Leodora Darlington is a writer from London with Ghanaian heritage. She received a distinction for her Masters in Creative Writing from Brunel University, where she studied under authors like Benjamin Zepheniah and Will Self.
A Bookseller Rising Star in 2021, Darlington is also an editor and has published a range of bestselling fiction. The Exes is her debut novel.
At CrimeReads Darlington tagged "five thrillers by Black authors that I simply couldn’t put down." One title on the list:
S. A. Cosby, Razorblade TearsRead about the other novels on Darlington's list at CrimeReads.
This is a book that comes up time and time again on people’s “favorite thrillers” lists. S. A. Cosby has delivered a total masterpiece of Southern noir.The story centers on Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons—one Black, one white—who team up to avenge their murdered sons. The catch? The sons were married to each other, and both fathers had rejected them because of it.
This book wrecked me in the best way possible. It is violent and visceral, yes, but underneath the action is a profound exploration of redemption, guilt, and the possibility of change. Watching these two hardened men confront their own prejudices while raining down vengeance is a cinematic experience I won’t soon forget.
Razorblade Tears is among David Bell's five great thrillers about domineering parents, Robyn Harding's seven unlikely friendships in crime fiction, Lesley Kara's six crime novels about settling old scores, and Liz Nugent's top ten first lines in fiction.
--Marshal Zeringue
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