Bound By Blood
by Rick Nelson
Published by Thomas Dunne Books (February release)
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Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
Jack Brenner is a New Orleans homicide detective that enjoys his job and takes it seriously. Brenner’s cousin, David Brenner, and a fellow Civil Rights worker were murdered in the summer of 1972. That murder has haunted Brenner because David was more than a cousin; he was the person he most looked up to.
Now, Emmet Lloyd Graves is in prison and fighting to avoid the death penalty. He claims he has information that will lead authorities to the killer of David Brenner and his friend. Brenner must decide to trust an evil man, or leave an old murder behind forever.
While Brenner begins to work on the decades’ old murder, another young man is murdered. Steven Bowen, who just happened to break David Brenner’s high school track record, is shot while talking on a pay phone.
Brenner juggles both cases and comes face-to-face with his past. Willow Ashe is a television reporter and Brenner’s former girlfriend. Willow breaks the story about the Civil Rights murder and things are never the same for Brenner. The good ‘ole boys rear their ugly heads, a failing marriage is put to the test, family members want things left as they are, and even a police partnership is at risk.
Bound by Blood is a stunning debut mystery. It is fast paced, the plot has twists and turns that are unimaginable and flawless and the characters are full, real and have all the complexities of real people. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a winner. Actually, I rate Rick Nelson’s debut right up there with James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly and Robert Crais. Now that’s good company to be in.
Note: Unfortunately Rick Nelson did not live to see his debut novel published, dying from cancer in December 2007.
Armchair Interviews says: If you buy one mystery this year, make it Bound by Blood. You won’t be sorry.