Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

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🚗 Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby – A Fast-Paced Thriller That Left Me in the Dust

[⭐️⭐️ 2 out of 5 stars]

➤ Buy Blacktop Wasteland:

📚 Amazon
🎧 Audible

✏️ First Impressions

Have you ever read a book where the writing is obviously very good... but it just doesn’t click for you? That was me reading Blacktop Wasteland. I could tell the prose was sharp, the pacing relentless, and the author had serious skill — and yet I felt like I was being run over by a simile-powered semi-truck. There were so many similes. So. Many. Similes. My brain felt like it needed windshield wipers just to keep reading.

🚘 What’s It About?

Welcome to Mirror County, Virginia, where Beauregard “Bug” Montage is trying his hardest to leave his criminal past in the rearview mirror. He’s a family man, an honest mechanic, and also a professional getaway driver with a past stickier than a melting milkshake.

Bug’s problem? Life keeps dragging him back in. With bills stacking up, a nursing home bill for his mother, and his auto shop in trouble, he agrees to one more heist — a jewelry store job with a few other amateurs, some of whom couldn’t steal cookies without burning the kitchen down.

And as you might expect... it all goes horribly wrong.

💎 The Heist That Starts the Mayhem

  • The diamonds they steal? Belong to a mobster named Lazarus "Lazy" Mothersbaugh (and let’s be honest, he’s not the forgiving type).

  • Their inside man gets killed.

  • Bug and his crew get abducted.

  • Bug's best friend Kelvin ends up dead.

  • And Bug gets shot, thrown down a hill, and still manages to steal a Jeep and race home to save his family from mobsters. (Because that’s the kind of guy he is.)

Oh, and in case you thought this story couldn’t escalate further? It ends with a high-speed car chase, an explosion, and Bug literally running over a mob boss — twice.

Michael Bay would be proud.

💥 Final Showdown (and Explosions)

Bug booby-traps a platinum handoff with explosives, knowing Lazy’s about to double-cross him anyway. Almost everyone dies except Lazy, because S.A. Cosby isn’t done torturing our hero. Bug gets shot twice, still makes it to his getaway car, and delivers one of the wildest, most cinematic car chases I've ever read. It's basically Fast & Furious: Appalachian Drift.

In the end, Bug survives, but not without loss — his son was shot, his marriage is on the rocks, and he’s permanently changed by what he’s done.

🤔 Final Thoughts

I’ll say this: this book is well-written, intense, and fast-paced. S.A. Cosby has a clear, confident voice and absolutely nails action scenes. I just personally felt like the style wasn't for me — not because of the plot (which is fire), but because I was drowning in similes like a raccoon in a bathtub full of metaphors. (Sorry — couldn’t resist.)

Still, the emotional core — a man trying to escape his legacy — is very human. And even if this wasn’t my ride-or-die favorite, Cosby is clearly talented, and I’m curious if I might love another one of his books better. (Razorblade Tears, maybe?)

📚 If You Liked Blacktop Wasteland, You Might Also Like:

  • Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
     💔 Two fathers seeking revenge for their murdered sons. More feels, just as much grit.
     🔗 Buy on Amazon

  • The Getaway List by Emma Lord
     ✈️ Want a criminal-free palate cleanser? This one's funny, warm, and heartfelt.
     🔗 Buy on Amazon

  • The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins
     🔫 Classic noir heist meets gritty realism.
     🔗 Buy on Amazon

  • Drive by James Sallis
     🚗 If you liked Bug’s quiet menace, this short novel is perfect.
     🔗 Buy on Amazon

🛠️ Verdict

A gritty, breakneck crime novel with emotional weight — just not my kind of ride.
If you like heists, moral dilemmas, and muscle cars, buckle up. You’re going to love this one.
2 out of 5 stars. I’m glad I read it. I’m also glad I’m done.

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