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The New York Times - Notable Books of 2021
Ike Randolph left jail fifteen years ago, with not so much as a speeding ticket since. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid.
Ike is devastated to learn his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah's white husband, Derek. Though he never fully accepted his son, Ike is broken by his death.
Derek's father Buddy Lee was as ashamed of Derek being gay as Derek was of his father's criminal past. But Buddy Lee - with seedy contacts deep in the underworld - needs to know who killed his only child.
Desperate to do better by them in death than they did in life, two hardened ex-cons must confront their own prejudices about their sons - and each other - as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys.
A provocative revenge thriller and an achingly tender story of redemption, this novel is a ferocious portrait of grief; for those loved and lost, and for mistakes than can never truly be undone.
Author: S.A. Crosby
Paperback Published 10 May 2022
Read and Recommended by Graeme:
"Selected as a New York Times Notable Book for 2021, this novel is a high octane action thriller which surprisingly explores race and LGBT issues in a sensitive and seamlessly integrated manner. Two fathers, Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee, are thrown together when both of their sons are brutally murdered. Their sons were married and also parents to an infant girl, so the violent death of this law-abiding clean-cut couple is inexplicable not only to their fathers but also the local police who make zero progress in solving the case. But both Ike and Buddy are riddled with guilt over not accepting the sexuality of their sons and their relationship - neither of them attended their wedding - and now it is too late. They feel compelled to uncover what happened and exact revenge - and as both fathers are ex-convicts, they have some connections and experience they can draw upon in their quest. Adding to the complexity, is that Ike is black and a successful small business owner, while Buddy is white, down-on-his-luck with a drinking problem. There are moments of culture clash between these two, yet they manage to overcome them with a greater goal in mind - vengeance. With exceptionally strong characterisation and a killer set-up that is compellingly unfolded, this is a first-rate read for lovers of crime fiction. Though note, this quest for vengeance is very violent at times."
'Cosby's talents for pungent dialogue and Chandler-esque phrase-making were praised in his previous novel,.. and they're evident again in this pulsating follow-up' Sunday Times THRILLER OF THE MONTH
'A stellar performance' Sunday Times Crime Club
'Cosby's prose barrels along like a pick-up still angry it's not a Ferrari, and his phrase-making is up there with the great artists of noir' The Times BEST THRILLERS OF THE MONTH
'It's a rare trick to combine violence with social commentary, but Cosby pulls it off' Daily Mail
'Raw, powerful and pacey, Razorblade Tears more than fulfils the promise of Cosby's superb debut' The Guardian
'This is as close to a thriller masterpiece as it is possible to get...it is a tale of grief and redemption, but ends with a heartbreaking poignancy that brings tears to the eyes' Daily Mail