Review for Blood Ties by Lori G Armstrong

Blood Ties
by Lori G Armstrong

Published: May 2005
Pages: 373
Rating: 4.5/5

Julie Collins is stuck in a dead-end secretarial job with the Bear Butte County Sheriff’s office, and still grieving over the unsolved murder of her Lakota half-brother. Lack of public interest in finding his murderer, or the killer of several other transient Native American men, has left Julie with a bone-deep cynicism she counters with tequila, cigarettes, and dangerous men. The one bright spot in her mundane life is the time she spends working part-time as a PI with her childhood friend, Kevin Wells. When the body of a sixteen-year old white girl is discovered in nearby Rapid Creek, Julie believes this victim will receive the attention others were denied. Then she learns Kevin has been hired, mysteriously, to find out where the murdered girl spent her last few days. Julie finds herself drawn into the case against her better judgment, and discovers not only the ugly reality of the young girl’s tragic life and brutal death, but ties to her and Kevin’s past that she is increasingly reluctant to revisit. On the surface the situation is eerily familiar. But the parallels end when Julie realizes some family secrets are best kept buried deep. Especially those serious enough to kill for.

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This is actually the first book in a series, so I'll keep that in mind as I review it.

I loved this book! I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. The heroine is feisty and has a take-charge attitude. I love books where the women are not just simply damsels in distress.

Kevin is the only other character we really get to know well in this debut novel. There are a few other characters that I'm sure we will get to know more as the series goes on.

Since this is the first book in a series, there are a few questions left unanswered at the end of the novel, but if all questions were answered, there wouldn't be much left for the rest of the series!

Overall: I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and isn't afraid of a bit of a gritty story.

This is my Amateur Detective Mystery for the 08/09 Suspense & Thriller Challenge.