
Cosby’s latest (following
All the Sinners Bleed) is a fast-paced thriller that will have readers asking whether the ends justify the means if there is no end in sight. Torn apart by the unsolved disappearance of their mother 20 years ago, the three Carruthers children each hid from the past in their own way—Roman ran off to Atlanta and became a successful financial advisor to the stars; Dante hid in the haze of self-medication while the world passed by; and Neveah sacrificed her future to take care of their father and the family crematory business. When their father is in a car crash and falls into a coma, Roman returns to Jefferson Run, VA, and learns that perhaps his father’s injuries weren’t accidental. Fighting unresolved guilt about the disappearance of his mother and leaving his family for success away from home, Roman decides to put his family first at any cost. As his father always told him, everything burns.
VERDICT Reminiscent of the great tragedies, this is Cosby at his best. Will appeal to fans of Attica Locke, Jordan Harper, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.