Blood Relation

Arcane Casebook, Book 6

By: Dan Willis

Narrated by: Alex Knox

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Young women are turning up dead, exsanguinated by a killer who leaves strange and powerful symbols behind, drawn in his victim's blood. Now Alex Lockerby must stop the killer before he can complete his dark ritual and release hell on the city.

Murder isn’t uncommon in a big city, but when young women start turning up dead next to mysterious symbols painted in their blood, the police turn to Alex Lockerby to find the killer. Unfortunately, the bloody symbols aren’t any form of magic Alex knows, leaving him precious little to work with and a nagging feeling that he’d better stop this madman before he finishes whatever spell he’s attempting.

Adding to the list of unknown symbols, Alex is called to the murder of a woman who worked with government secrets. She was found with strange coded markings written on a blackboard near her body. To make matters even more confusing, several robberies have been perpetrated by a highly skilled gang of thieves. Among the stolen articles were ingredients used by alchemists. These cases seem random and unconnected, but Alex can’t shake the feeling that they’re part of something bigger.

With a brutal killer on the loose, Alex must figure out an unknown magic, catch a group of professional thieves, and learn what government secrets the murdered woman might have passed on...and to whom. With luck, he might even be able to do it before the blood killer completes his dark ritual and unleashes hell on the city.

©2020 Dan Willis (P)2022 Dan Willis

A great edition.

Dan Willis writing, with Alex Knox voice acting is incredible again. I laughed and cried. It just keeps getting better.

another great book in this series

the author has a good plot line and brings some reoccurring characters in and out in this fantasy police procedural in the tradition of Glenn Gook and Garrett PI with kind of a alternative Earth tradition... it's kind of like Dresden but not quite so dark... you do really need to read the books in order to get a more of a flavor of how things are going and to enjoy the books more.... it's a nice way to spend an evening or a rainy afternoon or a breezy summer day in the shade listening to a good narration with a good plot and story...

It doesn't matter how far you run

Uncle Sam will find you. Especially if you have a skill set that will help them. Alex is drawn, in a small way, into the political machinations of government bureaucrats. It is an entanglement I think just about every American wants to avoid.

Alex Knox is at the top of his game with this book. As I've said in other reviews of this series, some narrators are often hard for me to hear. I have to stop, pause, and hit the back button because they do not speak clearly enough or enunciate enough. Don't lose your hearing, folks; protect it at all costs. Alex Knox is clear as the old sprint telephone pin drop. Yeah, I am that old.

Dan Willis gives us a story that blends political force with personal desires. It's a twisted curve ball that really wasn't what I expected. I typically have a good grasp on mysteries, but this time, Dan snuck it in past me, and I struck out. I sincerely mean that in the most complimentary way.

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Audible's rating is:
1 Star is "not for me"
2 Stars "it is okay"
3 Stars "pretty good"
4 Stars "it's great"
5 Stars "I love it"

A one star book could be a very dry topic, story, crude, or someone preaching down to the reader. I generally don't have 1-star books. I will just return them and go my own way. My last three were from the same series; I had hit a very dry spot in my listening.

A 2-star story, would be something that was phoned in by a writer that typically has done much better work. I have a couple of reviews from authors that just seemed to phone it in, one most recently from an author that decided to mix current politics into his novel. If I wanted that, I would just watch the news.

A 3-star review is where I really start. It means I enjoyed the book. That I did not have a hard time following it (I have lost a lot of my conversational hearing). That the story kept to a plot, the characters were not static, and the world built was plausible.

A 4-star review is something that I really enjoyed. It puts the author on my map to keep an eye out for. I go through 12-15 books a month. (audible is my primary source of entertainment. ) I will search for the author's works regularly and seek out their stories for future purchases.

A 5-star review, These are not as rare as one would think. These are the books where the characters grow, learn, and act according to their nature. Where the world is not only plausible but believable. Where there are economic systems, businesses, and rules of law that make sense. Where the story is woven, progressed, and told with caring and dedication. These are books, series, authors, and narrators that bring it all in a package.

So, when reading my reviews, if anyone does, that is how I judge the books.