Blood Types

Rebecca Schwartz #5.6

by Julie Smith

A BAFFLING CALL, FOLLOWED BY TRAGEDY!

If you’re a lawyer, and someone you haven’t heard from in years calls to ask how to execute a holographic will, what are you to think if he dies the next day?

This is a dark, dark story…actually very unlike San Francisco attorney Rebecca Schwartz’s usual outings. Rebecca’s usually given to displaying her wit and using her wits, but she mostly does the latter here—so perhaps this one will appeal more to noir than cozy fans. Even with her usual humorous turn of mind dialed down a notch, Rebecca’s still an ace detective, still operating in a meticulously drawn Bay Area, still solving a baffling murder mystery, so, when all said and done, still a female sleuth to love! Just one having a bad day.

For all fans of female protagonists, Bay Area mysteries, and the occasional case of literary shivers!

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Fiction

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2014

About the author

Author of 20 mystery novels and a YA paranormal adventure called BAD GIRL SCHOOL (formerly CURSEBUSTERS!). Nine of the mysteries are about a female New Orleans cop Skip Langdon, five about a San Francisco lawyer named Rebecca Schwartz,two about a struggling mystery writer named Paul Mcdonald (whose fate no one should suffer) and four teaming up Talba Wallis, a private eye with many names, a poetic license, and a smoking computer, with veteran P.I. Eddie Valentino.

In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!


Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.

Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.

Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.

Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Types

I have always loved Julie Smith's books since the very first one I read years ago. This was a good short story. I needed to read something that would make me think for a moment and this was it. Julie Smith never disappoints!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie At Her Best

I enjoyed every minute of this short story. I must admit: I knew what was happening about half a dozen pages in. But that didn’t make it any less enjoyable.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another short story and teaser for an introduction to a series. This is the introduction to the Rebecca Schwartz series. As a short story, it is good for carrying around to fill otherwise wasted time. Although a pleasant time filler for me, I recommend these short story teasers for my English as a Foreign Language students. A teacher using any of the Julie Smith short story teasers for learning purposes has to read the story first for themselves and then must prepare to provide cultural background notes for students; without that a foreign language learner will become mired in irrelevant (for the non-native speaker) references and bored.

After reading the story, some interesting questions for students are “Why is the story titled “Blood Types?” What is Munchausen Syndrome. What is the difference between it and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

Rebecca is a lawyer. She receives a phone call from former classmate and boyfriend Gary. Rebecca graduated from law school; Gary did not, too much of a dilatant. Which was probably the reason Gary asked Rebecca about the proper form for a holographic will. (Another area which will require teacher clarification). In these first few pages we know that this is going to be a story about who gets the money. Three candidates for inheritance are baby daughter Laurie, brother Michael, and sister Jeri, who had been replaced by Michael as guardian of Laurie should anything happen to the parents.

The love of Gary’s life is daughter Laurie, not wife Stephanie. However, Laurie seems to spend a lot of time in the hospital. Maybe Laurie is lucky to have mom Stephanie as a nurse … or maybe not. Stephanie is so devoted to Laurie that she dismisses other nurses and devotes her full time to the care of Laurie, who seems to be getting worse.

Gary and Stephanie die (not a spoiler). Daughter Laurie is in the hospital but, in the absence of Stephanie, seems to be getting better. Why is this? The reader will have immediate suspicions which will soon, and predictably, be confirmed. The surprise element of the story relates to 1) motive for what the reader immediately guessed and 2) the ultimate resolution of the story. Were the deaths an accident? If not, why did they happen? What will now happen to baby Laurie?

All Julie Smith short stories are well written. The only negative I can find is the great number of characters that appear in each one. For me, the good writing outweighs any extra work I might have to do to keep up. Realistically, if I want character development, I will go to the novels for which the Smith short stories are a teaser.

[Donna K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick but good read. I have found that I can not go wrong picking a Julie Smith book. Rebecca is a character that I enjoy. This book was short and enjoyable

[Bobbie Foster harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't realize this was a short story it was way too short good read

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story

An entertaining short story but really too short to grab a ton of interest. Rebecca is in the story but not really a story she could do much with. The story was okay.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelent series Read all of this author