Blacktop Wasteland

by S.A. Cosby

Flatiron Books

Publication Date : July 14, 2020

Pages : 304

Synopsis From Publisher :

Beauregard "Bug" Montage: husband, father, honest car mechanic. But he was once known - from North Carolina to the beaches of Florida - as the best getaway driver on the East Coast. Just like his father, who disappeared many years ago.

After a series of financial calamities (worsened by the racial prejudices of the small town he lives in) Bug reluctantly takes part in a daring diamond heist to solve his money troubles - and to go straight once and for all. However, when it goes horrifically wrong, he's sucked into a grimy underworld which threatens everything, and everyone, he holds dear . . .

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is having money problems. The mortgage on his mechanics shop is behind, his children need braces and college tuition, and his elderly mother needs his financial support. These situations come up in everyone’s lives sooner or later. For some the solution is easier than others. Some would just write a check, others may have to take out a loan or borrow from a parent. However for some, none of these options are available. Their only option is to do something illegal. While it is very easy to pass judgement on such a person the truth of matter is; it is very easy to find yourself on the wrong side of the law. While there are people who do bad things because they are jealous, greedy, or angry ; there are a large number of people in prison for life because they did something out of desperation. Cosby does a fantastic job driving this point home. 

Bug now leads a normal life as a husband, father, and business owner. However, he has a past and is known in the criminal world as a legendary get away driver, just like his father before him. When he was a child Bug’s father abandoned him and his mother. Bug struggles with emotions of wanting to be different from his father, but he also wants to live up to his legacy. This emotional swing of admiration and anger occurs throughout the book giving Bug depth and complexity.

In most movies the get away driver appears to have the easiest job. They sit in the car appearing relaxed waiting for their fellow robbers to leave the bank or jewelry store. After reading Blacktop Wasteland, I  realize the get away driver actually has the hardest job. To be “successful” there is loads of research that goes into planning an escape. How close is the nearest police station? How many ways are there to the nearest highway entrance? What is the police response time? What are the busiest times for the target? How many people work there? The list goes on. Seems like a much harder job than yelling at people and waving a weapon around. 

Bug’s story is a cautionary tale warning those who are quick to judge people who commit crimes out of desperation. What if you or someone you loved needed something? What if getting a loan, charging the cost to a credit card, or borrowing from family members were not options? What would you do if there was a quick way to make the money you need? 

After reading Blacktop Wasteland, I have pondered these questions frequently. Each time coming up with a different answer. Honestly, I still do not have an answer. This is a true sign of an excellent book. When a book makes a reader closely examine their life circumstances and put themselves in the place of others; minds and more importantly hearts begin to open up. 

Poignant yet uplifting, thought provoking yet entertaining, Blacktop Wasteland is a socially relevant tale of a man, despite being dealt the toughest of hands, is determined to take care of his family and run a successful business. A one man Fast & Furious movie, Blacktop Wasteland packs just as much heart as it does thrills. 

*Thanks to Flatiron Books for my free review copy of Blacktop Wasteland*

Murder and Moore Rating: 

5 out of 5 Stars