BLOOD TIES - Kay Hooper
Blood Trilogy, Book 3
A Noah Bishop Special Crimes Unit Novel, Book 12
Bantam Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-553-80486-7
February 2010
Paranormal Mystery/Suspense

Present Day Serenade, Tennessee, and Environs

When a young cross country runner trips over a human arm in a remote area of Tennessee, it catches the attention of the FBI's elite Special Crimes Unit. The SCU has been investigating a series of brutal murders occurring in the Southwest, and this one might be attributed to the same serial torturer/killer. This dumpsite is a bit different as it's off the beaten track, but enough similarities exist for several unit members, headed by Miranda Bishop, to answer the local sheriff's call for assistance. As they explore the mountainous area, Hollis Templeton and Diana Brisco find another, older body being mauled by a bear. This is just the beginning of a non-stop thriller full of danger to unit members as well as local townsfolk. The plot is too intricately crafted for easy summary, so I won't even try except as follows. It seems someone might be baiting the unit and Noah Bishop, its founder and leader, especially.

As the third in the Blood Trilogy and twelfth in the Special Crimes Unit series, BLOOD TIES brings back many characters from earlier books. Those featured most prominently are Miranda, Hollis, Diana, Reese DeMarco, and Quentin Hughes—Noah is in the wings for the most part—but I'll leave you to guess who else might show up. The nascent relationship between Hollis and Reese and that of Diana and Quentin are further enhanced in BLOOD TIES through the dangers, both physical and psychic, that they confront.

Is anyone out there reading this who hasn't met the Bishops and the SCU before? If so, please know that the unit is made up of brave men and women, often wounded, who have various psychic abilities. In a welcome gesture, Ms. Hooper has added footnotes to remind readers in which books a character was introduced, and the back of the book has short bios of the unit members and the talents they possess, with a definition of each.

BLOOD TIES should definitely not be missed. Not only does it showcase so many fascinating characters and their evolving abilities, but it furthers the plotlines from the two prequels, BLOOD DREAMS and BLOOD SINS. You might think that you would get lost if you haven't read all of the earlier titles, but it really isn't necessary to have started at the very beginning. I do recommend, however, that you read this trilogy in order. Be assured that even starting with this fourth trilogy won't spoil the first nine books of this riveting series. They are well worth reading...and re-reading.

Jane Bowers