S. A. Cosby

Shawn Andre Cosby (born August 4, 1973, in Newport News, Virginia) is an American author of "Southern noir" crime fiction.^[1] He resides in Gloucester, Virginia, on the York River. Cosby has published four crime novels: My Darkest Prayer, Blacktop Wasteland, Razorblade Tears, and All the Sinners Bleed.^[2][3][4]

S. A. Cosby
Cosby at the 2023 National Book Festival
Born	Shawn Andre Cosby (1973-08-04) August 4, 1973 (age 51) Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Language	English
Nationality	American
Genre	Southern noir • crime thriller• fantasy
Notable works	Blacktop Wasteland Razorblade Tears
Notable awards	Anthony–Short Story (2019) Anthony–Novel (2021) ITWA–Hardcover (2021) ITWA–Hardcover (2022)

Awards and accolades

Cosby's 2021 novel, Razorblade Tears, debuted #10 on The New York Times Best Seller list.^[2][5][6] The book was featured on Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show for Fallon's 2021 Summer Reads Book Club. The book was one of six contenders for a Jimmy Fallon read.^[6][7][8] It won or was nominated for a slew of awards, particularly ones that honor thrillers, suspense, and mystery, such as the Anthony Award,^[9] Barry Award,^[10] Edgar Award,^[11] Gold Dagger,^[12] ITW Award,^[13] Macavity Award,^[14] and Lefty Award. It was received positively by critics and audiences.

His previous novel, Blacktop Wasteland "...won a landslide of awards, including a Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2020."^[2] Notably, it is a 2021 Anthony Award and Macavity Award winner.^[15][16][17] The International Thriller Writers, an association spanning 49 countries, with a membership of 4,500 authors of the genre, voted Blacktop Wasteland the ITW Award Best Hardcover Novel of 2021.^[6] It also was chosen as a 2020 New York Times Notable Book and charted at #22 on that list.^[4][18]

Year	Work	Award		Result	Ref
2020	Blacktop Wasteland	Goodreads Choice Awards	Mystery & Thriller	Nominated—16th
		Los Angeles Times Book Prize	Mystery/Thriller	Won	[19][20]
2021		Anthony Award	Novel	Won	[16][17]
		Barry Award	Novel	Won
		BCALA Literary Awards	Fiction	Honor
		CWA Gold Dagger	—	Shortlisted	[21]
		ITW Award	Hardcover Novel	Won	[6]
		Lefty Award	Mystery Novel	Shortlisted	[22]
		Macavity Award	Mystery Novel	Won	[15]
		RUSA CODES Reading List	Adrenaline	Shortlisted	[23]
	Razorblade Tears	Goodreads Choice Awards	Mystery & Thriller	Nominated—10th	[24]
		Los Angeles Times Book Prize	Mystery/Thriller	Shortlisted
2022		Anthony Award	Novel	Shortlisted	[9]
		Audie Award	Thriller/Suspense	Shortlisted	[25]
		Barry Award	Novel	Won	[10]
		BCALA Literary Awards	Fiction	Won	[26]
		Edgar Awards	Novel	Shortlisted	[11][13]
		CWA Gold Dagger	—	Shortlisted	[12]
		Hammett Prize	—	Won	[27][28][29]
		ITW Award	Audiobook	Won	[13]
			Hardcover Novel	Won	[13]
		Lefty Award	Mystery Novel	Shortlisted	[30]
		Macavity Award	Mystery Novel	Won	[14]
		RUSA CODES Reading List	Adrenaline	Won	[31]
2023	All the Sinners Bleed	Crime Fiction Lovers Award	Book of the Year	Shortlisted	[32]
		Goodreads Choice Awards	Mystery & Thriller	Nominated—10th	[33]
		Los Angeles Times Book Prize	Mystery/Thriller	Shortlisted	[34]
		Libby Book Award	Audiobook	Shortlisted	[35]
2024		Anthony Award	Hardcover Novel	Pending
		Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence	Fiction	Longlisted	[36]
		Audie Award	Audiobook of the Year	Shortlisted	[37]
		CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger	—	Pending
		Edgar Award	Novel	Shortlisted	[38][39]
		ITW Award	Hardcover Novel	Won	[40]
		Lefty Award	Mystery Novel	Shortlisted	[41]
		Macavity Award	Mystery Novel	Pending
		Southern Book Prize	Fiction	Shortlisted	[42][43]
		The Strand Critics Award	Novel	Shortlisted

Bibliography

• —— (2019). My Darkest Prayer (paperback ed.). Intrigue Publishing. p. 224. ISBN 9781940758862.
• —— (2020). Blacktop Wasteland (hardcover ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 285. ISBN 9781250252685.
• —— (2021). Razorblade Tears (hardcover ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 322. ISBN 9781250252708.
• —— (2023). All the Sinners Bleed (hardcover 1st ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 336. ISBN 9781250831910.
• —— (2025). King of Ashes (hardcover 1st ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 352. ISBN 9781250832061.

Adaptions

Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears have been optioned for films. Jerry Bruckheimer's company "was among the group that won the film rights in an auction" for Razorblade Tears.^[2][3]