The killer whispered-“A pretty damsel...worth a pretty risk."
A veteran, Detective Rudyard Bloodstone has fought a brutal battle and witnessed war horrors that haunt his nightmares. Now one of those horrors has followed him home from Africa.
REVIEW
Over five years ago, we posted about the first volume of The Bloodstone series. It sounded interesting and I wanted to read it immediately. But it happened to start the series with the third volume: A Venomous Love. It was still OK because the volumes could be read as stand-alone books but I lost the pleasure of meeting earlier some entrancing characters. Until I correct the situation, let me tell you about A Venomous Love.
A Venomous Love is described as a historical suspense and I could say that it also has some aspects of the police procedural. As a historical story, I felt that Mrs. Chris Karlsen has done her homework. You'll get the feeling of Victorian society at its different levels. The many details seem correct, but you will not receive empty history lessons. Goods and bads are part of the story in the exact measures necessary to involve the reader and motivate or explain the characters' actions. (At the same time, I think, CK elegantly introduced a bit of criticism for some of the political correctness of our days when it appears that the rights of the victims are less important than the rights of the criminals.) And, whilst the morals and customs are well-acknowledged, the flutter of the women emancipation is present too and it... delicately... influences the story.
As the suspense, A Venomous Love brings the required anxiety and uncertainty and not only concerning the physical danger; they connect again the social and crime plans. The level of angst gradually and constantly increases as the author maintains the possibility of an undesired outcome (at least partially) until the last moment.
The "fun" moments are well used as they don't only complete the portraits of the characters but also stress what can be lost. Speaking about the characters I would say that the main role is shared. Smart, good professionals, attractive and potent the positive characters are lovable and delightful.
So, even the readers know from the beginning who is the "executive" culprit, A Venomous Love will be satisfying for many readers. Enjoy!
The killer whispered-“A pretty damsel...worth a pretty risk."
A veteran, Detective Rudyard Bloodstone has fought a brutal battle and witnessed war horrors that haunt his nightmares. Now one of those horrors has followed him home from Africa.
A vicious predator, the Cape cobra, can kill a man in thirty minutes. A suspect using the snake as a weapon in robberies is terrorizing London.
When the crimes escalate into murder, a victim’s daughter, Honoria Underhill, becomes the focus of the killer. After several attempts on her life, Scotland Yard threatens to take over the high profile case. With few leads to follow, Bloodstone and his partner must now fight department politics and catch the killer before Underhill becomes another murder victim.
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About the author:
I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.
My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series, which is historical suspense with romantic elements. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.
I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and four wild and crazy rescue dogs.
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2 comments:
Once my book pile swindles, I want to read this book!
Huge thank you to Mythical Books for the terrific review and the opportunity to feature A Venomous Love.
Chris Karlsen
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