Customer Reviews

By Blood Written

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Make up your own superlatives. This most gifted of the "New Southern Writers," if such a category exists, literally explodes onto the hard-cover novel scene. Steven Womack is so deft, so solidly talented, so absolutely riveting a writer that it's virtually impossible for the reader, once past the first few chapter, to abandon the book for any less than a life-threatening reason. Okay, so maybe that's a little overboard. Mystery fans, however, might do well to focus on the silly puzzle of why Severn House, the book's clearly inept British publishers, have failed so miserable in distributing and publicizing this obvious top-of-the lists nascent best-seller. "By Blood Written," to any intelligent bookseller, is a goldmine on paper. You might pause in reading it, you might finish it, but you cannot forget it.

I have read all of Steve Womack's books and this, by far, is the best one yet! I sat down and started to read the book and was able to read the first four chapters before I had to put the book down. The next day I picked the book up again and could NOT stop reading until I was completely done. The story is riveting, the writing superb. John Grisham, look out!

Meet a serial killer, the Alphabet Man. Michael Schiftmann's charismatic, good in bed, and he's formed his real-life violence into the riveting plots of his bestselling mystery series. After years of struggle and poverty, he's signing a huge contract and proposing to the woman who's believed in him from the start.

Now he has a problem. After a particularly brutal double murder in Nashville, the FBI has a link the the Alphabet Man. Michael Schiftmann's success will soon face the ultimate test. After the not-for-the-squeamish first couple of chapters, this turns into a well-paced mystery. When and how will Schiftmann be caught? Will they be able to put him away for good?

Steven Womack may not tread entirely new ground here, but he does twist and turn the story in unexpected ways. He mixes Thomas Harris and John Grisham, creating psychological and legal twists. Although he fails to answer some of the questions of Schiftmann's childhood, Womack gives us a memorable character to hate. Schiftmann's fiancee, on the other hand, is a woman we can relate to. She loves this talented man. Could the accusations be true?

If you're like me, you'll race through this story. Steven Womack, like his fictional character, has written a number of well-received, award-winning mysteries. And yet, he's never had the financial success to match the critical acclaim. This may in fact be the largest mystery here: Why isn't this guy on the bestseller lists? Let's hope this novel solves the mystery by drawing in the large group of fans he deserves.

Nashville City Paper BookClub Column June 16, 2005
Saralee says

After way too much time, popular mystery writer and Nashvillian Steven Womack is back with another and possibly his best book. For those of you who have not met Womack, you have missed out on one of our great local treasures. He is one of the best fiction writers in America today. He is funny, a great speaker and popular with reading groups worldwide. He has already authored two mystery series and has been given awards for both.

In 1990, his first novel, Murphy's Fault (St. Martin's) was selected by The New York Times as a "Notable Book" and featured Jack Lynch. Then, in 1994, Womack was awarded the Edgar Award for Dead Folks' Blues (Ballantine). This was the first of the five books that featured the ever popular Harry Denton. The Edgar Award is a big deal and given by the Mystery Writers of America "for achievement in the mystery field."

Womack's books have been very popular in the Tennessee because they feature local landmarks and Denton is a newsman and a private investigator who also repossesses cars. Womack fans, like Larry and I, have been clamoring for another book by this local treasure, and the wait was worth it.

Warning - do not start By Blood Written unless you have the time to finish it. You will not be able to put this book down. It is so first-rate that you will want to read it in one sitting.

At the beginning of By Blood Written, a terrible double murder has occurred on Church Street in Nashville. Is this the work of a serial murderer? Meanwhile, in New York, best selling crime writer Michael Schiftmann is celebrating the success of his latest book with his attractive literary agent Taylor Robinson. Schiftmann and Robinson have had a strictly professional relationship, but that is about to change.

Womack does an outstanding job of telling two different stories, the story of a successful author in New York and the steps of tracking a killer in Nashville.

It is up to FBI agent Hank Powell and local Nashville police detective Maria Chavez to find the killer. Be prepared to laugh. Womack pokes fun at Nashville drivers and delights us with characters that are composites of his favorite locals. I want to know more about who Womack based my favorite character, Priscilla Janovich, upon and if she be featured in the next Womack series.

Larry's language

Most crime novels feature handsome athletic detectives or brainy beautiful characters that solve the mystery or at least attract and sustain our interests. Some of the most successful authors vary that formula by using quirky or unusual persons to move the story along. Few authors dare what Womack has done in By Blood Written where he assembles a multiple cast of characters in Nashville, New York and at the FBI headquarters and makes the suspect the main character in this book.

Of course, it is fun to read another Womack novel set in Nashville with familiar place names, streets (including Charlotte Pike where Womack has the police officer turning the wrong direction to get to the Mapco), bookstores, and massage parlors. It is even more fun to figure out whether Womack based some of the Nashville police officers and lawyers on real people that all of us know.

Even better, this book is more than a story about criminal acts. The characters are fully realized and memorable, while the tone and feeling of the book is both frightening and informative as Womack gets the little things right.

Womack is at his best in describing what a retired English Metro Nashville teacher does (don't ask), how a police murder squad really functions (with gallons of coffee, little sleep and warped humor), how sociopaths are made not born (with charm and intelligence, lack of moral compass, too much cruelty, too much desire to hurt others, too little caring for others, plus pure evil), how to conduct a successful author signing (humor plus a good book), and how successful authors are poorly rewarded (books quickly out of print, publishers who do not promote or care about their authors, and critical acclaim that does not translate into contracts or sales).

Make no mistake, however, this is a horrific, bloody, dark, graphic and at times gross story.

Steven Womack is one of the best authors I have ever read. His books have won many awards. He wrote the Harry Denton series about a PI and also the Jack Lynch series about a PR guy. By Blood Written is his best. It is a page turner. Once you start reading you will not put it down until you have completed the book.

It is about a bestseller crime writer who murders and then writes fictitious accounts of them. The problem is you will like the writer/murder. It is so well written that I had a nightmare about the writer.

I highly recommend this book and any book Steven Womack writes.

Sergeant Hinton "Hint", Hamilton County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Department, Homicide Squad, knows this killer's MO already. So when a detective informs Hint that one of the victims at a crime scene is missing a couple of body parts, Hint knew where they could be found. Hint simply phones FBI Agent Hank Powell, tells him that a couple more bodies have been found, and for him to come up to Nashville immediately.

Author Michael Schiftmann was tired of his books never hitting NY bestselling list. So he decides to give his stories a more realistic touch. To accomplish this, Michael becomes a serial killer. With this experience, Michael can realistically write out the violent scenes within his novels. Of course, the public loves it and Michael begins hitting those bestselling lists.

Michael and his literary agent, Taylor Robinson, fall in love and wedding bells can be heard. But an FBI agent and a local Nashville detective have somehow found a link. Michael may have to kill Taylor in order to keep his dark secrets.

***** Author Steven Womack has written what I like to call a "Woo Woo!" From the first page until the last, this story kept my attention riveted. I simply could not stop reading. I only stopped reading so I could order pizza for the family; I did not want to take time out for cooking. Yes, this story is that fascinating. If you enjoy thrillers, but do not mind some graphic details, this book is more than worth your time and money to pick up. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

If I had to nominate a book for "Worst of 2005", this would be my nomination. I cannot say one positive thing about it.
A waste of time, money and trees. Pure schlock.