Monday, September 20, 2021

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

First Line: Ike tried to remember a time when men with badges coming to his door early in the morning brought anything other than heartache and misery, but try as he might, nothing came to mind.
 
The only possible thing that could bring a Black ex-con and a white ex-con together would be the death of their sons, but even that wasn't a sure thing. Ike Randolph could never accept that his son, Isiah, was gay. The same goes for Buddy Lee Jenkins. What was unacceptable to them both became even more so when Isiah and Derek married and became the proud parents of a little girl. But all that changed when their sons weren't just murdered, they were executed.

Normally, Ike wouldn't have a thing to do with Buddy Lee, and he didn't want to listen to Buddy Lee's proposal that they work together to find out who killed their sons. But then something happened, and all that changed. The two men are going to pool their resources to find their sons' killer, and they won't be stopped until the job is done.

~

It would seem that author S.A. Cosby has included almost every hot button topic there is in his latest book, Razorblade Tears. A Black ex-con with a gay son? Check. A white ex-con with a gay son? Check. Gay marriage? Check. A transgender character? Check. A homophobic killer? Check. What Cosby also includes is his amazing storytelling talent that made me determined to find out how this story ended, to find out what happened to the characters Cosby created.

As Razorblade Tears progresses, Cosby serves up more than one home truth. Ike and Buddy Lee both come from backgrounds that have tried their best to pound them down into the ground. Their backgrounds have given them certain expectations as well as a penchant for using violence as a solution. Ike Randolph has kept his nose clean for fifteen years. Not even so much as a parking ticket, but when something ghastly happens, he's more than ready to join in with Buddy Lee to find out who killed his son. By any means necessary.

I will say that, if violence bothers you, I'd suggest that you give this book a miss. I tend to have a rather high tolerance for violence but even I was bothered from time to time in reading this book. I'd find myself putting it down and doing something else, but here's where Cosby's storytelling talent kicks in-- I may not have been reading Razorblade Tears, but the story was in my head, and I was constantly wondering how Ike and Buddy Lee were going to find the killer and still come out of it alive. Then I just had to pick up the book again. The only real weakness I found in it was the fact that it was way too easy for me to identify the killer. Fortunately, it was the relationship between Ike and Buddy Lee rather than the killer's identity that was at the heart of the book.

Ike and Buddy Lee had some learning to do while they searched for their sons' killer, and they passed their test. As Ike said, "...if all this has taught me one thing, it's that it ain't about me and what I get. It's about letting people be who they are. And being who you are shouldn't be a... death sentence."

Now if only more people would learn that lesson.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
ISBN: 9781250252708
Flatiron Books © 2021
Hardcover, 336 pages
 
Standalone Thriller
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

13 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more, Cathy, about the importance of learning that lesson... It's funny; I just read a review of another of Crosby's books, Blacktop Wasteland, and it sounded good. This one does, too - very good. I'm going to wait until I'm ready to handle the violence, as I usually don't go for that at all. Still, if the story is good, it's good.

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    1. I'm hearing that from people who have read both that, although they like both, they prefer Blacktop Wasteland. Since they're people whose opinions I value, I think I need to put it on my TBR list.

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  2. I have read Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears. I only had 5 best reads in 2020 and Blacktop Wasteland was one. I read it at the end of 2020 and thought what a way to end that reading year. It was a fast read and thrilling read. So I looked forward to reading Razorblade Tears. S.A.Cosby can really develop his characters. I found myself hoping they would make it through all their experiences with the bad guys. My favorite was Blacktop Wasteland but both are very good. I am looking forward to his next book.

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  3. I very much agree with you about the book and its author. I can't wait to see what he does next. I read them in the reverse order from the way you read them, just finished Blacktop Wasteland yesterday, in fact, and I'm about to sit down and try to put my impressions on paper. Cosby is a terrific storyteller.

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  4. It's the characters that intrigue me about this one. And I only hear good things about Cosby's talent as a writer. I've got this one on my TBR.

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  5. I keep hearing about this one! I still don't have it, but it is on my list!

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    1. Cosby does such a good job with his story and his characters. I think you'll enjoy it.

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  6. I want to start with Blacktop Wasteland, but will wait for your review. It sounds good, and Cosby has gotten much praise from the crime-reading world.

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    1. With the backlog of books I suddenly have that have "due dates," it's going to be a while before I can get to Blacktop Wasteland, but it's not like you're sitting there with nothing to read. :-)

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  7. Not at all. I'm reading Eva Dolan's new book, One Half Truth, and have the book you handed a death knell to, These Toxic Things. And have 12 books on library hold. And as my pre-bed book, I'm reading Tahoe Jade.
    And every time I watch a Poisoned Pen interview, more library holds.

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