Razorblade Tears: A Novel
Written by S. A. Cosby
Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
4.5/5
()
- Family 
- Revenge 
- Grief & Loss 
- Crime 
- Betrayal 
- Loyal Friend 
- Reluctant Hero 
- Unlikely Allies 
- Grizzled Veteran 
- Grieving Parent 
- Power of Friendship 
- Redemption 
- Family Drama 
- Whodunit 
- Unexpected Ally 
- Friendship 
- Justice 
- Fear 
- Loyalty 
- Family Relationships 
About this audiobook
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
Editor's Note
Propulsive…
S.A. Cosby follows up his cinematic page-turner “Blacktop Wasteland” with an equally thrilling crime novel with a killer narrator and a propulsive plot. Putting aside their prejudices and homophobia, two ex-con dads, one Black and one white, join forces, hell-bent on revenging the brutal murder of their sons, who were married. Kirkus calls it, “Fast on its feet, by turns lethal and tender;” we call it a hell of a ride.
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.
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- Blacktop Wasteland: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
- The Knockout Artist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
- The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Razorblade Tears
1,006 ratings59 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a beautifully written, fast-paced, and action-packed book with complex characters and a gripping storyline. The narration in the audiobook is highly praised, adding to the overall enjoyment of the story. The book explores themes of acceptance, family dynamics, and the consequences of homophobia. It is described as a phenomenal, gripping, and thought-provoking read that elicits a range of emotions from laughter to tears. The writing is masterful, and the choice of narrator is excellent. Readers highly recommend this book and eagerly anticipate a movie adaptation.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Loved this book. All action it would make a great movie.1 person found this helpful 
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 This book was captivating! I was eager for the next chapter. The writer did a great job.1 person found this helpful 
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 7, 2025 The characters were just awesome great plot this boat touch my heart it deals with issues going on in the world today. It’s a must Read book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Aug 9, 2025 Really good book. You end up rooting for the fathers. About revenge and missed opportunities
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jul 17, 2025 so many lessons to be learned in this book. absolutely loved it! the narration was so good
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jun 25, 2025 I haven’t even finished this book yet, but I’m addicted and need to solve this murder with Buddy Lee and Ike
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Apr 15, 2025 Such an amazing story. Cried at the end of it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Oct 22, 2024 Well done, well read. Fast paced, pulls no punches with the complexities of the issues and motivations of its characters. Highly recommend.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Aug 25, 2024 Such a great book! Loved the characters! The audio was perfect! Enjoyed hearing the accents within the characters! I cried and laughed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jul 21, 2024 10/10
 Wow!!!
 I can’t put into words how great this story is.
 Every person in America should be required to read this book.
 S.A. Cosby you the man brother,,, keep em coming.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jun 29, 2024 This was a great book on two fathers wanting revenge and so much more. I do think it’s a little long .
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Apr 25, 2024 The book was written extremely well and the story was very engaging
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jan 3, 2024 This book was so good!! Had me
 In tears by the end. Real, Relevant,Relatable, Epic!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Awesome story and awesome reader! So sorry it’s over. I highly recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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…
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 This book kept me wanting to hear more! Best audiobook I’ve hear this year (I listen to several a month).
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Best book I’ve read in a long time. Do yourself a favor and read it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Amazing!! The author nailed it!! Also the narrator was perfect!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 An amazing book! Action packed and hard hitting lessons. I loved it
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Great storytelling! There was believable character development and a good ending.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Amazing! This is a must read. Highly recommend and could not stop reading
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 Excellent! Love the writing and the choice of narrator...hope they make this into a movie
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sep 26, 2023 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.
