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fosterwalrus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
b0okcupidity's review against another edition
4.0
Blood Work hit all of my thriller buttons. Great mystery, fast pacing, intriguing and brainy main character.
McCaleb, a retired FBI agent, finds himself hooked into a case that, from the outside, he has no business being a part of.
The entire novel the clock is ticking in a race to track down his unsub. However, the chase itself might be his killer as he struggles with the volalitiitly of his newly transplanted heart.
He's not the cookie-cutter FBI hero either - he sucked as a field agent and did all his best work at his desk. So much fun to read his wheels-a-turning and pilfering out the a-ha moments. The puzzler in me enjoys that over action- packed chase scenes and gun-fighting. Brain over brawn, and all that.
That said, I really found the romantic interest in Graciela to be annoying and unecessary. I felt the like the relationship was, in part, a ploy to create a splashy ending. A slower romance in subsequent books would have worked for me - especially since there is a kid at play. I think over all, it was very forced and the weakest part of this book.
McCaleb, a retired FBI agent, finds himself hooked into a case that, from the outside, he has no business being a part of.
The entire novel the clock is ticking in a race to track down his unsub. However, the chase itself might be his killer as he struggles with the volalitiitly of his newly transplanted heart.
He's not the cookie-cutter FBI hero either - he sucked as a field agent and did all his best work at his desk. So much fun to read his wheels-a-turning and pilfering out the a-ha moments. The puzzler in me enjoys that over action- packed chase scenes and gun-fighting. Brain over brawn, and all that.
That said, I really found the romantic interest in Graciela to be annoying and unecessary. I felt the like the relationship was, in part, a ploy to create a splashy ending. A slower romance in subsequent books would have worked for me - especially since there is a kid at play. I think over all, it was very forced and the weakest part of this book.
vsarider's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
marco5599's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Terrell McCaleb. Harry's brother from another mother. With a ticker from another person. Terry's achy breaky heart. A key role. For multiple reasons. Connelly can be great, but not when he does romance. What's wrong with a happily married detective anyway?
As if the heart thing wasn't enough.. Or the trauma of old cases.. Or the family history.. Or the.. Anyway, Terry is a bit rude. I like that. He lives on a boat. That's cool. But I have to agree with his doctor. Aggravating a huge Russian gangster in his condition? Bad idea. And that's not all he shouldn't be doing. This McCaleb.. I don't know. An overwritten protagonist if you ask me. So much dead weight. I wish I could say that the case saved it, but no. It had me shaking my head in disbelief.
When it comes to the major characters (and that includes the killer) actions, motivations and such barely make sense when you think about it. It's all just so implausible. If not preposterous. Rock bottom? When Terry gets sentimental. Tears in my eyes. From laughing.
P.S.
Cannoli, anyone?
As if the heart thing wasn't enough.. Or the trauma of old cases.. Or the family history.. Or the.. Anyway, Terry is a bit rude. I like that. He lives on a boat. That's cool. But I have to agree with his doctor. Aggravating a huge Russian gangster in his condition? Bad idea. And that's not all he shouldn't be doing. This McCaleb.. I don't know. An overwritten protagonist if you ask me. So much dead weight. I wish I could say that the case saved it, but no. It had me shaking my head in disbelief.
When it comes to the major characters (and that includes the killer) actions, motivations and such barely make sense when you think about it. It's all just so implausible. If not preposterous. Rock bottom? When Terry gets sentimental. Tears in my eyes. From laughing.
P.S.
Cannoli, anyone?
colerandolph8's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rmck1919's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tstuebanks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
greaydean's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good. Different, but hard to differentiate from other novels by this author. Character seemed similar. Still love the procedural work.