Blueblood

Marty Singer #2

by Matthew Iden

Four unrelated murders. Nothing special in Washington DC. Not even good enough to make the evening news. But then a concerned police lieutenant approaches retired homicide detective Marty Singer with a simple fact that changes everything.

They were all cops.

In a race to stop the killings, Marty tackles the homicide investigation from the outside, chasing the killer from deadly Southeast DC to the heart of the Virginia gangland, on a mission to stop the spilling of yet more Blueblood.

Revised edition: This edition of Blueblood includes editorial revisions.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2012

About the author

I write fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, crime fiction, and contemporary literary fiction with a psychological twist.

I’ve held jobs with the US Postal Service, international non-profit groups, a short stint with the Forest Service in Sitka, Alaska, and time with the globe-spanning Semester at Sea program. Trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Antarctica added to the creative pot, as well, and I started to put all those experiences to good use about eight years ago--thinking, dreaming, and writing.

Please email me at matt.iden AT matthew-iden.com, Tweet @CrimeRighter, or find me on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/matthew.iden.

The Marty Singer detective series is:
A Reason to Live (Marty Singer #1)
Blueblood (Marty Singer #2)
One Right Thing (Marty Singer #3)
The Spike (Marty Singer #4)
The Wicked Flee (Marty Singer #5)

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cops were being murdered – brutally. When retired homicide detective Marty Singer received a call from Lieutenant Bloch about the latest death, and the request for Marty to look into what was happening, Marty was happy to get his teeth back into police work, even if it was on the side. As Marty worked his way through the families of the dead cops, he found himself drawn into the gangs in the area. And what he found wasn’t pretty. But would Marty be able to find the perpetrator before the next cop was killed?

Blueblood by Matthew Iden is the 2nd in the Marty Singer series, and although I’ve read – and enjoyed - #5.5, I haven’t read any others. This one easily read as a standalone. Fast paced, gritty, filled with tension and lies, Blueblood was a great crime/mystery police procedural which I recommend for fans of the genre.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story. Marty Singer is pretty human and imperfect but a pretty nice guy. He's also a good investigator who gets dragged into a pretty messy business where its hard to know who the guys are. Very readable.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Bloch, a lieutenant with the MPDC Major Narcotics Branch, who is also a mid-level HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force) comes to Marty Singer after he suspects a serial killer is murdering cops, one of them Bloch's team member. Nobody in Bloch's department thinks the case worth investigating. Being stonewalled, Bloch asks Marty's favor to gather information and do the legwork for him...

Blueblood is the second book featuring Marty Singer, a retired MPDC homicide detective. I thought this was definitely more solid than the first book -- and more balanced between the investigation/mystery as well as Marty's health issue. I really don't mind about Marty's cancer plot, because that's the one that draws me into Marty in the first place. However, in the first book, Marty's chemo also somehow puts the investigation into a halt several times over, which for me, interrupts the pace of the action. Also, the 'alternate' chapters (which shows a different third person perspectives in italic) don't reveal big clues until the right moment (unlike in the first book).

As a character, I really like Marty. Marty doesn't push the boundaries, going into lone-wolf, don't care about the rules kind of guy. Sometimes when it comes to gritty mystery with homicide detectives or PIs, the protagonists fall into hard-ass guys territory. Not Marty though. I think it's because he's a good cop with thirty years of experience on the department -- in addition to being saddled with cancer. So he does thing rationally, trying to cross the edge a little bit when gathering evidence, but never overboard.

I also love Marty's relationship with Amanda -- the daughter of a murder victim first appeared in the first book. She has become like a daughter for Marty and I think she's a very good influence in Marty's life. Marty seems lacking in that family department, so I'm glad that Amanda fills that space. I see few reviewers think that a hint of romance will help humanizes Marty more, but I beg to differ. I think the romance in the first book is not a believable story line and doesn't fit with the mystery -- at least for me. At this moment, I feel happy enough if I see more Amanda and father-daughter moment with Marty. So unless there's a good basis for romance, I don't mind if Marty sticks with just Amanda for a while.

I don't really care about the gang issues though -- and that's probably the only thing that stops me from rating this higher. I like the mystery, and the idea of a serial killer behind the cops' death. I like the twist in the revelation as well. But the whole gang issue itself, I really don't care about them.



The book is provided by Thomas & Mercer publishing via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

[Picky_Book_B1tch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read in this series, the more I fall for the main character and recognize subtleties in the story. This a police procedural with heart.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'd been working on Bloch's cop killer for a week solid and felt run down. There was a time when I could've done that week on no more than a few hours of sleep. Cancer and age made that kind of stamina a memory of the distant past, but the trade off had been wisdom."........Marty Singer

This is the second in the series of "Marty Singer Mystery." Set in Washington D.C., retired homicide detective Marty is approached by LT. Sam Bloch concerning four seemingly unrelated murders. The unnerving problem is that they are all police officers. Sam is seeking outside help because he doesn't know who or why these cops are being targeted. In an effort to stop whats happening and seek justice Marty gets involved the way he knows how, straight into uncovering the facts and talking to people who don't necessarily want to talk to him.

There were a couple unexpected curve balls in there relating to Marty and his health. Timely in a manner of we all need to be aware of cancer prevention and preventative testing. I liked the way that there were things I didn't see coming. That the author has the ability to surprise you and offer up twists that are not what you'd expect. Those are always one of my favorite things to discover while reading a good story.

That sarcasm and dry humor makes for some great moments throughout. Its nice to see Amanda and whats become of her from the last book into this one. How she gave Marty " A Reason to Live," and how she's become a family member to him. Also mention of previous first book characters and current status is something I appreciate in a series. I always want an author to let me know whats happened to your people. You could read these separately, but I think it adds so much more to the depth of characters to read them in the series order. You won't be lost though if you haven't read the first book as this author is adept at pulling it all together from the first to second book.

As in the first book I found the character of Marty Singer engaging and comfortable. Like coming back to an old friend. A good story line. Marty is good at what he does even when he's surprised at what or who. Go along for the ride as Marty uncovers who killed these cops and why. And now onto book three of the series!

Thank you to Matthew Iden, Netgalley and Thomas&Mercer Publishers for the ARC.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book was a tough act to follow, but Matthew Iden has managed it. Our protagonist, retired homicide detective Marty Singer is still struggling with his cancer diagnosis when an old colleague calls him and asks him if can investigate a series of cop-killings off the books as the brass won't co-operate with each other and don't want to consider the fact that there may be a killer out there targeting police officers with brutal violence.

This is a crime thriller with a well written main character and a mystery that will keep you engaged to the very end. It was a little shorter than Book #1, A Reason to Live, and I thought that the first book had more depth - this is a little simpler, a little more direct, without the emotional character development the first one gave us. I would definitely recommend reading the first and then this one straight away as a follow up.

I enjoyed this book very much, and love Marty's personality - determined and stubborn, whether he's dealing with a murderer or his own traitorous body, sarcastic and witty, and in my opinion, extremely likeable.

My thanks to Matthew Iden, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this title.

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent story.

Couldn't put down my kindle, excellent series. Definitely start with the first one, so you'll know Marty and Amanda characters. This one is about five undercover drug enforcement police officers murder. Who done it mystery clues are in there, pay attention to Marty's observations when he walks into the room, pictures and other items he's seeing.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLUEBLOOD

Loved this book, Marty is a special character-he feels like a good friend. I enjoyed the interaction between Marty and Amanda. Can't wait to read the rest of the Marty Singer Books.

[Angela Holtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

I beta-read and reviewed the first Marty Singer book, A Reason to Live. I thought it was excellent. I went through a phase of reading all the Michael Connelly books I could get my hands on. I also adore Jonathan Kellerman. My point being I love a well-written, gritty, crime novel. Iden does not disappoint. I honestly would put him up there with those 2 authors, and better than some others. Any publisher that didn't sign this guy should be regretting it now. The Marty Singer novels are superb.

Marty Singer, if you remember from the 1st novel, is a retired homicide detective fighting cancer. It means, our hero is unique. He has the knowledge and the experience as a 1st rate detective, but his illness leaves him easily tired and weakened overall. It means that, not only are you on the edge of your seat wondering who-done-it, but you are wondering if Marty is going to be able to complete the case with or without assistance. Not to mention wondering how his cancer is doing.

And I'm not lying when I say I was on the edge in this one. At one point I thought I was to the wrapping up stage. And this tends to be where I get bored. And I started relaxing and just wanted to see what Marty still had to do and if there'd be more news from his Doctor, when something so shocking took place I literally jumped.

It's the 2nd novel in the Marty Singer series, and fully worth the read. And BTW folks, that's not all he's done. He has several short story collections and other books that I found free at Amazon. Probably not free anymore, but reasonably priced since he's a self-published author. A diamond in the ruff, for sure!BluebloodMatthew Iden

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book! Blueblood by Matthew Iden is the second in a series of books featuring retired homicide detective Marty Singer (and the first one in the series that I’ve read). As with most series there are some references to things that happened in the previous book but author Iden does this sparingly so that it comes across more in connection to how the character of Marty is motivated in certain situations rather than the prerequisite filling in of the back story. The author uses the locale (Washington DC area) almost as a secondary character, breathing down detective Marty Singer’s neck, watching him all the time, waiting for him to make a mistake. The story could happen someplace else but it would be a different story if it did.

Blueblood moves at a fairly steady pace from start to finish. The story doesn’t have a lot of complicated subplots to it (frankly, it doesn’t need them), staying pretty much focused on the main story without getting sidetracked by love interests, family squabbles, or any of the usual stuff that can make a good story start to bog down and create dead space. I don’t mean to imply that author Iden is presenting a piece of dry, humorless, “just the facts, ma’am” type of narrative, what I am saying is that he sprinkles enough of these types of things throughout the book to make Marty a fully realized character without getting sidetracked to the point that the reader is hurrying along to get back to the heart of the story (or maybe I’m the only one who does that?). I liked this book. A lot.

Would I recommend this book? Yep. It’s a better than average mystery/crime story. I personally plan to check out the rest of the series in the near future.

***NOTE: I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway contest.

[Heidi Garrett]

I'm having a hard time assigning this a rating. Every now and then I have to veer off and read something gritty. I discovered Marty Singer, Matthew Iden's retired cop, with the first book in the series A Reason To Live. I really enjoyed that book. I appreciated the complexities Singer's health issues and female relationships caused. For me, they added nice layers. Blueblood is very smooth. Marty's present, but his female relationships aren't. His health concerns take a back seat, too—in a way. Amanda, who was a central character in A Reason to Live, kind of bookends Blueblood. There was also a love interest In A Reason to Live whose memory got, I think, one sentence, in Blueblood. Thus my quandary about the rating. The third book's out. It's highly likely I'll read it when I'm ready to veer off again towards some crime and grit, because Singer is a likable low-key guy. But I do hope in the third book we get to see a little bit more of what made Singer such a great character in A Reason to LIve.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this a lot. I liked A Reason to Live too and gave it 4 stars as it had mistakes in but I found only one mistake in this whole book.....breaks when it should've been brakes-and that was it. So not only a terrific story again but a pleasurable read too !! Perfection.
A couple of times Marty made me laugh aloud at things he said or thought. I do like him a lot.
In this story he's still unwell and battling cancer and a cop asks if he'll help him investigate a cop killer who's operating in differing jurisdictions.
It was a nice an twisty-turny tale and I greatly enjoyed it and I look forward to Marty's third outing.

[Sue Ann Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love This Series!!!!

This is an outstanding mystery series. I'm really, really enjoying reading these Marty Singer mysteries.

The characters are great, wonderful story line,the plot is thick with good mystery, lots of fascinating facts, and I appreciate the descriptive geography.

I've already ordered the next book in the series. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I have.

[Gerald Kubicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

arty Singer has a lot of problems, but he is a cop first. Some seemingly unrelated homicides get his retired senses going. In the end he is all in.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allow me to preface this review by saying this: After two books in, I'm discovering that I honestly REALLY like the main character Marty Singer. I like his personality, his thought-process, his self-reflecting. I like pretty much ALL the moments he shares with other characters on the page. I legit CARE about the guy, which is something I love that authors can pull off. I REALLY like the way the author adds life to this character, (as well as the others) and the style of writing in which he does so. It's these specific traits that not only saved this book for me, but will likely continue to provide me the fuel to keep going, which I am A-Okay with.

This all needed to be said because I didn't consider this entry as strong as its predecessor and yes, it needed saving. Though it still did well with the continuous flow of one chapter into the next, there were a lot more details designed to set things up and too often it felt too long-winded because of them. Only when I got to the final 3/3 of the book did things REALLY get interesting for me. Now this isn't to say the plot was flimsy. Plot was still fine its own way. It had its own air of mystery, what with Marty being summoned by a lieutenant (not retired of course) to offer his input on who's been killing cops. Marty has to then delve into some investigating with a fresh pair of eyes, even needing to wander into the realm of gangs to get some answers.

Problem is, I don't care for gang plots too much. Other books I've read have touched on this subject matter and I tend to have the same response. So given my general lack of interest, this book already didn't have much of a chance to wow me, and it definitely tainted my appreciation of the book as a whole. I was more interested in literally everything else OUTSIDE of the gang plotlines, even if there IS some relevance. Fortunately, like I said above, my fixation on Marty as a character as well as his relationships with other people were definitely my favorite parts of the entire book. I especially adore his budding father/daughter relationship with Amanda. Plus, once I did made it to that aforementioned final 3rd act of the story, I ended up REALLY liking it all the way to the end. I was even having some fun notating the guess on a character reveal and was elated that I was right. (See my highlighted notes for a play by play!)

Originally, this book was on its way to a 2-star trajectory. But the good things I liked it about carried quite a lot of power, and by that 3rd act, I felt it earned that other star for sure. So while it may not have been better than book one, it now came pretty close to its 4-star rating. I am not turned off from Marty Singer's stories in the slightest and still intend to head right into the next book. Hopefully, this momentum will continue.

[James Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this book, after thoroughly enjoying the previous one.
Marty slinger is still going through his Chemotherapy and is awaiting surgery. He is asked to help on a case, where his 30yrs of being a homicide detective might help the befuddled police, cops have been brutally murdered and it is thought that his vast experience would be a great asset in solving the case although it being in an unofficial capacity. Marty doesn’t know what he is letting himself in for as the momentum gains pace and it seems that the most brutal and ruthless South American gang is involved. Is the notorious boss the killer or could it even be a cop?
Once again, as previously, this book is written at a fast pace and is quite a page turner, the plot is good but not quite as good as the first one, but still a really good thriller, and I will mark it a very enjoyable 4/5.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

great series love main character

This book was a very fast read for me. Love this author’s writing style and especially his characters. A page-turner not so much for the excitement factor as for how interesting his dialogue and descriptions are, which is unusual for me. Usually I’m better impressed with fast-paced plot. This one was good, not as good as the first book in this series, but still engaging to me. Only disappointment was the ending, not for any writing or technical choices by the author, just the material. I simply found it sad that the killer chose that path. I can understand how grief will get you to that point, still a waste of an otherwise good man’s life.

[ANGELA OBERNDORFER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent plot and storytelling

Again I’ll admit my doubts in reading a male authors books because they tend to lack romance or feelings us women like to read about. While this one didn’t have the romantic relationship the first book did, it had a family connection between Marty and Amanda that was well written. Can’t wait to continue....

[Dkolacinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marty Singer, ex-detective forced into retirement due to cancer, seeks to solve the brutal execution of a number of undercover cops by a drug gang. His cancer, which had responded to chemotherapy returns and he needs surgery ASAP. He chooses to solve the executions prior to surgery. High action but more importantly, you really care about Marty Singer as a human.

[Carole D Hutchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of action and MYSTERY

Author kept the story very real and you could feel the tension throughout the book corruption seems to follow and a lot of professions . Sometimes it's needed to get garbage off the streets

[DeRoy Silveous · Rating 3 out of 5]

So-So

Not as good as some of the writers other books. There are better ways to spend your reading time. If you’re looking for a lengthy book, written with a lot of unnecessary words, this is for you.

[bandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of action

This book had a lot of realistic action. Action was non stop, police acted like police not gung ho, flying solo trying to clear the case. Sad parts in it too.(sorta spoiler) Cant say i like the health issue of character

[Betty Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is second in a series and the hero has lost none of his appeal as a character. The plot is fairly interesting and after I finish my book blub readings I am likely to drift back to #3 in the series.

[LyleStiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as it gets

A great story, a well put together list of characters, and a realistic feel for nitty gritty police work. This is a very difficult book to put down. Excellent, very well done, Mr. Iden!

[Nancy Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth reading!!!!!!!

Absolutely disgusting beginning. Could it be any more obvious that the writer is pleading for attention through cheap, poorly written, gory shock value? How shabby and pathetic.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't like cops. If I did like cops, I'd have liked this book more. That said, Matthew Iden is good.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different cop mystery

It has all the police activity along with good characterization, intrigue and intensity that contributed to a very interesting and informed story.

[lois kirkwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueblood (2)

A great read, moved along nicely. I couldn't guess Who Dunnit,, had to keep reading to the end. Ready for book 3!

[Hitchsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whole series is great

[Mr. Otto E Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read! Great story!