Customer Reviews

Blood: A Susan Shader Novel (Susan Shader Novels)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joseph Glass has mastered control of the human endocrine system with "Blood: A Susan Shader Novel". Displaying perfect control, he deftly manipulates your adrenal gland with just the right amount of reserve...slowly building his plot with unexpected twists and excellent characterization. He knows just when to push the button to make you jump, and when to withhold to increase the dramatic tension. A follow-up to "Eyes", his first novel, this second effort far surpasses the first.

Susan Shader returns in "Blood..." as the psychologist with an added gift...second sight. But this "gift" is more of a curse than a blessing for her. Although it helped to save her son in the first novel, it also was the reason several innocent people died. Clairvoyance, after all, is not an exact science. Ambiguous in its visions, it can be interpreted in many ways...and Shader knows that she must use it with extreme caution. She has learned to downplay it whenever possible and cringe when forced to rely on it for help. Unfortunately, a killer as surfaced in Chicago and is draining blood from his victims...the police confounded by a lack of usable information, forcing them to turn to Shader once again for help. Haunted by errors she made previously, she approaches this most recent case with definite trepidation and dismay...but also with a bit more determination to do right. Personal guilt is her most ferocious detractor...not to mention the numerous officials who would rather see her banished to some far corner of the earth before they would admit that her second sight even exists. It's this tension upon which Glass builds his story...effectively and powerfully. Giving Shader such derailing emotions, he creates a credible foundation on which his characters play out their drama.

Although he follows nearly the identical format here as he did in his first book, Glass manages this time to fine tune it and create a hugely complex plot and a much more satisfying climax. His plot twists are more surprising, his characterization more detailed, and his story much more engrossing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes being grabbed by their lapels and hurled into a great read. Otherwise, I think the Learning Channel is showing a rerun of the mating habits of South African bees.

Susan Shader is a heroine of the highest calibre. Introduced to us in "Eyes," she is a psychiatrist who possesses a gift that is the epitome of "mixed blessing." She is psychic; however, clairvoyance is not a stable talent, and in "Eyes," the deaths of innocents rested on her visions being misinterpreted.

Joseph Glass (a nom de plume for an otherwise bestselling author who I wish I could uncover) writes an excellent thriller with "Blood," though it does hinge on having read "Eyes" first (many of the characters and plot devices wouldn't make as much sense without the first book). The villainous serial killer in this book drains his victims of blood. When the police are left with nothing more than the exsanguination to go upon, once again Susan is brought in with her psychicatric - and psychic - expertise.

Far more gorey than "Eyes," (to the point at which I was somewhat nauseated once or twice), "Blood" nevertheless jacks up the tension a notch, and once more challenges both reader and the characters within the book. Susan's intelligence, wit, and training, as well as her gift, are all put to task in this thriller. The supporting characters of David Gold (Susan's police friend) and Susan's son Michael also get valuable time at the forefront, and are developing into very rich characters.

If you enjoy thrillers of any kind, or if, in specific, you enjoy thrillers or mysteries with a psychic touch, "Blood" is phenomenal. Just be prepared for more than average amounts of gore, and try to catch a copy of "Eyes," first.

'Nathan

This is certainly a graphic novel, and not for those with weak stomachs. With that aside, this second entry in the Susan Shader series (And I hope there are more to come!) is an excellent thriller, featuring the very interesting Susan Shader, and also her sidekick, David Gold, who is also an integral part of this series.
This time we have two despicable killers, one that Shader thinks she's helped put away (early in the book), and then a serial killer called The Undertaker, who is as sick and bloody as they get.
The book has several unsettling scenes, and you're never quite sure who the Undertaker is. The characters of Wendy Breckinridge and Tony Garza, as well as Scott Carpenter, are also great ones, although the fate of one of them is truly sad, and one has to wonder why Shader allowed it to happen...but it's realistic enough, and brings the book to a hair-raising close.
A brilliant read.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is a great book. Better than the first one. (EYES) The characters are interesting and exciting. The plot moves and has plenty of surprises. My only question: Who is this guy?

I couldn't put the novel Blood down and read it in one day! it was exciting, very gruesome at times but one of the best novels I have read in a long time. I would highly recommond it

Excellent Book!! Both Eyes and Blood were hard to put down. I know Joseph Glass is a pseudonym for another author and I would love to read all of his/her books. I'm a big fan of serial killer type novels and this one ranks at the top.

Chicago police Detective David Gold turns to psychiatrist Susan Shader for help with his latest case. Susan used her psychic gifts to assist the police in solving a previous homicide (see EYES), but worries about her elementary school age child.

David describes the MO of the Undertaker as that of an avenging devil. Apparently the serial killer targets abortion patients. He cuts their extremities in the same way at the same spot. He guts their stomachs carving a reversed crucifix. Finally, he adds blood to his patterns. Unable to resist the case, Susan leads the police down one blind alley after another while the killer does one murder after another with no end in sight.

BLOOD is an exciting psychological thriller filled with plenty of gore. The story line is very exciting, fast-paced, and loaded with an allegorical glimpse at abortion without preaching either position. When Susan is on the investigation or even with her son, she is the complete package who along with the murderer propels the thriller into a chilling climax. However, when she discusses her self-doubt, her soliloquies slow down the plot. Still, the BLOOD drenched novel lives up to its name as a taut thriller overflowing with hemoglobin.

Harriet Klausner

In 1996 David Rosenthal, then the head of Villard, bought Joseph Glass's first Susan Shader novel, EYES, from Deborah Schneider. Rosenthal loved the book, had his designers create a magnificent cover, and planned significant promotion for it. But before the book could be published Rosenthal left Villard for Simon & Schuster. Brian deFiore came in as head of Villard and, considering Glass a Rosenthal author, refused all promotion of EYES.

Meanwhile Rosenthal, encountering colleagues at S&S who had bad blood for Glass and his wife based on books published years earlier, stopped speaking to Glass or answering Glass's e-mails. He bought BLOOD and published the book without even telling Glass. When Glass politely asked Rosenthal to renounce his option on future Glass novels, Rosenthal retaliated by canceling the paperback of BLOOD. So, there is no paperback of BLOOD.

Meanwhile Glass's agent, Deborah Schneider, was making a major deal with S&S for thriller author Jeffery Deaver. So much for loyalty.

Glass went on to write a political thriller which was sold in 2001 for $750,000 in world rights.

I hear that Glass is now writing literary novels and has given up Susan Shader.

The authors real name is "Joseph Liberston" The book says he is a New York times best selling author? That name rings know bells with me.

I could not wait to read this novel as I enjoyed the first in the series("EYES") so very much. However, I did not enjoy this one quite as much. I really like the protaganist, Dr. Susan Shader, but this novel was not as deeply moving. It was gruesome and disturbing, which I can handle, as one of my most favorite series is the Kay Scarpetta novels, but it felt a bit ugly. It was almost at times too focused on the shocking sickness of this individual. Dr. Shader rambles on a bit with a lot of psychobabble and I found myself skimming... I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seemed to lack the depth and sensitivity the first one had. Let's put it this way: I remember the first one clearly and I read it long before this one and this one is already getting fuzzy.