From the bestselling author of The Inside Dark, The Prettiest One, and Shady Cross —comes his most influential book yet, A BLOOD THING. A riveting emotional and character-driven political suspense thriller which tests the limits of how far a person will go to protect his family and those he loves.

Meet the Kane family.

Vermont Governor Andrew Kane — the youngest person to be elected governor in Vermont’s history—age thirty-two. His father and grandfather were respected senators and a great-grandfather, a distinguished federal judge. Husband, Brother, Father.

Lieutenant Henry Kane —Internal Affairs. Brother of Governor, Andrew Kane; Tyler and Molly

Molly Kane —Sister. Former US Army and Aspiring Vermont State Police Officer. Twin Sister of Brother Tyler, Governor Andrew, and IA Henry.

Tyler Kane —Twin Brother of Sister Molly. Age 29. Suffered traumatic brain injury when he was seven years old which had permanently damaged him. His mental age was that of an eleven-year-old boy. He volunteers at the local animal shelter—lover of video games and his electric motorcycle bike.

Rebecca Kane—Wife of Governor Andrew Kane.

Life changed for the Kane family the day Governor Andrew Kane received a black mystery phone with the message:

“Keep that phone with you at all times, Governor. And keep it a secret. You’re going to need it after the arrest.”

Kane had followed another political candidate of corruption and scandal. Andrew Kane was honest. He made good on his promises. However, when a blackmailer issues demands, he puts the family and his career in jeopardy.

The younger brother, Tyler has been set up. Arrested for the murder of a woman Sally Graham. They had incriminating evidence. Could Tyler have known this girl and engaged her services? Were they aware that Tyler and the governor’s brother was in the state police Internal Affairs Unit? Henry was the IAU.

It was hard to comprehend an innocent Tyler had anything to do with the murder. They could not allow him to go to jail. The only violence he ever exhibited occurred during his video games. Tyler could not intentionally harm anyone, much less kill them.

The blackmailer begins his games. Never trust a blackmailer. It never stops with one demand. He keeps them on a chain with ongoing threats. What does he want from this family?

It starts with a demand to release a prisoner in a correctional facility. The blackmailer demands him to be pardoned, free and clear. Otherwise, his younger brother will go down for first-degree murder and spend the rest of his days in prison.

However, this is only the beginning. There is something more sinister at play. The blackmailer is smart and dangerous. He had the perfect plan.

How far should you go to protect your family? How could Andrew barter with a murderer for his brother’s freedom? How could he use the power of his office to set a convicted criminal free in exchange for services rendered—while at the same time looking the other way as the real murderer disappeared?

He had promised Vermonters an end to government corruption. Now here he was debating whether to breach that trust. The trust of the people he had earned. For the first time since taking the oath of office more than three years ago, he felt less than clean.

However, he may have to protect more than one brother. Innocent people become collateral damage. Blood ties are substantial; yet, the murderer may also have his own blood ties with revenge and justice on his mind.

Brothers join forces to keep a blackmailer and the person behind the master plan from forces that are conspiring to destroy their family. Even people in high places have flaws, and the author showcases their strengths and weaknesses.

Hankins delivers an outstanding character-driven thriller with a mix of mystery, political, psychological, legal, crime, and domestic suspense. A remarkable plot and complex characters with a race against time to protect loved ones in this high stakes conspiracy— leading to an explosive ending, not to be missed.

From the personal and professional lives of political figures and law enforcement officials, targeted for past grudges and placed in challenging circumstances. When family members are involved, lines are crossed.

With unparalleled suspense and his own trademark explosive twists, James Hankins continues to wow readers with his uncanny ability to cross many genres. As I have mentioned previously in my other reviews—have read all the author’s books, and each one is unique.

Highly entertaining! An intense well-written political thriller— A BLOOD THING is a perfect gift for Father’s Day! Top 20 Books coming June 2018.

A special thank you to the author, #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for an early reading copy.

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