Matter of Blood (Dog Faced Gods Trilogy 1) [Hardcover]

Sarah Pinborough (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dog Faced Gods Trilogy 1 | Publication Date: March 18, 2010

The recession that grips the world has left it exhausted. Crime is rising in every major city. Financial institutions across the world have collapsed, and most governments are now in debt to The Bank, a company created by the world's wealthiest men. But Detective Inspector Cass Jones has enough on his plate without worrying about the world at large. His marriage is crumbling, he's haunted by the deeds of his past, and he's got the high-profile shooting of two schoolboys to solve - not to mention tracking down a serial killer who calls himself the Man of Flies. Then Cass Jones' personal world is thrown into disarray when his brother shoots his own wife and child before committing suicide - leaving Cass implicated in their deaths. And when he starts seeing silent visions of his dead brother, it's time for the suspended DI to go on the hunt himself - only to discover that all three cases are linked ...As Jones is forced to examine his own family history, three questions keep reappearing: what disturbed his brother so badly in his final few weeks? Who are the shadowy people behind The Bank? And, most importantly, what do they want with DI Cass Jones?

Editorial Reviews

Review

A gnarly, involving and atmospheric mystery that explores some very dark territory. It's uncomfortably timely, exceptionally well-written and shows that whatever genre she's working in, Pinborough is yet another author who's well worth keeping an eye on." -- SFX Saxon Bullock "Crime-horror set in an all-too-credible near future. " -- Anthony Brown TOTAL SCI FI "A Matter of Blood is a cracking read, never less than thoroughly entertaining and genuinely creepy. " BOOK CHICK CITY "This is a realistic (sadly) and engrossing mystery, set in a future that's close enough to touch. A highly recommended new release, and an author to watch." PORNOKITSCH "The book really is enjoyable, and the conclusion is both satisfying and a great teaser for the next volume in the trilogy. With some excellent ideas running through it, A Matter of Blood is definitely worth checking out for fans of both horror and crime fiction, and those who just enjoy a great story." KAMVISION "A Matter of Blood is one of the more successful blends of police procedural, horror and fantasy I've encountered, with an engaging and damaged main character I'd be pleased to follow further. If there's any justice [this] will be her breakout book. LOCUS --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sarah Pinborough was born in 1972 in Buckinghamshire, and now lives just a few miles away after a childhood spent travelling all over the world (her father, now retired, was a diplomat). When she was eight she packed her trunk and left the Middle East for a ten-year stretch in boarding school. The memories provide her with much material for her horror and supernatural thrillers...

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Gollancz (March 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575089458
• ISBN-13: 978-0575089457
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully gritty, near future thriller, March 30, 2010

By 

J. Shurin "carnivore" (London) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Matter of Blood (Dog Faced Gods Trilogy 1) (Paperback)

Sarah Pinborough's debut, A Matter of Blood, is something very new and nasty. It combines the streetwise grime of a George Pelecanos thriller with the near future dystopian setting of Richard Morgan.

DI Cass Jones has a lot to deal with - a terrible marriage, a hideous past, a very strange (but successful) brother, a string of inopportune affairs and at least three nasty murder cases. Fortunately, he's a fantastic detective with a good network of useful friends. Unfortunately, he's attracted the attention of some of the world's real players. Starting from the first page, Jones is caught up in a whirlwind of action. Even when his cases are quiet, his own self-destructive tendencies keep things moving. Poor guy hasn't got a chance.

Perhaps the best compliment that could be made to Ms Pinborough's book is that you don't even notice that it isn't a proper mystery. Although science fiction and supernatural elements sneak in, they're done with such natural grace that it doesn't feel jarring. There's one small exception (when the author indulges in a tiny bit of world-building when describing the background of the all-powerful Bank), but aside from that one tiny lapse, she maintains complete and utter suspension of disbelief. This is a realistic (sadly) and engrossing mystery, set in a future that's close enough to touch.

The mystery itself is well-plotted with genuinely surprising twists and turns. The conclusion is also expertly done. Pinsborough deserves congratulations for resolving a tricky nest of mysteries while, at the same time, setting up the sequel.

A highly recommended new release, and an author to watch.

1.0 out of 5 stars After a promising start............what a let down:(((, January 28, 2012

By 

RT Twinem "freeloader" (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Matter of Blood. Sarah Pinborough (Dog Faced Gods Trilogy 1) (Paperback)

I did quite enjoy this book up to page 100...a look a policing in our fair capital post 2012, and what a very bleak picture was painted. At the heart of this story is Cassius Jones (Cass) who by page 100 I really hated, all his perceived problems were of his own making and his inability to keep his trousers on!! The element of fantasy/horror just did not work for me and added little or nothing to what was nothing more than a boring police procedural story...I was really glad when I had finished and will not read anything by this author in future.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Instant Favorite!, April 20, 2011

By 

Steven Diamond "Elitist Book Reviews" (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Matter of Blood. Sarah Pinborough (Dog Faced Gods Trilogy 1) (Paperback)

This review was published over at Elitist Book Reviews. Go give out site a visit for more reviews and interviews!

***The Review***

What was the last book you read that completely blew you away? It shouldn't be too hard to remember, especially given the astounding levels of mediocrity present in most genres. Being book reviewers--and this may shock you--we read a TON of books. Horror novels fall apart in the end. Thrillers can almost always be predicted. Dan Brown is, well, Dan Brown. Fantasy gets bogged down in the cliché. SF makes you feel like you need an advanced physics degree. Ever genre has its downfalls. We read so much that for a novel to really stand out, it has to be special.

Have we piqued your curiosity yet?

A MATTER OF BLOOD, by Sarah Pinborough, is special. A lot of horror and mystery with some paranormal and SF thrown in--it pushes all our buttons in all the right ways. The novel takes place in a near-future London...only this London isn't the vacationers dream as we know it. Corruption on all levels has very nearly brought the city to its knees, and it is in the midst of a mini-apocalypse of sorts...only no one seems to notice or really care. Our main PoV is Detective Inspector Cass Jones. He is investigating a high-profile, public shooting of two boys when he is assigned an additional case dealing with a serial killer. Things are "calm" at this point in the novel, and soon go completely off-the-scale crazy.

The very first thing that jumps out in A MATTER OF BLOOD is Cass Jones. He has serious issues. Guilt. Attitude. Drug addiction. Family problems. He doesn't try to be witty. His life sucks too much to even attempt it. But he is also extremely good at his job. His skill helps the reader initially overcome the "dirt-bag" vibe he exudes early in the novel. Don't worry, by the end of the novel you'll love Cass in spite of his problems...or perhaps because of them. We wouldn't even really call Cass an antihero. Though that is all the rage, Cass Jones never wears that particular hat. The attraction to this particular Inspector is that he comes across as a seriously flawed, yet hard working guy. That "human" aspect is the key.

Pinborough's description in this novel is awesome. From describing the dingy streets of London, to the macabre crime-scenes, to the way the whole police business now works is all top-notch. Hazy flashbacks come at the perfect time. It all sets the ambiance and the mood just right. There is a palpable Raymond Chandler, noir/hardboiled feel to it all. That alone should be enough to get you salivating.

The pacing in A MATTER OF BLOOD is fantastic. Right when you start to worry that things are slowing down too much, Pinborough twists the story a little more through whatever means she feels necessary. She doesn't ever seem to be afraid to genre-mix, and she never pulls punches. Ever.

Perhaps the best descriptor we can give is that A MATTER OF BLOOD is everything we hoped R. Scott Bakker's thrillers would be. Where his thrillers have ultimately fallen completely flat in our opinion, Pinborough's novel succeeds and excels in every way.

Now like we said, the endings of 90% of all Horror novels unravel and completely ruin the rest of the novel. Not so in this case. The ending to A MATTER OF BLOOD made it better. It was completely perfect, awesome and shocking. When everything starts coming together, and the Cass puts the pieces together, it is SOOOOOO GOOD. We couldn't turn the pages quick enough. While a bit of it was kinda predictable, it was the sinister and horrific tiny twists that made it frakking awesome.

Sarah Pinborough's A MATTER OF BLOOD is horrific and gripping. It immediately vaults into our top novels not just in the Horror genre, but in any genre. It perfectly encapsulates all the great qualities of Crime Fiction, Horror and Urban Fantasy with a little SF thrown in for kicks. EVERYONE should read this novel.

Currently A MATTER OF BLOOD is only available in the UK, though Sarah hinted at a US release through Tor later this year. We don't care if you import it now or wait for the US release. We've already bought the UK edition, and we'll buy copies of the US version too. Yeah, for us it was THAT GOOD. Her second novel has just been released in the UK, and we will probably put our lives completely on hold to read it.

Recommended Age: 18+
Language: Gritty Crime/Horror. Tons of swearing, but it never actually feels overused somehow.
Violence: Our good buddy James Barclay (we owe you one, James) pointed us in Sarah's direction with the promise of awesomely described violence. He's never led us astray before, and he didn't this time. Crazy, crazy stuff.
Sex: Talked about very, very openly and often, but never actually shown in explicit detail.