Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby is a book of crime fiction that reads like a thriller with social commentary. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah's white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss. Derek's father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed of his father's criminal record. Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little else in common other than a criminal past and a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge. In their quest to do better for their sons in death than they did in life, hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own prejudices about their sons and each other, as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys. Provocative and fast-paced, S. A. Cosby's Razorblade Tears is a story of bloody retribution, heartfelt change - and maybe even redemption.”

Razorblade Tears was released in July 2021 and it had been on my TBR list for quite some time. I’m glad I finally got around to reading this blisteringly emotional crime thriller. As the book description states, Ike and Buddy Lee are fathers whose sons were married to each other, yet Ike and Buddy Lee were estranged from their boys. Ike and Buddy Lee didn’t meet each other until their sons’ funerals, after being ruthlessly murdered for unknown reasons. The fathers were reluctant to speak to each other at first. But when Buddy Lee spots a tattoo on Ike’s arm, he realizes they both have a shared past of incarceration. Buddy Lee finds Ike around town and suggest they look for their sons’ killer. Ike hesitates at first, but when the police seemingly do nothing as far as investigating, both fathers come together with the common goal of bringing their sons justice.

Cosby excels at pushing the crime narrative along, the chapters are short and packed with action, bristling with clever metaphors and similes. But where Cosby really shines is his ability to mine the deep emotional trauma and regret from both fathers who realize their shortcomings as parents and husbands and men. Both Ike and Buddy Lee were easily lured into a life of crime when they were young men, both regretting choices they made and the absence in their sons’ lives while being incarcerated. They both also regret not taking the time to understand their sons and their sexuality, knowing that it’s too late to reconcile this with their deceased sons.

Cosby also weaves in discussions about race and class between Ike and Buddy Lee and as they become closer from their shared mission of justice, they begin to understand each other better, realizing they have a lot more in common than they initially thought. But ultimately, this is a crime thriller and this emotional tapestry that Cosby weaves makes their desire to find justice for their sons all the more palpable and provocative, even justifiable. The conclusion is deeply satisfying. I will definitely be reading more of Cosby’s books in the near future.

I really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it. I would give this book six stars if I could, but will stick with the usual max of five stars.

Buy the paperback on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/152/9781250252715