What do you think?
Rate this book
Joe Bashir #1
Blood Bond
A fatal hazing accident thirteen years ago comes back to haunt the families involved in this first full-length novel featuring fan favorite detective Joe Bashir. Sexy Pakistani-American Detective Joe Bashir is called to a crime scene in the wealthy foothills of California, where politically ambitious Bryce Engler’s dinner party is ruined when a guest’s body is found in a pool of blood. Two days later, Engler’s beautiful wife Gail lies dead at the foot of a cliff on nearby Mount Diablo. When Joe turns to Gail’s sister Marva for insight into the family history, he discovers that thirteen years earlier, Gail was responsible for the hazing death of a fellow co-ed. Her then-boyfriend engineered a cover-up that deflected blame onto another girl. As Joe searches out everyone who might still hold a murderous grudge, he realizes there was more to the Engler marriage than meets the eye….
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2012
3 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Littlefield
37 books801 followersCalled a “writing machine” by the New York Times and a “master storyteller” by the Midwest Book Review, Sophie Littlefield has written dozens of novels for adults and teens. She has won Anthony and RT Book Awards and been shortlisted for Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, Macavity, and Goodreads Choice Awards.
Sophie also writes under the pen name Sofia Grant.
Sophie also writes under the pen name Sofia Grant.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 16, 2012
Check out Sophie Littlefield's guest blog post here
where she discusses writing Blood Bond.
It has been said before and I will say it again – I am a huge fan of Sophie Littlefield’s adult novels. There is something very unique about the books she writes. Her novels are extremely character focused and emotionally intense. Blood Bond follows this trend.
The main character of Blood Bond is a first generation Pakistani immigrant, who had aspirations to be a doctor but in reaction to hate crimes perpetrated against members became a police officer. He is incredibly focused, intense but lonely. While he regularly sees his parents and his brother, he does not seem to fit in with them. He is respected and liked in his department, but does not have close friends. He has a woman that he is sexually intimate with, but they remain emotionally distant.
A wealthy pair of sisters, dysfunctional and each equally unhappy in their one ways is introduced. And thus begins the mystery, the murder and the sexual tension.
Blood Bond is a mildly complex murder mystery but the true focus of the story is the emotional relationships and the characters. This is a story where I became invested in the characters and I truly liked the main character. I am not sure if this is a first time for Ms. Littlefield in writing a male point of view as the main character, but she does it well. I cannot wait for the next installment of this series.
where she discusses writing Blood Bond.
It has been said before and I will say it again – I am a huge fan of Sophie Littlefield’s adult novels. There is something very unique about the books she writes. Her novels are extremely character focused and emotionally intense. Blood Bond follows this trend.
The main character of Blood Bond is a first generation Pakistani immigrant, who had aspirations to be a doctor but in reaction to hate crimes perpetrated against members became a police officer. He is incredibly focused, intense but lonely. While he regularly sees his parents and his brother, he does not seem to fit in with them. He is respected and liked in his department, but does not have close friends. He has a woman that he is sexually intimate with, but they remain emotionally distant.
A wealthy pair of sisters, dysfunctional and each equally unhappy in their one ways is introduced. And thus begins the mystery, the murder and the sexual tension.
Blood Bond is a mildly complex murder mystery but the true focus of the story is the emotional relationships and the characters. This is a story where I became invested in the characters and I truly liked the main character. I am not sure if this is a first time for Ms. Littlefield in writing a male point of view as the main character, but she does it well. I cannot wait for the next installment of this series.
January 20, 2016
This was a surprisingly emotional gritty mystery. The mystery was well done, although, I did figure it out before the ending. But where the book shined for me was the human aspects of it. Joe, our cop, is a Pakistani American cop, so to say that he has some built in prejudice against him would be putting it mildly. Let me think on this some more and I will review in detail. Love the new character though.
December 11, 2012
I was a little disappointed by the lack of romance (as I didn't realize this was a mystery rather than a romantic mystery), but even so, I really enjoyed it.
I love Joe, and the mystery itself kept me guessing till the end.
A solid 4/5 Stars
I love Joe, and the mystery itself kept me guessing till the end.
A solid 4/5 Stars
November 21, 2012
*Genre* Mystery
*Rating* 3.5
*Review*
Blood Bond is the first novel in the Jamshed “Joe” Bashir series. Bashir is a Pakistani-American Detective who works for the town of Montair, California. Bashir, along with his partner Bertrese Wellington, is called to the scene of an apparent murder where a guest is found lying dead in a pool of blood.
Days later, with the investigation leading in several different directions and stalling, Gail, the wife of suspect Bryce Engler, is found dead at the foot of a cliff and signs lead back to a fatal hazing that occurred thirteen years ago. The hazing, which took the life of a college co-ed named Jess Bartelak, was covered up by those involved including a prominent lawyer named Aidan McKay, Gail Groesbeck-Engler, and older sister Marva Groesbeck.
Joe is lead on a wild goose chase that takes him from Montair, to Iowa in search of clues and reasons why Gail and Tom were murdered. As the case spins in its tracks, Joe finds himself attracted to the reserved and quiet Marva who has a lot on her plate, and seems to be holding on by a string. Joe also has to deal with his own personal issues when it comes to having a Jewish girlfriend, and a family that is traditional in nature.
I choose to read this particular novel because I’ve read Sophie Littlefield’s Aftertime series. I also choose to read it because I have a tendency of enjoying a good murder mystery novel now and then. I also wondered just how “sexy” Joe Bashir actually was since the synopsis made it sound like he was flowing with sex appeal.
Blood Bond is one of those books that you need patience with. You need to take in all the clues and the possible suspects at face value and then think outside of the box. Why were Tom and Gail murdered? Was it really because of a hazing incident gone wrong? Why does Marva suddenly appear to be the more likeable suspect? How many women will Joe end up sleeping with, and will he break their hearts in the end, or get his broken instead?
Blood Bond is a fascinating story with a likeable lead character in Joe Bashir. It should be interesting to see where Littlefield takes her character after this book. If you like Police Procedural novels, then you will find yourself engaged to the hilt with Blood Bond. If you like a little suspense and guess work, then you will also enjoy Blood Bond.
*Rating* 3.5
*Review*
Blood Bond is the first novel in the Jamshed “Joe” Bashir series. Bashir is a Pakistani-American Detective who works for the town of Montair, California. Bashir, along with his partner Bertrese Wellington, is called to the scene of an apparent murder where a guest is found lying dead in a pool of blood.
Days later, with the investigation leading in several different directions and stalling, Gail, the wife of suspect Bryce Engler, is found dead at the foot of a cliff and signs lead back to a fatal hazing that occurred thirteen years ago. The hazing, which took the life of a college co-ed named Jess Bartelak, was covered up by those involved including a prominent lawyer named Aidan McKay, Gail Groesbeck-Engler, and older sister Marva Groesbeck.
Joe is lead on a wild goose chase that takes him from Montair, to Iowa in search of clues and reasons why Gail and Tom were murdered. As the case spins in its tracks, Joe finds himself attracted to the reserved and quiet Marva who has a lot on her plate, and seems to be holding on by a string. Joe also has to deal with his own personal issues when it comes to having a Jewish girlfriend, and a family that is traditional in nature.
I choose to read this particular novel because I’ve read Sophie Littlefield’s Aftertime series. I also choose to read it because I have a tendency of enjoying a good murder mystery novel now and then. I also wondered just how “sexy” Joe Bashir actually was since the synopsis made it sound like he was flowing with sex appeal.
Blood Bond is one of those books that you need patience with. You need to take in all the clues and the possible suspects at face value and then think outside of the box. Why were Tom and Gail murdered? Was it really because of a hazing incident gone wrong? Why does Marva suddenly appear to be the more likeable suspect? How many women will Joe end up sleeping with, and will he break their hearts in the end, or get his broken instead?
Blood Bond is a fascinating story with a likeable lead character in Joe Bashir. It should be interesting to see where Littlefield takes her character after this book. If you like Police Procedural novels, then you will find yourself engaged to the hilt with Blood Bond. If you like a little suspense and guess work, then you will also enjoy Blood Bond.
October 11, 2012
I don't read much crime anymore, but I've read Sophie Littlefield's paranormal novels, so I took up Edelweiss' free read of Blood Bond.
Police procedural, rich folk, black sheep - so far so unremarkable. But lead character Joe Bashir reeled me in immediately, relatable and likeable. And he's hot. Usually when publisher's summaries mention a "sexy" character, I scoff, but this time it's warranted. Not only that, but the publisher respects Joe Bashir enough to NOT give him a mantitty cover. Albeit it's kind of a nothing of a cover instead, but this is from Simon & Schuster's digital-first - or digital-only - imprint. So why is this decent, well-written novel with an appealing lead character NOT in hard copy? Then again, the publishing industry has made some very strange choices recently that make me cringe.
But you should definitely give Blood Bond a go, and find a new character to love.
Police procedural, rich folk, black sheep - so far so unremarkable. But lead character Joe Bashir reeled me in immediately, relatable and likeable. And he's hot. Usually when publisher's summaries mention a "sexy" character, I scoff, but this time it's warranted. Not only that, but the publisher respects Joe Bashir enough to NOT give him a mantitty cover. Albeit it's kind of a nothing of a cover instead, but this is from Simon & Schuster's digital-first - or digital-only - imprint. So why is this decent, well-written novel with an appealing lead character NOT in hard copy? Then again, the publishing industry has made some very strange choices recently that make me cringe.
But you should definitely give Blood Bond a go, and find a new character to love.
November 26, 2012
See this mini review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!
I really enjoyed Sophie Littlefield’s BLOOD BOND and especially the lead character she created, Jamshed “Joe” Bashir. I appreciate a good mystery and Ms. Littlefield certainly crafted a fine one with this novel. Though I had my suspects, I thought the reveal of the whodunit was nicely paced and there were enough twists and erroneous information to keep the readers guessing. I thought the characterization throughout the novel was very strong and I am excited to see what Joe will be up to in the next novel. I liked hearing about his struggles to fit in to society as a Pakistani-American, as well as learning about his driving reason to become a cop. The story flowed well and the chain of events felt organic. I would recommend this for all mystery/police procedural readers as well as those urban fantasy readers who enjoyed Ms. Littlefield’s Aftertime trilogy. Though the subject matter is very different, it is still a finely-crafted, character-driven novel that should appeal to a wide-range of readers.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Star for providing an ARC copy of this book!
I really enjoyed Sophie Littlefield’s BLOOD BOND and especially the lead character she created, Jamshed “Joe” Bashir. I appreciate a good mystery and Ms. Littlefield certainly crafted a fine one with this novel. Though I had my suspects, I thought the reveal of the whodunit was nicely paced and there were enough twists and erroneous information to keep the readers guessing. I thought the characterization throughout the novel was very strong and I am excited to see what Joe will be up to in the next novel. I liked hearing about his struggles to fit in to society as a Pakistani-American, as well as learning about his driving reason to become a cop. The story flowed well and the chain of events felt organic. I would recommend this for all mystery/police procedural readers as well as those urban fantasy readers who enjoyed Ms. Littlefield’s Aftertime trilogy. Though the subject matter is very different, it is still a finely-crafted, character-driven novel that should appeal to a wide-range of readers.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Star for providing an ARC copy of this book!
January 7, 2013
Sophie Littlefield has a knack for writing wonderful and interesting characters, and Joe Bashir is no exception. Joe's experiences as a Pakistani-American, detective and just plain ordinary guy struggling in his familial and romantic relationships are what really make this story so engaging, though there's no question that Littlefield knows how to write a good mystery as well. I'm looking forward to more of these e-books.
December 21, 2012
Love her. Nice, adult book.
February 10, 2020
First of a two-booker...great plot, great characters, fast-paced.
January 9, 2014
I feel about detective fiction more or less the way I feel about the blues: At its best (usually in the hands of the old masters) it's deeply, primevally rewarding, but the form is so tightly defined and attempted so often it's very hard to make anything truly exceptional. Though the core plot of Blood Bond is functional, what lifts the book above the pack is Littlefield's prose, which, as usual, is flexible and precise, evocative when it needs to be and lean the rest of the time, and more importantly the people. Naturally, Detective Joe Bashir is the focal point, but the many subsidiary characters (co-workers, family and girlfriend in addition to those involved in the mystery itself) are fascinating: varied, fully - though rapidly - fleshed out, unpredictable and unfailingly authentic.
May 28, 2014
Pakistani-American Detective Joe Bashir arrives at a crime scene to find one of the wealthy dinner guests dead. Two days later the hostess is dead too.
Why I started this book: I liked Littlefield's A Bad Day for Sorry series and was interested in series set in California.
Why I finished it: Interesting characters... I will be picking up the next one in the series.
Why I started this book: I liked Littlefield's A Bad Day for Sorry series and was interested in series set in California.
Why I finished it: Interesting characters... I will be picking up the next one in the series.
December 21, 2012
3 1/2 stars
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews