Last year's release of Blacktop Wasteland garnered S.A. Cosby plenty of well-deserved accolades for his tough, fast-hitting breakout novel, but, in my humble opinion, Razorblade Tears is even better.

Here, we're introduced to two ex-cons, Ike and Buddy Lee. Although their sons were married to one another, their virtual abandonment of their gay children kept Ike and Buddy Lee strangers until Isaiah and Derek are murdered. It isn't until after their children have been executed that the pair realize just how much they've lost, and after the police investigation goes cold they set out to avenge their sons and do what the cops can't or won't.

Ike and Buddy Lee are a mismatched pair, united primarily by their grief, but their differences make their developing camaraderie stronger and their eventual friendship is forged in fire. Cosby does a great job building these two up, and the evolution of their relationship, one that is shaped by a desire for revenge and a whole lot of spilled blood, feels smooth and natural, even if it isn't without a number of significant bumps and hurdles along the way.

Beyond running afoul of a racist biker gang, which allows Cosby to craft a number of exciting and violent encounters along the way, the two have to contend with a number of personal demons involving their own haunted pasts and the way they treated their sons. Forced to confront their own homophobia and ideas of what it means to be a man in rural, southern Virginia, Buddy Lee and Ike work to make up for past sins and finally be there for their kids in a way they never were before violence claimed Isiah and Derek's lives.

Razorblade Tears is a sharp and gritty revenge thriller with plenty of pointed social commentary on race and sexuality, and a few dashes of dark humor. While Blacktop Wasteland was S.A. Cosby's breakout book, Razorblade Tears is a homerun and an absolute win.

Five Good Stars is not enough. S. A. Cosby is one hell of a writer and Razorblade Tears is one of the best books ever. ike and Buddy Lee are protags who will be remembered for a long time; two true originals.

Read this book, you'll be glad you did.

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.

Read if you: Want a heartstopping, moving, and thrilling redemption story of love and grief.

Blacktop Wasteland was the first S.A. Cosby book I read; thrillers aren't normally my genre of choice, but since Cosby is a Virginia author, I wanted to check it out. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was eager to read Razorblade Tears.

This is a little less fast paced (no wild car races!), a little more descriptive in its violence than I remember BW to be, but just as memorable and gripping as its predecessor. Grief mixed with regret is a complex emotion, and Cosby creates and sustains that mood perfectly throughout the story. He has a genius for creating deeply flawed people (to put it mildly) sympathetic, complex, and memorable.

Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Razorblade Tears is a rare gem of a thriller that packs equal heart and punch in a very relevant story for today’s social climate. S.A Cosby is admired for his ultra-realistic narratives with lifelike characters and dark situations that are just grim enough to be happening in our world as we read his books. Highlighting the social injustice faced by the LGBTQA community along with the racism felt among the black community, the story hits hard and true without pulling any punches.

The narrative puts two fathers on a mission of vengeance when their sons are murdered. The police investigation yields no concrete leads and the trail leads cold. With a heavy heart full of guilt for both fathers who had shunned their sons for being gay, they vow to use their violent histories for good this one time and seek out their sons’ killer. Through the characters, one father being black and one white, S.A Cosby brilliantly highlights the social differences due to race. There is a strong bond between the two leads as I would liken to a good old fashioned cop buddy duo, starting off rocky but eventually finding a sure footing with great laughs and emotional bonding along the way. Even for readers without children, the mournful grief and regret the fathers feel for their kids flow out of the pages for a total immersive reading experience.

As the fathers look for their sons’ killer, they leave a trail of bloody corpses and bullet holes with fast-paced shootouts and vicious fisticuffs along with some very creative uses of machetes and tampers. Keeping true to the gritty and grounded feel of the story, the action is hard-hitting, and sweet and simple where the only rule is to punch first and punch hard.

The heart of the story lies with the characters. The character developments are spectacular and speak to all readers in an encouraging voice to be the best versions of themselves. It is a thriller but it is so much more than that. It has been a while since a story had me misty-eyed at the end, but there is a reason this book is called Razorblade Tears. Hours blurred together as the pages kept flying until the final page and I could not help but stay stunned for a good few minutes. Transcending genres, this is a mind-blowing book that simply must be read by all.

I’m clapping with all my power my hands can gather! This is absolutely best crime thriller of the year!When I started to turn the pages, I felt like I sat on my couch, visualizing the chapters like watching a nonstop action packed, provocative, intense movie I cannot get my eyes off! I even made casting and imagined Ike as Denzel Washington and Buddy Lee as Tim Robbins or Jeff Daniels ( both of them are amazing actors give life to this remarkable characterization)

Razorblade tears’ story cuts you too deep, squeezes your heart, shakes your soul, changes your reality, forces you rethink how you perceive the world! It’s raw, it’s powerful, it’s dazzling, it’s addictive!

You know there are movies you want to rewatch at each year to discover new sides of the story and enjoy it like you have never seen it before! This is that kind of book: its heart throbbing, whirlwind, mind blowing pacing and unforgettable characters made you want to read over and over again. Chant for your favorite heroes! Clap for the epic chapters and scream for unexpected twists, curse to the despicable villains!

I don’t know you but this already took its special place as one of my best of the best, all time favorite books!

I’m giving a short summary of synopsis but before starting to type, I’m telling you: read this book! Read this book! Read this book! Then fell free to send me your thank you gifts after my highly enthusiastic recommendation! This book wooed me with its fast pacing, twisty story telling and two adorable, tough, broken characters I truly call my heroes: Ike and Buddy Lee.

One black and one white middle aged ex cons: the only common thing about them not only their haunted pasts. Both of them lost their sons. The sons were married with each other: Isiah, black journalist in late 20’s and his pastry chef husband, Derek are killed brutally. Is that a hate crime and merciless price of interracial gay marriage?

Ike Randolph already paid his dues and
tried too hard to stay on the right side of law by working too hard at his job, providing his family a household, restricting his anger. On the contrary Buddy Lee lives in a trailer, dumbed by his wife for a wealthy politician, coughing blood, suffering with lost and anger. Both of them regrets their ill fated relationships with their sons.

Both of them realize the justice will not be served. Their boys’ case is already considered as open case without having any clues because nobody wants to talk or scaring of giving testimony.

When their boys’ graveyards are vandalized, it is the last straw for them. They need to take the matters into their hands to bring the justice their boys deserved. Even it means they’ll drag into dangerous journey and fight against one of the most brutal MC gang named Breed.

They’re two old men against the world. Their vengeance and regret were their fuel to fight back!

No more words! This is Freaking Fantastic!!!
Mark my words: this is one of the greatest hits of this year!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.