Blood Work

By Michael Connelly,

Book cover of Blood Work

Book description

Terry McCaleb, one of the most effective serial-killer investigators in the history of the FBI, hunts down his heart donor's killer. An unputdownable story from the award-winning No. 1 bestselling author.

'Blood Work' - that's what Terry McCaleb used to call his job at the FBI. Eight weeks ago he…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

3 authors picked Blood Work as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb is recovering from a heart transplant he required after a heart attack he suffered while hunting a serial killer. When a woman urges him to help investigate the murder of her sister who was shot dead during a robbery, Terry discovers it is her heart he received. Possibly the killer wanted McCaleb to recover so he could resume his pursuit. This is one of the finest stories I have ever read; deeply moving, and a very exciting read.

In my opinion, Michael Connelly is the best American mystery writer working today, though his recent novels aren't as good as the early ones. Harry Bosch is his most famous protagonist, along with Harry's half-brother, Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer. But if you haven't read Connelly before, I suggest starting with his 1998 novel Blood Work, featuring ex-FBI agent Terry McCaleb. Much of the suspense is due to the fact that Terry is recovering from a heart transplant and the reader worries he might keel over dead at any moment. In my series, my detective Jack Wilder is blind,…

I loved the film Blood Work directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. Having watched it many times, I became curious about the book it was based upon. So I read the book – a bit of an author jolly in some respects. This is where it gets interesting, for me, because they were similar, but never the same. Some discrepancies I preferred the book version, whilst others I preferred the film. The beginning is much better in the film with superb character development, but the ending is far superior in the book.

What I took away from this is concerned…

From John's list on fiction for curious minds.

A House on Liberty Street

By Neil Turner,

Book cover of A House on Liberty Street

Neil Turner Author Of A House on Liberty Street

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Traveler Inquisitive Family guy Writer

Neil's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Meet Tony Valenti. His high-flying corporate law career just cratered. His society marriage blew up in a bitter divorce. He's returned to the Chicago suburbs to lick his wounds and regroup in the haven of the Valenti family home. But time to heal isn't in the cards.

Tony's elderly father inexplicably shoots a sheriff's deputy on their front porch. Nobody knows why, and Papa isn't talking. Then their house becomes an unlikely target for condemnation and expropriation by corrupt local officials and their cronies.

With money and hope dwindling, Tony steps up to defend his father and take to city hall, and quickly finds himself in peril when he unearths sinister connections between the cases. The audacity of the plot against them fuels a gritty determination to get to the bottom of what really happened—regardless of the risks and ultimate cost to himself. To win, Tony must earn his father's trust and outwit his wily opponents.

A House on Liberty Street

By Neil Turner,

What is this book about?

A father. A son. A murder.

Meet Tony Valenti. His high-flying corporate law career just cratered. His society marriage blew up in a bitter divorce. He’s returned to the Chicago suburbs to lick his wounds and regroup in the haven of the Valenti family home. But time to heal isn’t in the cards.

Tony’s elderly father inexplicably shoots a sheriff’s deputy on their front porch. Nobody knows why, and Papa isn’t talking. Then their house becomes an unlikely target for condemnation and expropriation by corrupt local officials and their cronies.

With money and hope dwindling, Tony steps up to defend…


Want books like Blood Work?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Blood Work.

Browse books like Blood Work

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in private investigators, serial killers, and presidential biography?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about private investigators, serial killers, and presidential biography.

Private Investigators Explore 284 books about private investigators
Serial Killers Explore 285 books about serial killers
Presidential Biography Explore 19 books about presidential biography