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  • Blacktop Wasteland

  • A Novel
  • Written by: S. A. Cosby
  • Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White
  • Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (38 ratings)

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Blacktop Wasteland

Written by: S. A. Cosby
Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White
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Publisher's Summary

2020 LA Times Book Prize - Winner
2021 Anthony Awards - Nominee
2020 Amazon.com Best Books of the Year
2020 Library Journal Best Books of the Year
2020 NPR Best Book of the Year
2020 New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year
2020 LA Times Book Prize - Finalist

"Narrator Adam Lazarre-White's voice exudes confidence and depth; his performance is an example of how the best audiobooks deliver pure storytelling." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)

A husband, a father, a son, a business owner...and the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi.

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author.

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hardworking dad. Bug knows there’s no future in the man he used to be: Known from the hills of North Carolina to the beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast. He thought he'd left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, he finds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets.

When a smooth-talking former associate comes calling with a can't-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choice but to get back in the driver's seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes with the smell of fear.

Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he needed him most, Bug must find a way to navigate this blacktop wasteland...or die trying.

Like Ocean’s Eleven meets Drive, with a Southern noir twist, S. A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland is a searing, operatic story of a man pushed to his limits by poverty, race, and his own former life of crime.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

“Sensationally good - new, fresh, real, authentic, twisty, with characters and dilemmas that will break your heart. More than recommended.” (Lee Child)

"A fast-paced, fresh take on noir that tears through the underbelly of Virginia." (New York Times)

Blacktop Wasteland is a guaranteed thriller-of-the-year with muscle and heart and characters who will linger long after the last page is read. S.A. Cosby writes with grit and grace. Do not miss this one.” (Michael Koryta, best-selling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead)

©2020 Shawn A. Cosby (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

What the critics say

"Narrator Adam Lazarre-White's voice exudes confidence and depth; his performance is an example of how the best audiobooks deliver pure storytelling." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)

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There is nothing like a great thriller to hook you in, grab your attention, and leave you hanging on every word. Thrillers are some of the most exciting audiobooks out there, and the power of a well-told suspenseful story is virtually unrivalled. From murder mysteries to psychological thrillers, action-packed plots, or intriguing characters, audiobooks in the thriller genre will keep listeners coming back for more. Here we’ve compiled a list of the most unpausable thrillers that will have listeners unable to stop.

What listeners say about Blacktop Wasteland

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Authentic story telling

This book was good from start to finish. Colorful characters with context and a great set of action sequences.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story and narration

I loved the story and felt the narration was excellent. There were some minor imperfections in the writing, such as predictability, odd POV shifts and over explanation when just painting a picture would have sufficed. However, there were sections of writing that were pure literature - capturing an American reality that is under represented in novels.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really worthwhile listen.

This one grabbed right from the start, and my interest never flagged. Though flawed, Beauregard tries hard to lead an honest life, be a decent husband, loving father, businessman. However, ia lapse of judgment and hard times, set him and his family on road to disaster. All the characters become so real, you can “see” them. It’s just a fully realized story, not just about cars, crime, hard choices. It’s also about love, caring among friends, family. I especially liked the ending, especially as I believed Beau would not survive last confrontation with Lazy crime boss. Just a great story about choices which determine who we are. Hope this author has a sequel coming soon.

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What a ride!

man from the first pages of this book and the way the first scentece is written and described makes me feel like I was there. But be prepared once you start this baby there's no shutting down till there's no more pages to turn or minutes to burn. S.A. Cosby really wrote a classic here.

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1 person found this helpful