Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Color of Blood by Declan Hughes


My first impression upon finishing this book was WOW!! Declan Hughes now has me hooked on his Ed Loy P.I series. The story was captivating and tangled, and complex enough to have me actually take notes...and enjoy the process. I don't think I've ever read a novel quite like it.

Ed Loy was hired to find the missing daughter of a dentist in a venerable family. The case sounds simple enough, until Loy starts to dig and uncovers grisly and dissolute secrets no family should ever have to live with, (secrets that began 30 years ago and affect every part of the family, regardless of how much they attempt to deny their existence). From "kissing cousins" to decades of murders, Ed Loy has to wade through the dissimulation ingrained in every member of the Howard family to get to the truth. However, this time he isn't doing it alone. This time, his good buddy Tommy Owens is there to help, in the way that only Tommy can.

I don't think I've read such and intriguing novel with so many layers to dig through, and it is filled with connections I was, at times, surprised to see. I'm really looking forward to seeing where Mr. Hughes takes the rest of the series.

Oh, and for those that are wondering...my notes...



The Color of Blood

Next book on the reading list is The price of blood by Declan Hughes.

4 comments:

Sean Patrick Reardon said...

Declan Hughes was definitely on my TBR list, but now he just got bumped to the top of the list. Just finished a couple novels, which were good, but couldn't be more different: John Connelly's "Every Dead Thing" and Bret Easton Ellis's follow up to "Less Than Zero", "Imperial Bedrooms" Great Review!

seana graham said...

I really liked the first book, The Wrong Kind of Blood, but this is the one that got me hooked on Hughes myself. Tommy is just a terrific sidekick, isn't he?

I'm impressed with your chart.

Glenna said...

Sean, Hughes definitely does make you pay attention. I have Michael Connelly on my list of authors to check out, I haven't looked into John Connelly yet, though I have heard of him.

Seana, I must admit, I felt a little obsessed taking notes on a fiction novel, but there were so many characters, and connections I just couldn't seem to keep up otherwise. Honestly I think it made it more fun too.

And yeah, Tommy definitely does add a kick to things.

Glenna said...

An update...I just finished The Price of Blood, and I have to say, Tommy really does add to the mix...you never know what he's going to do next. I'm also thinking Hughes is getting a bit dark for me. Time to read a happy book.