I got behind for a bit and just finished this one, but I’m so glad I did! This was a really really good story, had a lot of emotional connections and a very compelling storyline. I really enjoyed it!

If you’re a fan of mysteries with depth, family dynamics, and a touch of the supernatural, Blood Sisters is a must-read. I loved how this story weaves together suspense, history, and heart.

I received a gifted copy of this book.

Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie is a gripping and visceral thriller that explores the complexities of familial bonds against the backdrop of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The story follows Syd Walker, a Cherokee archaeologist, who returns to Oklahoma after her sister Emma Lou goes missing, forcing her to confront painful memories and buried secrets from her past. Lillie's writing is both compelling and enlightening, weaving in Cherokee culture and the systemic issues surrounding the cases of missing Native women. With its rich character development and intricate plot, this novel captivates and educates, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

I enjoyed BLOOD SISTERS, but I found it a bit confusing and hard to relate to the main character, Syd, a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The theme of the book about family loyalty was good. I learned quite a bit about various aspects of Cherokee families and how life was for families of the Cherokee nation.

The story felt off to me at times and I can't put my finger on it exactly. I think I had confusion about the different points-of-views, maybe?

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an e-copy of BLOOD SISTERS to review.

I rate BLOOD SISTERS three out of five stars.

This was a gripping and intense psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and dark secrets. The story revolves around two estranged sisters who reunite under dire circumstances, only to uncover unsettling truths that challenge their understanding of each other and their past. Lillie's writing is taut and immersive, effectively building suspense and creating a palpable sense of tension throughout. The novel's exploration of betrayal, trauma, and redemption is handled with nuance, making the characters' journeys both compelling and emotionally resonant. With its well-crafted plot and strong character development, "Blood Sisters" is a standout thriller that keeps readers engaged and on edge.

Although I enjoyed this story, I found the pacing was quite slow. This is more of a mystery than a thriller. It’s still an enjoyable read.

The story of Blood Sisters hits you in the gut right where it matters. That place that has you fully immersed in a story where you feel the pain of the characters, you ache with longing to find the truth, and you tremble with fear knowing the story just might not turn out okay for everyone involved. ⁣
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It’s a deep, dark mystery of a missing woman, and a sister called home to investigate. It’s not a place that Syd ever wants to return to, but determined to find out what happened to Emma Lou - she finds herself back in Oklahoma, wrapped up in a twisted and compelling mystery - in the community she’s tried so hard to forget.⁣
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The hold this one had on me right from the start was almost strangling at times knowing it was inspired by the plight of Indigenous women, and how ignored their stories are when one goes missing or is murdered. It’s perfectly paced, with an engaging and commanding plot that was not only eye opening and heartbreaking, but a stunningly well written work of thrilling crime fiction that is atmospherically suspenseful in all the right places.⁣
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Blood Sisters deserves all the stars and I’m eagerly awaiting whatever Vanessa Lillie writes next.

I’m glad I grabbed this one because I ended up really enjoying it. The blood had great pacing, well done characters and an intriguing mystery. I also really enjoyed learning more about indigenous people. Great read.

From Perfectionistwannabe.com (11.07.2023) (as part of the book tour)

In this story, Syd Walker is an archeologist working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). She's uncovered a skull of an Indian woman in Rhode Island. Finding that skull is just the beginning of a much bigger story.

Another skull is unearthed in her hometown in Oklahoma, but this one has her old badge inside of it, like a calling card asking her to come home.

Find me.

The BIA sends her home to Oklahoma, where she has to face her own demons. Haunted by a friend who was killed when they were kids, she suffers from ongoing psychological trauma from that incident. She killed their attacker, but it was too late to save her friend and her parents.

Going home isn't what she expected. She's not an archeologist on this return, she's an investigator, but what she's investigating is more than just the skull with her badge in it. There is so much more to what is calling her back home.

She arrives to find out her sister, Emma Lou, has gone missing. The land is poisoned and caving in, thanks to mining and energy companies polluting the land. People are being forced to take a pittance for their poisoned homes and nothing for the land. Drugs are becoming a way of life for their community so much that even Syd's mother is making drug deliveries.

Bad people are taking advantage of this dying community. Whites are encroaching on the land and taking it as their own without reprimand. The government...don't get me started. Underneath all of this are the Indigenous women who have gone missing. Their bones are littering the earth, completely undiscovered. But there are people looking for them, hoping they are still alive.

Lillie incorporates a lot of the issues plaguing Native Americans. The story takes place in 2008, but the problems are still relevant today (if not worse).

Lillie is a white-facing Cherokee. I didn't start crying until I read the Author's Note at the end of Blood Sisters. [#ad] Her note reminded me of why it is so difficult for me to write Book Project #1. I've cried so many times already, because to tell what is happening to Native Americans over these last hundred years all the way up until today has been so difficult, because it hurts me to know how much evil has been wrought against an entire race, all in an effort to exterminate them.

For this book, I will say that the ending surprised me. The twists kept coming and they didn't stop. There's redemption, surprise, intrigue, and just pure evil slamming up against you. She even threw a tornado in there (which actually did happen on May 10, 2008). There is more involved in this return to home than just investigating a skull with her badge in it. Ends up, everything is far worse than you can imagine.

This is a fantastic read for those who love thrillers and want to understand a little more about the terrors facing everyday Indigenous lives. If it's not the white man trying to poison Native Americans, it's people trying to murder them and steal the land out from underneath them, and people flooding their communities with drugs. This book goes into a very dark place, so tread lightly.

Thank you Berkley Pub and PRHAudio for sending Blood Sisters my way. I think it frightened me more than I let on, because a lot of the topics Lillie touched upon are elements that appear in my Book Project #1 (and that's the horror book). It reminded me a bit of the psychological terror in the Hannibal Lecter books and the evil the FBI are chasing down (which is far worse than the cannibal). In this case, Syd had no idea what she was searching for when she arrived home, until it stumbled out of a cave. That was when everything changed.

I loved the look into modern tribal politics, the focus on MMIW, and the plot of an investigator going back to her hometown to work on a case that involves her own sister. I especially enjoyed learning about Indigenous history from my neighbor state, Oklahoma. However, I felt the characters fell a bit flat. Syd, call your wife, gosh darnit!

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

This is a pretty good tale. I enjoyed the learning about the indigenous culture. But it moves a bit slow. I expected a bit more in places.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC. I am anticipating reading this soon and reviewing on my socials.

I completely forgot to give feedback on this book so it's been awhile....

I remember liking the author's writing, but thinking the pacing was too slow. Not as much of a thriller and more of a mystery

Syd is a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She is haunted by events that happened 15 years ago. She is required to return to her hometown when a skull is found. That short synopsis was enough to grab my attention. Unfortunately, about 1/3 – ½ way through the book, I was starting to get a bit bored. I switched to the audiobook since, y'all know, I'm behind on reading and reviewing books. The audio helped, but I still struggled to stay focused on the story. It felt as if the author was trying to fill pages to meet a length or word count.

The ending was much faster paced, and it held my attention. I couldn't have dreamed it up if I tried. I'm glad I read the book, but it wouldn't be a re-read. I'll put this one in the earBUD category.

If you like slower paced books, this will be one you want to look into reading.

Blood Sisters dives head first into a hard subject, the missing women from Indigenous cultures. Syd is trying to focus but finds herself returning home to face the present and the past. Author Vanessa Lillie does bring a strong voice to represent the missing women. I felt the suspense was just right in this mystery.

This is not my usual preferred genre, but I wanted to give something different a try. Blood Sisters had the potential to be very compelling, but the pacing didn’t work for me and really felt like it dragged out. I also felt like there were too many plot points the author tried to weave together, and the villain of the story did not feel well fleshed out to me. The story was engaging enough ti keep me reading, but it did take me a long time to get through. I did really like the setting; as an okie, I was really able to picture what the author was describing, and it was neat to read about so many places I’ve been.

Didn't finish this one. While I found it compelling, it didn't hold my attention so I didn't get it read quickly enough to finish. I'm not sure why, since I love indigenous storytellers, especially telling a story with a lesbian as the protagonist. I suspect this was a right book/wrong time moment.

This is a slow burn more than a thriller, but the crime aspects were really appealing to me. The sad reality of the number of missing and presumed dead Indigenous women always hits me with such force and this book doesn't shy away from that.

I loved that Syd worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and as an archaeologist rather than a normal FBI agent like most authors would have chosen. She was an interesting and complex character, though not always likeable. In fact, there are quite a few unlikeable characters here. This was a bit repetitive, but I'm glad I read it. I would give another book by this author a shot for sure!

Thank you to Berkley for the arc! All thoughts are my own.

Blood Sisters is about Syd, an archeologist currently employed at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She is called home to Oklahoma to help with investigating the disappearance of indigenous women, one of which is her own sister.

No one ever talks about the horrifying statistics of how many indigenous people (specifically women) go missing or are killed in North America and I’m so glad this book brought to light this issue. It’s disappointing that this book isn’t getting the attention it deserves. It had the perfect mix of suspense, mystery and rough family dynamics that I was intrigued by for most of the book. I look forward to seeing future releases by this author.

A visceral and compelling mystery about a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is summoned to rural Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of two women…one of them her sister.

 

Syd Walker has not been home to Oklahoma in many years but is suddenly called upon to help investigate the disappearance of two women. Her sister, Emma Lou, is one of those women. Many people try to silence Syd but she's not having it. The past and the present intertwine with one another in Blood Sisters. The story instantly grabs and pulls you in. I really enjoyed this book, and it was so hard to put down! I am still thinking about it!