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Blood Relations
Who is Claire Gravesend?
So wonders PI Lee Crowe when he finds her dead, in a fine cocktail dress, on top of a Rolls Royce, in the most dangerous neighborhood in San Francisco. Claire’s mother, Olivia, is one of the richest people in California. She doesn’t believe the coroner: her daughter did not kill herself. Olivia hires Crowe, who—having just foiled a federal case against a cartel kingpin—is eager for distraction. But the questions about the Gravesend family pile up fast.
First, the autopsy reveals round scars running down Claire’s spine, old marks Olivia won’t explain. Then, Crowe visits Claire’s Boston townhouse and has to fend off an armed intruder. Is it the Feds out for revenge? Or is this connected to the Gravesends? He leaves Boston afraid, but finds his way to Claire’s secret San Francisco pied-à-terre. It’s there that his questions come to a head. Sleeping in an upstairs bedroom, he finds Claire—her face, her hair, her scars—and as far as he can tell, she’s alive. And Crowe’s back at the start:
Who is Claire Gravesend?
So wonders PI Lee Crowe when he finds her dead, in a fine cocktail dress, on top of a Rolls Royce, in the most dangerous neighborhood in San Francisco. Claire’s mother, Olivia, is one of the richest people in California. She doesn’t believe the coroner: her daughter did not kill herself. Olivia hires Crowe, who—having just foiled a federal case against a cartel kingpin—is eager for distraction. But the questions about the Gravesend family pile up fast.
First, the autopsy reveals round scars running down Claire’s spine, old marks Olivia won’t explain. Then, Crowe visits Claire’s Boston townhouse and has to fend off an armed intruder. Is it the Feds out for revenge? Or is this connected to the Gravesends? He leaves Boston afraid, but finds his way to Claire’s secret San Francisco pied-à-terre. It’s there that his questions come to a head. Sleeping in an upstairs bedroom, he finds Claire—her face, her hair, her scars—and as far as he can tell, she’s alive. And Crowe’s back at the start:
Who is Claire Gravesend?
357 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2019
About the author
Jonathan Moore
9 books329 followersJonathan Moore is an Edgar Award and Hammett Prize nominated author of six novels.
His third novel, THE POISON ARTIST, was a selection of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. His novel THE NIGHT MARKET was optioned as a feature film by Amazon Studios and Mandeville Films, and his books have been translated into 12 languages.
Before graduating from law school in New Orleans, he lived in Taiwan for three years, guided whitewater raft trips on the Rio Grande, and worked as an investigator for a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. He has also been an English teacher, a bar owner, a counselor at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents, and a textbook writer.
Connect with Jonathan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jonathanmoorefiction.
His third novel, THE POISON ARTIST, was a selection of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. His novel THE NIGHT MARKET was optioned as a feature film by Amazon Studios and Mandeville Films, and his books have been translated into 12 languages.
Before graduating from law school in New Orleans, he lived in Taiwan for three years, guided whitewater raft trips on the Rio Grande, and worked as an investigator for a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. He has also been an English teacher, a bar owner, a counselor at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents, and a textbook writer.
Connect with Jonathan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jonathanmoorefiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
September 27, 2019
My heart leaps with joy at the prospect of reading Jonathan Moore's latest crime noir which is so much more in its scope. It introduces what I believe is his new series set in California and his morally compromised, divorced, ex-lawyer gumshoe, Leland 'Lee' Crowe with his own private investigation agency, walking the mean streets of San Francisco, immersed in the criminal underbelly, whilst simultaneously mixing with the higher rarefied social circles of the rich and powerful. Lee has just finished a job for Jim Gardner, his former boss who fired him, but employs him in more shady assignments, that scuppers an FBI operation and their plans for a witness in a trial. On his way home in the early hours, he stumbles on the body of a beautiful young blonde woman on the roof of Rolls Royce in a less than salubrious district, an apparent suicide, having jumped from the Refugio apartment block. Being the man that he is, his first instinct is not to phone the emergency services, but to take several photographs that will earn him some extra cash from the media.
Worried that the FBI and Agent White will come after him seeking vengeance, Lee learns the young woman is Claire Gravesend, the daughter of one of the richest women in California, Olivia. Not convinced Claire committed suicide, Olivia hires Lee to investigate, knowing that he will cross any lines necessary to get to the truth. An autopsy on Claire reveals circular scars down both sides of her spine that appear to indicate horrifying abuse. Going through Claire's home in Boston where she was a student, Lee finds himself confronting a sinister armed intruder prepared to kill him. His first thought is that it is the FBI, but he is uncertain. On returning to San Francisco, he uncovers Claire's recently purchased new home, where he is shocked to find Claire, apparently all too alive and well. Who is Claire Gravesend? In his pursuit of answers, Lee finds himself facing danger, a rising body count and death around every corner, and whilst Detective Frank Chang of the SFPD has been prevented from looking into what is looking less and less like a suicide and more like murder, Lee is made of stronger stuff, nothing is going to stop him.
I count Jonathan Moore as part of the top tier of crime writers, and this is confirmed with this latest addition to his writing canon. It is a gripping atmospheric novel that I found myself thoroughly immersed, resentful of any intrusions from the real world that stopped me from reading. Moore's storytelling in his trademark style, makes forays in surprising directions, of a potential future in which science and technology might be exploited and abused by the monstrously criminal, amoral and corrupt. This is crime fiction that is intense, suspenseful, dark with an intriguing, flawed central protagonist in Lee, a man I definitely want to know more about. I cannot wait for his next outing. Fans of Moore will love this, and for those crime fiction and thriller readers that have yet to read him, I would strongly recommend this. Fantastic read.
Worried that the FBI and Agent White will come after him seeking vengeance, Lee learns the young woman is Claire Gravesend, the daughter of one of the richest women in California, Olivia. Not convinced Claire committed suicide, Olivia hires Lee to investigate, knowing that he will cross any lines necessary to get to the truth. An autopsy on Claire reveals circular scars down both sides of her spine that appear to indicate horrifying abuse. Going through Claire's home in Boston where she was a student, Lee finds himself confronting a sinister armed intruder prepared to kill him. His first thought is that it is the FBI, but he is uncertain. On returning to San Francisco, he uncovers Claire's recently purchased new home, where he is shocked to find Claire, apparently all too alive and well. Who is Claire Gravesend? In his pursuit of answers, Lee finds himself facing danger, a rising body count and death around every corner, and whilst Detective Frank Chang of the SFPD has been prevented from looking into what is looking less and less like a suicide and more like murder, Lee is made of stronger stuff, nothing is going to stop him.
I count Jonathan Moore as part of the top tier of crime writers, and this is confirmed with this latest addition to his writing canon. It is a gripping atmospheric novel that I found myself thoroughly immersed, resentful of any intrusions from the real world that stopped me from reading. Moore's storytelling in his trademark style, makes forays in surprising directions, of a potential future in which science and technology might be exploited and abused by the monstrously criminal, amoral and corrupt. This is crime fiction that is intense, suspenseful, dark with an intriguing, flawed central protagonist in Lee, a man I definitely want to know more about. I cannot wait for his next outing. Fans of Moore will love this, and for those crime fiction and thriller readers that have yet to read him, I would strongly recommend this. Fantastic read.
September 4, 2019
I received a free advance copy from the publisher for review.
Lee Crowe is the kind of private investigator who isn’t above taking a shady job from a defense attorney as part of an effort to intimidate a federal witness. While working on that project he comes across the body of a wealthy young Claire Gravesend who fell from a roof and smashed into a Rolls Royce.
Damn, but the rich even get to die in luxury.
Claire had been acting oddly before dropping out of sight. The police are calling it a suicide, but her mother isn’t convinced and hires Lee to find out the truth. Investigating Claire quickly proves to be dangerous business, and when Lee makes a shocking discovery things really start getting weird.
One of the things I loved about this one is that we start with what seems to be a gritty neo-noir tale about a morally ambiguous private detective, and that’s the thread that’s maintained even when the story starts shifting into other territory. While there are elements of other genres brought in, the style and themes are constant throughout the book.
That really works because the main draw here is the character of Crowe who we eventually learn is a disgraced former lawyer who was once on the doorstep of real wealth and power, but he lost it all once his well-connected wife got bored with him. Now Crowe seems to have few lines he won’t cross like after discovering Claire’s body he takes a picture and sells it to a tabloid for a nice payday.
Despite apparently having no moral code we see throughout the book that Crowe is more complex than a guy willing to do any dirty job for money. Having once had a glimpse behind the curtain of privilege to see how rigged the game is he has no compunction about cheating himself. Even as he’s willing to work for the benefit of the wealthy there’s also resentment simmering in the background, and once he starts learning the truth about Claire Gravesend he’s capable of outrage and wanting to see some justice done.
Jonathan Moore has very quickly become one of my favorite writers, and I think this is his best one yet. There’s some very slick genre fusion going on here along with good character work, and the plot makes it a compulsive page turner. But I think the most impressive thing is how he creates an almost dreamlike atmosphere at times, and yet also blend that with much more grounded elements. This is most definitely a hard boiled crime novel in tone, but there are also scenes that would be right at home in a David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick movie. It’s an intriguing mix.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’d also highly recommend all these other ones by Moore:
The Poison Artist
The Dark Room
The Night Market
Close Reach
Lee Crowe is the kind of private investigator who isn’t above taking a shady job from a defense attorney as part of an effort to intimidate a federal witness. While working on that project he comes across the body of a wealthy young Claire Gravesend who fell from a roof and smashed into a Rolls Royce.
Damn, but the rich even get to die in luxury.
Claire had been acting oddly before dropping out of sight. The police are calling it a suicide, but her mother isn’t convinced and hires Lee to find out the truth. Investigating Claire quickly proves to be dangerous business, and when Lee makes a shocking discovery things really start getting weird.
One of the things I loved about this one is that we start with what seems to be a gritty neo-noir tale about a morally ambiguous private detective, and that’s the thread that’s maintained even when the story starts shifting into other territory. While there are elements of other genres brought in, the style and themes are constant throughout the book.
That really works because the main draw here is the character of Crowe who we eventually learn is a disgraced former lawyer who was once on the doorstep of real wealth and power, but he lost it all once his well-connected wife got bored with him. Now Crowe seems to have few lines he won’t cross like after discovering Claire’s body he takes a picture and sells it to a tabloid for a nice payday.
Despite apparently having no moral code we see throughout the book that Crowe is more complex than a guy willing to do any dirty job for money. Having once had a glimpse behind the curtain of privilege to see how rigged the game is he has no compunction about cheating himself. Even as he’s willing to work for the benefit of the wealthy there’s also resentment simmering in the background, and once he starts learning the truth about Claire Gravesend he’s capable of outrage and wanting to see some justice done.
Jonathan Moore has very quickly become one of my favorite writers, and I think this is his best one yet. There’s some very slick genre fusion going on here along with good character work, and the plot makes it a compulsive page turner. But I think the most impressive thing is how he creates an almost dreamlike atmosphere at times, and yet also blend that with much more grounded elements. This is most definitely a hard boiled crime novel in tone, but there are also scenes that would be right at home in a David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick movie. It’s an intriguing mix.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’d also highly recommend all these other ones by Moore:
The Poison Artist
The Dark Room
The Night Market
Close Reach
October 6, 2024
Изненадващо добър крими трилър!
Историята набира скорост и макар, че успях да разбера част от интригата предварително, това не намали никак удоволствието ми от прочита ѝ!
Лий Кроу е изпаднал адвокат, преквалифицирал се в частен детектив. Но не е от тия, които треперят за лиценза си и се боят да си изцапат ръцете.
Когато го наемат да разследва смъртта на богаташка щерка, той няма представа колко многопластово и опасно приключение го очаква…
Надявам се и да видим някой ден нова книга за него, интересно би било да науча, за какво иска да го наеме известната актриса и сценарист Мередит Майлс.
P.S. Чел съм още една книга на автора - "Отровителят", но тази я превъзхожда многократно!
Историята набира скорост и макар, че успях да разбера част от интригата предварително, това не намали никак удоволствието ми от прочита ѝ!
Лий Кроу е изпаднал адвокат, преквалифицирал се в частен детектив. Но не е от тия, които треперят за лиценза си и се боят да си изцапат ръцете.
Когато го наемат да разследва смъртта на богаташка щерка, той няма представа колко многопластово и опасно приключение го очаква…
Надявам се и да видим някой ден нова книга за него, интересно би било да науча, за какво иска да го наеме известната актриса и сценарист Мередит Майлс.
P.S. Чел съм още една книга на автора - "Отровителят", но тази я превъзхожда многократно!
August 8, 2023
This excellent mystery came from the same pen as the even-better Five Decembers, which was the best mystery (Tana French aside) that I'd read in years. Nearly the entire book was set in the beautiful chunk of the world I call home, roughly between Mendocino and Big Sur, which added quite a bit to my enjoyment of it.
I checked three or four mysteries/spy novels out of the library last week, saving this one for last. The other three just didn't work at all, and I didn't finish any of them. What does Moore know that other mystery writers do not?
But....but....It's almost as if the author wants us to believe in this story or something. Because the narrator has a job to do, and is therefore a bit too busy and preoccupied to be chasing sex, and -- just like in real life -- if you don't actually spend a significant amount of time and effort pursuing sex, you tend to not to have it. If you're a man among strangers, at least. This is something other mystery writers might want to study.
Another piece of astonishing realism is that people, once shot, tend to fall down and bleed to death rather than clapping a hard over their shoulder (in books and movies of this sort, they always seem to be hit in the shoulder) and continue running, climbing, fighting as if being shot is a minor annoyance.
For the most part, the plotline here seemed not too far beyond the pale, and Moore is quite good at providing enough information to make things clear, but withholding enough to keep you guessing. This is not a skill that everybody has, and like Five Decembers I was interested right from the beginning. In the final twenty percent, the story became a bit too Hollywood for my tastes, but by then I was fully invested.
I checked three or four mysteries/spy novels out of the library last week, saving this one for last. The other three just didn't work at all, and I didn't finish any of them. What does Moore know that other mystery writers do not?
The Discovery Cove Bed and Breakfast was set on a beautiful beach--a broad finger of deep blue water dotted with rocks and islets, and surrounded on three sides by grass-topped cliffs. The grounds of the B&B were even better. There were cypress trees and Spanish dagger plants, and roses twined around stone birdbaths and white lattice archways--landscaping flourishes my ex-wife would have called bride magnets.So yeah, a few pieces of private eye lore remain intact, such as the wealthy ex-wife and the gorgeous blond client.
But....but....It's almost as if the author wants us to believe in this story or something. Because the narrator has a job to do, and is therefore a bit too busy and preoccupied to be chasing sex, and -- just like in real life -- if you don't actually spend a significant amount of time and effort pursuing sex, you tend to not to have it. If you're a man among strangers, at least. This is something other mystery writers might want to study.
Another piece of astonishing realism is that people, once shot, tend to fall down and bleed to death rather than clapping a hard over their shoulder (in books and movies of this sort, they always seem to be hit in the shoulder) and continue running, climbing, fighting as if being shot is a minor annoyance.
For the most part, the plotline here seemed not too far beyond the pale, and Moore is quite good at providing enough information to make things clear, but withholding enough to keep you guessing. This is not a skill that everybody has, and like Five Decembers I was interested right from the beginning. In the final twenty percent, the story became a bit too Hollywood for my tastes, but by then I was fully invested.
But it turned out I needed her help to stand, and needed her arm around my waist as a steadying force before we could pick our way down the hillside to her Mercedes. She didn't hesitate to offer it, and I didn't think twice about taking it. It was all perfectly natural, the way people act when everything is stark and the line between life and death is visible to the naked eye. It's the easy patches we need to look out for.
July 20, 2021
****4.5 Stars****
Great story! Well-written, over the top crime story. I couldn't put it down. Recommended!
Great story! Well-written, over the top crime story. I couldn't put it down. Recommended!
July 4, 2019
Lee Crowe is a dis-barred lawyer, now a PI who has a reputation of getting the job done - regardless. Even he doesn't realize what that will mean when he finds a body of a beautiful woman, dead, on the roof of a Rolls Royce in the middle of the ghetto. Wait, can we still use the word ghetto? Well, you know.... Being the type of guy that Lee is, he snaps some great photos of the woman and sells them to the highest bidding magazine. That sets him a course that will take him from coast to coast with a trail of dead bodies in his wake.
Blood Relations started off like any other PI/Crime/Detective story: dead bodies, downtrodden former somebody barely getting by in their new life with a beautiful ex-spouse who haunts them. But this isn't just any 'ole story; this is a Jonathan Moore story. If you know anything at all about this author then you know that there will twists, turns and a pile of noir throughout and I absolutely was not wrong or disappointed with this one. While the theme of the story, and the atmosphere remains constant - that of a gumshoe looking for a killer - soon we are on the trail of an errant FBI agent and a scientist who is so cutting edge that his work is either insane or genius or both. This is Mary Shelley meets Michael Crichton with some Mickey Spillane thrown in for good measure. How could it be anything other than amazing?
Obviously, I highly recommend Blood Relations and, if you haven't already Moore's other books, I absolutely loved The Dark Room. Check him out and let me know what you think.
Blood Relations started off like any other PI/Crime/Detective story: dead bodies, downtrodden former somebody barely getting by in their new life with a beautiful ex-spouse who haunts them. But this isn't just any 'ole story; this is a Jonathan Moore story. If you know anything at all about this author then you know that there will twists, turns and a pile of noir throughout and I absolutely was not wrong or disappointed with this one. While the theme of the story, and the atmosphere remains constant - that of a gumshoe looking for a killer - soon we are on the trail of an errant FBI agent and a scientist who is so cutting edge that his work is either insane or genius or both. This is Mary Shelley meets Michael Crichton with some Mickey Spillane thrown in for good measure. How could it be anything other than amazing?
Obviously, I highly recommend Blood Relations and, if you haven't already Moore's other books, I absolutely loved The Dark Room. Check him out and let me know what you think.
August 14, 2023
Jonathan Moore is definitely channeling Raymond Chandler at the beginning of this book. Disbarred lawyer turned detective who is happy to bend the rules in his dogged pursuit of the truth. Beautiful corpse of a young woman who may have committed suicide by jumping off a roof - or may have been pushed. Plenty of old money and murky family histories.
Needless to say, I was hooked from the first chapter. A few more chapters in and I thought I had the main plot elements figured out. But after still more chapters I realized I had no idea where this was going.
The writing is first rate. Not a twingy awkward sentence, all fluid and well paced.
But the plot ….As it went along, my enthusiasm waned a bit as it veered away from its deliciously noir beginning into the territory of an early James Bond movie. Not a place where I typically spend much time, but on the other hand, at no point did I want to stop reading.
If you look at that thing on Goodreads, right under the publisher’s summary, where it lists all the genres the book has been shelved on, you’ll see quite a range, including science fiction. That’s not surprising.
As for me, I’m leaving it on my “Crime Fiction - Noir” shelf. The epilogue is nicely Marlow-esque, coming full circle and leaving me ready for another book in this series, should there be one.
Needless to say, I was hooked from the first chapter. A few more chapters in and I thought I had the main plot elements figured out. But after still more chapters I realized I had no idea where this was going.
The writing is first rate. Not a twingy awkward sentence, all fluid and well paced.
But the plot ….As it went along, my enthusiasm waned a bit as it veered away from its deliciously noir beginning into the territory of an early James Bond movie. Not a place where I typically spend much time, but on the other hand, at no point did I want to stop reading.
If you look at that thing on Goodreads, right under the publisher’s summary, where it lists all the genres the book has been shelved on, you’ll see quite a range, including science fiction. That’s not surprising.
As for me, I’m leaving it on my “Crime Fiction - Noir” shelf. The epilogue is nicely Marlow-esque, coming full circle and leaving me ready for another book in this series, should there be one.
December 13, 2018
I liked this book a great deal. Moore is one of my new favorite writers. He has great writing craft, voice and character development. I loved his first two books The Poison Artist and The Dark room. The third book, Night Market was great as well just not on the same and straddled genres. Some of the scenes from Night Market have stayed with me which is a sign Moore did his job. Night Market is a near future story where he created a believable setting with wonderful images.
Blood Relations is current day but teeters on the edge of "high concept," that I easily bought into and enjoyed. For me, the plot was a tad predictable. I still liked this book a great deal and would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a well crafted, engaging novel. I truly can't wait until the next one. If Moore continues on this track he is going to be right up there rubbing shoulders with the heavies, Connelly, Child, Silva...
Note:
Moore isn't as well known as he should be, not even close ( a lot like Harry Dolan). Not with his level of wonderful prose. I think Moore would be better served if he picked a genre and established a brand. Loved his first two, Poison Artist and The Dark Room, two different books from his latter two Night Market and Blood Relations. Just a thought.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
Blood Relations is current day but teeters on the edge of "high concept," that I easily bought into and enjoyed. For me, the plot was a tad predictable. I still liked this book a great deal and would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a well crafted, engaging novel. I truly can't wait until the next one. If Moore continues on this track he is going to be right up there rubbing shoulders with the heavies, Connelly, Child, Silva...
Note:
Moore isn't as well known as he should be, not even close ( a lot like Harry Dolan). Not with his level of wonderful prose. I think Moore would be better served if he picked a genre and established a brand. Loved his first two, Poison Artist and The Dark Room, two different books from his latter two Night Market and Blood Relations. Just a thought.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
November 3, 2021
Not the most fresh and original plot - there's a number of works out there with similar plot lines - but Moore's writing elevates this above average. It's always suspenseful and action-packed. I read it in one evening, finishing at 2am. Let that speak for itself.
August 31, 2019
Много ми хареса,добра е! Препоръчвам я на любителите на криминалните романи.
February 21, 2020
Едва ли Частен детектив е най-сполучливият превод на оригиналното заглавие Blood Relations, но трилърът се оказа съвсем приличен, главният герой Лийланд Лий Кроу - симпатяга, историята - хубаво усукана, че и с щипка медицинска генетика, а краят загатна за бъдещи нови приключения. Доволен!
October 28, 2019
3.5 - 4.0, rounded up.
I enjoyed the story even though I had a bit of trouble accepting the main logic behind the crime. I didn't really think it was feasible. However, accepting that perhaps it was possible, I did enjoy the book, although it seemed like it left a bit on the table, perhaps for a followup. Nothing that detracts from the story too much, though. I would like to know more.
It's pretty hard to really discuss the story without giving away too much. If you live in the SF Bay Area, you would probably enjoy it more. There is a lot of area covered, and I kind of liked knowing where they were going.
I enjoyed the story even though I had a bit of trouble accepting the main logic behind the crime. I didn't really think it was feasible. However, accepting that perhaps it was possible, I did enjoy the book, although it seemed like it left a bit on the table, perhaps for a followup. Nothing that detracts from the story too much, though. I would like to know more.
It's pretty hard to really discuss the story without giving away too much. If you live in the SF Bay Area, you would probably enjoy it more. There is a lot of area covered, and I kind of liked knowing where they were going.
May 7, 2023
Overall, this book was entertaining and easily read. The story is a mix of sleuthing out the bad guys with some science added for quite a tale.
Unlike other books by this author, this book lacked the believability I need to fully buy-in to the story. But it is filled with plot twists, questions of who done it and vivid descriptions of people and places. That doesn’t mean I won’t be reading other books by Moore. It means this didn’t rise to the level of Dark Room.
I did enjoy the interweaving of detective work sprinkled where needed with science 🧬.
Unlike other books by this author, this book lacked the believability I need to fully buy-in to the story. But it is filled with plot twists, questions of who done it and vivid descriptions of people and places. That doesn’t mean I won’t be reading other books by Moore. It means this didn’t rise to the level of Dark Room.
I did enjoy the interweaving of detective work sprinkled where needed with science 🧬.
March 26, 2023
Todo un descubrimiento: la novela y el autor.
La novela destila acción y adrenalina a raudales por todas sus páginas. Se vive y se sufre a la vez que Lee Crowe como si en vez de un libro fuera una película frenética de cine... sin palomitas. O sí, cada uno lo que considere oportuno.
Muy entretenida.
La novela destila acción y adrenalina a raudales por todas sus páginas. Se vive y se sufre a la vez que Lee Crowe como si en vez de un libro fuera una película frenética de cine... sin palomitas. O sí, cada uno lo que considere oportuno.
Muy entretenida.
December 1, 2023
3.8⭐
"I counted what was left of Juliette's money, then counted the bullets in Jim's gun. Altogether my situation wasn't bad. I could buy thirty cups of coffee and kill nine people." Lee Crowe in "Blood Relations."
Jonathan Moore is a very able writer, with a nice hand for gritty, eerie settings. This is the third book by Moore that I've read and I'm looking forward to the rest of them. His hero here is disbarred lawyer turned private eye, Lee Crowe, a character in the finest traditions of the dark thriller.
At first, Crowe appears to be a completely amoral slimeball, employing his skills on behalf of a shady lawyer. Later he's working for a grieving mother, investigating her daughter's death and we find out he's not as shallow and unscrupulous as he first appears.
As in Moore's "The Night Market", he uses high tech elements in his mystery and does so convincingly (at least to my unscientific eyes).
Sure, there are some miraculous escapes and unlikely coincidences but no more than most thrillers. Suspension of disbelief required is moderate.
I thought the pacing of the novel was excellent; it kept my interest all the way through.If you like well written, suspenseful thrillers, you could do a lot worse than this. -30-
"I counted what was left of Juliette's money, then counted the bullets in Jim's gun. Altogether my situation wasn't bad. I could buy thirty cups of coffee and kill nine people." Lee Crowe in "Blood Relations."
Jonathan Moore is a very able writer, with a nice hand for gritty, eerie settings. This is the third book by Moore that I've read and I'm looking forward to the rest of them. His hero here is disbarred lawyer turned private eye, Lee Crowe, a character in the finest traditions of the dark thriller.
At first, Crowe appears to be a completely amoral slimeball, employing his skills on behalf of a shady lawyer. Later he's working for a grieving mother, investigating her daughter's death and we find out he's not as shallow and unscrupulous as he first appears.
As in Moore's "The Night Market", he uses high tech elements in his mystery and does so convincingly (at least to my unscientific eyes).
Sure, there are some miraculous escapes and unlikely coincidences but no more than most thrillers. Suspension of disbelief required is moderate.
I thought the pacing of the novel was excellent; it kept my interest all the way through.If you like well written, suspenseful thrillers, you could do a lot worse than this. -30-
December 6, 2022
Thriller solvente, de lectura ágil, bien escrito y con capítulos repletos de acción.
Eso sí, absteneos si buscáis una novela de misterio o una policíaca en el sentido más tradicional del género. Catalogaría este libro más como novela de acción con una sub-trama de ciencia ficción (preocupantemente parecida a la serie Orphan Black).
Más película que libro a ratos y un villano un poquito Deus Ex-Machina; pero muy entretenido, se pasa un buen rato.
Eso sí, absteneos si buscáis una novela de misterio o una policíaca en el sentido más tradicional del género. Catalogaría este libro más como novela de acción con una sub-trama de ciencia ficción (preocupantemente parecida a la serie Orphan Black).
Más película que libro a ratos y un villano un poquito Deus Ex-Machina; pero muy entretenido, se pasa un buen rato.
June 25, 2019
I didn't like this.
It's a formulaic and dull mystery. I didn't care for any of the characters, I didn't find the mystery that mysterious, and really didn't care about our victim at all.
I found myself reading chapters and realizing that I was retaining none of it - I simply couldn't enjoy the style.
So, may be better for you, but definitely not for me!
It's a formulaic and dull mystery. I didn't care for any of the characters, I didn't find the mystery that mysterious, and really didn't care about our victim at all.
I found myself reading chapters and realizing that I was retaining none of it - I simply couldn't enjoy the style.
So, may be better for you, but definitely not for me!
October 10, 2023
Лий Кроу ми допадна много като главен герой и наистина се надявам, както обещава Мур в "благодарностите", някой ден да се върне към него за продължение. Това е персонаж, който заслужава да бъде развит.
July 31, 2020
I'm a huge fan of this author. The writing is superb and he writes a kind of neo noir style story that never ever goes where you expect it to.
In this novel one man becomes slightly obsessed with a dead girl who seemingly plummeted to her death from the top of a tall building in a vivid act of suicide. But who was Clare Gravesend? His quest to find out will lead him down a dark path.
As ever we start off with an intriguing mystery element and some slightly crazy, quirky characters- but then things off in a direction you can never predict.
I highly recommend all of this authors novels.
In this novel one man becomes slightly obsessed with a dead girl who seemingly plummeted to her death from the top of a tall building in a vivid act of suicide. But who was Clare Gravesend? His quest to find out will lead him down a dark path.
As ever we start off with an intriguing mystery element and some slightly crazy, quirky characters- but then things off in a direction you can never predict.
I highly recommend all of this authors novels.
July 24, 2023
4.5 stars
Absolutely first-rate modern noir mystery. The Edgar, for Best Paperback Original Novel/2019, was well-deserved.
While Lee Crowe doesn't indulge in snarky sarcasm or wise-cracks when he speaks, he is otherwise an excellent example of a noir protagonist. He's a smart, dogged investigator, a loner willing to operate in the shady areas of legality to get the answers. He may or may not still have a thing for his ex-wife, and the lawyer who often steers jobs his way has managed to keep his license without yet being disbarred for corruption.
The plot is nice and convoluted, though it starts out so straight-forward. Early one morning, in one of the seediest neighborhood of San Francisco, Lee comes across a beautiful young woman, very recently dead, atop the caved in rood of a Rolls Royce. Lee, never one to miss the opportunity to make a few bucks, takes some pictures of the unknown woman, and sells them to a tabloid. One thing leads to another and another, and Lee finds himself hired by the dead woman's mother--job? find out exactly what happened to her daughter. Mom is Very Rich, with a lot of clout in certain circles, which comes in handy as the investigation proceeds.
I don't want to say too much; much of the enjoyment comes from encountering all the plot turns develop.
The author kept a firm hand on the plot's reins, i never felt that the story was getting away from him. The writing was smooth and assured, leading the reader to keep turning the pages to find out What Happens Next. As befits the genre, Lee is put through the wringer physically, mentally, and emotionally, before we get to a mostly satisfactory ending.
I hope the author decides, at some point, to write another book featuring Lee Crowe. I would love to follow along on another case.
Absolutely first-rate modern noir mystery. The Edgar, for Best Paperback Original Novel/2019, was well-deserved.
While Lee Crowe doesn't indulge in snarky sarcasm or wise-cracks when he speaks, he is otherwise an excellent example of a noir protagonist. He's a smart, dogged investigator, a loner willing to operate in the shady areas of legality to get the answers. He may or may not still have a thing for his ex-wife, and the lawyer who often steers jobs his way has managed to keep his license without yet being disbarred for corruption.
The plot is nice and convoluted, though it starts out so straight-forward. Early one morning, in one of the seediest neighborhood of San Francisco, Lee comes across a beautiful young woman, very recently dead, atop the caved in rood of a Rolls Royce. Lee, never one to miss the opportunity to make a few bucks, takes some pictures of the unknown woman, and sells them to a tabloid. One thing leads to another and another, and Lee finds himself hired by the dead woman's mother--job? find out exactly what happened to her daughter. Mom is Very Rich, with a lot of clout in certain circles, which comes in handy as the investigation proceeds.
I don't want to say too much; much of the enjoyment comes from encountering all the plot turns develop.
The author kept a firm hand on the plot's reins, i never felt that the story was getting away from him. The writing was smooth and assured, leading the reader to keep turning the pages to find out What Happens Next. As befits the genre, Lee is put through the wringer physically, mentally, and emotionally, before we get to a mostly satisfactory ending.
I hope the author decides, at some point, to write another book featuring Lee Crowe. I would love to follow along on another case.
August 29, 2023
This book is a 2020 Edgar Award winner. Named after Edgar Allan Poe, the Mystery Writers of America honor the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film, and theater published or produced in the previous year.
The very first sentence of the book tells us that Claire Gravesend is dead.
But…
Is she really?
Of course, she is. She appears to have jumped to her death from an apartment building.
Our private detective stumbles upon her body, and takes pictures of the corpse, intent on selling them to the press, but finds himself in the middle of something deeper.
Hired by the mother to investigate her death, this same private investigator, Leland Crowe, finds himself tracing her path across country. And now we start venturing into the weird.
Immortality? Whatever Claire was searching for could be the key to everything.
Even though we don’t get to meet Claire, the shadow of her hangs over the story. She had terrible scars on her back, and she was on a mission to find out where they came from.
Then…
Crowe meets Claire Gravesend alive? Or her look-alike?
And now things are getting complicated and dangerous.
Gritty. Dark. Everything has a place and every move has a purpose. Lots of action. Propulsive and compelling. The villains were even terrifying enough to feel believable.
And…
Crowe bounces back from injuries quickly (do we suspend disbelief here?), and despite his moral greyness and questionable methods, he still wants to do what is right. (Side plot re: ex-wife makes him a bit more human.)
So…
Even as a flawed protagonist, he was somewhat likable.
Unfortunately…
When the plot went a little science-fiction-ey it began to lose its momentum for me. Not that the storyline couldn’t be compelling, or plausible, it just felt disjointed, a bit. For me.
Because…
When it gets a bit sci-fi it just isn’t my kind of mystery.
But…
Readers may enjoy this element of storytelling that involves human bodies and technology, and the idea of immortality.
The very first sentence of the book tells us that Claire Gravesend is dead.
But…
Is she really?
Of course, she is. She appears to have jumped to her death from an apartment building.
Our private detective stumbles upon her body, and takes pictures of the corpse, intent on selling them to the press, but finds himself in the middle of something deeper.
Hired by the mother to investigate her death, this same private investigator, Leland Crowe, finds himself tracing her path across country. And now we start venturing into the weird.
Immortality? Whatever Claire was searching for could be the key to everything.
Even though we don’t get to meet Claire, the shadow of her hangs over the story. She had terrible scars on her back, and she was on a mission to find out where they came from.
Then…
Crowe meets Claire Gravesend alive? Or her look-alike?
And now things are getting complicated and dangerous.
Gritty. Dark. Everything has a place and every move has a purpose. Lots of action. Propulsive and compelling. The villains were even terrifying enough to feel believable.
And…
Crowe bounces back from injuries quickly (do we suspend disbelief here?), and despite his moral greyness and questionable methods, he still wants to do what is right. (Side plot re: ex-wife makes him a bit more human.)
So…
Even as a flawed protagonist, he was somewhat likable.
Unfortunately…
When the plot went a little science-fiction-ey it began to lose its momentum for me. Not that the storyline couldn’t be compelling, or plausible, it just felt disjointed, a bit. For me.
Because…
When it gets a bit sci-fi it just isn’t my kind of mystery.
But…
Readers may enjoy this element of storytelling that involves human bodies and technology, and the idea of immortality.
November 8, 2019
The first two chapters reveal that private investigator Leland Crowe has been living for five weeks in a low class motel doing audio and video surveillance of someone in the room below him. As he is walking to his office one morning, he sees a woman who has fallen multiple stories onto a Rolls Royce. She is beautiful with a black cocktail dress but obviously dead. So what does Lee do? He takes pictures so he can sell them to a tabloid. At this point, I'm not sure I can like this character. The behavior reminds me of videos I see on the internet each week of an act of violence occurring and people are videoing it instead of trying to do something to help. I keep reading.
Readers learn Lee is a disbarred attorney with some wealthy clients. Turns out the dead woman is Claire Gravesend and her mother is a billionaire who wants answers and she's willing to pay well to get them.
Lee has his ways, which might include bribes, to get police and medical examiner reports. He notes strange round scars on Claire's back which her mother will not discuss. Going through her home in Boston, he finds books on genetics. An armed intruder attacks him in her house while his own home is being bugged. When he searches Claire's second home in California, he finds .... someone.... with the same scars. That really muddies up the mystery and Lee follows a tough path but he doesn't give up.
I read Jonathan Moore's book The Dark Room a couple of years ago and made a note to look for more books from this author. The book is well-written and the story is always moving. Lee turns out to be a top notch investigator. I like the way he puts everything together. I ended up realizing Lee is a complex character who crosses boundaries but still doesn't turn his back on those who need him. I hope this is the start of a new series.
Readers learn Lee is a disbarred attorney with some wealthy clients. Turns out the dead woman is Claire Gravesend and her mother is a billionaire who wants answers and she's willing to pay well to get them.
Lee has his ways, which might include bribes, to get police and medical examiner reports. He notes strange round scars on Claire's back which her mother will not discuss. Going through her home in Boston, he finds books on genetics. An armed intruder attacks him in her house while his own home is being bugged. When he searches Claire's second home in California, he finds .... someone.... with the same scars. That really muddies up the mystery and Lee follows a tough path but he doesn't give up.
I read Jonathan Moore's book The Dark Room a couple of years ago and made a note to look for more books from this author. The book is well-written and the story is always moving. Lee turns out to be a top notch investigator. I like the way he puts everything together. I ended up realizing Lee is a complex character who crosses boundaries but still doesn't turn his back on those who need him. I hope this is the start of a new series.
May 1, 2020
This book features a San Francisco private eye, but we've come a long way from Sam Spade's world. Lee Crowe is a disbarred lawyer of flexible ethics who has a P.I. license and does a lot of work for a high-powered attorney with lots of influential clients. The book opens with a startling scene: a young woman lying dead on the crushed top of a Rolls-Royce Wraith in San Francisco's seedy Tenderloin district in the early morning. She has apparently leapt or been pushed from the flophouse looming above. Crowe happens to be the first person on the scene, and he takes a picture of the horrific sight and sells it to a tabloid.
This draws him inexorably into the plot that killed her; before we know it Crowe is hired by the girl's wealthy mother to investigate her death. The quest takes him to Boston, where he is jumped by a mysterious assailant and has to kill him in self-defense. Back in California, things only get wilder. He meets another young woman who is apparently an identical twin to the victim but claims to be three years older, and while he is trying to figure that out he is also wondering if this mess is connected to the surveillance job that took him to the Tenderloin that morning on orders from his lawyer pal, who is defending a drug lord in a big federal trial... it's pretty complicated. It's also pretty entertaining, with knife fights, gunplay, car chases, a mysterious club for the ultra-rich hidden in the redwoods in northern California... I smell a movie coming up.
It does strain credulity just a little. There's a bit of a science fiction element, which normally doesn't do much for me, but the way reality has overtaken fiction recently is making that less of an issue. It's a tale well told, and I kept turning pages, which is the bottom line.
This draws him inexorably into the plot that killed her; before we know it Crowe is hired by the girl's wealthy mother to investigate her death. The quest takes him to Boston, where he is jumped by a mysterious assailant and has to kill him in self-defense. Back in California, things only get wilder. He meets another young woman who is apparently an identical twin to the victim but claims to be three years older, and while he is trying to figure that out he is also wondering if this mess is connected to the surveillance job that took him to the Tenderloin that morning on orders from his lawyer pal, who is defending a drug lord in a big federal trial... it's pretty complicated. It's also pretty entertaining, with knife fights, gunplay, car chases, a mysterious club for the ultra-rich hidden in the redwoods in northern California... I smell a movie coming up.
It does strain credulity just a little. There's a bit of a science fiction element, which normally doesn't do much for me, but the way reality has overtaken fiction recently is making that less of an issue. It's a tale well told, and I kept turning pages, which is the bottom line.
August 29, 2023
"Blood Relations" is an old-school-style PI novel with a tech twist. It features solid, straightforward writing, fine dialogue, an interesting plot, and a lead character with lots of issues. I don't know if this one is the beginning of a series, but if so it should be worthwhile to follow.
Lee Crowe is a PI in San Francisco, an ex-lawyer who was disbarred for punching out a judge with whom he had a personal problem. He's in the middle of a pretty dangerous assignment when he discovers the body of a young woman laying on the crushed hood of a car, seemingly as a result of taking a voluntary or involuntary dive from the upper floor or roof of the adjacent building. After ascertaining her status (dead, of course), he takes a few photos in hopes of selling one or more to the local media. He succeeds in doing so and in short order is hired by the deceased girl's ultra-rich mother to find out what really happened to her. Crowe begins his investigation and quickly finds himself in trouble from a number of different directions. At the risk of spoiling what is a really creative plot, I'll stop here but suffice to say that the story takes a number of different turns that Crowe handles with aplomb (and some violence, to boot....).
I really like the writing in Blood Relations- very terse and consistent with the fast pace of the action. Crowe is a great character with a rather troubled past, a troubled present, and likely a troubled future. He does, though, have a lot of skills, several contacts in critical positions that can provide technical and informational assistance, and seems to enjoy risk. He's a complicated cat that happens to get things done, come hell or high water. The conclusion of Blood Relations was a little over the top, but in effect Crowe completed his assignment. This was a very enjoyable read.
Lee Crowe is a PI in San Francisco, an ex-lawyer who was disbarred for punching out a judge with whom he had a personal problem. He's in the middle of a pretty dangerous assignment when he discovers the body of a young woman laying on the crushed hood of a car, seemingly as a result of taking a voluntary or involuntary dive from the upper floor or roof of the adjacent building. After ascertaining her status (dead, of course), he takes a few photos in hopes of selling one or more to the local media. He succeeds in doing so and in short order is hired by the deceased girl's ultra-rich mother to find out what really happened to her. Crowe begins his investigation and quickly finds himself in trouble from a number of different directions. At the risk of spoiling what is a really creative plot, I'll stop here but suffice to say that the story takes a number of different turns that Crowe handles with aplomb (and some violence, to boot....).
I really like the writing in Blood Relations- very terse and consistent with the fast pace of the action. Crowe is a great character with a rather troubled past, a troubled present, and likely a troubled future. He does, though, have a lot of skills, several contacts in critical positions that can provide technical and informational assistance, and seems to enjoy risk. He's a complicated cat that happens to get things done, come hell or high water. The conclusion of Blood Relations was a little over the top, but in effect Crowe completed his assignment. This was a very enjoyable read.
March 23, 2023
I 100% loved the first 1/3 of this noir thriller. Great voice (and I listened via audio, so the narrator had something to do with that). A disbarred attorney works for his former boss as a PI. His morals are probably not like yours or mine. In the middle of one case, he finds the body of a girl who seems to have jumped from a skidrow hotel. And off he goes.
Great first act. But I soon saw where this was going, I knew I have read this story idea before (and don't believe it much) and there was a little bit too much "I like the pretty dames" stuff. (Not in those words, but it is very 50s in that sense). There were tough women, but it was the weaker ones he felt drawn to.
Still, the writing is so solid, I'll try another of his.
Great first act. But I soon saw where this was going, I knew I have read this story idea before (and don't believe it much) and there was a little bit too much "I like the pretty dames" stuff. (Not in those words, but it is very 50s in that sense). There were tough women, but it was the weaker ones he felt drawn to.
Still, the writing is so solid, I'll try another of his.
June 22, 2019
I'm a fan of the author and as per his previous books, I expected the usual brand of crime noir with a complicated protagonist and suggestions of dark technology. Blood Relations delivers on that front!
I felt immersed in the setting. There's a gritty darkness where everything has its place, and every move has a purpose. There is plenty of action and while Crowe's abilities to bounce back from his injuries may seem a little preposterous, I found myself rooting for him. Despite his moral greyness and questionable methods, he wants to do the right thing. There is a sideplot involving his ex-wife where there is a sense of unfinished history between them. This is where we see another side of the hard investigator and makes him more human.
While the plot veers into science fiction it doesn't fall into melodrama. The noir elements remain intact and make the story feels grounded. The villains are believable and real enough to be terrifying. Recommended!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I felt immersed in the setting. There's a gritty darkness where everything has its place, and every move has a purpose. There is plenty of action and while Crowe's abilities to bounce back from his injuries may seem a little preposterous, I found myself rooting for him. Despite his moral greyness and questionable methods, he wants to do the right thing. There is a sideplot involving his ex-wife where there is a sense of unfinished history between them. This is where we see another side of the hard investigator and makes him more human.
While the plot veers into science fiction it doesn't fall into melodrama. The noir elements remain intact and make the story feels grounded. The villains are believable and real enough to be terrifying. Recommended!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
book blog | twitter | instagram
February 28, 2022
I really like the atmosphere of the story. Jonathan's writing is very good, one of my favorite crime and suspense writers :)
July 15, 2019
There are a ton of reviews here and elsewhere for this novel. It seems to be either "love it" or "hate it" with numerous four and five-star reviews plus many two-star or less rejections, and very few calling it average with three-stars. Most of the unsatisfied reviewers call it formulaic and I can understand that - - but what detective and/or crime novel isn't formulaic to a certain degree?
I think part of the problem may be the promotional hype that compares BLOOD RELATIONS and the writing of Jonathan Moore to Michael Crichton, Alfred Hitchcock, Raymond Chandler, Blake Crouch and David Cronenberg. How could one writer possibly cover all those bases? Moore doesn't. It's just that certain passages throughout the novel may remind you of these other creators, but those similarities doesn't carry forward from chapter to chapter. Moore doesn't appear to be deliberately trying to copy one or the other. I happen to like his style. BLOOD RELATIONS is definitely worth a read, and I plan to check out his other novels.
What you get is a fast paced, suspenseful first person narrative featuring a very interesting hard-boiled private investigator. Lee Crowe is a break-the-rules, independent gumshoe with a clear disregard for the morals and principles of his clients, but a clear sense of both on his own.
BLOOD RELATIONS has a nourish feel in parts and some passages that recall the best of Phillip Marlowe's judgmental observations, but Lee Crowe is still unique.
BLOOD RELATIONS also take things in a different direction about mid-way through the novel, from a straight-forward crime story into the realm of the techno thriller, but Moore pulls it off and raises the suspense level even more.
Along with the writers/creators mentioned above, I would add the early James Bond novels of Ian Fleming to the mix. There's a huge conflict/escape sequence in the latter part of the story that recalls Fleming's DR. NO to mind.
If you like the works of Michael Connelly, Lee Child, John Sandford and those others cited in the blurbs, then you should give this book a chance to convince you. I'm hoping this is just the first of Moore's novels featuring Lee Crowe. I would love to see more.
I think part of the problem may be the promotional hype that compares BLOOD RELATIONS and the writing of Jonathan Moore to Michael Crichton, Alfred Hitchcock, Raymond Chandler, Blake Crouch and David Cronenberg. How could one writer possibly cover all those bases? Moore doesn't. It's just that certain passages throughout the novel may remind you of these other creators, but those similarities doesn't carry forward from chapter to chapter. Moore doesn't appear to be deliberately trying to copy one or the other. I happen to like his style. BLOOD RELATIONS is definitely worth a read, and I plan to check out his other novels.
What you get is a fast paced, suspenseful first person narrative featuring a very interesting hard-boiled private investigator. Lee Crowe is a break-the-rules, independent gumshoe with a clear disregard for the morals and principles of his clients, but a clear sense of both on his own.
BLOOD RELATIONS has a nourish feel in parts and some passages that recall the best of Phillip Marlowe's judgmental observations, but Lee Crowe is still unique.
BLOOD RELATIONS also take things in a different direction about mid-way through the novel, from a straight-forward crime story into the realm of the techno thriller, but Moore pulls it off and raises the suspense level even more.
Along with the writers/creators mentioned above, I would add the early James Bond novels of Ian Fleming to the mix. There's a huge conflict/escape sequence in the latter part of the story that recalls Fleming's DR. NO to mind.
If you like the works of Michael Connelly, Lee Child, John Sandford and those others cited in the blurbs, then you should give this book a chance to convince you. I'm hoping this is just the first of Moore's novels featuring Lee Crowe. I would love to see more.
October 14, 2019
One of my favorite books this year. It had me from page one. Starting with a disbarred lawyer investigating a person involved in a criminal trial in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco to the discovery of a woman dead from a fall on top of a Roll Royce Wraith - no spoiler as it happens in the first pages of the book. But it's not just a mystery. It's scifi (or is it fiction). You don't know who the good guys are or who the bad guys are. Then when you think it's all wrapped up more happens. I couldn't put it down. It's a stand alone but I would read another one with this protagonist if Mr. Moore was to write one.
July 22, 2019
The MacGuffin in this book is kind of dopey. Its "science" is flawed at best and ridiculous at worst.
The book itself is awesome. The writing, the atmosphere, the characters; really make up a great noir. I would totally read another adventure with Lee Crowe, just not with the same villain.
The book itself is awesome. The writing, the atmosphere, the characters; really make up a great noir. I would totally read another adventure with Lee Crowe, just not with the same villain.
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