Blood Ties

I am not normally a fan of Mystery novels, but met Lori at a book convention and decided to give the book a try. This book was AWESOME the heroine is a strong, tough and nutty chick. Just the way I like them. I could not put the book down and am glad I bought the next 3 books in this series.

I wish I were as tough and beautiful as Julie Collins. I love the way Ms. Armstrong writes her characters and that's including the enviroment. I can't wait to read more of the series.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up all three of Lori Armstrong's books in the Julie Collins series. I don't read a lot of mystery, and I now realize that I've been missing out. How can I not root for such a passionate, flawed heroine? Wonderful writing, excellent characterization and a rich plot make this series a keeper.

Julie has been haunted by death. First her mother dies in a car accident, and than her half brother is murdered. The crime goes unsolved and Julie thinks it's due to the fact that her brother was half Lakota. Still reeling from her lose, Julie takes a job in the Bear Butte County Sheriff's department hoping that maybe, just maybe she will get a little peace. She couldn't be more wrong when a new murder turns up and it turns out the young victim is a sixteen year old white girl. Now everyone is interested in solving the murder. At the same time she finds out that her best friend and local PI Kevin has been on the case investigating the last two weeks of Samantha's life. He asks for Julie's help and she reluctantly gives it since this case hits just a little too close to home. Still before she knows it she and Kevin are getting closer and closer to a killer, and the killer is starting to get nervous. People connected to Samantha are starting to turn up dead. Is Kevin or Julie the next to fall victim to a murder that will stop at nothing to protect his secret? I was blown away by this mystery. I started and finished this book in one sitting. The murder mystery kept me guessing until the very end and the characters were wonderfully developed. I loved Julie and Kevin not only was their relationship fun, but it was different. I loved their dynamics. I would love to see Ms. Armstrong expand on their relationship in another story. They are a great investigating duo! Ms. Armstrong took great care and effort in creating her world so the reader will feel truly drawn into what's happening. Julie is a very complex character and she made me laugh, and cry. Or should I say I laughed and cried with her. I highly, highly recommend Ms. Armstrong's debut read. She provides plenty of edge of your seat reading.

Julie Collins left her well paying job in Minneapolis to take a position in the Bear Butte County Sheriff's Office in the hopes of finding the person who killed her half-brother Ben Stalking Elk. Over the last five years five Native Americans like Ben have been murdered, but his is different as he was the only one whose throat was slashed to death; the others were drowned though his corpse was also found like the other victims in Bear Butte Creek. The body of a sixteen years old girl with her throat slashed is found in Rapid Creek. Julie's friend private detective Kevin Wells was hired to find out where Samantha went after her father kicked her out of their home following her mother confiding to both that she was sired by a rapist. A few days later, Samantha's mother is found dead in her car, supposedly a suicide. Kevin and Julie investigate together believing that the killer is one of the men who raped her mother, but he intends to keep that secret concealed and he will do whatever it takes to make sure it stays buried. BLOOD TIES is a fantastic small town thriller with a protagonist who acts tough because she feels she must do so to solve her quest and has no one to call a friend except Kevin. Her need almost obsessive to bring justice to Samantha and her mother serves as a temporary replacement and solace for failing to do so for Ben. Lori G. Armstrong provides a fabulous mystery starring an intriguing protagonist with a climax that will stun the audience. Harriet Klausner