I saw a good idea on Twitter a couple of weeks ago. Renee at It’s Book Talk started using the #ThrowbackThursday meme as a way to share books that are old favourites or have been waiting to be read for a long time. I saw the idea first on a blog I read regularly: Between the Lines – Books ‘N’ Stuff and thought it was great.
For several years I wrote a book blog and accumulated thoughts on a wealth of really good reads. So I decided to visit my old reviews and re-post my favourites here on 3sixtyfiveblog for #ThrowbackThursday.
I started with An Englishwoman’s Guide to the Cowboy by June Kearns and last week it was Kings and Queens by TerryTyler.
This week my book for #ThrowbackThursday is
Blood-Tied by Wendy Percival, a family history mystery.
Book description from Amazon
A thriller based on murder and family secrets.
“A desperate crime, kept secret for 60 years… but time has a way of exposing the truth…”
Esme Quentin is devastated when her sister Elizabeth is beaten unconscious, miles from her home. Two days later Esme discovers that Elizabeth has a secret past. Desperate for answers which the comatose Elizabeth cannot give, Esme enlists the help of her friend Lucy to search for the truth, unaware of the dangerous path she is treading. Together they unravel a tangle of bitterness, blackmail and dubious inheritance, and as the harrowing story is finally revealed, Esme stumbles upon evidence of a pitiful crime.
Realising too late the menace she has unwittingly unleashed, Esme is caught up in a terrifying ordeal. One that will not only test her courage and sanity but force her to confront her perception of birth and family.
My Review from Indie Bookworm
Two sisters are very close until one learns that the other has a secret past. Unable to get answers from Elizabeth because she is in a coma, Esme sets out on a search for the truth aided by her best friend Lucy.
What makes Blood-Tied really enjoyable are the special circumstances in which the novel is placed. Esme is a researcher with a passion for family history and Lucy works at the County Records Office and is a professional archivist.
Anyone who has an enthusiasm for family history can’t help but love this book. Meticulous detail combined with a cleverly constructed plot provides the reader with a completely fresh take on a traditional mystery tale.
Author Wendy Percival uses her knowledge of history, genealogy and research methods to give this novel a great feeling of authenticity in both the family story that is at the heart of the plot and Esme and Lucy’s efforts to unravel it.
A cast of well-drawn, interesting characters lead the reader through a complex story with its roots in the past and its consequences right up to the present day. A tangle of family relationships is revealed between siblings; parents and children; grandparents and off-spring; aunts, uncles and cousins; in-laws and out-laws; husbands and wives. Add to the mix nannies, housemaids, gardeners, police officers, architects, neighbours and friends: all helping to confuse and illuminate sometimes at the same time.
Highly readable with a clear, direct, no-nonsense style; good pace; interesting and unexpected twists and turns and a very satisfying ending: Blood-Tied is a really good read and highly recommended.
3 Sixty Five Blog 