I am the one, not the 99.

A murder in small town in Oklahoma: a man's throat has been cut, clean and deep. No defense wounds. No clues. Police partners Carrie and Randy are still searching for possibilities when a second body, same injury, appears: that of Keith, the first victim's friend. They'd worked together on the same ranch. There was speculation that this might be the work of a serial killer....

The story starts well, fu!filling the promise of the promotional synopsis; but then, instead of continuing as a straight police procedural, it reels off into a romance and an almost mystical Christian propaganda book. Not that it is bad, or even tedious, it isn't. The characterisation is good, there's the trail of a possible, if unexpected suspect and a final, dramatic denouement. But the killing spree and it's solution become secondary to the rest of the book and certain earlier aspects are seemingly abandoned, which is a pity.
The narrator, Daniela Acitelli, reads clearly and well, with good pacing, just enough emotion and good intonation. She also voices her protagonists individually, further increasing the already good characterisations. In particular, the three women most central to the story - the police woman, Carrie, and two librarians, are both well written and performed, and are interesting people.

My thanks to the rights holder of The Blood, who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. It was an enjoyable read despite not being the book I had expected, and my feeling that the heavy Christian redemptive message was both overplayed and, in some ways, contradictory. But then, the series title is the Redemption Series - so perhaps I could have guessed. I am curious to know if book two will take place in this same fictional town and pick up on aspects abandoned in this story. If so, it could be very interesting. If not - well, then I doubt that I will bother with the continuing stories

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