Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: June 5, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Never trust a blackmailer.

Vermont’s promising young governor, Andrew Kane, is at another public meet-and-greet when a stranger from the crowd slips him a cell phone and whispers, “Keep this with you…keep it secret…you’re going to need it after the arrest.”

Hours later, Andrew’s brother, Tyler, is taken into custody—framed for the brutal murder of a young woman—and Andrew discovers there is only one way to free him: answer the mysterious phone and agree to a blackmailer’s demands. All the governor has to do to make it all go away is compromise everything he stands for and grant a full pardon to a convicted felon. With no better option, he complies. Which is his first mistake…because the stranger isn’t through with him. He has another little condition. Then another. And another. And Andrew has no choice but to play along until he can find a way out of this personal and political nightmare. But he isn’t prepared for what he will face, or how far he will have to go to save his brother and keep his family together.

Review:

How far would YOU go to protect your family, your dearest loved ones? Many novels may ask this question, but Hankins provides a slightly new spin on this age old question by adding in some political intrigue and corruption as well as some domestic suspense making for a tense read that had me hooked.

This follows the Kane family as they deal with a manipulative and highly intelligent blackmailer who is intent on wreacking havoc on every single one of them. This is a family of prominence and wealth, plenty of power especially as the oldest sibling is the Governor of Vermont. I didn’t necessarily love most of the family barring Tyler, that kid stole my heart with his pure innocence, but I was rooting for them regardless because they were dealing with a nightmare of a situation that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. They were all very well drawn even if they were unsympathetic for the most part and Hankins is a great writer with a true talent for storytelling.

I would recommend this one for fans of Brad Parks, it definitely had a similar feel to it with plenty of sharp turns and tense moments. It did feel a little drawn out in the middle portion, but the ending was exciting enough to make up for any slower moments for me.

A Blood Thing in three words: Calculated, Intense and Vengeful.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.