By: S.A. Crosby
Goodreads description:
Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, Charon has had only two murders. After years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface.
Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. Those festering secrets are now out in the open and ready to tear the town apart.
As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes and a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon. With the killer’s possible connections to a local church and the town’s harrowing history weighing on him, Titus projects confidence about closing the case while concealing a painful secret from his own past. At the same time, he also has to contend with a far-right group that wants to hold a parade in celebration of the town’s Confederate history.
Powerful and unforgettable, All the Sinners Bleed confirms S. A. Cosby as “one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction” (The Washington Post).
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓
This book was on every “best of” list for 2023. I do not get the appeal. I would equate to a JV Silence of the Lambs imbedded with every hot button social issue of the last 5 years. There was just too much going on in this book: serial killers, race riots, school shootings, fundamentalism, another mass killing….phew…and there was one lonely sheriff in town to solve the crimes. Also, lest we forget to throw a love triangle in there…Upon reflection, it seemed very absurd. On the positive side, it read like a movie script. There was great character development and I felt that I knew the characters and could hear their voices. It would probably make a great movie with a little editing. It was definitely entertaining.
Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓
In its VERY dark way, this was probably my favorite book of the month (not sure what this says about me…). There is racism, there is murder, there is sexual abuse, there is an evil contingency, there is horror, there is a school shooting, there is A LOT wrong with this book, but maybe that is what makes it right. I would not call this true crime at all, and it is definitely far-fetched, but boy is it readable. I would say that SA (aka, Shawn) Crosby is probably a genius – his writing style and story-telling are compelling. There is also humor and wonderful quips and word play. Maybe a little “cop out” (no pun intended) at the end, but a definite page turner. An interesting perspective and mesmerizing read from someone who loves and in turn is conflicted by his Southern roots.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 