Razorblade Tears
*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* One of Barack Obama's Recommended Reads for Summer • New York Times Notable Book • NPR’s Best Books of 2021 • Washington Post’s Best Thriller and Mystery Books of the Year • TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2021 • New York Public Library’s Best Books of the Year • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee • Book of the Month’s Book of the Year Finalist
“Provocative, violent — beautiful and moving, too.” —Washington Post
“Superb...Cuts right to the heart of the most important questions of our times.” —Michael Connelly
“A tour de force – poignant, action-packed, and profound.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.
Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid.
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. Buddy Lee still has contacts in the underworld, though, and he wants to know who killed his boy.
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.
“A visceral full-body experience, a sharp jolt to the heart, and a treat for the senses…Cosby's moody southern thriller marries the skillful action and plotting of Lee Child with the atmosphere and insight of Attica Locke.” —NPR
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Readers say *Razorblade Tears* by S. A. Cosby is a gritty, fast-paced Southern noir praised for its vivid scenes, emotional depth, and complex charact...
From the start to the end this book was so captivating I couldn’t put it down. I have known so many families who just could not accept their children for who they are until it was too late. This story portrays exactly what so many people have experienced with the finality of growth that it gives me hope more people will learn that just because someone is different doesn’t make them any less.
I loved how the author crafted every scene with vivid, cinematic detail—sharp action, gritty Southern atmosphere, and real emotional weight. The characters stand out strongly: complex, well-developed, and critiqued thoughtfully without feeling preachy.
Overall, a wonderful, propulsive read—dark crime fiction with heart, redemption, and punchy violence. Highly recommended if you like Southern noir with depth, though it’s graphic and deals with heavy themes. A standout page-turner.
thenextgoodbook.com
What’s it about?
Isiah and Derek are a gay, interracial couple with a young daughter. When they are found brutally murdered both families are devastated. Although their tough ex-con fathers have had trouble accepting them in life- they are fully committed to avenging them in death. Feeling that the police are hitting a standstill they take on the case themselves.
What did it make me think about?
Are they going to make it out of this alive?
Should I read it?
This is a solid mystery that explores racial tensions, regrets, and intolerance. Do not choose this one if you have a distaste for violent novels. This book packs a punch!
Quote-
” ‘Revenge?’ Tangerine asked. Ike smiled ruefully.
‘No hate. Folks like to talk about revenge like it’s a righteous thing but it’s just hate in a nicer suit,’ Ike said.”
What’s it about?
Isiah and Derek are a gay, interracial couple with a young daughter. When they are found brutally murdered both families are devastated. Although their tough ex-con fathers have had trouble accepting them in life- they are fully committed to avenging them in death. Feeling that the police are hitting a standstill they take on the case themselves.
What did it make me think about?
Are they going to make it out of this alive?
Should I read it?
This is a solid mystery that explores racial tensions, regrets, and intolerance. Do not choose this one if you have a distaste for violent novels. This book packs a punch!
Quote-
” ‘Revenge?’ Tangerine asked. Ike smiled ruefully.
‘No hate. Folks like to talk about revenge like it’s a righteous thing but it’s just hate in a nicer suit,’ Ike said.”
Totally agree Sandra Pickens this book was so good to me it showed a change of heart by two straight Dads who never really understood or appreciated their sons due to their choices on who they fell in love with which were homosexuals. Once their full investigation began they started realizing that none of that really mattered. The only thing that truly mattered was their LOVE FOR THEIR BOYS AND WHO WERE THE CULPRITS THAT DID THIS HORRIBLE UNTHINKABLE THING TO THEM BOTH AND WHY?
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