Blood Ties

It has been said that Bell is "like Agatha Christie," only with more in-depth characterization." BLOOD TIES clearly supports this claim, and Christopher Kay further enriches a finely drawn story. During WWII, a nurse makes a momentous decision that has shattering effects fifty years later. Narrator Kay presents this mystery, which spans several generations, in a clear and easy-to-follow manner. As the story draws to its close, the splendid reading and writing elicit mixed emotions in the listener. WWII historians, mystery lovers, and those who enjoy fine writing will be richly rewarded. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 30, 2015
This goose bump–inducing thriller from Guild (Angel) pits San Francisco PD detective Ellen Ridley, revolted by the horrors of her job yet constantly wearing an Ice Queen face, against a vicious and inventive serial killer, who lures susceptible women to ever more horrific deaths. Ellen feels her dedication to avenging these victims is swallowing her whole life, until she falls hard for an elegant and enigmatic computer genius, Stephen Tregear, who’s locked in a years-long mutual hunt with the killer—Stephen’s own renegade father, who’s determined to slay Stephen himself. The gentle romance between Ellen and Stephen parallels the investigation that her senior police partner, Sam, gradually shifts onto Ellen’s shoulders, allowing her to develop professionally while Sam approaches the climax of his own career. Guild’s drop-dead characterizations of police men and women, his perfect-pitch dialogue, and the serpentine coils of a plot that’s absorbing and shocking support this unusually convincing combination of romance and homicide. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House.