I just finished reading Blood Stains by multi-published author Sharon Sala and I admit to being absolutely blown away by how good this book is. It’s actually my first Sala book, though I’ve long known about her from RWA affiliation.
The story about three daughters of a Montana rancher who discover the man and woman they thought were their parents are not, and that they aren’t even related to each other, is shocking, but sets in motion a quest to discover their pasts. This is middle daughter Maria’s story, and I assume two more books will follow.
The story opens with the death of the man they considered their father. At the reading of the will, they learn he has kept their true parentage from them, but now feels they have a right to know from who, and where, they came. Maria and her sisters have grown up on the ranch, and each has a hand in its operation. Maria is the horse trainer, the pragmatist, the action gal. She learns through a diary left by her “father” that she is the daughter of a prostitute, and she is the only witness to her mother’s brutal murder. Maria has blanked out the first four years of her life and remembers nothing, but now she’s on a mission to Tulsa to find out about her past.
Homicide Detective Bodie Scott meets maria and is persuaded to open the cold case which opens a world of danger to Maria and Bodie and others from her past.
Ms. Sala does a superb job of keeping the action front and center in this highly charged story. The action is nonstop, the plot moves along at a pace designed to keep the reader turning pages. I’m impressed with the author’s attention to detail, delivery of information and plot points. All the details are presented, then tied up into a logical and thrilling conclusion. Her secondary characters create interest and come across as real people, and the villain is chillingly evil.
Sala excels at storytelling. There are no dull moments in this gripping suspense, no filler. Just great plotting and a tightly woven story. In fact, it’s one of the best romantic suspense stories I’ve read in the last two years. Kudos to Ms. Sala for an un-put-downable read. Her book releases on January 21st.
Verbal meanderings about good books, the creative process and how it applies to so much of what we do, jewelry design--what inspires me, the stones I like, great recipes from my collection, gardening, Ireland and travel, and anything else that comes to mind.
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