A sixteen year old white girl is found, much in the way Ben was, and also similar to the other deaths. Samantha Friel is the daughter of a woman Julie went to school with. Julie's other job, working for Kevin's PI business, ends up landing her in the thick of it. Kevin was hired by Samantha's boyfriend to find where she'd been staying before her disappearance, and once Julie and Kevin begin digging, they find a lot more than they were prepared for.

Blood Ties will linger in my memory as a mystery, and I can only hope Ms. Armstrong will have more books published with Julie Collins as the main character. Julie had as much individualism as Stephanie Plum, even though she was less flamboyant. Julie had a sharp wit and a mouth that ran away with her, even when she telling herself to be quiet. But she was also very down-to-earth, and all together, she ended up being a character I could empathize with during every moment of the story. Plus, I'll never forget a fight Julie had with some bouncers; I doubt I've laughed that much during a dangerous scene in a book. The mystery in Blood Ties was well laid-out, and even though I suspected what would happen at the end, I still found myself anxiously reading forward to see how things would go. And for those who need a bit of romance to keep their interest, Julie had quite a time. Her boyfriend in the beginning of the story had little significance, but the currents running between Julie and Kevin kept the romantic flow, even with a slight amount of angst, going. Not to mention a sexy, but dangerous, man who showed up a little later on. I particularly liked her encounters with him. They had just the right mix of danger and forbidden (and unwise) temptation-- but I could completely understand why she was tempted. With Blood Ties, Medallion Press has been cemented in my mind as a quality publisher, and Ms. Armstrong as an author I'll be looking for in the future.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Tara Black
May 6, 2005