Blood Work

Terry McCaleb, Book 1

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

From the #1 bestselling author of the Harry Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer series and who "is the master of the universe in which he lives" (Huffington Post), comes the gripping novel that inspired the film starring Clint Eastwood.

When Graciella Rivers steps onto his boat, ex-FBI agent Terrell McCaleb has no idea he's about to come out of retirement. He's recuperating from a heart transplant and avoiding anything stressful. But when Graciella tells him the way her sister, Gloria, was murdered, Terry realizes he has no choice. Now the man with the new heart vows to take down a predator without a soul. For Gloria's killer shatters every rule that McCaleb ever learned in his years with the Bureau-as McCaleb gets no more second chances at life...and just one shot at the truth.

*Winner of the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière-International Category
*Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel
*Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel

©1998 by Hieronymous. (P)1998 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

A twist

Kept us interested on our long drive thru the desert….a very good book and the reader was also good!!

Blood work kept my blood rushing

What a thriller! Although it starts off slowly and takes several hours of listening to really grip you, once you are sucked into the story you will find that you can't put it down and must find out what happens next. Nothing is typical about this mystery and several surprises are in store. I found myself guessing (wrongly) who the killer was and was pleasantly surprised with the way the plot wove together. Great story. I was glad to have known nothing about the story beforehand so I'm purposely not writing anything about the story in this review other than to say if you enjoy a good thriller you will likely enjoy this one. It's not highly graphic and not the kind that makes you afraid of every bump you hear. Just a good, enjoyable thriller with unexpected plot twists and turns. Enjoy!

Far better than the movie

Any additional comments?

Ex-FBI agent gets a heart transplant, only it turns out to be from a woman who was murdered and he feels obligated to find her killer. The plot twists right at the very end are common for this kind of story (and in Connelly’s other books), but the twists before then were very good and had me guessing. The book is far better than the Clint Eastwood movie, to which it bares little resemblance. If there’s a problem with the book, it’s that the main character is generic. He’s basically Harry Bosch from Connelly’s other books and has no personality that comes out. Maybe that’s OK because the plot and the feelings of obligation (toward many different things) are what’s key here. Frankly, I loved it and raced through it.

And I think Dick Hill is my preferred narrator for all Michael Connelly books.

Connelly and Hill deliver again!

I am a great fan of both Michael Connelly and Dick Hill. Connelly moves the story along with just the right amount of character introspection. I just recently saw the movie again and wanted to see how the book and movie track each other. Thankfully, all the basics of the book made it to the movie. There are, however, sufficient differences to make both enjoyable in their own right, whether enjoying the book or movie alone, or enjoying both.

I usually like to see the movie first because, out of necessity, there are usually things in the book that are left out of the movie and it easier to accept new facts, characters and information than it is to look in vain for them. Also, having seen actors populate the characters, I have a visual reference for the characters when reading the book. Clearly, I think that Terry McCaleb is much younger than Clint Eastwood, but there was still a face to the character.

Most of Connelly's novels occupy the same universe with characters freely moving between them. Therefore, if you are Harry Bosch fan, you might want to read this before reading 'A Darkness More than Night' as Terry McCaleb figures prominently in that story.

I thoroughly enjoy Dick Hill's narrations across a number series that I follow. I get a little disappointed when I listen to one of a series' books narrated by another no matter how accomplished they may be. I am just getting into the Jack Reacher series and am pleased to see that he has narrated many of them also. Keep up the Good Work.

Different than the movie, but a very good story

What made the experience of listening to Blood Work the most enjoyable?

The excellent narration by Dick Hill

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, it was a very interesting story, with differences from the movie version.

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The different voices of each of the characters...it really brings them to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The fishing scene with the little boy.

Enjoyable listen

If you enjoy Michael Connelly books, then you will not be disappointed.

The character, Terry McCaleb, has been in other books by Connelly and I like him so decided to give this a listen. The Publisher's Summary is good without giving too much away. Therefore, I will also not give anything away. I will say at first it doesn't really take off, but keep listening because eventually you will be hooked.

Another good one from Michael Connelly

I've been reading/listening my way through all of Michael Connelly's books. This one is a good introduction to a new character for me, and I enjoyed it. From reading other reviews I realize that we all react to narrators very differently sometimes. There are some who are praised as the best who I can barely tolerate and some that I love that others hate. So this is just my reaction: Dick Hill does a pretty decent job, especially with the main character, most of the time. But the secondary characters seem weird and almost cartoon-like. And I have a visceral negative reaction to some of the throat clearing, mouth smacking, and other noises. I may be making it sound worse than it is, and others may not have this reaction at all, but it was tough for me to stay connected to the story at times because I was reacting to all of that.

Connelly never disappoints

This is my 15th book in a row written by Mr Connelly. I haven’t read a bad book yet. Love how they all have little ties with each other. I looked for Bosch to be referenced but wasn’t. The Lincoln lawyer was. Truly a gifted author

Who done it?

The story was well written, and I didn’t figure it out till near the end. Very clever about Liz and joyed the authors works.

Great Book

What did you love best about Blood Work?

The whole book was good.

What did you like best about this story?

Author makes you feel like you are living the book

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Has a great voice

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes