In Her Blood

by G.V. Trent

Alexandra McCormick's great-grandmother was a brutal serial killer in the early 1900's. With her mother currently serving time in prison for murdering Alexandra's stepfather, Alexandra decides to do her college research paper on whether or not the tendency to commit murder or other violent crimes may be passed on genetically.
Her research takes her to Savannah, Georgia, a city built upon its dead. There, she meets Chad Greenway, whose ancestor is Alice Riley, the first woman hanged in the state of Georgia. Alice was hanged for killing her abusive master. As a freelance writer, Chad agrees to help Alexandra with her research provided he can write a story about her quest. Chad introduces Alexandra to David "Dumpster" Jackson, an unconventional psychologist living in a homeless shelter. Dumpster's mother comes from a long line of Geechee (a form of voodoo) practitioners, and she sees a darkness surrounding Alexandra.
Soon it seems everyone Alexandra meets winds up murdered.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[megHan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers. In my opinion, they're better than thrillers because they really get into your mind and make you think. This one is no different, making you think on several different levels. The past murders are what hooked me, Alexandra's thesis is really interesting and thought-provoking, and the story as a whole is intense. The characters were well-written, and like most people, came across as likable and a little un-likable at times. The writing kept my attention throughout the whole story and I was unhappy when the book finally came to an end, not because of the ending itself, but because there wasn't more of the story to read. I know the author writes mostly cozies (under other names), but I sure would like to see her write under this genre again because I really enjoyed this.

My favorite character was Dumpster. Everything about him was just ... different. And the fact that he completely different than what from you original think makes him even better. The information that he gave, the insight he shared, helped you to look at things from all sides, instead of just one or two.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Please remember that this review is my opinion based on my personal impressions of the book.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always wondered if this could be true. Could you have a killer gene? Could it be hereditary? Could it be encoded in our DNA?

I’ve watched a lot of documentaries on this subject so I was excited to read where the author would take it.

Doing a research paper for college, Alexandra heads to Savannah, Georgia to interview Chad Greenway. He’s a free lance writer and has an ancestor who was the first woman hanged in Georgia.

She meets Chad while going on one of his Haunted Tours and he agrees to be interviewed. He’s nonchalant about his families history but shows a keen interest in Alexandra. She likes him too. They agree to work together. Chad will help her with the research paper and Alexandra will let him write a story about her.

Soon after they start interviewing people, those same people start turning up dead. The connection to Alexandra places her in the crosshairs of the police and now she has to catch the killer before she ends up behind bars.

There are some very colorful characters in this story. Alexandra’s interest in the subject of the ‘warrior gene’ comes from her own history. Her great grandmother was a serial killer and her own mother is in prison for killing her step-father.

Chad has an ancestor who killed her master and was caught and hanged. To help Alexandra, he introduces her to Dumpster. Now this is a cool character.

Dumpster is living in a homeless shelter, but he’s not what he appears to be. He’s strange, cryptic, and has an intelligence and education that peeks through the grime. He introduces Alexandra to his mother.

It’s funny when Alexandra first meets Dumpster’s mom. She pretends to be blind and tells her of the darkness that surrounds her. The blindness isn’t real but the darkness is.

There was one character that really disappointed me. I should have seen behind the charm. Turned out to be a loser. And one who I grew more and more fond of as I read the book.

As Alexandra met more people, bodies started piling up and the author did a great job of misdirecting. She had me thinking it’s this person. No, scratch that, it’s this one. Even Alexandra was on my list of suspects. Perhaps the propensity to kill is hereditary. Maybe she’s the killer and doesn’t even know it. Not an easy mystery to solve.

This is a thriller that kept me guessing. The finale was something else. Once the killer was revealed, I knew I’d not paid attention to a clue that was slipped into the book earlier. It was something Alexandra missed and so did I.

Lots of interesting characters. Plenty of suspects. Some local Gee chee (voodoo). Lots to keep you turning the pages. Have fun with your own list of suspects.

I received this book for my honest review.

[Mave · Rating 4 out of 5]

It 's a psychological thriller, compelling and unpredictable, full of twists, mysteries and quirky characters.

Alexandra McCormick was shocked by seeing her mother kill her stepfather. It was self-defense because he was going to rape her younger daughter Magda but Alexandra fears that in the family is present a gene that predisposes to the murder (her great-grandmother was a serial killer). Alexandra has decided to conduct a study to truly understand if being a murderer can be hereditary. She goes to Savannah where she wants to meet with Chad, the heir of the first woman hanged for murder in Georgia, Alice Riley. The young girl had left Ireland to seek her fortune in America but had been sold as a slave to an evil man. Luckily here she met and fell in love with another servant but, even if they tried to be discreet, the owner discovered them and increased his torture. One evening while Alice was helping him to bathe, she and her partner exasperated drowned him in the bathtub. Alice was pregnant and was made to give birth before dying hanged. Chad has been able to build a very profitable business on this story. He is also a free lance writer and agrees to help Alexandra in exchange to write her story. Slowly all the people they meet in their investigation end up making a bad end and also the sister of Alexandra will end in trouble. Will Alexandra solve the mystery? She can trust to Chad?

It 's a well-written novel, with original and realistic characters. Alexandra is a woman plagued with many weaknesses and fragility: she lost her father as a child and has had a life of hell with her stepfather. She doen't blame her mother for what she did but she had to leave before, had to be able to protect her daughters. She's trying to find a balance with her studies but her problems emerge and try to numb the pain with alcohol. Another unusual character is David, a psychologist who has decided to leave everything and live in a homeless shelter.

If like me you've never read a psychological thriller perhaps can be a good introduction to the genre.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

[KyBunnies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am more of a mystery / cozy mystery person than psychological thriller. I have read some psychological thrillers in the past and enjoyed them but they are not my favorite. When the author send out an email asking if anyone would be interested in reading/reviewing the book I quickly jumped on Amazon to read the description. It sounded interesting so I thought why not. I sent an email off and quickly received the book. I thought I would read a chapter or two and then send to my Kindle. Well…I read the whole book on my laptop. In between cooking supper and everything. I did not even kiss my husband good night. I mumbled something and he probably shook his head and walked away. I was that pulled into the book.

When starting Alexandra is interested in finding out more about serial killers. She wants to write her thesis and find out if there is a connection to family murders. What she finds is more than she bargains for.

If you are looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing them this one will not disappoint. Good luck figuring out the real killer.

Thanks for a great read G.V. Trent

The bunnies and I give this book carrots (rounded up to 5 carrots).

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own and do not reflect those of the author, my clients or tour companies I work with. This is not a paid review. To form your own opinion please support the author and acquire your own legal copy of the book.


I admit to being a little disappointed in how Chad handled the situation and wondered why at the end the author made him such a jerk. I also wonder why Alexandra was tried for protecting her sister.

[Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
by Gemini

In Her Blood was by far one of the best psychological thrillers that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Just when I thought that I had it all figured out, there’s a curveball. The book is made more mysterious with a setting of Savannah and tells of ghost stories. There’s also voodoo and the question of whether or not a person can be born to kill. As bodies start to drop, suspects are plentiful or at least you would think they were. Once you start putting the pieces together, you just get a bigger puzzle. Of course, that’s what made this an excellent thrill ride. I gave up on playing detective and just strapped myself in for the ride.

Alexandra McCormick attempts to figure out if there is a genetic tendency to murder and opens up a Pandora’s box that she has no chance at closing. She meets an interesting group of people in Savannah that end up being unlucky after meeting her. As the murder investigations unfold, Alexandra’s mental state comes into question. More importantly, she’s not even sure if she isn’t the murderer. There were a lot of revelations that came to light. Needless to say, I was left with a feeling of both relief and annoyance when all the cards were laid on the table. I questioned everything after the fact. That doesn’t mean that I was disappointed. I just felt duped. But that’s the point. You will have to take the journey for yourself in order to understand. It will be worth it.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

**Received a copy via blog tour in exchange for an honest unbiased review.**

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you had a murderer in your family tree? Alexandra McCormick needs to know. Her great-grandmother was a serial killer. She decides to do research and write her thesis on her findings. She goes to Savannah Georgia to get more information. She meets Chad Greenway whose ancestor was the first woman hanged in Georgia. She had killed her master. Suddenly people she meets are being murdered and she's being set up for the crime. Why? G.V. Trent has written a dark, psychological story that had me on the edge of my seat. Alexandra was a woman fighting memories of abuse and violence. The darkness surrounding her won't give her peace. She's trapped. She becomes involved with Chad but their affair doesn't give her peace or distraction. Chad is charming, but he uses his family history to make money. Can she trust him? David "Dumpster" Jackson is an enigma. He's very perceptive and lives life on his terms. Why does this psychologist live in a homeless shelter? G.V. Trent wrote a carefully plotted story filled with characters that you cared for. In Her Blood is an emotional roller coaster ride that left me guessing until the very end. This book is addictive. When I wasn't reading, I was trying to guess what would happen next. This book took my breath away. What an incredible story!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next time you are looking for a good psychological thriller, definitely give this one a try. Alex is a woman with a troubled past but an interesting thesis idea - is there a "killer" gene? Chad is a descendent of a serial killer, but does he believe in her theory? Then there is Dumpster Dave - a psychologist that chooses to live in a shelter to help those in need.

The plot twists and turns and when I thought maybe I knew who was killing the people Alex met while in Savannah, a twist in the story would happen and I would suspect someone else. I think I suspected several of the characters at different times in the story...but not once did I get it right!

Well worth the read!

[Michele Seigfried · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very compelling read! I truly enjoyed this book! I have done genealogy research on my own family and I too found a distant relative from the 1800s who was a murderer, so I found this novel very interesting. I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was, but I was dying to know! I enjoyed the characters and the plot, especially the twist that I never saw coming! I found myself lost in this book and I look forward to what Ms. Trent has up her sleeve next.

5 stars!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the Great Escapes Book Tour. This did not influence my review in any way.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. I liked the characters, they were complex and well developed. The premise for this novel was intriguing, does a serial killer in your family history mean that you will have a killer gene? Will you be more likely to kill than someone else? The plot was also well done, and I had no idea what was going to happen at the end.

[Kris Sheets · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page, this book caught my attention. It had lots of twists and turns that keeps the reader wondering. I highly recommend to anyone who likes psychological mysteries.

[Cyrus Alderwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, strong character, and a plot twist at the end that will keep you turning pages. Great book, great author.