Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - My Darkest Prayer

Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

10 reviews

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SA Cosby is such a good writer that I hope he keeps writing books for many, many years. I’m not phrasing this well because I don’t want to sound histrionic but damn, he is *so* good. Everything of his that I’ve read has knocked the breath out of me. This book is no different.

When I read one of Cosby’s books, I think about it for weeks afterward. The main characters, even some of the dirty ones, are sympathetic and wind up in some really awful sh1t while the villains are despicably vile. The plots are compelling page-turners - I read this all in one go. I’m sitting here trying to write this, feeling gobsmacked by the wild trip Cosby took me on. It’s impossible for me to describe how magnificent his writing is.

I have no idea how Cosby comes up with his complex plots, his mix of struggling good guys and evil bad guys. How many synonyms for compelling are there? He writes with a depth of emotion; it’s clear he really loves his characters.

As someone with a phobia of religion, I hesitated to read this. I needn’t have worried. Cosby shows how seemingly altruistic people manipulate religion and its adherents to get what they want. There are a handful of devout believers here but the rest are either pretending and / or milking it for all they can get.

I can’t wait for Cosby’s next book. He is beyond talented.

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jamie_rich's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I'm a big fan of his other books, but this was not for me.
And I can't stand the way women are described in this one 😬🥴

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graysonbax's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Check the mf trigger warnings

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josie2k's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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booksteader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a wild ride this book proved to be! I was taken completely out of my reading comfort zone and handed a crime mystery that reminds me of a Quentin Tarantino noir movie complete with barroom brawls, fast paced gory shoot-outs, gratuitous sex, intimidating gangsters, language that would make a sailor blush, and a murder mystery to give it all a purpose. And the antihero main character leaves a lot to be desired in terms of his misogyny and massive ego, but for some odd reason you still want him to win in the end. I do enjoy an unlikable protagonist. This isn't a book I'd recommend to just anyone; you have to own the right size pearls to clutch. If you're eager to read every male-gaze crime thriller trope you could possibly imagine all in one book, with the ability to set aside any hint of prudishness, give this one a try.
🚨🚨🚨🚨Would recommend with some caveats, and only to a certain type of reader.
Speaking of recommendations, thank to you Stephen from Fred & June's Books for introducing me to something totally new!

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horizonous's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Without all of the unnecessary sexual content, male gaze and sexualisation of every woman this could have worked just fine as an action-packed novella.

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the_boozy_baking_bibliophile's review against another edition

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5.0

Bought this yesterday after my friend Magen over at bonechillingbooks told me it was incredible. And she was not wrong. I read this in one sitting, on a Sunday night and it saved me from all the Sunday Scaries. Don’t get me wrong - there is a shit ton of murder and violence and things that make you rethink your path in life in this book, but never once did I contemplate putting it down.

Cosby is a master of the art of writing complicated, flawed characters that still have you rooting for them as they’re breaking someone else’s jaw. If you like gritty crime novels that are full of despicable characters and people who will do whatever it takes to rid the world of that evil - even if it means walking a fine line between vengeance and justice - this is a must read.

And it was his first novel. So far, they’re all fucking glorious.

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