Razorblade Tears: A Novel

Written by S. A. Cosby

Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

Winner of the ThrillerFest 2022 Audiobook of the Year Award!

“Lazarre-White's commanding performance is equally riveting. He creates an irresistible listening experience” –AudioFile Magazine

“Superb...Cuts right to the heart of the most important questions of our times.” —Michael Connelly,
#1 New York Times bestselling author

A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.

Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid.

The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah’s white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss.

Derek’s father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed his father was a criminal. Buddy Lee still has contacts in the underworld, though, and he wants to know who killed his boy.

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.

Provocative and fast-paced, S. A. Cosby's Razorblade Tears is a story of bloody retribution, heartfelt change - and maybe even redemption.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jul 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781250804808

S. A. Cosby

S. A. Cosby is an Anthony Award-winning writer from Southeastern Virginia. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a New York Times Notable Book, and was named a best book of the year by NPR, The Guardian, and Library Journal, among others. When not writing, he is an avid hiker and chess player.

Reviews for Razorblade Tears

[Theresa Davis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book!! Highly, highly recommend this one and Blacktop Wasteland.

[jolie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an amazing book, made me cry and laugh and hold my breath.

[Michele Guttenberg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. All action it would make a great movie.

[statia hickey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was captivating! I was eager for the next chapter. The writer did a great job.

[5mg89bgww2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book was written extremely well and the story was very engaging

[Remi O. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was so good!! Had me
In tears by the end. Real, Relevant,Relatable, Epic!

[Catherine Singer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome story and awesome reader! So sorry it’s over. I highly recommend it.

[Dana Noweder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Phenomenal story that is told so well it wrenches at your heart from the first word to the last!! Be prepared to learn and be convicted. It’s a book every human needs to read.

[Adrienne King · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow it was really good. So many emotions. Shows how people from different walks of life can somehow get along when they have a common goal.

[Andrea Simon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant, tightly woven mystery that just gets more beautiful and more provocative as it spins its dark tale — the astonishing final chapters are as old as the Bible and as new as the shameful insurrection of 1-6-21…

[homayra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story was beautifully written. I listened to the audio book and I loved the story even more since the narrator did a fantastic job.

[agnes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i feel like i entered this not quite sure how i felt about a book surrounding the murder of two gay men that ultimately focused on the story of their heterosexual, and homophobic(-ish) fathers. what followed was one of the best books i have read this year. guilt and grief go hand in hand with each other as ike and buddy lee try to make up for what they failed to do in life. i was totally shocked by the moments that showed up and made me cry, and towards the end the twists had me by The Throat.

it had a few moments of the thriller/mystery genres that i don't love, but all genres require some stretches to the suspension of disbelief so not even that could take away how good this was.

[Karol Ann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought the book was average, I did not like the audiobook, there were no distinction between the characters and I don’t know why Buddy Lee sounded like a black gay man when he’s a white straight middle aged man.

[Chris Kester · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this story. Two fathers who should have been more accepting of their gay sons deal with the conflicting emotions after their sons are murdered. When the police come up short on the search for the killer, it's time to take the law into their own hands.

[Richel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book kept me wanting to hear more! Best audiobook I’ve hear this year (I listen to several a month).

[Tara Robinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fast paced, action packed dark thriller. Ike and Buddy Lee had me on the edge of my seat the entire novel. The writing is so engrossing. The audio is superb. I felt like I was in or witnessing an action movie.

[Jackie Potts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book I’ve read in a long time. Do yourself a favor and read it.

[Brittany Tainter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing!! The author nailed it!! Also the narrator was perfect!

[Jay Dionne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing book! Action packed and hard hitting lessons. I loved it

[Kelly Izell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great storytelling! There was believable character development and a good ending.

[Sharon Traylor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! This is a must read. Highly recommend and could not stop reading

[Sherry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! Love the writing and the choice of narrator...hope they make this into a movie

[Destiny · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It kept my attention from beginning to end. I learned a few things and got some good laughs at Buddy Lee. The narrator was good. Love the voice. Will check out other audiobooks he has narrated. I like that the characters were relatable. Highly recommend.

[Denise Peraza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book from start to finish. Will def check out the author’s other book.

[Karen Holst · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Intriguing, Dark, and graphic! I will read anything SA Cosby writes!

[Brittany Feldhaus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I’m speechless. It is really that good. This might be the best book I’ve read in a while.

[Ashley Slater · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed the two characters and their dynamic. The narration was good as well!

[Lisa Ryan-Herndon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brutal - in prose, human honesty, violence and heart breaking regret. Masterful writing delivered by another molasses- voiced audio performance by Adam Lazarre-White. Looking forward to the overdue movie adaptation of this - and all the rest of - S.A. Cosby’s stories.

[Mrs Henson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fierce and unrelenting. Loved and was horrified by the main characters.

[olivia sears · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The commentary on family accepting people who are different from them.