Vermont Governor (Andrew Kane) is blackmailed into saving his brother (Tyler), who is being framed for murder.

Even though Governor Kane ran and won his campaign by speaking out against corruption in the government, he is now being forced to take sides. Will he choose his reputation and career, or will he risk it all to save Tyler?

I'm not a huge Mystery fan, but this one. This one intrigued me. Why, you ask? Because Tyler tugged at my heartstrings. Even though Tyler is a 29 year old man, he was injured in a fall as a child and now has the mental capacity of an 11 year old boy. And, as if that weren't enough, he also is being framed for murder. A murder he definitely didn't commit. Who was framing him and why? How far will Governor Kane and his siblings, Henry and Molly, go to save their sibling from evil? Read this well-written, dark and twisty mystery to find out!

I would recommend A Blood Thing for fans of the TV shows, Homeland and Revenge!

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: Vermont

Well, that was good! James Hankins has written a fantastic thriller, that had me hanging off every page..

How far would you go to save your family? Govenor Andrew Kane is handed a phone and told to hold onto it because he would need it after the arrest. Then his younger brother Tyler is arrested for murder. The caller admits to to framing Tyler and says he will be ok if Andrew does just one small thing, and then another and another. There are so many twist in the story it makes you want to keep reading.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions

I greatly enjoyed the dispassionate cunning of the antagonist in this novel. Even when all the main characters were incredibly likeable, it was a bit of a nasty thrill to see them knocked down peg after peg so expertly. The conclusion was satisfying without being too neat. Overall, a great book.

A Blood Thing is the first book I’ve read by James Hankins. Immediately following this review, I am putting every single other book of his on my want to read shelf. I absolutely love this book. It has everything I love in a good suspense - murder/blood, edge of your seat action, intrigue, and plot twists galore. I also loved the main villain and the workings of his brain, and some of the protagonists weren’t shiny, unblemished heroes. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys suspense.

From the bestselling author of The Inside Dark, The Prettiest One, and Shady Cross —comes his most influential book yet, A BLOOD THING. A riveting emotional and character-driven political suspense thriller which tests the limits of how far a person will go to protect his family and those he loves.

Meet the Kane family.

Vermont Governor Andrew Kane — the youngest person to be elected governor in Vermont’s history—age thirty-two. His father and grandfather were respected senators and a great-grandfather, a distinguished federal judge. Husband, Brother, Father.

Lieutenant Henry Kane —Internal Affairs. Brother of Governor, Andrew Kane; Tyler and Molly

Molly Kane —Sister. Former US Army and Aspiring Vermont State Police Officer. Twin Sister of Brother Tyler, Governor Andrew, and IA Henry.

Tyler Kane —Twin Brother of Sister Molly. Age 29. Suffered traumatic brain injury when he was seven years old which had permanently damaged him. His mental age was that of an eleven-year-old boy. He volunteers at the local animal shelter—lover of video games and his electric motorcycle bike.

Rebecca Kane—Wife of Governor Andrew Kane.

Life changed for the Kane family the day Governor Andrew Kane received a black mystery phone with the message:

“Keep that phone with you at all times, Governor. And keep it a secret. You’re going to need it after the arrest.”

Kane had followed another political candidate of corruption and scandal. Andrew Kane was honest. He made good on his promises. However, when a blackmailer issues demands, he puts the family and his career in jeopardy.

The younger brother, Tyler has been set up. Arrested for the murder of a woman Sally Graham. They had incriminating evidence. Could Tyler have known this girl and engaged her services? Were they aware that Tyler and the governor’s brother was in the state police Internal Affairs Unit? Henry was the IAU.

It was hard to comprehend an innocent Tyler had anything to do with the murder. They could not allow him to go to jail. The only violence he ever exhibited occurred during his video games. Tyler could not intentionally harm anyone, much less kill them.

The blackmailer begins his games. Never trust a blackmailer. It never stops with one demand. He keeps them on a chain with ongoing threats. What does he want from this family?

It starts with a demand to release a prisoner in a correctional facility. The blackmailer demands him to be pardoned, free and clear. Otherwise, his younger brother will go down for first-degree murder and spend the rest of his days in prison.

However, this is only the beginning. There is something more sinister at play. The blackmailer is smart and dangerous. He had the perfect plan.

How far should you go to protect your family? How could Andrew barter with a murderer for his brother’s freedom? How could he use the power of his office to set a convicted criminal free in exchange for services rendered—while at the same time looking the other way as the real murderer disappeared?

He had promised Vermonters an end to government corruption. Now here he was debating whether to breach that trust. The trust of the people he had earned. For the first time since taking the oath of office more than three years ago, he felt less than clean.

However, he may have to protect more than one brother. Innocent people become collateral damage. Blood ties are substantial; yet, the murderer may also have his own blood ties with revenge and justice on his mind.

Brothers join forces to keep a blackmailer and the person behind the master plan from forces that are conspiring to destroy their family. Even people in high places have flaws, and the author showcases their strengths and weaknesses.

Hankins delivers an outstanding character-driven thriller with a mix of mystery, political, psychological, legal, crime, and domestic suspense. A remarkable plot and complex characters with a race against time to protect loved ones in this high stakes conspiracy— leading to an explosive ending, not to be missed.

From the personal and professional lives of political figures and law enforcement officials, targeted for past grudges and placed in challenging circumstances. When family members are involved, lines are crossed.

With unparalleled suspense and his own trademark explosive twists, James Hankins continues to wow readers with his uncanny ability to cross many genres. As I have mentioned previously in my other reviews—have read all the author’s books, and each one is unique.

Highly entertaining! An intense well-written political thriller— A BLOOD THING is a perfect gift for Father’s Day! Top 20 Books coming June 2018.

A special thank you to the author, #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for an early reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

Okay, so I liked the book. Good strong story about the typical well-placed rich east coast political family who ends up getting sucked into being blackmailed for unknown purposes. My problem was the telling of the story of the blackmailer. Several times Mr. Hankins went into excessive details regarding the villians detailed plans (including binders with dividers and a wall full of pictures with string connections, etc). I loved this! If I were a criminal, this guy would be my idol! I wanted to know why he was like this. There had to be some reason. After all the pages and pages going over his plans and his Civil War display why does the book end with him back as an unexplained minor character? I would have been more satisfied if his role throughout the book had been lessened if he wasn't going to be fully explained at the end. A lot of time was wasted reading about a character who was not going to be wrapped up. So, if you go into the book knowing this, maybe the book would be more enjoyable.

This is my first book by this author and definitely not my last. This book is not my usual genre, yet I could not put it down !
This book is the story of the Kane family .
Andrew is Governor if Vermont, Henry is part of the police department and twins Molly and Tyler!
Tyler ( had a brain injury years ago) is framed for murder and this starts the killer to blackmail this family .
This book takes many twists and turns and I enjoyed this book a lot !

I read most books from James Hankins and I can say it only gets better with every new story. I'm not so much into political thrillers, blackmailing etc., but I choosed this one because I knew the author is good so it was ok to risk reading something a little outside my usual genre. I don't regret it.
The journey was very intense, I was so angry at the blackmailer I wanted to junp inside the book to kick him for good! The writing style is superb and the characterization is perfect, even Tyler, the sweet and a little retarded brother, is so well portrayed and believable in his way to think and act. I think that wasn't an easy task for the author!
The ending is very fitting althought I was hoping for something a little different. I can't say more because I don't want to spoil it and because it was just me. You will know when you're reading that some things once they're out in the clear cannot be taken back so don't expect some magic to put everything in order. I think the author couldn't have done better anyway to tie up every thread in a meaningful and satisfying outcome, it's life, so you can't have everything you wish for, but the message is clear. Don't forget to read the author's note in the end in case you have any doubts about it!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me ARC of that book in exchange for an honest review.

Blackmail, murder, intrigue - oh my!

Good.. not great.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

great book full of twist and turns wood recommend to other reader great new book from a great author on the rise to the top

This is the first book I've read by James Hankins - it's safe to say that after reading this book I will definitely be seeking out more of his books! I was captivated by the story of the Kane family and what they would do for their brother, Tyler. I had so many different feelings as I was reading the book - pity for Tyler and how he was being used as a pawn in a dangerous plot that had nothing to do with him, aggravation when Henry kept doing things the blackmailer clearly told him not to do (and at the same time thinking it wouldn't have mattered whether or not Henry listened...the blackmailer clearly had his own agenda whether they followed his instructions or not), and hope that somehow everything would all work out. I though the author did a great job with the story - there were some plot twists that I definitely didn't see coming (one of which caused my jaw to drop). I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley - my opinions are my own.

Okay... This one was GOOD. The story, plotline was so well written. I didn’t see any of the little twists coming. I was careful not to trust any of the characters and I didn’t know what would happen and if they could turn on each other. It was truly a story about the lengths family will go to for each other and their protection. A really good page-turner!

Keeps You Guessing...

I read a lot and can usually see the ending, as well as how the author is going to get there, early in the book. A Blood Thing had me thinking most of the time, "There's no way to get out of this one!" I was as frustrated as the characters in their predicament. Even when I could see the solution coming together in the end, there was one more surprise plot twist waiting for me. What a ride!

I have read all of James Hankins books. I am equally amazed at the quality of his well thought out plot lines and sorry when they end! Some authors churn out several books a year. James Hankins is an author whose books are worth the wait.

I want to thank Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book so I could leave an honest, unbiased review.

A Blood Thing is the latest novel by James Hankins. Some edge of the seat moments and a lot of mentally telling the main characters not to do something and at the same time wondering would you would do in their place. I was given an early copy to review.

This was a really cracking thriller it had all the ingredients I like, a family central to the plot that were believable and likable, a merciless killer and lots of other characters that added flavour to the story. I couldn't read it fast enough and stayed up way too late trying to read as much as I could.I was totally fooled, although there were reveals they some times added to the mystery and I couldn't really get a handle on what was going on, and I loved that.I think this was a clever and intelligent thriller that was well written and pacy and I really enjoyed it.I can only recommend it and think this it will be a winner.Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

James Hankins will always hold a special place inside my heart, because if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have found my way back to reading. It was his novel [book:The Prettiest One|25104491] that made me fall in love with books all over again. One could say he's even created a monster. With that said, that speaks highly of James Hankins as an author and writer, that he could pull someone out of such a deep, deep funk. That is why, to this day, he remains one of my favorite authors.

With A Blood Thing, I found this one to be a bit different than Hankins typical style. Normally, we see a lot of action from Hankins and his well developed characters. However, in A Blood Thing, we see less action, but more of a methodical plot. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure which I prefer more. I was very impressed with how well this novel came together. I do love a thriller with a psychological aspect to it, and this one definitely provides that.

At the center of this novel is the Kane family, Andrew, the oldest of the Kane siblings is the Governor of Vermont. It's just another typical day for the Governor, a busy day, but again, that's typical. At a grand opening for a new senior center and meet-and-greet, Andrew is given a small black phone with an ominous message... <i>"Keep that phone with you at all times, Governor. And keep it secret. You're going to need it after the arrest."</i> What the hell? Was this a warning? A threat? Whose arrest is he speaking of? Should he keep the phone or turn it over to the police? Andrew isn't sure what to do exactly, but he decides to call his brother Henry, an officer in Internal Affairs.

Before Andrew and Henry can begin their investigation into the mysterious black cell phone, their sister Molly calls, their younger brother, Tyler, Molly's twin, is missing. Tyler, suffered an injury as a child that has left him mentally challenged. Though a man, at the age of 29, in many ways, he still has the mind of a child. Molly is concerned because Tyler never stays gone this long, something isn't right, she can feel it. Henry rushes over to help in the search for Tyler, only it's not long before Tyler walks in the door, with the police shortly on his heels... armed with a search warrant. Tyler is suspected of murder. Alarm bells are sounding in Henry's head. Something isn't right... he calls his brother Andrew and advises him of the trouble their younger brother is facing. It's clear now... the arrest... the cell phone... the man is talking about Tyler!

Tyler is arrested for the murder of Sally Graham. As Andrew and Henry debate over turning over the mystery phone to the police, it rings. It's clear that Tyler has been framed for murder and their mystery caller holds the key to his release. Only it won't be so simple. Andrew is being blackmailed... he is being asked to pardon a man from prison in exchange for evidence that will prove Tyler's innocence. Only there are rules... rules that must be followed, and if broken there will be consequences, ones that will not only seal Tyler's fate in prison, but also put Andrew and Henry's careers in jeopardy.

This is a twisted game that the Kane family are taken through. I thought the character development that was given to the blackmailer, Wyatt Pickman was carefully crafted. He was a planner, and once the "plan" started to go off course, we start to see him devolve. His demise is basically his own undoing and one could call it poetic justice.

One thing that I always enjoy about James Hankins novels is his protagonists aren't always the wholesome, innocent heroes you come to expect. They're flawed, and they're often placed in situations that leave you faced with impossible decisions. This makes the storyline more credible and you connect to the characters.

This is an excellent psychological thriller that I highly recommend. It's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation.

I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and James Hankins for allowing me the chance to read this novel in exchange for my review. A pleasure as always Mr. Hankins!

Great story and plot, really well written. Would recommend to other fans to the genre!!

A blood thing an exciting and gripping book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from page one till the last page is read.
Tyler the mentally challenged bother of the Vermont Governor is charged with murder. He is placed under house arrest after speaking to the police about what he had been doing the night of the murder. Andy the governor is given a black phone by a stranger and told to always keep it on him. He doesn't understand until the calls start coming in that it involves Tyler. Then you have brother Henry who is an internal fairs cop and he is the one who talks Andy into not telling the police. This all leads up to the mysterious blackmailer calling them and their sister Molly and entangling them into things they want no part of all to save Tyler from something he had no part in. In the end will Andy, Henry, and Molly be able to save Tyler from this mad man and his twisted planes?
This is one story that you will not be able to put down till the end and will keep you wanting more!

One of the best thrillers I have read in some time. Blood ties run deep and the Kane family is no exception. Pushed to the limits to help a younger brother falsely accused of murder, Andrew, Henry and Molly will sacrifice anything to save him. Jobs, money and reputation fall aside as the siblings race to find the person orchestrating their downfall. As they focus on keeping Tyler out of prison, each of the siblings must face up to their role in a tragic accident that helped make him a perfect patsy for the clever killer. The ending is wholly unexpected, leaving a lasting impact on the family different than any could have imagined.

A very suspenseful story with very likable characters. Lots of twists and turns with surprises. How willing are we to compromise our principles when a loved one is in danger and there does not appear to be another option??? This story hits on all human enmotions especial guilt.