Book Review | Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

Ike Randolph is a Black man living an honest life after serving time for manslaughter. Buddy Lee Jenkins is a white man struggling with the bottle and a myriad of issues. Their paths collide when they found out that their sons, who are married to each other, have been murdered in cold blood. They will do anything to make the people who hurt their sons pay.

“What’s happened to my son, Detective LaPlata?” Ike asked, already knowing the answer. Knowing it in his bones. Knowing in his life would never be the same.

It takes something special to follow in the footsteps of the fantastic Blacktop Wasteland and I’m pleased to confirm that Razorblade Tears absolutely delivers!

The book opens with the deaths of Isaiah and Derek after a shooting, and Ike and Buddy meeting for the first time at the funeral. It’s clear that the fathers love their sons but through their memories, it becomes obvious that their love was conditional. Ike refused to accept Isaiah’s sexuality, while Buddy treated Derek’s sexuality as a joke. Only after their sons’ deaths do they realise that the worst thing in the world is not a gay son, but a dead son.

Because the book doesn’t excuse Ike and Buddy’s terrible treatment of Isaiah and Derek, it’s unsettling at first how we’re expected to root for these two men. They are overwhelmed by regrets, raw grief, and pure rage. But the superb writing and empathetic characterisation made me warm up to them. Their situation forces Ike and Buddy to face their own prejudice in terms of race and sexuality. They meet people who make them face the fact that what they believed before was wrong. I ended up loving their budding friendship. The dialogue is surprisingly funny at times, which is an unexpected pleasure.

There are some excellent action scenes and plenty of twists and turns. They are on a quest to find out who killed their sons while evading the police and doing everything their own way. They meet their match against some truly horrible bad guys and I was rooting for Ike and Buddy to make them suffer! But this isn’t a revenge story where everything is smooth sailing. Innocent people get hurt, things are destroyed and the damage is permanent. What is the cost of vengeance? And will it be worth it in the end?

Razorblade Tears is a remarkable crime story and a melancholic meditation on fatherhood, sacrifice, and revenge. Be prepared for an emotional wallop when you read this!

CW: graphic violence, racism, homophobia, child abuse, kidnapping

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: S.A. Cosby

Photo by Harika G