously navigate racial tensions in his town and demons from his personal and professional past as he circles closer to the killer. 3⭐️

My #trappedinaspookyhouse starts NOW! This epigram gives me that feeling like the moment when the roller coaster starts up the hill … I know I‘m in for something terrifying!

@CSeydel is #trappedinaspookyhouse for the entire month of October! Fortunately, she has a handful of amazing books to read! (But really take your time!)

I had so much fun picking these books, none of which I have read. Husband weighed in on the Fforde book and some were on my tbr list. And one I added to my tbr list. This was such a great way to discover new books!

I‘m looking forward to hear how you like them!

#trappedinaspookyhouse
@Texreader @PuddleJumper

Your spooky house awaits … oooOooO …

I have the hardest time getting these pics to fit! Lots of great books this month!

#BookBracket2024 #ReadingBracket
#bracket2024

Another great novel that should be adapted for a movie, unless that happened already🤷🏽‍♀️It has suspense, action, intrigue, and Titus Crown is an interesting character dealing with personal things, prejudice and his job as the first black sheriff in Charon County, Virginia. I don‘t know what to think about that ending but I know it will be a perfect one in a movie. 4/4.5⭐️Amazing audiobook.

This #authoramonth pick earlier this year was a #newtomeauthor I was glad to read! #aboutabook

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Cosby‘s story of the South is a fast-paced police chase that never settles for being just a mystery. It‘s a morality play about living with the demons and scars of a complicated history that has yet to be reckoned with. The third-person narrator (maybe Charon County itself) never allows it to be simple. A fantastic, chilling read.

“Blood and tears. Violence and mayhem. Love and hate. These were the rocks upon which the South was built.”

A perfect plane book. The first black sheriff in a small Virginia town discovers a gruesome serial killer. The ensuing deaths are not dwelt upon and there's not too much plodding details, but some social commentary, and its just suspenseful enough, without making one''s heart race.

A serial killer thriller that reminded me of a Criminal Minds episode, except that it is layered with the story of Titus, former FBI agent turned sheriff of his SE Virginia county. Racism still runs rampant there, complicating the lives of its citizens and its first Black sheriff. Except for a little bit of overdone prose at the beginning, I was totally wrapped up in this twisty, turny thriller with its nuanced MC and stayed up late to finish!

Some excellent reads so far this year! This is really difficult, but the tagged remains in the lead!

#BookBracket2024
#readingbracket2024

I read this mystery earlier this month and really enjoyed it! It was a smart police procedural that didn‘t dwell heavily on the violent bits but provided enough detail to convey how tragic and horrible the crimes were. It kept me guessing right to the end! Adam Lazarre-White excelled as the audiobook narrator. Glad I read this for June‘s #AuthorAMonth pick! 5/5⭐️
(June 27, 2024)

damn what a good book. grabs you and won‘t let you go. this should be made into a movie.

This was my first SACosby book! When I was reading, I was fully engrossed in the story, forgetting where and when I was physically. This is exactly what I love in a book. I have one major plot question I will hide in the comments! #authoramonth @Soubhiville

I did it! I got through an SA Cosby book! I was nervous to pick them up because I heard how dark and gruesome the books are. This one was pretty dark but luckily most was off the page. A serial killer and the hunt to find them before they kill again. I‘ll need light stuff for a while before I can pick up any other dark books.

#authoramonth

Not my favorite by him, but still good! #authoramonth @Soubhiville

S. A. Crosby is new to me. I read him thanks to #AuthorAMonth and so glad I did. This is an extremely tense thriller with great characters. I adore Titus Crown. The racial tensions are palpable throughout the story.
Trigger warnings - this has graphic detail of child abuse, torture and murder.

@Soubhiville

I had a lot of difficulty fitting the books into the tiny space 🤦🏻‍♀️ so far the tagged is in the lead! ❤️📚

#BookBracket2024
#readingbracket2024

repost for @Soubhiville

Welcome to June #AuthorAMonth readers! Time to pull out our SA Cosby books. What are you planning to read?

#AuthorAMonth is a no-pressure, no-commitment Litsy challenge. The goal is to celebrate the works of a particular author each month. Authors were chosen through polls by Litsy participants. Read as many as you like, skip months when needed, it's up to you!

There will be some prizes sent at the end of the year:

This one is hard for me to review. I admire so many things about it, but it was a little too much for me in the violence/grittiness department. 3.5/5*

S.A. Cosby, You owe me nothing and have made my entire year! Thank you for being so humble, kind and transparent. Your journey has lead to many blessings and I cannot wait to see it on the big screen.

Such #tragedy needs a trigger warning about the incredibly horrific details of physical abuse and murder of young black people. But, it is so deserving of accolades for Cosby's abilities to create an engaging, suspenseful story and remind readers of racial injustice and hate that continues to plague us. An important lesson for anyone who still thinks confederate monuments represent "history, not hate." #SpringSkies @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Such #tragedy needs a trigger warning about the incredibly horrific details of physical abuse and murder of young black people. But, it is so deserving of accolades for Cosby's abilities to create an engaging, suspenseful story and remind readers of racial injustice and hate that continues to plague us. An important lesson for anyone who still thinks confederate monuments represent "history, not hate." #SpringSkies @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

We have our #LitsyToB24 winner! All the Sinners Bleed takes ways the turkey 🥇 🏆
Thank you all for participating in our very own tournament of books, thanks to you we‘ve read a bunch of very good books!!

Meg, Helen and I hope to see you all again at #CampLitsy2024 in a few months time!

What a great read! Tautly plotted and very well written.

A young black man kills a white school teacher in the aptly named Charon County, VA. As he leaves the scene he is killed by the police. As Sheriff Titus Crowne investigates, terrible evil acts are revealed and they must hunt a serial killer. All in the midst of racial provocation by Confederate apologists.

I loved Titus‘s final redemptive act at this end of this highly recommended novel.

Today we had our 1st Zombie match: Hello Beautiful vs All the Sinners Bleed. HB easily won each match so far and seemed a serious candidate for the 🦃 .
Never underestimate a Zombie though; with 53% of the votes we‘ll see Sinners, that left the tournament in the opening round against Rachel, back in the finals! @Suet624 @jas16 @Bookpearl @decalino @well-readNeck and @bookwormjillk will be happy, Sinners is their favorite book of #LitsyToB24!

This was the first book I‘ve read of S.A. Cosby. I found the novel kept me turning the pages. It had some good characters and some not so great. Racism is very much alive in many places. I often hope I will awaken and find it was just a nightmare. It will always break my heart. I gave this book a 4.25/5.

What an excellent read this was. While the story is thrilling and keeps the reader turning the pages, the heart of the story is its depiction of small town rural America, the struggles of Sheriff Titus Crowne (conflicted, full of quiet anger), and the interactions (volatile, tense) among the white and Black residents. Crosby tackles issues of racism, white supremacy, religious fundamentalism, and violence skilfully.

A significant win for All The Sinners Bleed in today‘s #LitsyToB24 bracket - by 17 votes to 4, meaning Sinners had the most votes of any book in our first round. Are you surprised by this outcome?

We put these books together due to the element of mystery in them, and also the question of whether crimes had been committed. Did you feel that either book was a typical mystery or crime novel?

We‘d love to hear your thoughts on both books!

This book by #AuthorAMonth author for June is currently 99p in the U.K. for Kindle and Apple Books.

Seen great reviews for this book and looking forward to getting to it in June.

@Soubhiville

Hubby and I started listening to this one while we traveled Saturday and I finished it with Sherlock (🐶) during the #hyggehourreadathon last night.
It‘s dark and intense with a strong main character. The audio was very well done.

Sherlock and I listened to this audiobook while relaxing under blankets in our recliner. A perfect #hyggehourreadathon

A crime thriller set in Virginia, where a small town Black sheriff must confront a serial killer and his county‘s own twisted history. I couldn‘t put it down.

This is probably the last #LitsyToB24 entry I‘ll manage before the voting starts. I liked it, though it was more violent and brutal than I expected. I didn‘t realize it was about a series killer. It felt overstuffed with issues that Sheriff Crown is working through and the plotting was occasionally awkward IMO. Titus Crown is a great character, though. That‘s where I think Cosby excels. This could easily been the start of a series.

Cosby does it again. This book is thrilling, upsetting, evocative, and impossible to put down while still hard to read after dark. The protagonist is a flawed lawman who is trying to serve his community in a dark and violent time. Check the content warnings, this book may have the scariest serial killer ever. And Cosby‘s writing is so tight, so perfect, that he puts you right in the moment. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So good! #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Such a lovely day to be reading outside. Helps to be in the sunshine when reading a book this dark, too.

A small Virginia town with a black sheriff is rocked by a series of murders. I enjoyed but wasn't blown away by Razorblade Tears. I devoured this book, though. It was like a Sidney Poitier movie made today where he didn't have to tiptoe around racist white folk. Some of the scenarios could have felt cliche, but the sheriff's jaded attitude helped them feel different. Dark and violent, but easy to get sucked into. Highly recommended.

PSA—Kindle version of All the Sinners Bleed is $2.99 today… #LitsyToB24

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9KWRYKP?_bbid=197433254&tag=bookbubemail1-20

This was a low pick for me. I feel like not much happened in the first half of the book, but it did make me want to keep reading it, interestingly enough! Too many side characters to keep track of. Lots of death and drama in the end though. (8)
⭐️: 3.5/5

I loved Razorblade Tears so I knew that I was in for a treat with this book. S.A. Cosby is the king of Southern Noir. His characters will get under your skin, you will feel all their emotions and you won‘t want to put this book down!

Book 35 of the year.

#bookly #goodreadschallenge #sacosbyauthor #allthesinnersbleed #southernnoir #booknerd #booklover #librarian

I looked so forward to celebrating Feb with books by Black authors that I started this grid in Jan. How can I hand out so many 5⭐️, you ask? Because they are that good!

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

#TLT
Tagged by @dabbe
1. Um. The Bobbsey Twins. Those kids were master detectives and I LOVED them when I was a kid.
2. The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew
3. Titus Crown from the tagged book.

Feel free to play!

S.A. Cosby has yet to disappoint. This has been my best read of the year so far. A school shooting leads to the discovery of a serial killer in small town Virginia.

I saw someone describe Cosby‘s writing as gritty, and I think that‘s an apt description. This was a great police procedural that is so much more faceted than just a typical mystery novel. I probably wouldn‘t had picked it up if not for #LitsyTOB24 and so I am grateful for that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️