Blood Memory

By: Greg Iles

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Catherine "Cat" Ferry is a forensic odontologist, a specialist in bite marks and the clues they provide. But while Cat's colleagues know her as a world-class scientist, she secretly attempts to manage her fragile psyche with alcohol, delving into the minds of rapists and murderers yet never allowing her own frightening past to creep into the foreground.

Cat's latest case involves a disturbing murder in New Orleans. Banishing her personal demons, she focuses on the potential killer, until one morning she's paralyzed by a panic attack at a grisly murder scene. Praying the attack is a onetime event, she continues her job as a consultant to the New Orleans Police Department, but when another victim dies in the same shocking way - raising fears that a serial killer is at large - Cat blacks out over the victim's mutilated corpse.

Suspended from the FBI task force, plagued by nightmares, and at odds with her married lover - a homicide detective - Cat finally reaches her breaking point. In a desperate effort to regain control over a life spiraling out of control, Cat retreats to her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi. But her family's secluded antebellum estate provides no sanctuary.

When some of Cat's forensic chemicals are spilled in her childhood bedroom, two bloody footprints are revealed. This sight shocks her more than any corpse she has seen in her career. Cat's father was murdered when she was eight years old, but she always believed the crime occurred in the garden outside their home. The bloody footprints suggest otherwise.

Driven by this fragment of her past, Cat attempts a forensic reconstruction of the decades-old crime, even as developments with the New Orleans task force pull her back into the case she left behind.

©2005 Greg Iles (P)2005 Brilliance Audio

Many diverse threads woven into riveting story!

It will be difficult to write much without spoiling the story.

Several of the threads seem like the "same old things", but just when you think you know what's going to happen next, there's a new piece of information (some of it not true.)

The main character is carrying so much emotional baggage that it is a miracle that she gets out of bed in the morning! Yet, her expertise keeps her in the loop with the agencies trying to hunt down a serial killer. I was grabbed from the beginning by her situation and couldn't stop listening until all of the threads were truly bound off.

Geographically the stories include New Orleans, Natchez, the Mississippi River, and Angola Prison. This, with many characters, is a challenge for any narrator. I found some of the attempts at variations in the "southern" pronunciations annoying, but not enough to ruin the listen.

I highly recommend this book. However, it is not a quick listen nor an adrenaline rush so be prepared to sit back and get pulled into Blood Memory.

Beware - Horrific Child Abuse...

Well written story line. Unexpected twists and turns. Sadly, horrific sexual child abuse was depicted. I had to skip through some of the depravity. Just couldn’t hear it as it was too sick to listen to for very long... I got so caught up in the very sad lives of Cat, Ann and the others that I just had to finish this book. I really wish there had been a disclaimer about the sexual abuse of children. Had that been forewarned, I would not have chosen to read this book. With all that said, I was relieved and overjoyed with the ending.

Awesome...intense listen!

Would you consider the audio edition of Blood Memory to be better than the print version?

I did not read the printed ver.sion

What did you like best about this story?

Suspenseful. A great story and narration.

Which scene was your favorite?

The whole story was great, the ending was complete but I do hope there is a sequel to see how Cat is doing.

Good story. With lots of twists.

This is a fantastic story with great character detail ( along the lines of "Midnight in the Garden of God and Evil" ). It has a few moments of being a bit slow but nothing is ever perfect and this book is a solid piece of work.
Now as for others complaining about sexual aspects of the story... I would remember that this is a story and if a good story makes you feel uncomfortable sometimes then the writer has done a wonderful thing.

Incredible!! ❤️ As all of Greg's books are!!

Always a mystery, can't wait for the next book. Love this writer. You won't be disappointed.

Honestly disappointing

So convoluted, then obvious, and I probably only continued listening because the accents were so contrived and hilarious. It was like watching a train wreck. I am confused by the great reviews it has gotten.

Joyce Bean's narration is absolutely stunning!

Any additional comments?

In my opinion, Joyce Bean is without female peers. Her narration has elevated a GOOD book to an absolutely SUPERB story.

Wow!

This is the first Greg Iles novel I've read, and I look forward to reading more. In spite of the troubling subject matter at its core, Iles weaves an engaging tale interlaced with suspense, compassion, and thought provoking details centered around forensic science, psychological pathology, odentology, etc. You won't be disappointed.

Don't be put off early

Give this one some time. At first the slow speech and drawl put me off thinking they'd taken a 9 hr book and extended it to 18 by talking slow... The speech and the plot both pick up speed until they are at a dead run. Good technical knowledge also adds to the story.

Worth a listen...

I hesitated to buy this book because of the reviews concerning the subject matter of child sex abuse. While this book does discuss the abuse, it is mostly clinical in nature and not at all gratuitous. As for the bad accents noted by reviewers, I didn't think they were over the top with the exception of a couple of minor characters. Overall, I thought it was well written, well executed, and worth a listen.