After returning to Jefferson Run, Virginia, and family business Carruthers Crematorium—with brother Dante in debt to criminals and sister Neveah exhausted from holding everything together—Roman discovers that his father’s crash was no accident and Dante has placed them all in real danger. (suspense). Simultaneous. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews

Roman Carruthers did it. He got out. He left the dying town of Jefferson Run, Virginia, and he built himself a prosperous life making money for other people. When he learns that his father is in a coma after a car accident, he flies home immediately to find a family in disarray: a sister who's become obsessed with the long-ago disappearance of their mother, and a brother who's deep in debt to some very bad people. Can Roman somehow find a way to bring peace to his family, even as his father lies dying? Cosby has published one magnificent crime novel after another, beginning with 2019's My Darkest Prayer, and this new book spotlights the author's gift for building complex characters. It also continues his exploration of the dark places humans keep hidden within us. His dialogue, too, is pitch-perfect: colloquial and idiomatic, reflecting the education and upbringing of his characters—it feels like we're eavesdropping on real people. A stunning novel.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Cosby's rural southern noir mysteries have become consistent best-sellers, and this one comes out in time for beach read season. Copyright 2025 Booklist Reviews.

Library Journal Reviews

Roman Carruthers returns home to find his younger brother is in debt to dangerous criminals, who are demanding payment. Award-winning, bestselling author Cosby (All the Sinners Bleed) returns with a Godfather-inspired Southern crime epic that receives a 300K-copy first printing. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2025 Library Journal