S.A. Cosby is a writer whose work has been published in numerous magazine and anthologies. His story "Slant-Six" received an honorable mention in Best Mystery Stories of 2016. He lives in Gloucester, Virginia.
Crooks (2025) Lou Berney "Dark Ride is Lou Berney at his best. This story...is both thrilling and heartbreaking but ultimately life affirming."
Mississippi Blue 42 (2025) (FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson, book 1) Eli Cranor "With a sure hand and a knowing smirk, Eli Cranor guides us through a world that is like a religion for some while never losing sight that college football - despite all the money, fame, and power which orbits that world - is still a game. A game played by young men who put everything on the line for a chance to lift themselves and their families out of the perdition of poverty and play under the bright lights on the biggest stage. Mississippi Blue 42 is an amazing achievement by a powerful voice in crime fiction."
El Dorado Drive (2025) Megan Abbott "El Dorado Drive is a dizzying ephemeral journey where Megan Abbott confirms what many of us already knew. She is one the finest writers to ever put pen to paper in the crime genre. A rare tour de force."
Michael Farris Smith "LAY YOUR ARMOR DOWN, is an exceptional exploration of the existential malaise that drives us to find our paths in a cruel and indifferent world. Not to be missed."
The Haunting of Room 904 (2025) Erika T Wurth "The Haunting Of Room 904 is an electric terrifying journey into the world beyond the veil. Erika T. Wurth has created a mind bending tale of loss and love and the devastating cost of grief. You don't want to miss this!"
Saint of the Narrows Street (2025) William Boyle "No one can make the everyday vagaries of life feel like Greek tragedies the way William Boyle can. He effortlessly maps the path of desire that moves through the human heart like burning chrome."
They All Fall the Same (2025) Wes Browne "A dark gritty slice of Rural Noir that goes down smooth but has a hell of a kick like a strong shot of high quality bourbon. Wes Browne takes you on a walk through the Kentucky hills and down dusty back roads where justice, revenge and regret are uneasy allies."
Breath of the Dragon (2025) (Breathmarked, book 1) Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee "A stirring and stunning novel of fascinating imagination and filled with a true warrior's spirit. A not to be missed adventure!"
The Recruiter (2024) (Rick Carter, book 1) Gregg Podolski "The Recruiter is both a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller and at times a moving character study. Rick Carter is a man who lives at the nexus of different lives. When those lives crash together against his will, we see who the real Rick Carter is, and even he is surprised. A fascinating and sometimes introspective journey into the heart of the underworld; I really enjoyed it."
No Road Home (2024) John Fram "A grand gothic story as entralling as it is terrifying, John Fram swings for the fences and does not miss."
Breaking the Dark (2024) (Marvel Crime, book 1) Lisa Jewell "Breaking the Dark is a novel that reveals the depth and complexity of one of the most fascinating and indomitable characters in the Marvel canon. Lisa Jewell has found secret reservoirs of strength and perseverance in Jessica Jones that only a writer of her skill could articulate."
Holy City (2024) Henry Wise "Holy City is an amazing piece of work. A Southern novel that examines the pathos and ethos of small-town life and the weight of both grief and hatred. Love it."
Don't Let the Devil Ride (2024) Ace Atkins "Don't Let the Devil Ride rumbles and rocks like the bottom beat in a Memphis blues tune played by a master. Ace Atkins has crafted an instant Southern noir classic that embodies the best aspects of the genre. Larger than life characters, wry humor, deep pathos and storytelling that embrace both the sacred and the profane."
Blood in the Cut (2024) Alejandro Nodarse "Blood in The Cut brims with dangerous energy in the face of existential entropy. A fantastic story."
You Know What You Did (2024) K T Nguyen "You Know What You Did is an exciting, complex thriller that takes the reader on a thoroughly disturbing journey through the mind of a protagonist who may or may not be the villain. At times harrowing and heartfelt, You Know What You Did will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page."
The North Line (2024) Matt Riordan "The North Line is a ruggedly erudite story that combines the best of the individualism of Jack London with the introspective ruminations of Raymond Carver . . . not to be missed."
Missing White Woman (2024) Kellye Garrett "Only a writer like Kellye Garrett could craft a tale so adroitly attuned to our everyday fears while also tapping the zeitgeist of infamy and identity facing all of us but especially black women in a world that so often puts them on the bottom rung of society's ladder. A fantastic thriller and amazing book!"
Hurt for Me (2024) Heather Levy "Hurt for Me is a sensual, suspenseful, and sometimes terrifying walk through the secret chasms between what we tell people we want and what our hearts desire. After you turn the last page, you will be BEGGING for more from Heather Levy, the new voice of erotic thrillers."
The County Line (2024) Steve Weddle "A book both wistful for the past but also brutally honest about it. Steve Weddle has crafted a bluegrass hymn with the notes written in blood."
Indigo Road (2023) (Jack Connor Mystery, book 5) Reed Bunzel "Indigo Road is a beautiful wrought, hard-biting story with elements of classic noir presented through a prism of modern sensibilities. A fantastic read."
Those We Thought We Knew (2023) David Joy "Those We Thought We Knew is a beautifully fearless contemplation. The best novels ask the hard questions and task us to come up with answers. Joy is asking the hardest question and daring us to answer truthfully."
Broadway Butterfly (2023) Sara DiVello "Sara Divello has written a vibrant, interesting, and exciting mystery that embodies the best of the hedonistic time in which it's set. Fantastic work."
Infested (2023) Angel Luis Colón "Disturbing, hopeful, and exciting, Infested is a love letter to the Bronx, New York, that doesn't shy away from the issues that need to be addressed. It's as if Clive Barker's The Thief of Always took the 6 Train."
The Good Ones (2023) Polly Stewart "Polly Stewart's The Good Ones is a fantastic achievement. A classic Southern Gothic tale told through the prism of modern-day sensibilities. Not to be missed."
Fearless (2023) (Ben Koenig, book 1) M W Craven "If you haven't read any M. W. Craven yet, fix that immediately."
Something Bad Wrong (2023) (Jess Keeler, book 1) Eryk Pruitt "There are storytellers who seem to come to us fully formed. Bards who create worlds and characters that captivate us instantaneously. Eryk Pruitt is such a storyteller, and Something Bad Wrong is such a book. A kaleidoscope of Southern Gothic traditions seamlessly combined with an incredible murder mystery, all told with Pruitt's unique, indomitable style. Something Bad Wrong is some very, very good writing."
Small Mercies (2023) Dennis Lehane "Dennis Lehane peels back the layers of his characters like a sculptor finding the face of an angel in a block of stone. By a true master at the top of his game, Small Mercies is vintage Lehane. Beautiful, brutal, lyrical and blisteringly honest. Not to be missed."
Time's Undoing (2023) Cheryl A Head "Times Undoing is a harrowing yet beautiful journey into the heart of darkness that beats in the center of the American Experience. A tour de force."
Everybody Knows (2023) Jordan Harper "Just as Ellory mastered the atavistic heart of 1950's corruption, so Jordan Harper has mastered articulating the Day-Glo Technicolor nightmare that is postmodern Los Angeles. Everybody Knows is filled with ballsy movers and shakers, of course, but also plastic social media influencers, high-rent hoods, nihilistic cops, and the sorts of lost souls you'll never forget. Everybody Knows is an absolute tour de force, a trip through an exclusive alluring Hell where everyone gets what they want and just what they deserve."
The Hollow Kind (2022) Andy Davidson "Andy Davidson is quickly establishing himself as the newest master of southern gothic horror. The Hollow Kind seeps into your subconscious and waits for you in your nightmares."
The Devil Takes You Home (2022) Gabino Iglesias "Some of the finest, most terrifying and heartbreaking writing you will read this year. The Devil Takes You Home is not to be missed."
We Lie Here (2022) Rachel Howzell Hall "Rachel Howzell Hall continues to shatter the boundaries of crime fiction through the sheer force of her indomitable talent."
This Train (2022) James Grady "The term 'master storyteller' is bandied about quite often these days, but in the case of James Grady it isn't just a marketing phrase. This Train confirms what most readers have known for decades. James Grady is a writer who is always at the top of his game. A nail biting thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats. Not to be missed."
Dark Factory (2022) (Dark Factory, book 1) Kathe Koja "Some writers are born to spin tales from the shadows. Kathe Koja is one such author. Dark Factory is a unique and esoteric experience. A journey into the throbbing heart of creativity itself. Where we find kisses and cuts. A fantastic story."
The Paradox Hotel (2022) Rob Hart "An engrossing and thought-provoking sci-fi mystery that is also an achingly beautiful meditation on grief and the pain of lost love."
Her Name is Knight (2021) (Nena Knight, book 1) Yasmin Angoe "Yasmin Angoe’s debut novel, Her Name Is Knight, is an amazing action packed international thriller full of suspense, danger, and even romance. It’s like a John Wick prequel except John is a beautiful African woman with a particular set of skills."
When Ghosts Come Home (2021) Wiley Cash "A fascinating, nuanced meditation on life - both the living of it and the taking of it - in the crucible of small town America. Wiley Cash is our guide through this maze of old secrets and fresh hurts. Take his hand, follow his lead and face the truth."
A Violent Gospel (2021) (Dooley Brothers, book 1) Mark Westmoreland "A Violent Gospel is a visceral slice of existential cornbread."
Velvet Was the Night (2021) Silvia Moreno-Garcia "Velvet Was the Night cements Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s incredible versatility as an amazing writer who moves effortlessly between genres. It’s a lush, magnificent trip into a world of danger and discovery—not to be missed!"
Dead-End Jobs (2021) Andy Rausch "An incredible collection of powerful and haunting stories that exist in that shadowy realm between tragedy, nihilism and noir."
Bath Haus (2021) P J Vernon "P. J. Vernon has crafted a thriller that is dark, gripping, and addictive. Reading Bath Haus is like eavesdropping on the disintegration of a beautiful lie. You think you know how it's going to end but you have NO IDEA."
Girl, 11 (2021) Amy Suiter Clarke "Girl, 11 is a dazzlingly twisted and dark thriller with complex characters, a neo-Gothic atmosphere and a killer that ranks with some of the most disturbing in the genre. Amy Suiter Clarke is a magnificent guide through this macabre labyrinth!"
Scavenger (2020) (Dickie Cornish, book 1) Christopher Chambers "Chris Chambers has created a wholly original character that exists in a world at once familiar but startlingly brutal."
Hidden Victims (2020) (Nichelle Clarke Mystery, book 8) LynDee Walker "LynDee Walker is a modern voice in crime fiction with a southern belle’s charm...if you like Tami Hoag or Nora Roberts, you will love her work."
Undercard (2019) David Albertyn "Undercard is a dizzying rollercoaster of suspense and action that examines the complexities of brotherhood and the consequences of tragic masculinity. Albertyn’s pitch-perfect understanding of the bonds of friendship gives this novel a powerful emotional center. If The Hangover was a serious suspense novel, it would be Undercard."
