Heist Murder Mystery Thriller and Suspense Book Review: Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
- Nola Morgan
- Oct 11
- 4 min read
Genre: Heist Thriller, Murder Mystery Thriller and Suspense
Blacktop Wasteland was the first book in S.A. Cosby's catalogue, and it was another exceptional read. However, All the Sinners Bleed is still my favorite. Plus, I'm so excited that the movie is finally in development!
After finishing All the Sinners Bleed, I had to continue with S.A. Cosby's body of work. At first, I thought about taking a break from his books to read something else, but I couldn't; I was too invested in S.A.'s style of writing and storytelling.
Blacktop Wasteland Heist Thriller was my last read by S.A Cosby. I was thrilled I'd saved it for last. Going in, I wasn't sure I would like it because it dealt heavily with driving. I'd never read a book centered around driving, let alone imagined how it would translate to the page. But once again, S.A. did a fantastic job bringing everything to life.

I started reading the story on September 21st and finished on October 5th—15 days total. The book follows Beauregard "Bug" Montage, once known as the fastest getaway driver in the east. I really enjoyed the story. It was slow in the beginning, but the middle really took off. Now let's dive into the book review, analyzing the characters, story, themes, and villains.
Character Analysis
I'll focus on two characters that helped shape the story.
Beauregard "Bug" Montage – I liked Beauregard's character. He was street smart, methodical, and a no-nonsense kind of guy. He was a loving husband to Kia and a doting father to his two young boys, Darren and Javon, though there was a slight rift with his teenage daughter Ariel, whom he had with another woman when he was just a young man. Bug was doing everything right, working and living life. But the streets and driving his Duster tethered him back to his old ways.
Ronnie Sessions – Ronnie's character was everything that drove me crazy. He was a con artist, liar, manipulative, devious, and a drug addict. He was also idiotic at times. Ronnie hated his life; hated the fact that he was poor and lived in a trailer. He desperately wanted out. For him, the only way out was to scheme and betray.
Plot Overview
The story opens with Bug living a seemingly happy life. He'd been out of the game as one of the best drivers for years and had opened his own mechanic shop in his small town with his cousin Kelvin. Work was good until competition came along. Things slowed down at the shop, money became tight, and bills began to pile up. Bug was on the verge of losing his shop, his mother was about to be kicked out of her nursing home, and his teenage daughter needed help with graduation and college. Bug began to worry about how he could continue to provide for his family.
In walks Ronnie Sessions with his devil tongue. Ronnie had done a job with Bug a long time ago and had betrayed him when it was over. Ronnie was betting that was now water under the bridge—and he was right. In Bug's desperation, he listened to Ronnie tell him about how they could score a big payday. Ronnie's girlfriend worked at a jewelry store, and the owner, Lazarus (a.k.a. "Lazy"), had diamonds in a safe worth around 2 million dollars. Lazarus wasn't a good man. He was involved in all sorts of illegal activities.
In his haste, Ronnie didn't know anything about Lazy or how crazy the man was. Bug decided to help Ronnie. He'd be the driver, and once they got the diamonds and Ronnie exchanged them for cash, that would be the end of their involvement. Once and for all.
What Worked and What Didn't
Almost everything worked well with the story. However, I didn't like the fact that Bug wouldn't listen to his wife when she asked him to sell the Duster. Bug refused because he was so attached to the car due to his father. It took something terrible happening to make him realize the car was keeping him locked to his past life. Bug also refused to listen to his wife when she told him not to get mixed up with Ronnie. Bug thought he could do one more job with slick Ronnie and that would be it. But in the end, it cost Bug so much more.
Spoiler alert: I didn't like the fact that his son Javon set fire to the competition's garage. And truthfully, I cried when Bug's cousin Kelvin was killed. It was brutal and heartbreaking.
Final Thoughts
The book did a great job of keeping me engaged in the story. It also frustrated me. I give it four stars as a solid, good read and an enjoyable story.
Who were the villains? Bug was his own villain. He didn't listen to his wife, and he didn't listen to his gut instinct not to get involved with Ronnie. Ronnie was like a plague in his life, and Bug's desperation had blinded him to that fact.
Ronnie was also a villain. When he was caught by Lazy, he didn't give up Bug as the driver; another person did. Ronnie was determined to get his money back from the diamonds, but when that didn't work out, he saw another opportunity. The heist that Lazy sent him and Bug on involved a truck filled with platinum, and Ronnie hinted at getting a cut of it for himself. With his eagerness and his self-hatred of being a poor man, Ronnie did what Ronnie does best—he stabbed Bug in the back.
Though Ronnie was a villain, he was a good one. He did things I wasn't expecting him to do.
Themes
The themes in the novel centered around betrayal, revenge, and family dynamics.
Recommendation
I recommend Blacktop Wasteland. S.A. Cosby once again shows how to write a fantastic, believable, engaging story.
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