Blood Symmetry - Kate Rhodes (GIVEAWAY)
on Tour July 11 - August 20, 2016
4.5 Stars!
ABOUT THE BOOK -
Clare Riordan and her son, Mikey, are abducted from Clapham Common early one morning. Hours later, the boy is found wandering disorientated. Soon after, a container of Clare's blood is left on a doorstep in the heart of London.
Psychologist Alice Quentin is brought in to help the traumatized child uncover his memories, with the hope that it might lead the authorities to his mother's captors. But Alice swiftly realizes Clare is not the first victim… nor will she be the last.
The killers are desperate for revenge… and in the end, it will all come down to blood.
Book Details:Purchase Links:
Genre: Thrillers, Crime
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: July 12, 2016
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 1444785605 (ISBN13: 9781444785609)
Series:Alice Quentin #5
Read an excerpt:
Saturday 11 October
The trees on Clapham Common are aflame with autumn colour. A couple are holding hands on a park bench, watching the leaves turn from red to gold in the early sunlight. They’re sitting in a deserted copse, the path ahead shrouded by thickets of hazel.
‘Maybe they won’t come,’ the man says, the chill already sapping his strength.
‘Give them time. Not panicking, are you?’
‘Of course not. It was my idea, remember?’
She leans over to kiss him, face shadowed by the collar of her black woolen coat, but the moment of intimacy soon passes. The man strains forward as he hears footsteps crunching on gravel – someone racing towards them through the trees.
‘Now,’ he whispers. ‘Let’s put it right.’
The first jogger is a slim brunette in a blue tracksuit. A young boy drifts in her wake, his smile wide and unquestioning, frame so slight that his sweatshirt flails in the breeze. The man steps out from the shadows and grabs the jogger from behind; she fights hard, a look of stunned recognition on her face. Her elbows gouge his ribs as she yells at the boy to run, but the woman has already caught him. The child goes down fighting, thin form collapsing as he inhales the anaesthetic, a blindfold covering his eyes. A chloroform pad is pressed to his mother’s mouth, before she’s dragged into the bracken.
The couple lift the victims’ inert bodies on to the back seat, their car camouflaged by thick foliage. The man’s hands fumble as he covers them with blankets, morning traffic thickening as the woman slips into the driver’s seat. The most dangerous stage is over; all they have to do now is deliver mother and son to the laboratory. When the man peers under the blanket, Clare Riordan’s face is pale as candle wax, the child’s body curled behind the driving seat. His gaze shifts to the road ahead.
‘Not far now, almost there.’ He repeats the words like a mantra.
Close to their destination they pause on a side street, a delivery van blocking their way. But when he looks back there’s a flicker of movement. Through the rear window he sees the boy sprinting across the tarmac.
‘Jesus,’ the woman hisses. ’I thought the doors were locked.’
The man’s heart thuds as he spills out on to the road, his skin feverish. The boy has vanished. His gaze skims over houses and empty front gardens. At the junction he comes to a halt, heaving for breath, frustration flooding his system. Thank God the child didn’t see their faces. The mother will be killed once she provides the information they need, but her son is beyond their reach.
© HarperCollins
The trees on Clapham Common are aflame with autumn colour. A couple are holding hands on a park bench, watching the leaves turn from red to gold in the early sunlight. They’re sitting in a deserted copse, the path ahead shrouded by thickets of hazel.
‘Maybe they won’t come,’ the man says, the chill already sapping his strength.
‘Give them time. Not panicking, are you?’
‘Of course not. It was my idea, remember?’
She leans over to kiss him, face shadowed by the collar of her black woolen coat, but the moment of intimacy soon passes. The man strains forward as he hears footsteps crunching on gravel – someone racing towards them through the trees.
‘Now,’ he whispers. ‘Let’s put it right.’
The first jogger is a slim brunette in a blue tracksuit. A young boy drifts in her wake, his smile wide and unquestioning, frame so slight that his sweatshirt flails in the breeze. The man steps out from the shadows and grabs the jogger from behind; she fights hard, a look of stunned recognition on her face. Her elbows gouge his ribs as she yells at the boy to run, but the woman has already caught him. The child goes down fighting, thin form collapsing as he inhales the anaesthetic, a blindfold covering his eyes. A chloroform pad is pressed to his mother’s mouth, before she’s dragged into the bracken.
The couple lift the victims’ inert bodies on to the back seat, their car camouflaged by thick foliage. The man’s hands fumble as he covers them with blankets, morning traffic thickening as the woman slips into the driver’s seat. The most dangerous stage is over; all they have to do now is deliver mother and son to the laboratory. When the man peers under the blanket, Clare Riordan’s face is pale as candle wax, the child’s body curled behind the driving seat. His gaze shifts to the road ahead.
‘Not far now, almost there.’ He repeats the words like a mantra.
Close to their destination they pause on a side street, a delivery van blocking their way. But when he looks back there’s a flicker of movement. Through the rear window he sees the boy sprinting across the tarmac.
‘Jesus,’ the woman hisses. ’I thought the doors were locked.’
The man’s heart thuds as he spills out on to the road, his skin feverish. The boy has vanished. His gaze skims over houses and empty front gardens. At the junction he comes to a halt, heaving for breath, frustration flooding his system. Thank God the child didn’t see their faces. The mother will be killed once she provides the information they need, but her son is beyond their reach.
© HarperCollins
Author Bio:
Kate Rhodes is the author of four previous Alice Quentin novels, Crossbones Yard, A Killing of Angels, and The Winter Foundlings. She is also the author of two collections of poetry, Reversal and The Alice Trap. She writes full-time now, and lives in Cambridge with her husband, a writer and film-maker.
Catch Up:
MY THOUGHTS -
A Very intense book! I really like medical mysteries and medical dramas so this one fit perfectly with my tastes. There was a lot going on and a lot of characters, but it didn't feel overloaded. It kept it interesting and there was a lot of emphasis on the main characters so you didn't feel lost.
Great character development. I liked Alice. I understood her, I got her. Her character was believable to me. I thought that the fact that she is holding back on a relationship is whats right for her and I respected her for that. I also liked Detective Don Burns, Alice's "love interest" of sorts. But I really loved Mikey! He was the child who witnessed his mom being abducted. Even though he became a selective mute, I really felt his character. He didn't need to talk for me to fall in love with him.
The plot idea behind this story was very interesting. It is based on fact - the tainted blood scandal of the 1970's. I love reading books that even though they are fiction - they could be true in a way. Kate's descriptions of everything (the torture etc.) while not for the faint of heart at times - I loved it! It made it more real, like I was watching a movie.
I had no idea Kate Rhodes had written so many books! This is my first one. I am also going to be reviewing "The Girl in the River" soon. Kate knows how to write edge-of-your seat stories and I am looking forward to reading more!
Thank you Partners in Crime for sending me this book for my honest review!
I love medical mysteries so after reading your review this is on my must read list. Thank you for sharing.
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