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Razorblade Tears

S.A. Cosby

Start date: March 26, 2025

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May 25, 2021 Sandra Hoover rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, arc-publisher

Author S.A. Cosby delivers a powerful sermon in Razorblade Tears - a message of fire and brimstone delivered in his distinctive, crystal clear voice. A promise of justice to the weary, the wronged, the misunderstood. And he delivers it through brilliant characterization of the proverbial odd couple . . . a black father and a white father, both ex-cons whose sons found love and happiness with each other only to have it taken away by gay-bashing killers who blasted their faces into oblivion, leavi Author S.A. Cosby delivers a powerful sermon in Razorblade Tears - a message of fire and brimstone delivered in his distinctive, crystal clear voice. A promise of justice to the weary, the wronged, the misunderstood. And he delivers it through brilliant characterization of the proverbial odd couple . . . a black father and a white father, both ex-cons whose sons found love and happiness with each other only to have it taken away by gay-bashing killers who blasted their faces into oblivion, leaving them lying in a pool of their own blood on the street like yesterday's trash. Both fathers, who had abolished and severed all ties with their sons when the boys came out of the closet, are drowning in painful tears of regret, guilt, shame, self-hatred, and a world of what-ifs. Hindsight is 20/20. It's too late to make amends with their sons - they're lying in the cold, hard ground, and their case has been shelved as a "cold case". But Ike and Buddy Lee weren't born yesterday. They're seasoned old timers who've been around the block a time or two . . . a prison block where the weak fold and the tough reign supreme and yet, both survived. Left with a mountain of regret and a burning rage for justice for their boys, Ike and Buddy Lee dry their river of razorblade tears and team up to dole out some old timey southern justice. The story that unfolds is graphic, explosive, cinematic story-telling at its finest.

I'll admit to being leery of starting Razorblade Tears . . . after all, there's no way it could come close to Cosby's masterpiece Blacktop Wasteland, right? Wrong. Cosby has outdone himself by doing what he does best - keeping it real. He doesn't mince words or spare feelings or worry about what's politically correct or who he might offend as he renders a graphic story of two fathers drowning in a river of grief and regret. Two fathers who claimed they were not prejudice while shaming their sons for their sexual orientation. Two fathers who severed all ties with their own sons - committing the ultimate betrayal of prejudice within family units. Two fathers with a hard lesson to learn - love is love. All the rest is packaging.

Razorblade Tears is crime fiction as raw, gutsy and hardcore as it comes . . . definitely not for the faint of heart. As a reader, I found myself wiping tears while cheering these two hellions on through the twisted, action packed plot to the explosive, cinematic conclusion. Images explode on pages soaked in blood, gore, guts, tears - a visual experience down the road to hell crying out for the big screen. But, if you read your way through the heartbreak and violence, you'll discover an undercurrent of hope for a brighter future, for redemption, be it on earth or beyond. A sermon delivered from the pulpit and pen of Author S.A. Cosby to all back-row church goers who refuse to see or hear or believe. A lesson to be learned that I pray will touch and open hearts before it's too late. The time to say I love you is always NOW. Amen.

Highly recommended for fans of hardcore crime fiction and great, heartfelt storytelling everywhere.

Thank you Flatiron Books for an arc of this amazing book!
*Reviewed in Mystery & Suspense Magazine
**Reviewed at Cross My Heart Reviews
...more

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Apr 01, 2025 Diana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook, turning-pages-buddy-read, all-time-favorites, mystery, hoopla, tpam-challenge-2025, favorites-of-2025

I finished this book a few days ago, and I just can't stop thinking about it. Yet, I can't find the words to write a review.

The story is powerful, raw and violent. Please read the content warnings. ...more

17 likes · Like · see review

Jan 22, 2022 Amanda Hupe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, 2022-reads

“Tears ran from his eyes and stung his cheeks. Tears for his son. Tears for his wife. Tears for the little girl they had to raise. Tears for who they were and what they all had lost. Each drop felt like it was slicing his face open like a razorblade.”

RAZORBLADE TEARS
I don’t think I will ever recover from Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. Ike Randolf has been to prison but has built a life for himself ever since. Nothing can prepare him when he gets the news that his son, Isiah and Isiah’s husband, “Tears ran from his eyes and stung his cheeks. Tears for his son. Tears for his wife. Tears for the little girl they had to raise. Tears for who they were and what they all had lost. Each drop felt like it was slicing his face open like a razorblade.”

RAZORBLADE TEARS
I don’t think I will ever recover from Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. Ike Randolf has been to prison but has built a life for himself ever since. Nothing can prepare him when he gets the news that his son, Isiah and Isiah’s husband, Derek have been shot and killed. Now Ike and his wife are raising their young daughter. Ike and Isiah had a very strained relationship, especially when Isiah came out and told them his plans to marry Derek. Buddy Lee had a very similar relationship with his son Derek. Their guilt and grief are now a driving force to avenge the death of their sons.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: racism, prejudice, hate crimes, murder, rape, transphobia, homophobia, grief, kidnapping, deadnaming, violence

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is not just violent but extremely emotional. Isiah was Black. Derek was white. And they loved each other. They loved the life that they built with their little girl. Ike and Buddy both shared prejudices against their sons. They loved them (what they thought was love) but could not accept them. But we all know that you can’t truly love someone unless you can accept and celebrate their true selves. Throughout the book, Ike and Buddy have to face their prejudices head-on and deal with the guilt that they could not reconcile. Buddy has his own prejudices as well and even though he and Ike form a bond, Ike still challenges him to examine his racist tendencies.

This book really challenges the reader. After hearing some of the words that were said to Isiah and Derek by their fathers…it is hard to feel for them. It just goes to show the complexities of toxic masculinity. But as Ike and Buddy form an awkward friendship, I was ready for them to burn the city to the ground so they could get justice for their sons. That doesn’t excuse their behaviors but it does show that they know how they acted is wrong and that they need to live with the words and actions they inflicted on their children.

This is a fast-paced and violent read. I will never get the images of a body in a wood-chipper out of my mind. But I could not put it down. The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White is phenomenal. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. ...more

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Mar 21, 2025 Stacie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-unlimited, 2025, mystery-thriller-suspense

Wow! This was a great book. The author took some really challenging topics and worked through them in a really big way. This book was graphic, violent, unapologetically raw and brutal. I was completely enthralled from start to finish. It's not an easy read but well worth reading.

You may want to check content warnings. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review