{Review} Blood Money by Doug Richardson

ISBN #: 978-0984807161

Page Count: 297

Copyright: April 2013

Publisher: Velvet Elvis Entertainment

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

The disillusioned Marine's plan seems simple enough: steal a refrigerated tractor trailer loaded with frozen blood product; drive the pirated cargo from Reno, Nevada to the Port of Long Beach; collect a million dollars. Yet even the most deliberate plans can go sideways. On his campaign south, the Marine's "inner idiot" takes charge, leaving a smattering of dead bodies in his wake.

In the dark before dawn, a telephone rings. Kern County Sheriff's detective Lucas "Lucky" Dey, no stranger to being awakened with bad news, answers the call. But this time, the voice on the phone tells Lucky that his ill-fated younger brother has been gunned down on a blackened desolate highway.

As Lucky chases the former Marine and his black semi-rig into the bowels of Los Angeles, he's thrust into a landscape of competing agendas. Conrad Ellis, the multi-millionaire entertainment mogul, demands justice for the murder of his starlet daughter. Ambitious federal attorney Lilly Zoller is determined to turn any opportunity into her personal spotlight. Rey Palomino, the morally-challenged contractor, colludes with the former Marine hoping to crawl out from under a crushing debt. LAPD detective and dedicated single mom Lydia "Gonzo" Gonzales, reluctantly accepts her assignment to "babysit" the unrestrained Kern County detective hell-bent on avenging his brother's death at any cost.

A knee-breaking private detective, some unwitting feds, and a coterie of gang-busting L.A. Sheriffs deputies further complicate the scenario and round out the cast of characters in this explosive and unpredictable thrill ride.

Charlene's Review:

The plan seemed fail-proof: Steal refrigerated blood products, transfer them at a shipyard, and start a new life with lots of money. Unfortunately, Beemer is about to embark on a crazy ride fraught with mishaps, and leaving dead bodies in his wake. When Sheriff Detective Lucky Dey receives word that his brother is one of the victims, a cross-country chase begins.

This was a very intense thriller with lots of backbone. Mr. Richardson has a keen eye for what readers of crime drama are wanting, and does not disappoint. A solid storyline with background characters that stand out as sharply as the main character, Beemer. I found it gripping from the first through the final pages.

My only drawback was, what I felt, was unnecessarily frequent and vulgar language. It's addition did nothing to add to the storyline and I felt it made it a bit less palatable for some readers that would otherwise enjoy this book. I would have also loved to see a bit more background of Beemer's service in the Marines. Having said that, Mr. Richardson is obviously a very talented writer with an engaging story that begs to be read.

4 out of 5 stars.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.