Blood Trails

By: Michael A. Black

Narrated by: James Romick

Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

Detective Roger Colby thought he ended serial killer Morgan Laird's murderous spree 28 years ago when Laird was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. But Colby soon finds out that nothing is certain in today's ever-changing society. The wheelchair-bound criminal has been released from prison and granted parole. But is it coincidence that a new series of homicides has suddenly begun, identically mirroring Laird's brutal series of murders from the past?

As Colby reluctantly joins a federal task force investigating these new crimes, he begins to uncover a new and sinister plot so unthinkable that it virtually defies belief. When Morgan Laird's DNA is recovered from the scene of one of the recent murders, Colby realizes that the unthinkable has suddenly become reality. Shunned by the task force and without support, Colby knows he must trace his new blood tail to its source and bring these new and brutal crimes to a stop, regardless of the consequences.

©2017 Intrigue PublishingLLC (P)2017 Intrigue Publishing, LLC

Good story and narration

A copycat killer is using detective Colby’s book on serial killer Morgan laird to recreate his killing spree
James was a excellent narrator his voice was perfect for a gritty detective
Overall entertaining and a great reveal at the end worth checking out
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

this book was given to me at my request for review

I greatly enjoyed this book I couldn't stop listening to it. I have always been intrigued by cloaning and the power of the mind.

Tense!

Greed, murder, and an experiment gone wrong all make a great recipe for a thrilling mystery!

James Romick did a great job narrating.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Plenty of action!

Detective Colby is a champion worth rooting for! The tale starts off in his younger days when he and his partner Dicks have serial killer Morgan Lairds tracked down and on the run. The action grabbed me right away, pulling me into the story and never letting go.

The bulk of the story takes place years later in present-day Chicago. Colby and Dicks are still police detectives but Lairds has just been paroled. A new set of killings happen, looking just like Lairds’ work. This hits close to home for Colby and immediately he starts narrowing down the list of people who had access to the original files and photos on Lairds.

Meanwhile, us readers know who is behind the killings. There’s a medical laboratory that has been doing some interesting and cutting edge experiments with human cloning. This aspect gave the story a scifi thriller subplot which I quite enjoyed. The bad guys are little stereotypical but it was easy to hate on them and root for our hero, Colby.

There were few female characters, which I felt was a weak spot in tale. Leslie, a detective from Canada where one of the murders occurred, is in Chicago to work with the police in solving the murder. I forget her last name because she’s so often referred to by her first and her good looks and sexiness is the first thing always described. Unfortunately her main role in the tale is as a romantic interest and not as a detective. Bummer. The ladies could have added more to this story.

I liked that we readers know from the beginning who is behind the killings and why, yet we have to watch Colby figure everything out. He’s got so much stacked against him! A reporter (another lady who is mostly a sexy love interest) has some behind-the-scenes info on the old Laird murders and Colby’s bosses think he himself might be the leak. Then there’s trying to work out who would copycat Laird and why. Toss in a few more snags in the investigation and Colby has his hands full! This case could end his career!

The cat-and-mouse action kept me glued to the book. I really wanted Colby to win out but I wasn’t sure he would and I also worried that someone close to him would pay a hefty price for victory. The pacing was great and the ending was satisfying. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: James Romick gave a great performance. He had distinct voices for all the characters and his female voices were feminine. I especially liked his ability to portray the emotions of the various characters. His pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.