It's also perfectly evident, however, that the men have more in common than they think. Cosby's sharp characterization and evocative prose make the tension between them as palpable as their grief. Nonetheless, their first obstacle is each other. They're risking all that and their freedom in this quest. And with Ike and Buddy Lee's criminal records, the law is always looking over their shoulder. The personal stakes are sky high Ike has a loving wife and a business, they share a granddaughter. Plus, there's more than justice on the line. It's a messy thicket they're wading into - it always is when sex and power are intertwined. Isiah was a journalist, and a scandalous story he was working on might have precipitated the murders.

The first revelation: The couple's death was no random act of violence. Blazing a brutal path through the backroads of rural Virginia, they encounter a myriad of obstacles along the way.

But the road to retribution never does run smooth. They track down their sons' friends and coworkers, search their home, and confront potential suspects. United in grief, guilt and anger, Ike and Buddy Lee set out to accomplish what the police wouldn't - solve the crime and make the killers pay. That tragedy accomplishes what love failed to: bring the two fathers together, and get them to stand up for their sons. But none of that matters when Derek and Isiah are gunned down on their anniversary.īook Reviews Take A Dangerous Ride Through 'Blacktop Wasteland' They made a life that neither Ike nor Buddy Lee's disapproval could touch. Their sons, Isiah and Derek, dated in college, got married, made a home and had a daughter. But bigotry and bad judgment are hard habits to break, so that happy union never happened. A brash and unabashed redneck and a tatted up Black small businessman barely holding on to his restraint, Buddy Lee Jenkins and Ike Randolph are virtual strangers who should have become family when their boys fell in love. Cosby's characters are specific and vividly rendered, and he paints a determinedly bleak yet thoroughly compelling picture of their plight. Cosby's moody southern thriller marries the skillful action and plotting of Lee Child with the atmosphere and insight of Attica Locke.Īt the center of the storm are two battle-scarred, middle-aged men who've served hard time - one Black, one white, both desperate to get some rough justice for their murdered sons.

Reading Razorblade Tears is a visceral full-body experience, a sharp jolt to the heart, and a treat for the senses.

Blacktop wasteland a novel