Blacktop Wasteland

It's been a long time since I've read a book this savage, this pained and frankly this compelling. It was perfection. Gritty southern noir. I loved every word of it. Those of us who know Virginia will revel in the familiar locales. Those of us who love a good crime novel will be thrilled with the story and the perfect plotting. 10 out of 10. Highly recommend.

read for the tarot readathon 2023: ace of cups

s.a. cosby literally has the perfect balance of wellcrafted writting, fleshed out characters, commentary, and high action/gore. he eats down

I was almost dreading this book. The title itself evokes nothing but unnerving misfortune and I am afraid it plays out that way. But this book is a gem. Crafted as a “heist/thriller” genre book, it is so much more than that. The care and meticulousness in crafting the character of Bug, mean that this is a novel that succeeds in exploring the search for one's “true self”. Not quite a debut novel but almost. An extraordinary one at that.

Book had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. Great cast of characters.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
—
MEET MEAUREGARD MONTAGE

The secret ain't about the motor. That's part of i it, yeah, but that ain't the main thing. The real thing, the thing most people don't want to talk about, is how you drive. If you drive like you scared, you gonna lose. If you drive like you don't want to have to rebuild the whole engine, you gonna lose. You gotta drive like don't nothing else matter except getting to that line. Drive like you fucking stole it.

Beauregard heard his Daddy's voice every time he drove the Duster.

Beauregard thought about the clichéd scene in every crime movie where the main character who has gotten out of the “Life” buries his weapons under a hundred pounds of concrete only to have to dig them up when his enemies come knocking at his door.

He understood the appeal of the symbolism for filmmakers. It was just unrealistic. You were never out of the Life completely. You were always looking over your shoulder. You always kept a gun within reach, not buried under cement in your basement. Having a gun nearby was the only way you could pretend to relax.

* Beauregard tends to think of himself as “Bug” when he's thinking of the reckless, thrill-seeking lawbreaker side of him, and “Beauregard” when he's living the way he should. I'm following that.

—and

love

Blues Brothers

Bourne Identity

Baby Driver

Matrix

* I realize people who aren't red-blooded American males frequently love them, too, I'm not arguing against that. It just seems more definitional of RBAM.

everyone

THAT

Men like your Daddy, like me, like you used to be, we don't die in hospital beds. Ant wasn't perfect. He loved driving, drinking, and women, in that order. He lived life at 100 miles per hour. Men like that, well, they go out on their own terms, usually with a bang.

that

BLACKTOP WASTELAND

She Rides Shotgun

Blacktop Wasteland

Blacktop Wasteland

Blacktop Wasteland

That was like reading an episode of the final season Breaking Bad.

I thought this book was a mystery as mentioned in different annual mystery awards, IT IS NOT!! The only mystery is why this book is being advertised/labeled as a mystery. I got 1/2 thru the book before I decided this wasn't a mystery. However if you are a fan of great characters, suspense, thrills excitement and such you will like this! This has won a lot of awards this year and maybe there could be a sequel (Hope so, the characters were great). I am not a fan of books like this, normally just mysteries however this book may have won me over to other genres! David N.

Hell yes. I can't wait for Cosby's next book.

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby is a compelling book written with verve and immediacy. Cosby uses a realistic vernacular at times that immerses the reader in his characters and their culture. Over and over he provides imagery and similes like I have never read before–creative and perfect for his purpose. There is a lot to like here and I found myself forced to continue reading even after I realized that this was not a book for me.

There are no heroes in this book, despite what you may think in the first few chapters. There is revenge and anger and violent justice outside of the rule of law. If that's your thing, you will love this book. But if you want something more, something that is revelatory about the human condition, and our ability to redeem ourselves despite our circumstances, look elsewhere. Perhaps the meaning in Blacktop Wasteland is that redemption is not available to some, and I get that. But that view is so hopeless it makes me reluctant to recommend the book, particularly in today's circumstances. In my old age and in this age of pandemic, I want at least a hint of the positive, a touch of hope that the world can be made better rather than the despair Cosby has given me.

You know, I really wanted this book to be different. I had high expectations, and it just didn't hit the mark for me. I thought when it came down to it:

1. there were too many characters
2. relationships were not explicitly called out all the time
3. the story would have been totally different if Bug didn't decide to pay his mom's burden when she didn't deserve it

Perhaps unpopular opinion, but it really would have been the same old life for them if that didn't change. What did I like about this novel? It was very raw, there was nothing alluded to. The author was very black and white about the way things were (which was why some character relationships ended up being confusing because they were much murkier than the storyline). I kind of wish it ended differently. I wish that men weren't always like “oh it's just the way men are in my family so that's now I am”. BOY STOP YOUR TOXIC MASCULINITY and literally think through your choices!!!! There was quite a bit of sexism in this book. Meaning the women were just supposed to sit there and take whatever decisions that the men made. I was glad for what happened at the end with Kia, but it was still too soft for all the shit this dude did. In the end, just disappointed in such a highly talked up novel.

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby is a novel categorized as a crime thriller. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad. Bug knows there's no future in the man he used to be: known from the hills of North Carolina to the beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast. He thought he'd left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, he finds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets. When a smooth-talking former associate comes calling with a can't-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choice but to get back in the driver's seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes with the smell of fear. Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he needed him most, Bug must find a way to navigate this blacktop wasteland...or die trying.”

This is the second novel I've read by S. A. Cosby, the first being Razorblade Tears which I absolutely loved. Although for me not as emotionally charged as Razorblade Tears, there's still so much to enjoy about this thrilling, fast-paced, crime novel.

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is trying to be a good man, father, husband, and son, but life keeps throwing him combinations that he has a hard time outmaneuvering. His mother is in a nursing home and needs over $30,000 to keep her bed. His bills are piling up at home and at his floundering auto repair shop. It just seems like he can't keep up. When Ronnie Sessions, a small-time hood, approaches Beauregard about joining a heist, we learn that Beauregard is known around that part of the country as the best getaway driver there ever was, even better than his crooked father was. When Ronnie temps Beauregard with a close to six-figure payout, Beauregard takes the bite even though he knows that Ronnie isn't trustworthy. What ensues is a nail-biting crime thriller that takes many twists and turns, most of which are surprising and gripping.

Cosby is an excellent writer and keeps the pace going strong even after sections of back story or glimpses into Beauregard familial life. Where Cosby truly shines though is the emotional depth he gives his main character: Beauregard. He truly struggles with the pull of a life of crime, one that he seems destined for even though he doesn't want it. His real-world struggles are relatable and the stress that comes from debt or medical bills is crushing. It's easy to see how the allure of a big payout from an “easy” job is tempting to him. But as easy as it appears, Cosby has dark roads for him to drive down and this quick job sucks Beauregard into a black hole of bad decisions, threatening to consume him and his loved ones.

I really enjoyed this book of stories and I highly recommend it. I would give this book four and a half stars.

While there are some good pages and sections here and there, this book is so full of cliches and storylines that everybody has seen and read many times. A few pages in and I already knew how it was going to end and how every turn of the story would go.