Deadly Blood
A Stan Turner Mystery
by William Manchee
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Nov 28 2018 | Archive Date Nov 05 2019
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Description
Volume 12 of the Stan Turner Mysteries, a legal thriller set in Dallas, Texas in the 1980s.
Dallas attorney Stan Turner gets an unexpected appointment as the attorney-ad-litem for a teenager who is caught in the middle of an ugly divorce suit. Melody Monroe, who lost her parents in a tragic auto accident, is thrilled when she is finally adopted by a wealthy middle-aged couple Frank and Marjorie Monroe until she discovers they have ulterior motives for the adoption. When Frank is later found dead, Melody is accused of his murder and insists Stan defend her. Stan reluctantly takes the case but soon finds himself entangled in a web of lies, deception, and deceit.
Advance Praise
BOOK REVIEW - Kirkus Reviews
"Readers’ blood may run cold while enjoying this taut murder mystery."
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"A Texas attorney defends a 16-year-old cheerleader accused of patricide. This 12th installment of Manchee’s (Deadly Dining, 2014, etc.) mystery series boomerangs to near the beginning of Stan Turner’s legal career in the early 1980s, when he worked as a solo litigator. Stan goes to court for a restraining order that Marjorie Monroe filed to keep her alcoholic husband, Frank, a successful real estate developer, away from their adoptive teenage daughter, Melody. Frank allegedly injured the girl during a fight he was having with Marjorie, who wants to leave him. Before divorce papers can be served to Frank, he ends up dead in his garage, but not from carbon monoxide, as was first assumed. Someone switched Frank’s blood thinner medication, which resulted in his death. Arrows point to Melody, the heir to Frank’s fortune. Marjorie also had motive and opportunity, as did Frank’s sister, Natalie, who barely tolerated him and with whom he shared a multimillion-dollar trust. Frank also recently screwed over the head of a rival building company. After Melody is charged with the killing, Stan agrees to represent her, despite his limited experience defending murder suspects. This thriller succeeds far better than the previous book in the series, in large part due to the concentration on a single case—although not a singular murder. The author’s experience as an attorney helps make the trial scenes both realistic and tense. But too much of the tale takes place in a courtroom; more action away from the legal proceedings would have been welcome in this disturbing story about a troubled family. And at over 400 pages, the book could have benefited from some streamlining. Many characters range from unlikable to unconscionable, but in Manchee’s Texas, women are universally attractive, which suits Stan, who is a bit of a horndog. He muses about a fellow attorney: “She was a very attractive woman and there was dangerous chemistry between us. If I hadn’t been married, we’d have been lovers.”
Readers’ blood may run cold while enjoying this taut murder mystery."
Marketing Plan
Marketing will include author book signings, library events, trade show appearances. Deadly Blood will also be included in IBPA's catalogs, Kirkus Review's email campaigns and promoted through direct mail to libraries and booksellers.
As part of Top Publications 20th Anniversary TOP is publishing a special library edition of the Stan Turner Mysteries that will be marketed to libraries all across the country through direct mail, email, and by author appearances at library conferences and events.
Currently, William Manchee is scheduled to make appearances at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC, June 20-26, 2019 and at Bouchercon's 50th Anniversary in Dallas, Texas October 31-Nov 3 2019.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781935722915 |
| PRICE | $25.00 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Bonnye Reed F, Reviewer
Deadly Blood is an entertaining historical legal novel featuring lawyer Stan Turner and the domino's begin falling in the autumn and winter of 1982. Stan is a fairly inexperienced lawyer, and in Deadly Blood is handling his second murder case, mostly against his will. Taking place in the Texas tangle of bedroom communities serving Dallas, Plano, and Collin County, Stan spends a lot of time driving and is mostly late for dinner with his wife Rebekah and their four lovely young children.
Melody Monroe's mother Margary is seeking a TRO - temporary restraining order - against her abusive husband Frank as she files for divorce, and the judge insists that their adopted 16 year old daughter must have her own attorney-ad-litem before Melody's testimony regarding the restraining order can be heard. Stan accepts that chore as a favor to his friend Martin Johnson despite the fact that he has decided to never again do 'family law' after that first murder trial.
When Melody is charged with the murder of her father Frank who died the same day, Stan is guilted into taking her case against his better judgement. It is a decision he will regret many times over the next few months as the Monroe family is whittled down one by one.
William Manchee writes a tight, entertaining tale with characters varying in appeal and mostly sympathetic. I very much enjoyed this novel.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel on December 22, 2018 from Netgalley, William Manchee, and Top Publications LTD in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
julie b, Reviewer
Deadly Blood by William Manchee
This one starts with Stan and yes he's found himself wrapped up in another murder trial. He's not a trial laywer but he is not bad because he has a lot of others to help him.
He gathers clues and brings the case to trial and some things don't go according to plan nor the outcome.
State has a hard time convincing the jury that Melody the young high school student murdered her father. Back history is given about her and the adoption.
Love how the details are collected and descriptions of events-they are very precise so you can follow along.
Just when you think it's all over with as the jury has a verdict, it's not the end of the book by a long shot.
Another murder involving a lot of people from the first trial is uncovered and we start in all over again.
Some of the evidence collected leads to more information than the jurors have and you wonder at what point it will be a mistrial.
Love how it ends and can see a lot of turmoil brewing for the next book... love reading these books, although very lengthy there are details you have to hear about to make the case. Take my time because I do not want the book to end.
Can't wait for the next one. What I also like is that there are not a ton of characters-small handful that we know about already from previous books in the series and new ones for the current trial.
No gory or graphic parts to make me put the book down never to finish it.
Received a review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Gail O, Reviewer
An amazing story of murder and mayhem which grips the reader from the very first chapter. This is a very intriguing and riveting novel which keeps you spellbound until the very end. It never loses your attention and keeps you breathless throughout. Wonderful book!
Doug Y, Educator
My first Stan Turner definitely won’t be my last. The reluctant trial lawyer is called to work outside his comfort level in defense of an orphan accused of murdering her foster father. Excellent character development and plot design lead to an welcome introduction (for me) to this series.
darren m, Reviewer
I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
john L, Reviewer
I received this book through Net Galley Read Now program.
This is the 2nd story that I have read by this author and I have not been disappointed. This story has Stan being asked to help out a fellow lawter with a case. Stan agrees, but in the end he gets more than he wanted. The individual that he was asked to represent is later charged in the murder of her adopted father. Stan has stated that he did not want to do anymore murder cases, but he agrees to accept this. With a lot of effort in following the clues he is able to obtain a verdict of not guilty by the jury.
During the trial while Stan was cross examining the sister of Stan's clients adopted father, she suffers a stroke and is transported to the hospital where she later dies. During the autopsy it was determined that she was murdered and Stan once again has to defend Melody.
The twists and turns that this trial takes will keep you involved in the story. The ending will blow your mind and you need to buy this book to find out what happens and I highly recommend it.
Jeanette S, Reviewer
Knowing that this is the 12th book in a series, i took a chance as to whether Deadly Blood would work well as a standalone or not. I had no problem with getting into the story, which proved to be quite a page turner. Well written, with plenty of twists. I am hoping to read more books by this author. Recommended.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.
*Waiting for Amazon to publish my review'
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