Blood Sins (Bishop/Special Crimes Unit: Blood Trilogy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kay Hooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2009

New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper delivers once again with this chilling novel in which the Special Crimes Unit sends a Haven operative undercover to catch a charismatic killer who promises his victims heaven in exchange for more than their lives. . .

Young, vulnerable, attractive, Tessa Gray looked like the perfect victim. Which was why Noah Bishop of the FBI’s Special Crimes Unit recruited the novice operative to use as bait for a killer hidden inside the Church of the Everlasting Sin–a fortified mountain compound where at least two women have already been murdered in ways that defy explanation. By entering the cult’s compound, Tessa will expose herself to the dark magnetism of its leader and his fanatically loyal followers. Once she’s inside, no one, not even Bishop or the town’s chief of police, can guarantee she’ll come out alive. And not even Tessa knows if she’s strong enough to resist the lure of a killer who is less than human.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this disturbing paranormal thriller, the second in a trilogy (after Blood Dreams) from bestseller Hooper, Noah Bishop, of the FBI's Special Crimes Unit, and Haven, a civilian investigative organization, take on the fanatical Rev. Adam Deacon Samuel. At age 10, Samuel murdered his abusive prostitute mother by using psychic powers, which a few years later increased after lightning struck him during a tent revival. Noah and his colleagues suspect Samuel, the leader of the Church of the Everlasting Sin, of killing at least eight people via supernatural means and of abusing young girls to enhance his powers. Tessa Gray, a Haven operative posing as a recent widow, reluctantly infiltrates Samuel's compound in the small town of Grace, N.C., near where the body of a fellow Haven operative surfaced in a river. Hooper pulls out all the stops in depicting the unholy preacher's apocalyptic breakdown as Noah's elite team tackles one of their nastiest assignments yet. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Reverend Samuel, a charismatic, evil cult leader, has set up a community in a fortified mountain compound. He lures victims to the fold and then provides a taste of heaven by killing them. Noah Bishop and his FBI Special Crimes Unit need to get inside the Church of the Everlasting Sin to find out what is going on. Agent Tessa Gray infiltrates the group and, working with operatives from Haven, a private agency, conspires to bring Reverend Samuel down. Another solid entry in the Special Crimes Unit series (Blood Dreams, 2008). --Barbara Bibel --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books; Reprint edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553589261
• ISBN-13: 978-0553589269
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

KAY HOOPER is the award-winning author of Sleeping with Fear, Stealing Shadows, and more than ten other novels of suspense and intrigue along with dozens of other books. She lives in North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to standard, December 27, 2008

By 

Rene Nuss - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Sins (Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novels) (Hardcover)

I always love Kay Hooper novels. However, this wasn't up to her normal standard. There was no connection to Tessa nor the Chief. There was no connection for me the reader to the main characters. I read the book prior to this one and thought it was a much better read. It was very hard for me to get thru and I kept expecting for something to turn. Something to make me not want to put it down and it never happened.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment, January 23, 2009

By 

E. OMalley (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Sins (Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novels) (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of Hooper's Bishop series since the beginning, but this was definitely not up to her normal standards. I've never seen her use so much dialogue to explain how much everyone "didn't know." It seemed like every character had to tell some other character that the SCU "didn't know about this" and "didn't know about that." The villain also just annoyed me - I didn't feel he was very threatening, just a bit sickening. I normally get through one of these books in a day - but it took me a week because I was so tired of the exposition.

The little bit of romance involving Tessa and Sawyer didn't even show up until half way through the book...and neither one of them was developed enough to make me care about them. The thing is, I feel Sawyer could've been a really great character but Hooper never explored anything about him! Maybe she's tired of writing about sheriffs? And why did they need Cody for the showdown? There was no explanation of his power that I could see.

All in all, too much dialogue about not much of anything and too many questions left unresolved. I hope the third book is way more satisfying, and that Hollis finally finds someone for herself - maybe (SPOILER) Reese?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Two., December 23, 2008

By 

Detra Fitch "Always hunting good books." (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Sins (Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novels) (Hardcover)

The Church of Everlasting Sin is led by Reverend Adam Deacon Samuel (a.k.a. Father). The church has been in the Grace, North Carolina, area for about ten years. Most members live on the compound, a community in themselves. Few are seen outside the compound. The children do not attend public schools and more than a few of the kids inside the church know that something is not right. The girls have the most to fear.

The Haven organization knows that the church is somehow involved in the area's deaths. Bodies have been found in the river and X-rays showed that virtually every bone in the bodies had been pulverized, yet there were never any marks to indicate how this happened. Undercover agents have already given their lives to ferret out information and even helped a few of the children to escape. All that is really known is that at least one of Father's closest advisors is a strong psychic and no one can get a read on Father because he is like a null field.

Special Agent Noah Bishop of the FBI's Special Crimes Unit recruits Tessa Gray to play the role of a grieving widow and the new owner of property wanted by the church. Tessa, like most of the agents, has a unique gift or two. But if the SCU has to rely on her, an untried psychic agent, then they must be desperate indeed.

**** This is the second novel in the series. If you did not read the first book titled "Blood Dreams", you may want to consider doing so before beginning this story. However, the author has done a good job of updating new readers within the first few chapters. Some characters from the previous book return to play secondary roles in this one. Tessa and the police chief are the main focus this time around though. Be warned that there are some graphic scenes in this story. Readers learn about Father's early childhood. (Not a pretty picture, trust me on that.) Still, the author retains her own outstanding gift of being able to write about paranormal talents and make them seem as if they are business as normal for the characters. I was shocked to realize that as I read the story I was taking everything as common every day stuff instead of fiction. Well done! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.