S.A. Cosby demonstrates once again why he remains an author to watch. In Razorblade Tears, he brings together two unlikely allies. Ike and Buddy Lee are ex-cons with an unlikely common cause.

While neither one of them understood why their two sons married (let alone found a surrogate to give them a child), both want their sons' murderers brought to justice no matter the cost. With the police dragging their feet and leads growing colder, Ike and Buddy Lee set out to find the one person who might know the answer — Tangerine, an elusive girl that the two men were trying to protect.

Their efforts quickly push the two toward a head-to-head confrontation with an outlaw biker gang, men who work for a more prominent villain(s) lurking somewhere in the shadows. At the same time, the duo must work through their perceptions and misunderstandings — often brushing up against uneasy questions about race, gender identity, and other social issues.

Cosby handles it all deftly, allowing plain-speaking men to cut to the heart of their viewpoints. In doing so, they develop a deeper understanding of the world they live in — one that wants them and everyone close to them dead for taking up their sons' mantle.

This time out, Cosby's work relies more on a complex plot than the complexity of his characters — a direction some readers may question on the front end. But as the story picks up steam and Cosby tosses in a few unexpected twists, he more than makes up for it. Razorblade Tears is a winner, one of those rare books that cut to the heart of sensitive matters during an adrenaline-charged crime story.