My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

 

I loved S.A. Cosby's other four books, so I was looking forward to reading this, his debut novel. I'm happy this book wasn't my introduction to the author, or I probably wouldn't have picked up any of the others. It's good to know he has grown so much as a writer, and I look forward to more from him.

When a pastor is found dead, and law enforcement is calling it suicide, parishioners turn to Nathan Waymaker, a former sheriff's deputy who now works in his cousin's mortuary, to investigate. Scraping the surface of the man's life, Nate uncovers an unsavory character, who, though much loved by his parishioners, is corrupt and associated with gangsters. The more he digs, the more his own life is in danger. 

The story, while good, relies too much on stereotypes and gratuitous sex and violence. There were implausible situations, such as the admiration Nate received from a gangster and his almost superpowers in fights, whether fists or guns. There were a couple of good characters, but mostly they were unlikable--even his love interest came off as shallow. I'm chalking this up as an ambitious first effort that didn't quite do it for me. 

2.5/5 stars.

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