Closer Than Blood

Sheriff Detective Kendall Stark #2

by Gregg Olsen

For Detective Kendall Stark of Kitsap County in Port Orchard, Washington, memories of her teenage years are overshadowed by a classmate's tragic death, which was ruled an accident. All these years Stark has kept her suspicions to herself, until her high school's upcoming fifteen-year reunion reopens old wounds.

Tori and Lainie O'Neal, the twin sisters who somehow survived the fateful crash, will meet again after years of estrangement, now more bitter than ever in the aftermath of a vicious murder. With the help of forensic pathologist Birdy Waterman, Kendall discovers a chilling pattern of unsolved fatalities. Before another victim is claimed, Stark races to unmask one the most relentless killers she's ever encountered--a killer with the perfect disguise...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Audiobook, Detective

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written ten nonfiction books, ten novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, the award-winning author has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.

The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

Reviews

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 1 out of 5]

A really Godawful book by a major author. The old evil twin versus the good, but slightly stupid, twin plot. Would be perfect for Lifetime movies. Full of violence and pedophilia sex, in fact, it's just raunchy. It's fascination is very similar to gawking at a recent wreck on a highway. Not recommended.

[Amzette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that I’m being quite generous by giving this book a 3⭐️ rating! I’ve enjoyed other books by Greg Olsen but for some reason, I just can’t really get into this series. The first book of the series (Victim Six), I found that one to be a bit wonky, for lack of better words! There was just something missing and I can’t put my finger on it! I’m so grateful that these books were free! I’ll most likely be returning the other ones some time later today. I’d most likely rather spend my time reading books that I like from the very start. If you enjoy this series, I’m very pleased for you. Maybe I’m just a tad more pickier!
Anyway, as always, my fellow Goodreader’s, Happy Reading and/or Listening!📚🎧💜

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Gregg Olsen's true crime books and just recently read his works of fiction---this book and A Wicked Snow.

There are many twists and turns in this plot (Closer Than Blood) that involves a good twin and an evil twin.

I struggled with the ending because it seemed disjointed at times. It mentioned Laine's high end clothing/closet but that should have been Tori. Parker has the same conversation with his mother over the phone and then in person---that was confusing to me because his mother acted like she hadn't heard it on the phone already---maybe that was because she was trying to be comforting and understanding.

It felt like the ending was rushed and all the loose ends were trying to be tied up but some of it didn't make any sense to me.

[Elif · Rating 4 out of 5]

İkiz kardeşler Tori Ve Laine birbirinden siyah ve beyaz kadar farklıdır. 15 yıl önce birlikte yaptıkları kaza peşlerini bir türlü bırakmaz. Tori’nin tesadüfi bir şekilde ölen iki kocası şimşeklerin hedefine Tori’yi koyar. İkizlerin arasındaki sırlar, yalanlar, entrikalar.
Kitabın sürükleyiciliğini çok sevdim. Yazar sonunu ters köşe yapmaya çalışmış. Bence yapmış da. Sürprizin bir kısmını tahmin edebildim, diğer kısmı beni şaşırttı. Sadece görüntüsüyle erkekleri parmağında oynatan Tori tüylerinizi diken diken edecek.
Kitabı ben çok sevdim. Siz de seveceksiniz 👍🏻

[Darlene Cardone · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really can't understand the 4 and 5 star ratings on this book. It was written more like a young adult book, the plot was never hidden for you to figure out, and the "twist" at the end was a dud that I figured out right away and was never explained where it came from. Very cheesy.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reader is re-united with Detective Kendall Stark. She isn't working a current case at the beginning of this story but is simply involved in the periphery. Why? Kendall feels that an evil and devious high school classmate, Tori, is more involved than just being the innocent bystander in her husband's death. Tori's twin sister, Lainie is the proverbial good sister and she also feels that there is more to this story than meets the eye. Is this another instance of Tori getting away with murder...literally and figuratively speaking?

I enjoyed the intrigue and mayhem that is unveiled throughout this story. There are times when Kendall's investigation into the past and present seems to go off half-cocked but, trust me, it makes sense in the end. The theme that ties all of the little stories together seems to be what secrets are we all hiding and what lengths are we willing to go in order to protect those secrets. The characters might seem trite at first, good twin vs. evil twin, but Lainie, as the good twin, is not the perfect child or adult. She has her fair share of faults and weaknesses. However, Tori goes a long way in epitomizing the evil twin. She is so much more than a femme fatale, although she fits that role quite well. As the story unfolds, Tori becomes not only hated but reviled by the reader as well as the characters in the story. This feeling of camraderie with the characters is one of the things that makes Mr. Olsen's writings so unique, in my opinion. I've read all of his fiction works and enjoyed them all and Closer Than Blood was no exception. A well-written and well executed mystery that brings thrills and chills.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

So… it seems to me as if this is really the 2nd book in the series with Victim Six being the first book - which I haven’t read. It’s really irritating to me when no one list, including Goodreads, can figure out how to put these books into a semblance of order.

The Author writes both True Crime and Crime Dramas. After reading the other supposed 3.5 Waterman and Stark books, it’s obvious that he has a theme: he likes women serial killers. And his femme fatales are all about using their feminine wiles to get whatever they want. After Brenda Nevins, Tori is almost tame. She’s still interesting, in that it’s anyone’s guess as to what happens next. The Author holds back just enough detail to keep you reading, so no matter how much you think you know, you don’t quite have the whole picture. It’s clever without “cheating” as I call it - like Agatha Christie often does, where the Author completely leaves out a very important clue/detail until the final resolution; without that information, the Reader couldn’t possibly know the full story. No, Mr. Olsen gives enough of the picture so that you see the pieces of the puzzle coming together, but not so much that you can completely guess the next move or the final big picture. There’s always something that you didn’t or couldn't foresee. I like that in a book.

The final giveaway, however, is such a small detail, that even Tori forgot about it! And that’s exactly the kind of detail that trips up even the so-called masterminds!

Not quite the best of the books, IMO, but I did appreciate more background on Kendall and her family. Makes the latter tension in her marriage more understandable after reading the closeness in this book.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Tori Connelly just shot her husband and laid the groundwork to cover up the crime. She appears to have gotten away with murder before so why not this time too. Detective Kendall Stark is pitted against her in this story.

I am a Gregg Olsen fan. I like his series with Detective Stark and medical examiner Birdy Waterman. The medical examiner only had a small role in this book. I had to rate this book down primarily because of the editing. The story seems to be all over the place. Points of view and time frames change in the middle of pages with no warning. Made it difficult to read and keep up with what was happening. I rate it up because of all the twists and turns in the story. I absolutely did not see the last big one coming. Personally, I like a shock to come out of nowhere.

[Db · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the actual hell? There were a lot of outrageous behaviors described, but not much plot. Yes, we get it, the villain is a sociopath. That was established at the outset. The book then consisted of about 1,314 examples of the sociopathic behavior, many uninteresting 'days in the life' of the policewoman working the case, then a sudden resolution that apparently wasn't edited because there are some major logical errors/gaps. If you step back and think about it, the book's focus is on keeping the reader titillated instead of crafting an interesting story. I skimmed it, but I'm mad I didn't skim it harder.

I need to start reading 5 star reviews with extreme skepticism.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down. Maybe it was just because I got a Nook for my B-day and wanted to get on it, but it WAS a very good read. I love his writing style and the shorter chapters. It makes me read a book faster. It was a little confusing at first, with all the characters, and I wish I'd had the time to read the first 100 pages at one sitting. I'll definitely read more Olsen.

[Jolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Closer Than Blood is a story in the Stark Waterman series about twin sisters and the murder of one of their husbands. Tori was the nasty twin, while Lainie was the nice twin. Detective Kendal was looking for the suspect who killed Tori’s husband. Tori was not well liked but was beautiful. The identical twins had been separated for several years but Tori called Lainie for support after her husband’s death and her injury. I have read several of the books in this series and found them all to be very interesting and entertaining.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregg Olsen always delivers. This is the second in his Stark and Waterman series. Nothing is truly what it seems, Kendall is on a committee planning her class reunion, while she also has work and family to keep up with. Secrets from the past keep rearing their ugly heads. I had trouble putting this down. Olsen's characters are realistic and the plot is realistic. I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers that will keep you awake at night.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably about 3.5 stars. Liked the first book in this series better. This book focuses on Kendall Stark rather than Birdie Waterman. I find Kendall less interesting. This story line seemed to have more that I find often in thriller/mysteries. Psychopathic serial killers. Dark secrets and unresolved isssues dating back to high school. A plethora of men who think with a non-brain part of male anantomy. Overall, it was entertaining enough, just not what I consider too original. Truthfully, reading this book beat out watching another TV, Netflix or Amazon rerun. Don't know if I'll look for a 3rd book in the Waterman/Stark series.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want to say I am so glad I don't have a twin sister!!! To me if this was a true story, how TWIN Sisters end up being, one good and one so evil, SCARY... Parts of this book got to be somewhat confusing because it kept going back and forth in time... However it was a very good read!!!

[Judy Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could sit in my den and read Gregg Olsen from morning til night. He’s simply one of the best suspense/ thriller writers around. Hard to put down, twisted plots and characters that keep you guessing to the end. Love his writing!!

[Katherine "Kj" Joslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 Good book but liked the later books better, I really enjoyed the Waterman character and she was not in these first two books as much.

[Tabitha Rohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!! The characters really come alive. I can’t wait to read book three that I got and it is autographed. Love you Gregg Olsen.

[Maddie B · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was good, but the pacing was off. I didn’t feel motivated to keep reading the book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

every time I thought I had it figured out .....plot twist! only trasi. it isn't a 5 star was because it had several moving parts that made it easy to get confused at times.

[Tomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story line, but not very well-written. Jumpy, with some loose ends.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twins. Mirror image twins. One parts her hair on the right, the othe on the left. One has a mole on the right lip, the other on the left lip. One is a sociopath, murderer and a narcissist while the other is a warm and caring person.
That sounds like an intriguing premise for a thriller, does it not? Maybe in the hands of oa more accomplished writer it may have been, but I found the book to be like a recipe for hobo stew: throw everything you have in the pot, bring it to a boil and see what comes to the top. And if it seems a bit flat, just toss in another ingredient, or two, or more.
And that is exactly what Mr. Olsen does. Every once in a while he adds in another character, another plot contrivance. For example about halfway along up pops a conspirator, heretofore not even hinted at, as if to keep the reader glued to the page. By this time this reader had wished he had begun a cast of characters so as to keep them all straight. Another helpful list would be one marking all the tangled plot threads.
Characters who seem to have no relevance just pop into the story only to disappear, while others who are integral to plot are never developed. A backstory is hinted at, but not fleshed out, though to be fair, It appears one of the cops who is tangentially involved with one of the many threads had some interaction with the bad twin in an earlier book. Reading that book may help comprehension of this one- if you make the considerable effort.
There could have been a good story here- if the author had boiled that soup mentioned earlier into a thicker stew.

The author may not have known how to get to the end of this 400 page plus mishmash, but I did.
The book could have used an editor with a large red pencil.

[Amanda Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be fair, I was not a fan of this writing style. It was very choppy-bouncing, not only from character to character with no transition, but also from past to present. There were far too many characters to keep track of in my head and too many important places that I couldn't keep straight. I felt like I needed a notebook for reference-especially as the book began to take twists and turns on every page.

Now, I will say that the story was intriguing and kept me going till the end because I just had to know what was going to happen.......unfortunately I never really got there-even after I finished the book 😕

Spoilers are coming........







Ok, so I mostly figured out the decade long killing spree. But how the heck do those last couple players factor in?! The last few pages of this story just sort of, throw random twists at you but don't actually explain how they tie in to what you've been reading.
If someone out there can give me an explanation-please do so. I'm dying here!!

Thanks for reading-best of luck if you've made it this far and still plan to give it a go!!

[Barbara Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mirror image twins, Tori and Lainie. Cold hearted Tori turns serial killer at 17 who's seemingly too clever to get caught. Fifteen years after Tori's first "kill" the girlfriend of the first victim and childhood friend of the twins, police detective Kendall Stark, becomes involved with the most current murder case. Always suspicious of her boyfriend's death, the detective starts uncovering other suspicious deaths in Tori's past. The trick is proving what was so cleverly covered up was actually murder...and to do it before Tori kills again. This time Tori has her twin, and Kendall's good friend, in her crosshairs.

It wasn't a heart thumping thriller, but it was a well crafted story with dimensional characters. A pleasant way to pass this superheated Sunday afternoon.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great suspenseful novel about good and evil twins. Great plot, hard to predict who did what, and how it would turn out. I have to mention a big issue I had with this book, which probably constitutes an editing issue. Throughout the entire book a scene would unfold, and with no warning the next paragraph would be different people, different time period. It was up to the reader to find out after two-three paragraphs this was a different scene. Even double spacing between scene changes would have helped, but there wasn't even that.
On occasion a new chapter would open a new scene with different characters, but for the most part it was all one big long block of paragraphs with no lead-in or warning of new time frame, different character, etc. Hard to read.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What (dramatic pause) AN AWESOME BOOK!!!! I didn't think Gregg Olsen could get more twisted than in his book Victim Six, yet he has in this book! THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!! This book has a pretty graphic and mind blowing twists and overall story line. If one does not like ummmmm, "sexual" twistedness, you will be deeply, deeply offended by this book and thus mark it down! And here is another heads up to this type of reader..if you don't like these story lines, I would not read Gregg Olsen's fiction!

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

So hard to follow - the author jumps timelines with little to no warning. Could’ve used a good editor to cut out SO MANY unnecessary and distracting detail descriptions. For example: Don’t tell me that the detective’s pants are a little too long for her and she has a hard time finding ones that fit unless it relates to the narrative - especially not in the middle of some dialogue.

The story had potential, but the poor writing gets in the way. And the author just seems to try to use sex to keep the plot moving when the writing stalls out.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced, read in one day thriller. this one is written from a perspective I am not normally pleased with, the killer being revealed early on and the "catch" of the book is catching the killer, but in this one it was done very well and I found myself reading faster and faster as I went on. Another well done work of fiction by one of my favorite authors!

[Shannon Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome page turner of a book! I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately handed it over upon finishing to my husband and said, "You gotta read this!" A black widow who is evil beyond evil!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. It was an easy read and that was what I was looking for at the time. A bit predictable but overall a good book. I would read other books by Mr. Olsen.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. Had a really good villan this time. I always end up liking his books, yet I always pass them up at the library if I've got other choices. It's almost like I forget I like his writing until the next time the pickings are slim and I grab one of his books.