Reviews tagging 'Murder'

My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

23 reviews

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

This took me a lot longer to get into than Cosby's other books. The writing was a bit weaker in the beginning, like he was finding his voice, which I think is to be expected with the first full length novel. But it kicked off about half way through and I was completely hooked and it definitely delivered what the rest of his books deliver. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Medical content, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Animal death

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, Cursing, Murder, Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Blood, and Car accident

rei_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Gun violence

Moderate: Child abuse

3littlewordz's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Murder

jamie_rich's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Alcohol, Gun violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death, and Police brutality

graysonbax's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Infidelity, Gun violence, Blood, Bullying, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Racism, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Death

ameyer20's review against another edition

dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Gun violence

Minor: Rape

josie2k's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Hate crime

emziesreads's review against another edition

dark 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Nobody does Southern noir like Cosby. Master at using the crime novel to interrogate race in rural South.

There's some objectification of women in this book which while suiting the MC did bother me at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Hate crime, Murder, and Rape

pixie_d's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Book club read or I would never have read it. As it was, I wanted to dnf it for the sexism, but finished it for book club.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Gore, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Gun violence, Cursing, and Alcohol