Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Bloodline by Jess Lourey Narrator: Whitney Dykhouse
Published by Brilliance Audio on January 1, 2021
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 9 hours, 38 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
Pregnant journalist Joan Harken is cautiously excited to follow her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown. After spending a childhood on the move and chasing the screams and swirls of news-rich city life, she’s eager to settle down. Lilydale’s motto, “Come Home Forever,” couldn’t be more inviting.
And yet, something is off in the picture-perfect village.
The friendliness borders on intrusive. Joan can’t shake the feeling that every move she makes is being tracked. An archaic organization still seems to hold the town in thrall. So does the sinister secret of a little boy who vanished decades ago. And unless Joan is imagining things, a frighteningly familiar figure from her past is on watch in the shadows. Her fiancé tells her she’s being paranoid.
I have read many mystery/ thrillers this past year. I am discovering my preference is police procedurals and political thrillers, more than psychological thrillers. Bloodline is definitely a psychological thriller.  The setting is Minnesota in areas I know.  There is a well-developed world with large cast of characters who felt real enough. Anyone who has lived in a small town, as I did growing up, will recognize some of the insular things which happen.
Our point of view and main character is Joan. She lives in Minneapolis and wants to be a reporter of important stories, not just woman’s areas.  She has a long time friend, Ursula. Not long after her mother dies, she meets a man and falls in love. They move back to his small hometown.
Joan has no one except this new boyfriend / fiance. She tries to make a life for them and goes to work at the local newspaper. It’s so creepy in this town; it feels like Joan is being gaslighted. I also thought maybe Joan was a bit crazy or unreliable. She is not presented as the best person as she shows a few undesirable traits.
It is very suspenseful to watch as Joan tries to figure everything out and be increasingly under scrutiny.  It would have been easier for me, although put me even more on edge, if there hadn’t been the possibility of Joan being untrustworthy. It would also be more believable, and a more powerful story, if the townspeople weren’t quite so over the top weird.
It wasn’t difficult to stay interested in reading but it wasn’t enjoyable. Until the last 10-15% of the story as the mysteries are solved. Joan fights for herself and her baby. The ending is told more factually and less is in the shadows.  There are some loose ends I would have liked to have had finished. Thankfully, Joan ends up having at least a couple friends.
I buddy read this story with my friend Carole, at Carole’s Random Life of Books.
Narration:
I am new to this narrator and she did an admirable performance. I was comfortable with all the voices with differences between not only male and female but also between different characters.  Mostly she was Joan, both speaking and in her mind, which fit well. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Jess Lourey
Jess Lourey writes about secrets. She is the bestselling Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty-nominated author of the critically-acclaimed Mira James mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, the latter calling her writing “a splendid mix of humor and suspense.”
Jess also writes nonfiction, edge-of-your-seat YA adventure, magical realism, suspense novels, and thrillers. She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a Psychology Today blogger, and a TEDx presenter (check out her TEDx Talk for the surprising inspiration behind her first published novel). When not teaching, reading, or dorking out with her family in Minneapolis, you can find her dreaming of her next story.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- C21-Winter
looks like one i would enjoy. i love taking pics of benches…
It was hard to read because of the uncertainties but that is a key to psychological thrillers sometimes.
I love that you found out what sort of mystery thrillers you like. I like psychological thrillers. Sometimes I can do with police detectives as leads but I often like the bad guy as leads. You may like ‘American Marriage’
Thanks. I like them sometimes. This one was harder. I have American Marriage on audio but haven’t read it yet.
If you haven’t read Long Bright River by Liz Moore, I think you might like that one.
Thanks Jennifer. It looks like a good one with a strong, likeable character and a hunt for her sister. I hope I get to read it.
Thanks for reading this one with me, Anne! Great review!
Thank you Carole! Having a buddy to read and discuss really helps fine tune what I like/dislike and even why I feel the way I do about certain things in the book.
A bit too bad for this one but in a whole in looks good
I liked the ending although a few things were left a bit open for my preference.
I had requested this, but never received the file. I don’t mind open endings. Perhaps I will try it one day.
That’s too weird you didn’t get it. I am not as good with the uncertainty as you are and also not as good with unreliable narrators. I’m not sorry I read it though.
This sounds like it has potential, even though you had issues. Excellent review, Anne?
Thank you! It’s well done just not my favorite on some things. We all have our preferences.
I never thought of mysteries in this way, but like you I prefer the police procedural to the psychological ones, too. I’m not a fan of the unreliable narrator either. It makes things less believable whereas I like going through the process of solving the crime with the characters. Wonderful review, Anne!
Thank you Rachel. yes I used to be up for any and all mystery / thriller type stories but I’m being a bit more careful now. I do like Ruth Rendell who has some very psychological murder mysteries but there is also the police investigation in them. This doesn’t really have much in the way of police cases.