Murder Thriller and Suspense Book Review: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

Genre: Crime Murder Thriller and Suspense

Razorblade Tears was my fourth S.A. Cosby novel, and it was exceptional, though All the Sinners Bleed still edges it out by just a notch.

Razorblade Tears intrigued me because the story follows two ex-convicts whose children are murdered. Ike (aka Riot) Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins were fathers to Isiah and Derek, who happened to be married to each other. When their sons are brutally murdered, Ike and Buddy Lee team up to find the killer(s).

I started reading the story on August 31st and finished on September 11th. I really enjoyed this story, although I felt there were a couple of slow moments during the sleuthing; however, these were necessary to round out the story. Now let's dive into the book review, analyzing the characters, story, themes, and villain(s).

Character Analysis

Ike Randolph was once a criminal who was incarcerated for murder. He had been on the outside for fifteen years, living a normal life. He was married to his childhood girlfriend and running a successful lawn business.

I found Ike's character fascinating. He was street smart, methodical, rigid, and a little hard around the edges. He had been hard on his son for being gay; something he could never really accept. That is, until it was too late.

Before Isiah was murdered, Ike had a hard time accepting his son when he came out as gay. It tore their relationship apart, and father and son were never the same. Later, when Isiah was murdered beyond recognition, Ike went through a cycle of emotions, blaming himself for not loving Isiah for who he was, for believing his son to be a deviant because he was married to a man. Ike blamed himself for the years he spent in jail away from Isiah, and for letting the rift between them grow into fetters that pulled them further apart.

Buddy Lee Jenkins' character stole the entire story. Buddy Lee was smart, witty, devious, and extremely funny. Although he too had a problem with his son Derek being gay, before his son's death, Buddy Lee wasn't the best father to Derek or the best husband to his wife at the time. Along the way, Buddy Lee only cared about drinking and trying to hold onto a job. But when his son was brutally murdered, and with his own life hanging by a thread, Buddy Lee felt he had a new purpose: to find out who killed his son.

Plot Overview

The story opens with a funeral. At the funeral, Ike and Buddy Lee, who knew of each other but had never met until that day, finally cross paths.

Buddy Lee was obsessed with finding out who killed his son, but he needed help from the only other man he knew who had a similar background was Ike Randolph. Buddy Lee approached Ike about teaming up together, trying to convince him that finding their sons' killer was the least they could do for being terrible parents. Ike didn't want to get involved because he was now living a new life, and he didn't want to mess that up and end up back in jail—or dead—since he and his wife were raising Isiah and Derek's little girl.

The turning point came when Ike visited his son's grave. Someone had vandalized the gravesite, writing awful words on Isiah's and Derek's headstones. When Ike saw that, he was on board with Buddy Lee.

Finding the killers led them to a biker gang run by a guy named Grayson, but behind him was a powerful man running the show. This man wanted to stay secret and was willing to do anything to remain anonymous. He was living a double life, and the exposure would destroy everything he'd worked for and go against his own upbringing, causing a catastrophic scandal.

What Worked and What Didn't

For the most part, everything worked well with the story. However, again, S.A. Cosby is known for his brutal descriptions when it comes to killing, and there was one such killing that took place in the story that I couldn't stomach reading, so I had to skip over it.

One thing that definitely worked in the story, which I highly enjoyed, was Ike and Buddy Lee teaming up together. They reminded me of 48 Hours or Lethal Weapon.

Final Thoughts

The book did a great job of keeping me engaged in the story. I give it four stars as a solid, good read and an enjoyable story. Buddy Lee's character will have you laughing every time he speaks.

Who was the actual villain in the story? The bikers? Mr. Anonymous? Ike and Buddy Lee? I'll only speak on Ike and Buddy Lee.

Ike was a villain in a way because he couldn't tell his son that he loved him, nor could he accept his son for finding love with a man. Ike viewed that as a betrayal and extremely wrong.

Buddy Lee, though his character was funny, was also like Ike. Though at some point he had accepted his son's life choice before Derek was murdered. But what made Buddy Lee the villain—spoiler alert—he was the one who vandalized the boys' headstones. He needed something that would force Ike to join him on his vengeful crusade.

Themes

The themes in the novel centered around pride, vengeance, LGBTQ+ acceptance, family dynamics, and redemption.

Recommendation

I still highly recommend this book. S.A. Cosby once again shows how to write a fantastic, engaging story.