(62)King of Ashes by S.A Crosby

 

A son returning home.

A dangerous debt.

Secrets about to ignite . . . and a family consumed by flames.

Roman Carruthers left the smoke and fire of his family's crematory business behind in his hometown of Jefferson Run, Virginia. He is enjoying a life of shallow excess as a financial adviser in Atlanta until he gets a call from his sister, Neveah, telling him their father is in a coma after a hit-and-run accident. When Roman goes home, he learns the accident may not be what it seems. His brother, Dante, is deeply in debt to dangerous, ruthless criminals.

And Roman is willing to do anything to protect his family. Anything.

A financial whiz with a head for numbers and a talent for making his clients rich, Roman must use all his skills to try to save his family while dealing with a shadow that has haunted them all for twenty years: the disappearance of their mother when Roman and his siblings were teenagers. It's a mystery that Neveah, who has sacrificed so much of her life to hold her family together, is determined to solve once and for all.

As fate and chance and heartache ignite their lives, the Carruthers family must pull together to survive or see their lives turn to ash. Because, as their father counseled them from birth, nothing lasts forever.

Everything burns.

King of Ashes had me hooked from almost the first page. I knew it wasn't going to be like anything I had ever read, and I was right. But almost in line with the title, it was a slow-burning kind of book. Roman had the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet there was good reason for that. Usually, a book with strong character development has a character changing for the better, but that is not the case with this book. And by the end, Roman's whole life has changed. 

This book may not be suitable for everyone and should be accompanied by numerous trigger warnings. The family business is a crematorium, so if you can't stomach that, you definitely should avoid it. But if you give it a shot, stick with it, and you won't be disappointed. 

Details:

• Kings of Ashes by S.A. Crosby
• Pages: 339
• Publisher: Flatiron Books
• Publication Date: 6/10/2025
• Buy it Here!