Publisher's Weekly Review
In this strong crime novel from Thriller Award finalist Cosby (Blacktop Wasteland), the double murder of married couple Isiah Randolph and Derek Jenkins, shot dead outside "a fancy wine store" in Richmond, Va., drives African American Ike Randolph and self-proclaimed redneck Buddy Lee Jenkins, both hardened ex-cons, to track down their sons' killers. For the fathers, it's not just simple vengeance but a matter of redemption for having rejected their sons because they were gay. Ike and Buddy Lee soon realize that the double killing was not merely a hate crime but tied to their sons' search for an elusive girl known only as Tangerine. Looking for Tangerine leads the pair to a Nazi biker gang, and when Ike and Buddy Lee refuse to back off after a violent encounter, things escalate: Ike's home is destroyed, his wife seriously injured, and their granddaughter abducted. The relentless pace and at times brutal action stand out, but more memorable are the richly developed characters of Ike and Buddy Lee. Along the way, the book provides a nuanced take on contemporary race and LGBTQ issues of a type not commonly found in crime fiction. Chalk up another winner to Cosby. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (July)
Booklist Review
Cosby follows up his smash debut Blacktop Wasteland (2020) with a powerful blend of pulsing action, sensitive and subtle character interaction, and uncompromising but highly nuanced reflection on racism and homophobia. Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins, both ex-cons, have little else in common. Ike is a Black man who has built his own landscaping business since leaving jail; Buddy Lee is an alcoholic redneck and casual racist who lives in a ramshackle trailer. What brings them together is the brutal murder of their sons, who were married to one another. Neither Ike nor Buddy Lee could overcome their ingrained homophobia while their sons were alive, but now they want revenge and come together to find the killers. As these two self-acknowledged "bad men" reacquaint themselves with their instincts for perpetrating extreme violence, they also begin to learn about their own prejudices. "Being who you are shouldn't be a goddamn death sentence," Ike says, even as he hopes to carry out that very sentence against the men who killed his son. Yes, it's a contradiction, but Cosby's tale generates its authority from confronting moral ambiguity head-on. Buddy Lee says it best: "For once I'm gonna put this devil inside me to good use." Few novels marry tough and tender, head-banging and coming-of-age, as seamlessly as this one does, but that's no surprise from a supremely talented writer who keeps getting better.
Library Journal Review
On the surface, the only thing Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins have in common is that they're both ex-cons. Ike, who's Black, has changed his life since leaving prison and now owns a successful landscaping business. Buddy Lee, who's white, is still a good ol' boy who drinks heavily and runs around. When Ike's and Buddy's sons married each other, both fathers rejected them. That was before someone shot Isiah and Derek dead in Richmond, VA, in what appeared to be a targeted attack. When Isiah and Derek's tombstone is vandalized, Ike wants revenge. He teams up with Buddy Lee, and they plan to have one violent confrontation with the murderer. Instead, the fathers learn that someone with powerful connections is behind the murders. Over the course of their violent spree, Ike and Buddy are forced to uncover their own feelings of grief, pain, and failure when it came to their relationships with their sons. VERDICT Cosby follows his award-nominated Blacktop Wasteland (an LJ Best Mystery selection for 2020) with another stand-alone mystery that's already been optioned for a film. His story of fathers and sons, of men learning to respect others' lives, has an unexpected depth for such a violent, confrontational book. This powerful book should be in every library.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN