katewashko's review against another edition
4.0
4.5, rounding up. I really enjoyed this. The last 100 had me on the edge of my seat. Definitely going to read the next one in the series.
paulataua's review against another edition
4.0
Sydney Rose Parnal is an Iraq war veteran who is battling her own demons. She is now working as a railroad cop in Denver and is drawn into the investigation of the brutal murder of a ‘kind to hobos’ woman. The finger is solidly pointing at a marine, who was badly burned in an incident in Iraq, and who now, suffering from PTSD, is freight-hopping around the country. Parnal and the marine share a secret from the war that could cause a lot of problems if revealed. Debut procedural cum mystery that really works. I will definitely get around to reading others in the series. A good find!
vdarcangelo's review against another edition
5.0
In this brilliant debut, Barbara Nickless introduces us to marine-turned-railroad cop Sydney Parnell. Haunted by her time in Iraq (literally, as she routinely sees the ghosts of fallen comrades), she absorbs scotch like vitamin water, steals smokes from lazy cops and pops Dexedrine just to stay balanced.
Oh, and she kills a bunch of skinheads along the way.
Yeah, I love this character.
Sleep is about the only thing Sydney doesn’t do in this relentless thriller, and I haven’t even mentioned her loyal sidekick, Clyde, a Belgian Malinois who has a love of cheeseburgers, his own kevlar vest and, like Sydney, crippling PTSD from the war.
At the outset of Blood on the Tracks, a charity worker is murdered and hideously butchered. All evidence suggests that her fiance, a marine disfigured by an IED in Iraq, is the killer, but Sydney isn’t convinced. While the Denver PD considers the case closed, Sydney and Clyde continue to search for answers, even though it may expose war crimes that would ruin all of their lives — and might get Sydney killed.
What follows is a Nietzschean descent into the abyss of war and its aftermath. And as the body count begins to pile up around her, Sydney has no choice but to commit herself fully to the truth, even though that works against her self-interest.
What I also like about Sydney is that she isn’t the type who will only kill in self-defense. War has taught her that, once committed, it’s kill or be killed. When she and Clyde enter the skinhead compound, the orders are to take no prisoners, leave no survivors.
This is a very satisfying book to read in 2021. When Blood on the Tracks was first published, in 2016, hate crimes were on the rise in America. They reached a 16-year high in 2020, followed by a literal siege on the democratic process in early 2021.
Justice has taken a beating the past five years, so yeah, it’s very cathartic when Sydney bashes in a skinhead’s face with a rock.
Nickless incorporates all the great ingredients of a thriller — the flawed hero, antagonistic relationships, and numerous plot twists. My only critique of Blood on the Tracks is that there is one twist too many — an unexpected turn that feels superfluous, but more importantly, is difficult to reconcile with the rest of the novel.
However, Nickless lays a deep foundation with long-term story arcs that has me excited for whatever comes next.
I also love that Sydney is not a superstar detective or a prized forensics specialist, as we so often encounter in mystery series. She is a misfit who feels right at home with the outsiders who populate the hobo camps. This makes her essential to the story. To channel my old MFA lingo, it’s the story that only Sydney Parnell could tell, which is what draws the reader into her world.
At least it did for me. I’m looking forward to reading further installments of Sydney and Clyde’s adventures.
https://ensuingchapters.com/2021/10/11/review-blood-on-the-tracks/
Oh, and she kills a bunch of skinheads along the way.
Yeah, I love this character.
Sleep is about the only thing Sydney doesn’t do in this relentless thriller, and I haven’t even mentioned her loyal sidekick, Clyde, a Belgian Malinois who has a love of cheeseburgers, his own kevlar vest and, like Sydney, crippling PTSD from the war.
At the outset of Blood on the Tracks, a charity worker is murdered and hideously butchered. All evidence suggests that her fiance, a marine disfigured by an IED in Iraq, is the killer, but Sydney isn’t convinced. While the Denver PD considers the case closed, Sydney and Clyde continue to search for answers, even though it may expose war crimes that would ruin all of their lives — and might get Sydney killed.
What follows is a Nietzschean descent into the abyss of war and its aftermath. And as the body count begins to pile up around her, Sydney has no choice but to commit herself fully to the truth, even though that works against her self-interest.
What I also like about Sydney is that she isn’t the type who will only kill in self-defense. War has taught her that, once committed, it’s kill or be killed. When she and Clyde enter the skinhead compound, the orders are to take no prisoners, leave no survivors.
This is a very satisfying book to read in 2021. When Blood on the Tracks was first published, in 2016, hate crimes were on the rise in America. They reached a 16-year high in 2020, followed by a literal siege on the democratic process in early 2021.
Justice has taken a beating the past five years, so yeah, it’s very cathartic when Sydney bashes in a skinhead’s face with a rock.
Nickless incorporates all the great ingredients of a thriller — the flawed hero, antagonistic relationships, and numerous plot twists. My only critique of Blood on the Tracks is that there is one twist too many — an unexpected turn that feels superfluous, but more importantly, is difficult to reconcile with the rest of the novel.
However, Nickless lays a deep foundation with long-term story arcs that has me excited for whatever comes next.
I also love that Sydney is not a superstar detective or a prized forensics specialist, as we so often encounter in mystery series. She is a misfit who feels right at home with the outsiders who populate the hobo camps. This makes her essential to the story. To channel my old MFA lingo, it’s the story that only Sydney Parnell could tell, which is what draws the reader into her world.
At least it did for me. I’m looking forward to reading further installments of Sydney and Clyde’s adventures.
https://ensuingchapters.com/2021/10/11/review-blood-on-the-tracks/
wagmore's review against another edition
4.0
4+ stars. Very good plot and excellent characterization. Seems to have been very well researched too.
But next time, more Clyde!
Also, if you like this book, check out this series that also features an ex-military-dog protagonist: [b:The Kill Switch|18090019|The Kill Switch (Tucker Wayne, #1)|James Rollins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394207811s/18090019.jpg|25337956]
But next time, more Clyde!
Also, if you like this book, check out this series that also features an ex-military-dog protagonist: [b:The Kill Switch|18090019|The Kill Switch (Tucker Wayne, #1)|James Rollins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394207811s/18090019.jpg|25337956]
cnorbury's review
5.0
An outstanding debut novel, one of the best books I've read this year. Certainly deserving of the numerous awards it has won.
Be warned; this is a dark story about an Iraq veteran (who happens to be a woman) and her K-9 dog partner, Clyde, and how they cope with PTSD while trying to do their jobs as railroad police for a fictional police force in Denver. The nightmares and ghosts that protagonist Sydney Rose Parnell deals with seem deep, dark, haunting, and real. A fascinating study on watching someone attempt to do a stressful and dangerous job while teetering on the edge of sanity and reality.
Dialogue is some of the most genuine and realistic I've read, characters are flawed and barely coping, setting matches the story (winter in Denver--mostly gloomy and stormy for the story), and the editing is tight as can be. Grabs you from sentence one and holds on until the end.
Highly recommended.
Be warned; this is a dark story about an Iraq veteran (who happens to be a woman) and her K-9 dog partner, Clyde, and how they cope with PTSD while trying to do their jobs as railroad police for a fictional police force in Denver. The nightmares and ghosts that protagonist Sydney Rose Parnell deals with seem deep, dark, haunting, and real. A fascinating study on watching someone attempt to do a stressful and dangerous job while teetering on the edge of sanity and reality.
Dialogue is some of the most genuine and realistic I've read, characters are flawed and barely coping, setting matches the story (winter in Denver--mostly gloomy and stormy for the story), and the editing is tight as can be. Grabs you from sentence one and holds on until the end.
Highly recommended.
tchrcyd's review against another edition
4.0
Another one of my Amazon 1st reads books, and this was an excellent choice. I really liked the main character, Sydney Rose Parnell. Her ghosts that followed her from her time in the Marines, how she interacts with other characters, the tenacity she displayed in getting to the bottom of this case - all played such a major role in defining Sydney Rose. If you like police murder mysteries, you might like this book. I look forward to reading more about Sydney Rose!!
jwortman93's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
meagmyers29's review against another edition
4.0
A thriller that is super readable. I didn’t give it four stars for its prose or it being a great work of literary art, but the story is compelling and it helped my 2 hours a day commute be all the better. I’m excited to read the second book in the series!
muddypuddle's review against another edition
4.0
Mixed emotions after reading this story. So much horror in war. Although the setting and genre is a murder in contemporary Denver, so much is about the aftermath and memories of being in Iraq and the horrors, atrocities, and nightmares that returning military carry with them. It was good, but emotionally hard to read. Sydney, for me, was not the most likable protagonist, which makes her all-the-more real. Her military dog, Clyde, was her best friend and sidekick, and their relationship wasn't too overdone for this "oh-no-not-another-animal" person. It leaves me with a big question. Why would someone who is freaked out by death and killing and sees the ghosts of all the people she worked on during her post in Marine mortician services in Iraq take a job as a gun-slinging cop once she returns stateside?