My blog post about this book is at this link. ( )

BLOOD OF MY BROTHER by James LePore
Published by The Story Plant
The Aronica-Miller Publishing Project, LLC
ISBN-13: 978-0-9819568-8-6
At the request of The Story Plant, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (borrowed from B&N): "When Jay Cassio's best friend is murdered in a job clearly done by professionals, the walls that he has built to protect himself from the world of others begin to shatter. Dan Del Colliano had been his confidante and protector since the men were children on the savage streets of Newark, New Jersey. When Dan supports and revives Jay after Jay's parents die in a plane crash, their bond deepens to something beyond brotherhood, beyond blood. Now Jay, a successful lawyer, must find out why Dan died and find a way to seek justice for his murder.
Isabel Perez has lived a life both tainted and charmed since she was a teenager in Mexico. She holds powerful sway over men and has even more powerful alliances with people no one should ever try to cross. She desperately wants her freedom from the chains these people have placed on her. When Jay catapults into her world, their connection is electric, their alliance is lethal, and their future is anything but certain.
My Thoughts and Opinion: I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book to read for a couple of reasons, one being this was my introduction to this author, never having read any of his work and the fact that this book was part of a "Tristate Triology" and not reading the first book of the series, would I be able to give this author justice, if I wasn't able to follow the story line out of sequence(I do have his latest one, Sons and Princes, also on my requested review shelf). I was proven wrong after reading the prologue, I was hooked. The plot started when the main character, Jay, and his best friend Dan were children in 1967. A story of true friendship, loyalty, betrayal, "street justice", corruption, murder, trust, love and much more. The cast of characters is quite long and at times, I would have to go back in the book to try and find them to see what their roles were. The beginning of the book hooked me, the middle of the book was a bit confusing, and the end of the book was action packed and page turning with some surprises. And as far as the triology, this book can be read as a "stand alone" novel. I look forward to reading Sons and Princes.
My Rating: 3 ( )

This is the second novel I have read by LePore and I wasn’t disappointed. I love the way LePore switches the narration between the past and the present. In other novels I have found this style of narrative confusing but LePore style of narrating suited the novel well and help add a depth of character to the novel.

The characters are very well described and all have a role within the novel. Each character has something to add to the story and I loved that.

I did struggle with the first few chapters however I am glad I carried on reading this as overall it was an excellent novel.

I highly recommend this book!

A copy of this book was received for free all opinions expressed are my own through reading this book.

This review was first published on http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com ( )

Blood of My Brother is a good story but it is not a fast-paced thriller, which made it hard to become truly vested in the story and the characters. At times, I felt drained reading it and several times almost put it down. My biggest frustration is the long, awkward, passive sentences throughout and the flashbacks. They dragged me out of the story, which I already found too slow. I just wanted it to move. Had this been a fast moving book, I would have loved it. ( )

Cover

I've been trying to figure out if the picture on the cover is a depiction of a lady in the throes of passion, which would represent Isabel, or if it is a depiction of a person murdered, which would represent any number of people.

Plot

This book is definitely engaging and was one I did not want to put down once I started it. The relationship between Jay and Dan was realistic and, in the end, sad. There was some back-and-forth, at the beginning of book, between present day and the past, but that ended once you got the necessary background information to help you understand the story.

Main Characters

Jay - A deeply rooted Italian-American lawyer who cannot follow in his grandfather's and father's footsteps ... So, he decides to become a lawyer and, when we meet the adult version, has his own practice. He has become emotionally closed off ever since the death of his parents.

Dan - Jay's best friend since pre-K. He is a private investigator and enjoys the attentions of ladies. He has a self-destructive side which, ultimately, causes him to meet an untimely death.

Isabel - Raised an orphan not knowing who her parents were. She gets adopted by "Uncle" Herman who turns her into a prostitute for his own gain. She is resourceful, strong-willed and determined to escape from Herman any way possible.

Overall

This was a well-written story with enough twist and turns to keep a reader guessing and wanting to know more. This is the third James LePore book that I have read and he has become one of my "must-read" authors. His work has been consistent and is an author that I recommend to all suspense lovers ( )