Poison

Poison
(The Bloodline Trilogy)
Jordyn Redwood
(Kregel Publications)
ISBN: 978-0825442124
January 2013/312 pages/$14.99
Five years ago, Keelyn Blake's armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father’s frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI’s hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man’s delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

SWAT team member Lee Watson was there that day. He watched it all unfold and was able to pull Keelyn and Raven from the grip of their demon-possessed father. Though partially successful, his team had still failed, and the outcome of that day—and that tortured family—has continued to plague Lee ever since. Though unusual for SWAT to reconnect with survivors, Lee bumped into Keelyn two years after the crisis, and they both found some peace in their budding relationship. But peace is hard to maintain when the memory returns . . . in the flesh.

Lucent is back, and he’s no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven’s daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she and Lee can emerge unscathed a second time.

The highly anticipated second installment of the Bloodline Trilogy explores the boundaries of faith and family and what happens when both are put to the test.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jordyn Redwood has specialized in critical care and emergency nursing for seventeen years. A member of both the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Christian Fiction Writers association, Jordyn lives in Colorado.

MY THOUGHTS

Jordyn Redwood made a big impact with her debut novel, Proof (my review is here), and I knew it would be a hard act to follow. No worries there - Poison is even more gripping and I have to say it's my favorite of the two. While the story is more complete if you have read Proof, Redwood provides enough background that this book could be read as a stand-alone. This novel is packed with intrigue, suspense, and action and I found myself holding my breath as I read. (Which was kinda hard to do at times when scenes made my draw drop! My favorite was one involving a chest tube. When a nurse becomes an author, you never know what to expect!) I highly recommend this novel but suggest allowing plenty of time once you start it because you won't be able to put it down! I'm already looking forward to the final book in this series, Peril, coming in September!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Jordyn Redwood and Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”