Book Review: Blood Of Others

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Blood Of Others     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Rick Mofina
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller
Series: Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski # 3
Zebra, Jun 2002, $6.99, 474 pp.

The murder shocks San Francisco as the dripping blood of the corpse stands on display in a wedding dress shop. The city is stunned and San Francisco Star reporter Tom Reed is assigned to investigate by his newspaper. The official head of investigation is homicide detective Walt Sydowski, who finds this murder eerily more brutal than most that he has seen in his numerous years on the force.

Not long afterward, the killer strikes again and again. Evidence mounts that the City by the Bay is being stalked by a serial killer. The victims are lonely shy females desperately seeking their soul mate, but instead finding love in the wrong place. Instead of hugs, they receive a vicious one way ticket to the afterlife. Only Tom, Walt and a "defrocked" cop Ben Wyatt stand in the way of a berserker man seeking love.

As the audience reads BLOOD OF OTHERS, many will think of Eleanor Rigby. The story line is taut and never eases up for a moment. The lead characters contain flaws and prejudices that make them human and impact their decision-making, not meaning to, but placing other people at risk. As he did with IF ANGELS FALL and COLD FEAR, Rick Mofina turns up the terror with the simple act of a woman simply wanting to be loved and to love falling victim to a deprived soul.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner