Matters of the Blood

by Maria Lima

Book Overview

If you thought your family was strange... Try being Keira Kelly. A member of a powerful paranormal family, Keira elected to stay among humans in the Texas Hill Country when the rest of the clan moved... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439156743
• ISBN13: 9781439156742
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Awful

Waste of money

Magic and depth

Keira Kelly is a necromancer on hiatus, relaxing and grounding herself in the town where she grew up: Rio Seco, Texas. She returns to her old stomping ground just in time to watch her own family pack up and head for Canada, so she's all alone in Rio Seco with her rejected mortician cousin, Marty. Marty had the unfortunate fate of being born a completely and utterly average human being, so his supernatural family disowns him and leaves Keira to watch over him. When Marty calls Keira one afternoon in a panic, heralding a family emergency, Keira isn't too surprised and expects he's just in need of money, as usual. She isn't in too much of a rush to run to his aid. However, the truth is far more dire than his typical shortage of funds and Marty's murdered corpse is soon discovered, completely drained of blood and left to rot on his own embalming table. Keira is concerned that under her guard, Marty might have managed to involve himself in some questionable dealings that resulted in his death. When she discovers the tell-tale fang marks on her cousin's neck, she realizes the crime involves much more than some thug's revenge. The investigation that ensues delivers Keira into dangerous territory, so it's a good thing she's immortal. In addition, she's got two suitors to deal with: an old flame who's conveniently returned to town as the sheriff, and a dark and handsome acquaintance who'd like to advance their friendship. As she unravels the mystery surrounding her cousin's death, she's also going through "the Change," meaning her body is acclimating itself to the supernatural talents she'll eventually excel at. With all this distraction, finding her cousin's killer is not going to be an easy task. Nothing is black and white in Maria Lima's world, and each character has a multifaceted past with a great deal of complexity. The depth of her characters helps perpetuate the mystery, as the reader can never quite tell whose secrets are dark enough to land them as the criminal. It's hauntingly realistic for paranormal fiction. Matters of the Blood is filled with plot twists and artful surprises. Lima builds incredible suspense and allows the reader to savor each revelation. The story is paced well, with fully developed characters and a host of supernatural beings. It's escapism at its best. There are a few chapters at the end, previewing the second book in the series, Blood Bargain, and it appears the next book will have more romance to it. Matters of the Blood focuses mostly on the mystery. Either way, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next release.

An excellent start to a new series set in small-town Texas

"Matters Of The Blood" starts off excellently. Within 3 pages I was hooked, the narrator's voice drawing me in to her story with her brilliant turn of phrase. This book is written in the first person so we see the story from Keira Kelly's eyes... and they're not quite human eyes. Keira is 36 and returned two years ago to the small Texas town where she grew up as part of a very unusual family. The rest of the family are living in Canada, except for Keira's human cousin, Marty. As the book starts we discover that Marty is asking Keira for help as he's in trouble, Keira is suffering from troubling dreams, and the Change is happening to her early... 20 years too early. When the Change is complete she will discover what kind of supernatural being she will be (shapeshifter, necromancer, psychic etc) but at the moment she's randomly experiencing strange dreams and flashbacks as the Change begins. And some of the dreams are troubling with blood, hunting and death - and the death often seems to be happening to Marty. Keira's past intrudes in her present when her former lover returns as Sheriff and wants to rekindle something, especially as Adam Walker, a man she knew in London eight years before, also arrives on the scene. When Marty is killed Keira tries to discover why and who did it - there are some significant marks of the supernatural about the death, something that the Sheriff can't know about. Keira begins to discover that the new resort in town, Wild Moon, might have some rather unhealthy people staying there and that some of her old friends, holocaust survivors, try to warn her about her safety. Keira discovers that she's not the only supernatural being in her town, and not just because her 1200 year old brother has arrived to take care of her during the Change. Although partly a romance there isn't a great consummation in this story, the romantic plot is subordinate to the main murder mystery. There are a number of people who might be involved in Marty's murder and for their own reasons, both supernatural and human. Keira has to deal with the strange effects of her Change, with her guilt about Marty's death and with the realisation that people around her are not all they seem. This was an excellent book, readable and gripping with varied characters, an interesting plot and a great setting in small-town Texas. The narraator's voice has an interesting blend of emotion and humour and she makes some great side-comments as you move through the story. I understand that this book is the first of a series and I look forward very much to the future episodes. [...]

Not Your Father's Vampire Novel . . .

Other reviewers have already summarized the plot of this novel, so I'm going to concentrate instead on "feel" and texture. Both are excellent --- and very convincing. My own experience of horror fiction is pretty well limited to the big guns: Stephen King and Anne Rice. A friend turned me on to Maria Lima's "Matters of the Blood," which is different, and more imaginative, than anything I've read by those mainstream authors. Imagine a society made up not of vampires, or the undead, or werewolves --- but of a whole range of supernatural folks (for lack of a better word). This multiethnic, extranormal, society has just as many of its own special tensions, prejudices, fears, and jelaousies as anyplace you've ever lived, gentle reader. The normal pressures of being human are complicated by the ABnormal pressures of NOT being so, by immortality, by the suspicicions and fears of the larger human society on all sides, and by the fact that, well . . . there are good folks and bad ones, whoever you are and wherever you go. And if things weren't complicated enough already, there's the conumdrum of Marty, beloved half-brother of our protagonist Kiera. "Some mutation caused by who-knew-what made him powerless and human, a reverse X-man." Needless to say, this mere humanity makes him mortal and vulnerable --- and thus a constant concern to his loving and protective sister. Complementing this rich stew of extranormal society, and helping bring it even more to life, is the author's strong sense of place. I've never traveled to the Texas hill country, but after finishing "Matters of the Blood," I'm ready to love it almost much as Kiera, our protagonist, does. From the pickup trucks on lonely roads to the small towns to the landscape (and the small local deer that keep turning up dead in it, drained of their blood), the town of Rio Seco and its sparsely-populated surroundings come alive in a way that helps propel the novel forward. I look forward to author Maria Y. Lima's next walk into the twilight of our imaginings. BROOKE STAUFFER

Exceptional!

Keira is not your normal woman; she has secrets and a big problem, she is about to change. No, we are not talking about the normal change of life that women experience, for Keira this change involves power. Keira is part of a clan, one that is full of supernatural powers, different powers. Some Clairvoyant, some healers, some shape-changers, but whatever it maybe, it was Keira's time to find out her gift.Keira lives in the small town of Rio Seco in Texas near her cousin Marty. Marty does not have the family 'gift,' and is but a mere human outcast by the clan, but one entrusted into Keira's keeping until his mortal life is over. The story begins as animals turn up dead at a new resort called "The Wild Moon;" their heads cut off and Keira fears that it is not a natural hunter who is doing the killing, but one who works in the supernatural as she does. It only worsens when Marty, who held the job of the local undertaker, turns up dead as well; his blood drained completely from his body. Gruesome! To complicate matters Keira's ex-boyfriend and now Sheriff is back in town to investigate the case and his feelings are still running deep for Keira. A relationship that could never continue, nor should it have ever begun. All of a sudden Keira's way too complicated life gets worse when she finds out the owner of the Wild Moon is none other than Adam Walker, a heartthrob of Keira's from years ago. Adam has secrets as well; he is not what he appears to be, nor are the guests that are flooding into his new resort. I loved the way the author built on the suspense concerning these mystery guests in this novel; it gave me a chill. Just what were 90% of the people in Rio Seco, could you even call them human? Creepy! I really enjoyed this book. Our main character Keira is an extremely likeable woman, her spunk and strong nature add just the right amount of zest to the story. The author does a suburb job in his description of each character that is introduced, from the obnoxious cousin Marty, to the love sick Sheriff, Keira's adorable brother Tucker, and best friend Bea. Not to forget the mysterious Adam Walker and the brother/ sister storekeepers that play such an important role in the conclusion of the read. All of them gave just the right slice of intrigue and their different personalities brought freshness to this work. Just what or who was killing the animals and who killed cousin Marty? What will Keira's final 'gift' of supernatural power be and is there a future for her and the mysterious Adam Walker? The questions are many, guiding you from page to page as you hungrily seek the answers. Mystery, suspense, romance and supernatural all cuddled together in on outstanding read. A sure winner. Recommended. Shirley Johnson

terrific first novel - supernatural mystery with a twist

Loved this book. I'm fairly new to the supernatural thriller genre, but now I'm hooked. The writing is fast-paced and terrific, and Ms. Lima does a terrific job of weaving several stories into one. The leading lady is gutsy, interesting, and someone I'd like to know. And I'm left wanting to know more about her shape-shifting world!