Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby
A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.
Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby
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Ike Randolph has spent the last fifteen years out of jail and hasn’t received even a single traffic infraction. However, a Black man who sees police at the door knows to be terrified.
He least expects to learn that his son Isiah and Isiah’s white husband, Derek, have both been killed. Ike is grieved by his death despite never having truly acknowledged his son.
Doug, Derek’s dad Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek’s sexual orientation as Derek was of his father’s history of criminal activity. But Buddy Lee still has connections in the criminal underworld, and he is eager to find out who murdered his son.
Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with only a criminal past and a love for their deceased sons in common, form a group in their fervent quest for retribution. Hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own preconceptions about their sons and each other as they exact retribution on those who wronged their boys in their desire to do better for their sons in death than they did in life.
S. A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears is a fast-paced, provocative novel about bloody vengeance, genuine change, and perhaps even atonement.
Razorblade Tears has been dubbed everything from a “tour de force” to “lethal and tender” to “provocative, brutal, and beautiful.” A black and a white ex-con band together to solve the murder of their sons, who were married to one another, in this suspenseful Southern thriller featuring fast-moving action. It’s a grim story that examines issues of racism, poverty, and other prejudice from the perspectives of both violence and compassion.
When SA Cosby’s blisteringly energetic crime debut, “Blacktop Wasteland,” came out last year, everyone gushed about it. I fall under that category; you can read my review of it here. A sudden word-of-mouth sensation like that from a debut author has the risk of being a passing fad. a unique, unrepeatable piece of genius by the author. Because of this, I felt anxious when I first read “Razorblade Tears.” I only needed one sentence to realize I had nothing to be concerned about.
One of my favourite aspects of the book is the way it is set up. Ike and Buddy Lee, the heroes, are both former offenders, one black and one white. When their sons—a married gay couple—are killed, they are drawn together. The two guys set out to find the murderers, beginning one of the most memorable and compelling works of popular fiction I’ve read in a long time. It combines mystery, action, and an odd coupling in the spirit of a buddy movie to create a thriller that checks off all the boxes.
Cosby has shown in “Blacktop Wasteland” that he was capable of crafting vehicle chases with the excitement of a great movie. He accomplishes the same thing with gunfights in “Razorblade Tears.” Because the reader genuinely cares about the outcome, the shootouts in this book thoroughly engross and thrill the reader.
