The funeral home has a bit of a delicate task ahead. The right Reverend Esau Watkins just died. The sheriff’s office says suicide. Some of the parishioners think otherwise. Now the dead reverend hasn’t led a pious life. He is a wounded counselor with a small to middling criminal history who found the Lord during a turn in prison. Seeing as how Nate used to be a deputy, these curious members of Reverend Watkins flock try to enlist Nate's help as a liaison with the Sheriff who’s not known for being too aggressive when it comes to non-white victims.
Nate's not going to be well received by the sheriff seeing as how Nate left on less than civil circumstances. But Nate starts turning over some rocks and checks in with a deacon who had recently left the church. The deacon tells Nate that Rev. Watkins was in negotiations to merge his church with Rev. Thomas Short, the head of a massive non-denominational church based near DC. And plenty of the church are concerned. And if it wasn’t just that, a local hoodlum has been placing about $10K into the offering plate twice a month. Nate’s thinking drugs and a money laundering operation are going on.
But when he turns over the next rock, Nate finds out what lies deeper in rural Virginia, and it’s not about drugs. Far from it.
To go much further would wreck a superb story. Typical with the other two Cosby books reviewed by the MRB boys, expect plenty of twists, betrayals, colorful characters, to-die-for dialogue, and a shitload of in-your-face-ball busting-head cracking-rivers-of-blood confrontations between Nate (and his good bud Skunk), with the Queen County Sheriff’s office, Reverend Esau’s porn star daughter, Rev. Short's protection squad, and the shady crime boss Shade (yes, that was intentional).
Turns out My Darkest Prayer is Cosby’s preceded Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland (loved them both) and there is a 4th that might be a touch hard to find (Brotherhood of the Blade). He had established a good reputation in short stories, mostly in the mystery trade publication ThugLit (I’ve got to find that). His trio of standalone novels have been highly praised by people of considerably more literary oomph than MRB (e.g., Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Stephen King, et al.). His novels (so far) have appeared on Best Of lists from the NY Times, Washington Post, Time, NPR, Boston Globe, plus numerous literary awards.
If Cosby is a new name to you, probably should find out
where to obtain these books. They’ll grab you by your lapels for a vicious headbutt.
And when it comes to Redneck/Country/Hick Noir, Cosby’s a welcome member to the
club. But I sure hope Cosby tells us the backstory of Nate and Skunk. These two stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski (by CJ Box) and Elvis Cole and Joe Pike (by Robert Crais). Would love to learn how Nate and Skunk joined forces.
Regardless, find this or any of Cosby's books. Betting you won’t regret the effort. This guy is good. Just say good things about him when you're done. What happens when people run afoul of Nate?
'Talk shit. Spit blood."
ECD
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