When a book is marketed as a "high octane thriller" how can you not give it a go?! This one was right up my alley with the fast paced crime thriller aspect, coupled with an imperfect lead character. Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby is a story of fatherhood, family, responsibility, and what you will do to protect and care for the ones you love.
Synopsis:
Beauregard "Bug" Montage is a father, husband, and car mechanic, known for his impeccable driving skills when it comes to getaway driving and street races. Faced with dire money problems, Beauregard reluctantly decides to take on a job as a getaway driver for a jewelry heist. Soon after, things start to take a turn for the worse and he must defend all that he holds dearest to him.
Mel's Thoughts:
Blacktop Wasteland is exhilarating, gritty, raw, and heart pounding, to the point where I felt like I was sitting next to Bug in the getaway car, screaming at him to go faster. There is no shortage of plot and it progresses quickly. Immediately, the reader is introduced to Bug and given a taste of his upbringing, where his father was a getaway driver, wrapped up in the underground crime world. As much as Bug wants to not be like his father, when it comes down to taking care of his family, he decides to take a major risk that ultimately backfires.
I love a book with flawed, troubled characters and Beauregard "Bug" is just that. For as much as you dislike his life choices, he is hard not to root for. If you are a fan of crime thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, check out Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby. This one is hard to put down!
Rating:
4.5 stars
Favorite Quotes:
"A mistake is a lesson, unless you make the same mistake twice."
"Listen, when you're a black man in America you live with the weight of people's low expectations on your back every day. They can crush you right down to the goddamn ground. Think about it like it's a race. Everybody else has a head start and you dragging those low expectations behind you. Choices give you freedom from those expectations. Allows you to cut 'em loose. Because that's what freedom is. Being able to let things go. And nothing is more important than freedom. Nothing."
Coming Soon from S.A. Crosby:
Razorblade Tears (out 7/6/2021 by Flatiron Books)
Comments