''Razorblade Tears: A Novel'' is a

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

S.A. Cosby Shawn Andre Cosby (born August 4, 1973, in Newport News, Virginia) is an American author of "Southern United States literature, Southern noir" crime fiction. He resides in Gloucester, Virginia, on the York River (Virginia), York River. Cosby has ...

, published in July 2021 by

Flatiron Books Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...

. This novel debuted at number 10 on the

New York Times bestseller list ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

Jerry Bruckheimer Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television Film producer, producer. He has been active in the genres of Action film, action, Drama film, drama, Fantasy film, fantasy, and Science fiction film, science fi ...

's company has "optioned the story for Paramount."

Plot

Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee are ageing ex-cons living in rural Virginia. When their sons, a black and white couple with a baby daughter, are brutally murdered, the two men team up and embark on a quest for

revenge Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." Pr ...

. As they try and track down their sons' killers, they also confront their own

prejudice Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...

s toward their sons and each other.

Reception

Langston Collin Wilkins of ''BookPage'' called the novel a "contemplative mystery and a stunning thrill ride" and praised Cosby's balance between "incredibly complicated characters" and "enveloping suspense." Wilkins continues: "''Razorblade Tears'' features poignant, purposeful social commentary as Cosby takes a critical yet sensitive look at homophobia, racism, classicism and toxic masculinity." José H. Bográn of the ''

Washington Independent Review of Books The Washington Independent Review of Books is a volunteer organization that operates a website for book reviews. It was founded by a group of writers in the Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockw ...

'' writes, "Although it touches on sensitive topics, ''Razorblade Tears'' is primarily crime fiction with a mystery at its core and a big reveal at the end. The action sequences come fast and close together and pulse with a visceral streak that will leave readers holding their breath until the final gunshot rings out. It's no wonder the novel has already been optioned by Paramount Players." Carole Bell of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

says, "Reading ''Razorblade Tears'' is a visceral full-body experience, a sharp jolt to the heart, and a treat for the senses." Bell continues: "As uneasy as I was, he made me root for the redemption of two men with homophobia and bloody revenge in their hearts ..Cosby's high-octane drama cements his ascension as a prince of the literary action thriller." Adam Sternbergh of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' says, "Cosby writes in a spirit of generous abundance and gleeful abandon and, unlike a lot of noir writers, he doesn't shy from operatic emotion. His antiheroes rant, they cry, they beat their chests in anguish and pound their fists in rage...The ride isn't seamless. When you're as exuberant with language as Cosby is, not every turn of phrase is going to land, though his hit rate is impressively high. And the novel's...finale...snaps together with a tidy efficiency that belies the emotional messiness of the preceding tale."

Awards

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Plot

Reception

Awards

References

External links

Further reading