When not reading romance, I love me some mysteries! I usually stray into cozies with pun titles, but been known to enjoy a good detective novel too.
All Sinners Bleed was my first read from S.A. Cosby. The novel follows Titus Crowne, a newly elected Black sheriff when tragedy befalls the hometown where he serves. A school shooting uncovers buried secrets and forces the town to reckon with the concept of murderers in their midst. Titus was in the FBI and came home to live with his father. He has a dedicated girlfriend, but something isn’t sitting right with him. Is it part of the job, this case, or something else? He has to get into the thick of it as tensions run wild and incidents escalate. Most of the white community doesn’t respect him because he’s Black. The Southern elite want him to cater to their beck and call, which of course he refuses to do. The radical Black preacher in town thinks of Titus as a sellout. But Titus didn’t get into law enforcement to be liked.
I read this in June when Mocha Girls Read selected it. I also joined a lively virtual book club meeting with Black Men Read Now to discuss it. The premise was extremely timely with layers of commentary on school shootings, small-town life, and Southern overt and inadvertent racism. In this post-election malaise, it’s even more relevant. As a Black woman who grew up in a small Texas town, I could identify with some of Titus’ struggles and am glad that I don’t have to keep any societal peace!
Read this if you’re a fan of detective novels with colorful characters and open to social commentary. I’d recommend it for fans of Will Trent (TV show or books), True Detective, or The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.
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