Customer Reviews

Thin Blood

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

From the very start Thin Blood captures the interest of the reader and builds the levels of mystery and suspense right throughout the novel. It's a well-paced book and very well-written. The characters became real people and at times the tension oozed out of the book - there are a couple of sections I'd hate to read if I was home alone at night!

Did he do it? Did she do it? Every twist and turn of the plot puts a different character in centre stage. I wasn't totally surprised by the ending as I had wondered about that possibility once or twice throughout the book but there were so many clever red herrings that the obvious didn't become obvious until revealed at the end.

Thanks, Vicki, I'm really looking forward to your next book, Sleight Malice.

I was captivated by this book as soon as I read the title. As a mystery buff, I did something that I never do and that was NOT skip to the end to see whodidit! Being a myster writer as well, my guesswork is pretty accurate. However, Vicki weaves such an incredible story that I was not only entertained, but blown away by the twist ending. Praises to this new author and I look forward to reading more from her. Thin Blood

Grabs you from page one. I enjoy a good mystery, and this is outstanding. As baffled and curious as the protagonist, Jacinta Deller, I imagined all sorts of possible explanations for what happened. But I never guessed quite where it would finish up. The ending is every bit as shocking as the start. Edge of the seat all the way through, with characters I cared about. This is crime writing at its best.

Please forgive me, as I finished this book about 2 weeks ago & hadn't gotten around to writing the review yet, so I may be light on the synopsis. I've forgotten some first names & all the surnames, sorry! I'm lucky I remember mine :D

This book grabbed me and twisted me into a pretzel shape & then held me there, upside down, until the unexpected ending!

The story starts with Craig waking up with amnesia. He's covered in blood in his blood-soaked bedroom & wife Kirstie (sp?) is nowhere to be found. Instead of doing the sane thing, he tries to clean up the evidence, afraid that he did it. He's charged with murder, but two hung-juries later, he's free, if not exonerated, mainly because no body was ever found. The million-dollar life insurance policy is still unpaid & many consider it to be his motive for murder. But did he do it or not? Yes! No! I'm not telling! :D

Fast-forward a decade & he's recently married to his wife's sister, Narelle, with whom he'd had an affair (that he says ended long before the wife vanished). They live a life of quiet desperation, trying to hide from the world. But Jacinta, a freelance reporter, stumbles upon the story while researching missing persons and all heck breaks loose.

Her boyfriend, Brett, works with Narelle and Jacinta convinces him to invite them to dinner to pump them for information for a story. Jacinta has a bout of conscience at the dinner, but not before she wakes a sleeping tiger, Kirstie's best friend, who also happends to be a bit off her rocker. The bff (as I'll call her) has a fit when she finds out they're married and starts harrassing Craig and Narelle, among other things.

The police get involved again when bones are found in a National Forest & a cross is found nearby that may be Kirstie's. They have to wait for DNA reports (this is more real-to-life than most books, since DNA reports do take a long time) and in the meantime, more bodies start appearing and they're being linked to Craig!

The detective on the case, (Dan??) turns out to have a history with Jacinta, but she hadn't seen him for many years. There's an interesting subplot that revolves around the two of them.

All the twists and turns kept me guessing and they continue pretty much non-stop to the end. I had about 6 candidates for the murders, about the only people I didnt suspect were Jacinta, the cop and the victim, lol.

I've read the other reviews & I'm a bit confounded. It's hard to keep my attention, yet I had no trouble concentrating on this book at all. I like all types of mysteries, thrillers, suspense novels, with maybe the exception of cozies, hard-boiled being my favorite, but the book wasn't advertised as such, so I didn't have expectations.

This book had all the elements of an excellent mystery & I didn't find it too romantic (don't like romances). I happen to like to keep guessing and being subjected to a lot of plot twists. There were more than enough of them to satisfy, yet I had no problem keeping up with the story & my memory is going (obviously, lol). I didn't notice any lulls in the action at all. I finished the book in about a day and a half, which is about typical for me for a book this length (around 6k locations?).

The ending was excellent and definitely caught me unawares. I didn't guess it (I hate that!), so Thin Blood gets a passing grade for unpredictability.

I honestly don't know which book the detractors were reading. A star or two difference is really a subjective thing, but in *my* opinion, it earned the 4.5 I've given it. I took off half a star because the author used too many instances of Australian slang that I couldn't decipher. Most of it I could get from the context, but I think I need a dictionary from Oz before her next book, which I do plan to read.

I bought the book because I saw it on the Amazon Top 100 Kindle book list, money well-spent. I have no acquaintance with the author.

Fantastic. Great action and suspense. So many twists and turns I got dizzy. Love that spinning head feeling. Thanks Vicki and I look forward to reading more of your novels!!

Thin Blood is an excellent example of the crime writer's craft. It keeps the momentum up throughout, the characters are believable, the intro is punchy - overall first class. This is my favourite genre and I usually guess the endings way in advance but this keeps you wondering right up to the end - a last minute shocker. I would definitely recommend Thin Blood to any discerning crime fiction fans - a five star read all the way!

I had trouble getting into this story, part of it may be due to the unfamiliarity with some of the Australian terminology and prose, but it seemed a little slow to me. While the character history was well done, their current actions seemed contrived. However, the history between Jacinta and her brother was an interesting side story and well written. There were several good parts that were suspenseful, but the ending was hard to believe. I think the ten year time frame after the alleged crime was unrealistic; it would have been more believable at five years and under. Overall, the book was just ok for me, mainly because of the character's actions and the abrupt ending, but I think the author does show promise. On a side note, my lukewarm opinion of this book did not stop me from taking advantage of the promotional price on her new book, Sleight Malice, which is an excellent suspense novel that kept me on the edge of my seat!

This book caught me from the beginning and didn't let go. In my opinion, there were no lulls or parts that I needed to fight through to continue reading. I never suspected the ending and that says alot to me about what a really good book is all about. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Vicki Tyley skillfully grabs you by the throat (where your heart now is) and then drags you through a labyrinth of plot twists and turns. Great characterization helps you take murder seriously for a refreshing change, and brings the intensity up close and personal. Whether you enjoy the puzzle or the psychological thrill ride, you'll find plenty to explore. Not a word wasted and good to the last drop. I'm sure glad Tyley found a way to reach readers . . . now that she has us, I am not sure she will ever let us go.

What a wonderful book! I give it a glowing recommendation with no criticism. I loved the story itself, thought the characters were sufficiently developed, and felt there was no filler or fluff in the novel. It was just a really good read. The author is a very talented writer and has what it takes to make it to big time publishing. I can't wait for her next book. Take a chance on this book while at a low price. She deserves more than this per book. I don't think you will be disappointed.