Customer Reviews

Matters Of The Blood

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Keira is not your normal woman; she has secrets and a big problem, she is about to change. No, we are not talking about the normal change of life that women experience, for Keira this change involves power. Keira is part of a clan, one that is full of supernatural powers, different powers.

Some Clairvoyant, some healers, some shape-changers, but whatever it maybe, it was Keira's time to find out her gift.Keira lives in the small town of Rio Seco in Texas near her cousin Marty. Marty does not have the family 'gift,' and is but a mere human outcast by the clan, but one entrusted into Keira's keeping until his mortal life is over.

The story begins as animals turn up dead at a new resort called "The Wild Moon;" their heads cut off and Keira fears that it is not a natural hunter who is doing the killing, but one who works in the supernatural as she does. It only worsens when Marty, who held the job of the local undertaker, turns up dead as well; his blood drained completely from his body. Gruesome!

To complicate matters Keira's ex-boyfriend and now Sheriff is back in town to investigate the case and his feelings are still running deep for Keira. A relationship that could never continue, nor should it have ever begun.

All of a sudden Keira's way too complicated life gets worse when she finds out the owner of the Wild Moon is none other than Adam Walker, a heartthrob of Keira's from years ago.

Adam has secrets as well; he is not what he appears to be, nor are the guests that are flooding into his new resort. I loved the way the author built on the suspense concerning these mystery guests in this novel; it gave me a chill. Just what were 90% of the people in Rio Seco, could you even call them human? Creepy!

I really enjoyed this book. Our main character Keira is an extremely likeable woman, her spunk and strong nature add just the right amount of zest to the story. The author does a suburb job in his description of each character that is introduced, from the obnoxious cousin Marty, to the love sick Sheriff, Keira's adorable brother Tucker, and best friend Bea. Not to forget the mysterious Adam Walker and the brother/ sister storekeepers that play such an important role in the conclusion of the read. All of them gave just the right slice of intrigue and their different personalities brought freshness to this work.

Just what or who was killing the animals and who killed cousin Marty? What will Keira's final 'gift' of supernatural power be and is there a future for her and the mysterious Adam Walker?

The questions are many, guiding you from page to page as you hungrily seek the answers.

Mystery, suspense, romance and supernatural all cuddled together in on outstanding read. A sure winner. Recommended.

Shirley Johnson

Loved this book. I'm fairly new to the supernatural thriller genre, but now I'm hooked. The writing is fast-paced and terrific, and Ms. Lima does a terrific job of weaving several stories into one.

The leading lady is gutsy, interesting, and someone I'd like to know. And I'm left wanting to know more about her shape-shifting world!

Other reviewers have already summarized the plot of this novel, so I'm going to concentrate instead on "feel" and texture. Both are excellent --- and very convincing.

My own experience of horror fiction is pretty well limited to the big guns: Stephen King and Anne Rice. A friend turned me on to Maria Lima's "Matters of the Blood," which is different, and more imaginative, than anything I've read by those mainstream authors.

Imagine a society made up not of vampires, or the undead, or werewolves --- but of a whole range of supernatural folks (for lack of a better word). This multiethnic, extranormal, society has just as many of its own special tensions, prejudices, fears, and jelaousies as anyplace you've ever lived, gentle reader.

The normal pressures of being human are complicated by the ABnormal pressures of NOT being so, by immortality, by the suspicicions and fears of the larger human society on all sides, and by the fact that, well . . . there are good folks and bad ones, whoever you are and wherever you go.

And if things weren't complicated enough already, there's the conumdrum of Marty, beloved half-brother of our protagonist Kiera. "Some mutation caused by who-knew-what made him powerless and human, a reverse X-man." Needless to say, this mere humanity makes him mortal and vulnerable --- and thus a constant concern to his loving and protective sister.

Complementing this rich stew of extranormal society, and helping bring it even more to life, is the author's strong sense of place. I've never traveled to the Texas hill country, but after finishing "Matters of the Blood," I'm ready to love it almost much as Kiera, our protagonist, does. From the pickup trucks on lonely roads to the small towns to the landscape (and the small local deer that keep turning up dead in it, drained of their blood), the town of Rio Seco and its sparsely-populated surroundings come alive in a way that helps propel the novel forward.

I look forward to author Maria Y. Lima's next walk into the twilight of our imaginings.

BROOKE STAUFFER

Keira Kelly is a necromancer on hiatus, relaxing and grounding herself in the town where she grew up: Rio Seco, Texas. She returns to her old stomping ground just in time to watch her own family pack up and head for Canada, so she's all alone in Rio Seco with her rejected mortician cousin, Marty. Marty had the unfortunate fate of being born a completely and utterly average human being, so his supernatural family disowns him and leaves Keira to watch over him.

When Marty calls Keira one afternoon in a panic, heralding a family emergency, Keira isn't too surprised and expects he's just in need of money, as usual. She isn't in too much of a rush to run to his aid. However, the truth is far more dire than his typical shortage of funds and Marty's murdered corpse is soon discovered, completely drained of blood and left to rot on his own embalming table. Keira is concerned that under her guard, Marty might have managed to involve himself in some questionable dealings that resulted in his death. When she discovers the tell-tale fang marks on her cousin's neck, she realizes the crime involves much more than some thug's revenge.

The investigation that ensues delivers Keira into dangerous territory, so it's a good thing she's immortal. In addition, she's got two suitors to deal with: an old flame who's conveniently returned to town as the sheriff, and a dark and handsome acquaintance who'd like to advance their friendship. As she unravels the mystery surrounding her cousin's death, she's also going through "the Change," meaning her body is acclimating itself to the supernatural talents she'll eventually excel at. With all this distraction, finding her cousin's killer is not going to be an easy task.

Nothing is black and white in Maria Lima's world, and each character has a multifaceted past with a great deal of complexity. The depth of her characters helps perpetuate the mystery, as the reader can never quite tell whose secrets are dark enough to land them as the criminal. It's hauntingly realistic for paranormal fiction.

Matters of the Blood is filled with plot twists and artful surprises. Lima builds incredible suspense and allows the reader to savor each revelation. The story is paced well, with fully developed characters and a host of supernatural beings. It's escapism at its best. There are a few chapters at the end, previewing the second book in the series, Blood Bargain, and it appears the next book will have more romance to it. Matters of the Blood focuses mostly on the mystery. Either way, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next release.

"Matters Of The Blood" starts off excellently. Within 3 pages I was hooked, the narrator's voice drawing me in to her story with her brilliant turn of phrase. This book is written in the first person so we see the story from Keira Kelly's eyes... and they're not quite human eyes. Keira is 36 and returned two years ago to the small Texas town where she grew up as part of a very unusual family. The rest of the family are living in Canada, except for Keira's human cousin, Marty. As the book starts we discover that Marty is asking Keira for help as he's in trouble, Keira is suffering from troubling dreams, and the Change is happening to her early... 20 years too early. When the Change is complete she will discover what kind of supernatural being she will be (shapeshifter, necromancer, psychic etc) but at the moment she's randomly experiencing strange dreams and flashbacks as the Change begins. And some of the dreams are troubling with blood, hunting and death - and the death often seems to be happening to Marty.

Keira's past intrudes in her present when her former lover returns as Sheriff and wants to rekindle something, especially as Adam Walker, a man she knew in London eight years before, also arrives on the scene. When Marty is killed Keira tries to discover why and who did it - there are some significant marks of the supernatural about the death, something that the Sheriff can't know about. Keira begins to discover that the new resort in town, Wild Moon, might have some rather unhealthy people staying there and that some of her old friends, holocaust survivors, try to warn her about her safety. Keira discovers that she's not the only supernatural being in her town, and not just because her 1200 year old brother has arrived to take care of her during the Change.

Although partly a romance there isn't a great consummation in this story, the romantic plot is subordinate to the main murder mystery. There are a number of people who might be involved in Marty's murder and for their own reasons, both supernatural and human. Keira has to deal with the strange effects of her Change, with her guilt about Marty's death and with the realisation that people around her are not all they seem.

This was an excellent book, readable and gripping with varied characters, an interesting plot and a great setting in small-town Texas. The narraator's voice has an interesting blend of emotion and humour and she makes some great side-comments as you move through the story. I understand that this book is the first of a series and I look forward very much to the future episodes.

[...]

If you are a Nora Roberts fan, this book will definitely appeal to you. In other words, this is a book for the avid romance novel reader but not the typical fantasy / horror fan.

This book is, 50% romance novel (complete with hunky long-haired guys and bodice ripping), 25% mystery and 25% fantastic plot details that only serve as a backdrop for the romance and mystery portions of the story.

What is better than a romance scene? In the author's estimation,one that involves two great looking, supernatural beings with passions to match.

If you are looking for a good sci-fi fantasy story, keep looking. The vampires are the prototypical Ann Rice kind, everyone is powerful and good looking not to mention old and gothic. In this novel, they serve more as super human eye candy than anything else. The romance novel parts, more than any other part of the plot, stay true to the genre. The mystery? Well, it goes beyond plot twists to the eye ball rolling world of the convenient wrap up ending complete with villans who appear out of nowhere.

If you like this book, you will be a fan of the television version that is not based on this but is very similar, "Kindred". Search for it on YouTube.

My main complaint is that the plot leaves very much to be desired, the author herself describes the unbelievable ending sequences as "this is something like a bad b movie plot", and those are the main character's words, not mine!

The most redeeming qualities of the characters is this isn't your typical super vampire meets beautiful girl story. This time the novelist has created a female character that has the potential to be more powerful than the supernatural hunk himself.

Rio Seco, Texas isn't your average small town and Keira Kelly isn't your average small-town girl. She born into a family of necromancers and at thirty-seven, has not yet come into her powers. Tired of her controlling family, Keira opts to stay in Texas when the family migrates to Canada, even though it means keeping an eye on her annoying human cousin Marty and his mortuary business.

Keira relishes her independence for two years before strange things start happening in Texas Hill Country. Horribly mutilated animals start appearing after a mysterious stranger purchases Wild Moon, a ranch outside of town, and converts it to an exclusive inn. When Marty is found dead on his embalming table with bite marks in his neck, Keira can't explain her true suspicious to the county sheriff because he knows nothing of the supernatural. It's up to Keira to figure out the cause of the recent spate of deaths while fighting off the advances of the sheriff, a former fling. If that wasn't enough, Keira has to deal with an onslaught of vivid and disturbing nightmares, which she recognizes as the first symptom of "the change," her supernatural coming-of-age.

Matters of the Blood starts out with a bang -- "I know the dead and the dead know me" is an intriguing first line if there ever was one -- and maintains a strong pace throughout. The novel has mystery, intrigue, and a number of unexpected twists. There is also plenty of sexual tension. Beyond a satisfying storyline, the novel is buoyed by a strong cast of supporting characters. They include Keira's brother Tucker, a sexy bisexual hellhound; Beatriz Ruiz, Keira's spunky best friend who owns the local café; Adam Walker, an enigmatic love interest; and Boris and Greta Nagy, a pair of Holocaust survivors; as well as a variety of vampires and other paranormals.

One of the things that makes this book stand out is how Lima leaves room for a sequel while still tying things up nicely at the end. Unlike some other paranormal series, this one seems to have been conceived with intent. While the mystery is resolved, the core story remains unfinished. Additionally there are plenty of interesting characters that deserve attention and a whole cast of family members at which readers have only had a peek.

My one complaint about the book is that, especially in the beginning, I really felt like I was grasping at thin air when it came to understanding Keira and her back-story. Upon reflection, however, I've determined that my initial response was a result of the fact that Lima was trying to create in Keira a more full-bodied character that could unfold in future books (something of which I wholeheartedly approve). In short, some readers (like me) will be disoriented at the onset, but if they persevere they will find Matters of the Blood compulsively readable and close its covers hoping for a sequel.

Matters of the Blood is Lima's first novel, although her short story "The Butcher Didn't Do It," which appeared in Chesapeake Crimes, was nominated for an Agatha Award.

Keira Kelly stayed in Rio Seco, a small town in the Texas Hill Country, when her family uprooted themselves and moved north. To stay she had to agree to two conditions: 1) keep an eye on her cousin Marty, town mortician and family flake, and 2) notify the family when she started the change. (Did I forget to mention that Keira's family isn't quite human?) Well, she'd managed to keep Marty solvent and mostly out of trouble but she wasn't about to tell the family about her horrific nightmares and flashes of weirdness. But then that didn't factor in Marty waking her at dawn demanding she come talk with him, refusing to talk on the phone or give details. Who could blame Keira for taking her time and finding him gone when she got there? Well, guilt doesn't play fair and Keira's steeped in it when Marty turns up dead on his own embalming table drained of blood.

Maria Lima gives us a convoluted mystery with strong characters, a very different background in the Texas Hill Country, and some interesting twists on the old vampire, were/shapeshifter tropes. The beginning is a bit slow but you hardly notice as Lima introduces you to the characters that populate Rio Seco. It's a small town with no real claim to fame except as a hunting area for the rich. Wild Moon Ranch has just been built but it's using outside labor and isn't spending much money locally which is causing some resentment. The only people making money from the ranch are Greta and Boris Nagy (an elderly couple that run the gas station and general store). Boris and Greta are concentration camp survivors and something about Wild Moon Ranch has Boris on edge. Then the new sheriff turns out to be Keira's high school boyfriend, unhappily married, returned to town, and being a bit too friendly towards Keira.

We learn that Keira's family has powers, some members are shapeshifters, some are clairvoyant, some have other powers not specified in this story. Marty unfortunately was totally, mortally, human and an embarrassment and a trial to the rest of the family. No one will shed tears over his death and most will see it as a relief. But not Keira; Marty was her responsibility and, while annoying, he didn't deserve to die.

As the story progresses links among the towns people and with Keira either pull tight or unwind giving us glimpses of the past and where that past might impinge on the future. This is an area that has been set up for far more than this one story. While this mystery is satisfying, you can't help wondering if we'll met Keira again now that she's looking at the world around her rather than hiding in her home.

As a resident of Texas Hill Country, this was one of the reasons I choose this book to read. Of course, being a paranormal series had a lot to do with it too. Now, I want to read more! I hope she is a very faster writer because she has gone on my favorite author list.

Or it seemed to be to Keira Kelly. She's 37 and going through the Change. That I seems early until you consider that the metamorphosis I am referring to as more like adolescence and coming into her own supernatural powers.

You see, Keira Kelly comes from a long line of near-immortals. Her own job in the family is what I'd call a 'crosser'. When her long-lived kin get tired 'Keira Kevorkian' (as she describes herself) helps them die through various means.

As the story opens, Keira's only duty is to see to her outcast full-human cousin, Marty Nelson, the undertaker in Rio Seco--an imaginary town in Hill Country, TX. The situation changes rapidly, as mutilated deer completely drained of blood are discovered and Keira begins to have nightmares that could be foretellings of both the future and an indication she's going to Change.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel's concept, heroine, and setting. This is an excellent effort for a first novel and is definitely worthy of a read to set yourself up for the next books in the series.

I did have a couple of issues with the plot: I'm not entirely sure whether Ms. Lima wasn't fully sure of her world-building in Keira's past or she was merely trying to obscure it for future exposition; however, her concept of a family with mixed gifts that develop at maturity was initially somewhat confusing.

Also, what happened to the copy editors? There were several spots in the book where an editor should have caught simple errors.

Further, while I realize this was not a procedural, I believe police procedure was strongly violated by the Sheriff, who allowed the family unfettered access to a corpse, murder scene, etc. Yes, investigations don't happen quite the same in rural Texas, but some of this really is fairly standard procedure even if the girl is your ex-lover.

Finally, Ms. Lima stirred a lot of ingredients into her fictional pot that were interesting and enriching, but she made a common first novel mistake of adding too much interest without fully developing what she's already set out.

Definitely hope to be hearing more from Ms. Lima. This first effort is very well-written and very much worth the time.