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Credit: Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar
For every book I’m reading or listening to, there are literally hundreds I also want to read right now. So when a certain former U.S. President included King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby on his summer reading list, it was one more reason for me to prioritize it on my TBR.
Though the best-selling author has published numerous well-received books, this is the first of his books that I’ve read. I’m currently only about a third of the way through it, but I already had to look and see what plans there were for a book-to-screen adaptation. There’s a cinematic quality to the story, right from the start, that made me think it has to be made into a movie. The reality is even better, however, as it looks like there’s plans for a series at Netflix
What Is King Of Ashes About?
Even before Barack Obama shared his summer reading list in an Instagram post in late August, King of Ashes was on my radar due to the buzz it was getting. The story sounded intriguing, and it also sounded like it had the potential to offer some of the gritty edginess I occasionally crave in a good mystery/crime thriller.
The story follows Roman Carruthers, a man who returns to his Virginia home town to help his brother and sister with their family’s crematory business after their father ends up in a coma due to an accident. In addition to there being an unsolved mystery surrounding the disappearance of their mother years prior, Roman is also quickly caught up in a mess made by his brother, Dante, which involves a massive debt to some very dangerous local criminals.
Like I said, I’m still only about a third of the way through the book, but I’m absolutely loving it so far. Beyond the compelling dark and gritty setup, I really like Roman as a main character. He’s introduced to us as this polished and successful Atlanta finance guy, but the story quickly begins to peel back his layers before it pushes him and his family into a life-or-death situation. This is the kind of page-turner I’ve been looking for, so I’m glad I finally picked it up, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
What We Know About Plans For The King Of Ashes Adaptation
Apparently, the rights for the adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes were picked up last year, months before the book was even published. Per a report from Variety, following a competitive auction that reportedly went on for weeks, Netflix, Amblin Entertainment, and Higher Ground teamed up to secure the rights, with plans to turn the story into a TV series.
As you may be aware, Amblin Entertainment is Steven Spielberg’s production company, and Higher Ground is the company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama (they’ve produced several movies and TV shows through it in recent years, including Netflix’s successful film Leave The World Behind, starring Julia Roberts).
I haven’t seen any updates about the project since Variety’s report, which isn’t entirely surprising. The book only hit shelves in June of this year, and adaptations can sometimes take years to actually come to fruition, so I don’t anticipate using my Netflix subscription to watch it anytime soon. Assuming it does get made in the near future, though, an episodic approach really seems like the best way to tackle the story, as there would be time for us to get to know Roman, his brother Dante and their sister Neveah as the situation surrounding Dante’s debt snowballs quickly.
What’s more, I’d be very interested to see who’s cast in the lead role. I don’t recall if the book specifically says how old Roman is, but my assumption is that he’s somewhere in his late 30s, because I think he was around 18 when his mother disappeared twenty years prior. With that in mind, I could see someone like Donald Glover or Michael B. Jordan being amazing in the role. Then again, the part could prove to be the perfect opportunity for some lesser known up-and-comer to tackle.
Alas, we’re getting ahead of ourselves, at least for now. But I’ll be very excited if and when there are signs that this project is moving forward. The potential for another great, family-focused crime drama on the Netflix movie release schedule is certainly there.
In the meantime, reading more of S.A. Cosby’s book is undoubtedly on my to-do list for this weekend.
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