ReView: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

"Folks like to talk about revenge like it's a righteous thing, but it's just hate in a nicer suit."

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby is a gripping, visceral and action-packed tale of retribution; of two fathers avenging the wrongs committed against their sons and coming to terms with their own sins. 

Ike is 15 years out of prison, establishing his own business and trying to move beyond his checkered past. But as a Black man, when the cops show up at his door, he knows it's not good news; his son Isiah and his husband Derek have been murdered, and the police seem to have no interest in finding who did it. As he struggles to deal with his son's death, he can't help but regret how he tried to push his son's sexuality out of the picture.  Buddy Lee, the White father of Derek, also wants to make amends with his son in any way he can. Both fathers allowed their sons' sexuality to drive a wedge between them, which lit a match for them to figure out who is responsible. 

The two set out on a mission, stopping at nothing to do the last thing they can to save the memories of their sons. Faced with pasts they'd rather leave behind, Ike and Buddy Lee use what they've experienced to find justice. 

I've never read a book with so much action AND so much emotional impact. Through poetic, vivid metaphors and challenging circumstances, S.A. Cosby transports us into the world of these two men and how what has happened challenges who they are and what they've previously believed. I appreciated how central that LGBT themes were to the story; they were dealt with sensitivity and authenticity, without feeling forced or false. 

The book is a perfectly calibrated and gritty thriller. You can practically feel the book propelling forward, the speed accelerating as it is driven closer to a heartbreaking and satisfying climax.