A review by shelleyrae
Blood Sisters by Cate Quinn
4.0
When the bloodied and bound naked body of Paul Hunter is found in the bar of The Gold Rush Hotel in the outback mining town of Dead Tree Creek, the locals are quick to accuse barmaids Lauren and Beth, American backpackers who skipped town in the early hours of the morning. Tara Harrison, newly returned to her hometown as a Probationary Constable, isn’t convinced of the sorority sisters are cold blooded killers, despite mounting evidence. She’s all too aware that Dead Tree Creek is a town of secrets.
Despite centering around crime, Blood Sisters is a character driven novel. The story primarily unfolds from the first person perspectives of Lauren, Beth and Tara, shifting between the present and recent past, with points of view from other characters occasionally punctuating the narrative. The structure works well, and I like how it both broadens the readers understanding of the characters and contributes to the development of the mystery.
Lauren and Beth are interesting characters with a complicated relationship. Lauren, beautiful and extroverted, is a study in contradictions, while Beth is more of an enigma. The women are the bests of friends who share a dark secret, but even they keep secrets from one another. The books title alludes not only to the relationship between Lauren and Beth, but also the relationship between Tara and her late Moodjana foster-sister, Yindi, whose death in police custody was the impetus for her joining the police service. Tara is a likeable character, she’s smart, determined and has good intentions, but finds herself a little out of her depth as she searches for the truth.
Quinn explores a number of themes in Blood Sisters including misogyny, racism, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Issues between the First Nations peoples and the police and mining company are an important element of the novel which I think the author handles well.
With a strong sense of place, complex characters and an intriguing mystery, The Blood Sisters is an absorbing novel.
Despite centering around crime, Blood Sisters is a character driven novel. The story primarily unfolds from the first person perspectives of Lauren, Beth and Tara, shifting between the present and recent past, with points of view from other characters occasionally punctuating the narrative. The structure works well, and I like how it both broadens the readers understanding of the characters and contributes to the development of the mystery.
Lauren and Beth are interesting characters with a complicated relationship. Lauren, beautiful and extroverted, is a study in contradictions, while Beth is more of an enigma. The women are the bests of friends who share a dark secret, but even they keep secrets from one another. The books title alludes not only to the relationship between Lauren and Beth, but also the relationship between Tara and her late Moodjana foster-sister, Yindi, whose death in police custody was the impetus for her joining the police service. Tara is a likeable character, she’s smart, determined and has good intentions, but finds herself a little out of her depth as she searches for the truth.
Quinn explores a number of themes in Blood Sisters including misogyny, racism, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Issues between the First Nations peoples and the police and mining company are an important element of the novel which I think the author handles well.
With a strong sense of place, complex characters and an intriguing mystery, The Blood Sisters is an absorbing novel.