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Bloodlines
Twenty-five years ago Olivia Sealy was kidnapped for ransom. Today she has no memory of the terrible event, yet an uneasy feeling still haunts her--a fear that is realized when an infant's skeleton is found and a connection is made to Olivia's past. Stunned by the revelation and its implications, Olivia puts her trust in Trey Bonney, the detective assigned to the case. But neither counts on a madman who may hold the answer to the 25-year-old mystery.
368 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2005
221 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Dinah McCall
22 books162 followersDinah McCall is a pseudonym for author Sharon Sala.
It was a job she hated that drove Sharon Sala to put the first page of paper in an old typewriter, but it was the love of the craft that kept her writing. Her first efforts at writing came in 1980 when she began a book that wound up under her bed. A second book followed in 1981 and suffered a similar fate, but she claims the writing bug had bitten hard. However, she let life and the demands of a growing family delay her from continuing until a tragedy struck.
Her father died in May of 1985 after a lingering illness, and then, only two months later, her only sister died unexpectedly. She vowed then and there that she was not going to wind up on her deathbed one day with regrets for not following through on her dreams.
She joined writers' groups and attended conferences, and she slowly learned her way around the written page. By 1989, she decided she had come far enough in her writing to attempt another try at book-length fiction and began a book that would later be entitled Sara's Angel. As fate would have it, the first publisher she sent it to bought it, and she hasn't looked back.
As a farmer's daughter, and then for many years a farmer's wife, Sharon escaped the drudgeries of life through the pages of books, and now, as a writer, she finds herself often living out her dreams. Through traveling and speaking and the countless thousands of fan letters she has received, Sharon has touched many lives. One faithful reader has crowned her the "Reba of Romance," while others claim she's a magician with words.
Her stories are often dark, dealing with the realities of this world, and yet she's able to weave hope and love within the words for the readers who clamor for her latest works.
Her books repeatedly make the bestseller lists, including those of The New York Times, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly, and the Waldenbooks mass market fiction list, and she's been nominated for a RITA® Award seven times, which is the romance writer's equivalent of having an Oscar or an Emmy nomination.
Always an optimist in the face of bad times, she finds that many of the stories she writes come to her in dreams, but there's nothing fanciful about her work. She puts her faith in God and still trusts in love and the belief that, no matter what, everything comes full circle.
It was a job she hated that drove Sharon Sala to put the first page of paper in an old typewriter, but it was the love of the craft that kept her writing. Her first efforts at writing came in 1980 when she began a book that wound up under her bed. A second book followed in 1981 and suffered a similar fate, but she claims the writing bug had bitten hard. However, she let life and the demands of a growing family delay her from continuing until a tragedy struck.
Her father died in May of 1985 after a lingering illness, and then, only two months later, her only sister died unexpectedly. She vowed then and there that she was not going to wind up on her deathbed one day with regrets for not following through on her dreams.
She joined writers' groups and attended conferences, and she slowly learned her way around the written page. By 1989, she decided she had come far enough in her writing to attempt another try at book-length fiction and began a book that would later be entitled Sara's Angel. As fate would have it, the first publisher she sent it to bought it, and she hasn't looked back.
As a farmer's daughter, and then for many years a farmer's wife, Sharon escaped the drudgeries of life through the pages of books, and now, as a writer, she finds herself often living out her dreams. Through traveling and speaking and the countless thousands of fan letters she has received, Sharon has touched many lives. One faithful reader has crowned her the "Reba of Romance," while others claim she's a magician with words.
Her stories are often dark, dealing with the realities of this world, and yet she's able to weave hope and love within the words for the readers who clamor for her latest works.
Her books repeatedly make the bestseller lists, including those of The New York Times, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly, and the Waldenbooks mass market fiction list, and she's been nominated for a RITA® Award seven times, which is the romance writer's equivalent of having an Oscar or an Emmy nomination.
Always an optimist in the face of bad times, she finds that many of the stories she writes come to her in dreams, but there's nothing fanciful about her work. She puts her faith in God and still trusts in love and the belief that, no matter what, everything comes full circle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 29, 2020
A family is renovating a home they just purchased when they find a suitcase containing the skeleton of a small child inside a wall. As the police investigate the murder, they discover that the skeleton is approximately twenty-five years old. The child also had a second thumb on her left hand, a trait carried by the Sealy family. This leads Detective Trey Bonney to the home of Olivia Sealy. At the age of two, Olivia was kidnapped and her parents murdered. She was later returned to her grandfather unharmed. Now twenty-five years later, neither Olivia nor her Grandfather know anything about the murdered child who apparently has ties to their family.
After reading the first couple of chapters, I thought this sounded like an intriguing mystery which included a romance. Unfortunately, it really didn't hold up. I found the writing to be problematic. There were so many inane details that did not add to the story. Every character had a point-of-view. Many of their scenes leant nothing to the overall story.
I found Olivia to be incredibly annoying. She cried at the drop of the hat and needed her Grandfather or Trey to hold her over and over again. Her relationship with Trey was ridiculous. They had dated in high school when she left him at the request of her grandfather. Now they are back together for one day when they declare their everlasting love. The saving grace to this book was the big twist at the end which I didn't see coming. My rating: 2 Stars.
After reading the first couple of chapters, I thought this sounded like an intriguing mystery which included a romance. Unfortunately, it really didn't hold up. I found the writing to be problematic. There were so many inane details that did not add to the story. Every character had a point-of-view. Many of their scenes leant nothing to the overall story.
I found Olivia to be incredibly annoying. She cried at the drop of the hat and needed her Grandfather or Trey to hold her over and over again. Her relationship with Trey was ridiculous. They had dated in high school when she left him at the request of her grandfather. Now they are back together for one day when they declare their everlasting love. The saving grace to this book was the big twist at the end which I didn't see coming. My rating: 2 Stars.
June 10, 2011
Interesting murder mystery. Dinah McCall/Sharon Sala has become one of my go to authors. I know that her books will at least be a pretty solid read.
This one was more involved with the mystery aspect and the romance while important was sort of "easy" I guess. Well written and the plot made sense. I did figure out the bad guy but not immediately so that was good. Some characters who could have become caricatures instead went in other directions which is always pleasant. Even the secondary characters were very well rounded.
This one was more involved with the mystery aspect and the romance while important was sort of "easy" I guess. Well written and the plot made sense. I did figure out the bad guy but not immediately so that was good. Some characters who could have become caricatures instead went in other directions which is always pleasant. Even the secondary characters were very well rounded.
June 26, 2013
To be fair, I would rate this a weak 2.75 stars This is one of those that I could kick myself for taking precious reading time to finish it rather than just putting it down. I looked beyond the storyline and ignored that I had picked up a romance and I found the writing to be mediocre. I guess people who are drawn to romance with a bit of suspense may like it, but I highly doubt it. It is just, well, blah.
McCall adds a lot of unnecessary writing that just irritated me. I mean, we don't care that Olivia had to wash her hands because she was cutting tomatoes and made a mess making the sandwiches that are repeatedly mentioned. Just one uninteresting passage after another simply to fill out the book rather than writing the short story it should have been. There are also little side, dare I say stories that had absolutely nothing to do with the main story and had nothing to add to the main story. They were just little ramblings that came out of nowhere and went nowhere.
I have to give McCall props for adding one big surprise right there at the end, but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Twenty-five years ago Olivia Sealy was kidnapped for ransom. Today she has no memory of the terrible event, yet an uneasy feeling still haunts her-a fear that is realized when an infant's skeleton is found and a connection is made to Olivia
s past.
As news of the discovery makes headlines, Olivia and the people close to her suddenly become targets for a murderer bent on revenge. Still stunned by the revelation and its implications, Olivia puts her trust in Trey Bonney, the detective assigned to the case. But neither counts on a madman who may hold the answer to the twenty-five-year-old mystery-a secret someone hoped was buried for good.
McCall adds a lot of unnecessary writing that just irritated me. I mean, we don't care that Olivia had to wash her hands because she was cutting tomatoes and made a mess making the sandwiches that are repeatedly mentioned. Just one uninteresting passage after another simply to fill out the book rather than writing the short story it should have been. There are also little side, dare I say stories that had absolutely nothing to do with the main story and had nothing to add to the main story. They were just little ramblings that came out of nowhere and went nowhere.
I have to give McCall props for adding one big surprise right there at the end, but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Twenty-five years ago Olivia Sealy was kidnapped for ransom. Today she has no memory of the terrible event, yet an uneasy feeling still haunts her-a fear that is realized when an infant's skeleton is found and a connection is made to Olivia
s past.
As news of the discovery makes headlines, Olivia and the people close to her suddenly become targets for a murderer bent on revenge. Still stunned by the revelation and its implications, Olivia puts her trust in Trey Bonney, the detective assigned to the case. But neither counts on a madman who may hold the answer to the twenty-five-year-old mystery-a secret someone hoped was buried for good.
November 29, 2017
Thought this was going to be a fantastic book, as it started with a storyline a little different than the typical "who done it" book. However, that changed as soon as those romantic feelings started to surface with the two main characters. The romance went on and on and OOONNN, where it became quite annoying and I had to skip ALL of those pages. (Not because I don't like romance, but because it was written in such a juvenile way where this string, macho and handsome investigator was pretty hen-pecked and wimpy). I won't give away the ending, all I'll say is that there was quite a twist that wasn't expected. If the author would have stuck with the story and left the romance out of it, I would have given it an additional star.
October 5, 2018
I read a lot of Sharon Sala novels when I was at school and always look back on them fondly but as an adult I struggle to find the appeal.
The characters in 'Bloodlines' were quite flat and dull, and I felt that I never got to know them at all outside of the case thus they never felt developed. What did Olivia do with her time? A job was never mentioned, no hobbies, no life. She was as dull as old dish water. In fact, she was duller because sometime dish water has some bits floating in it.
Sure, Trey had a job but did he have dinner with his mother every Sunday or volunteer at a dog shelter? These little details would just have made them more vivid and relatable.
The romance was horribly instant and suffered no obstacles at all once it was introduced. Though the characters did have a past to explain some of this away, it all felt far too easy and safe.
Some small niggles:
Trey calling everyone by their name or an endearment in every sentence was so annoying. Livvie this and sweetheart that... I wanted to strangle him.
The fact that the killer was the killer was super obvious.
The constantly changing narrative voice for one or two paragraphs was unnecessary and had no purpose. Page time afforded to this could have been given to developing the characters better.
The role of Terrance and Carolyn was just odd and added nothing. Remove them and the book remains the same.
Overall, this book required no effort to read because it was underdeveloped and flat and I didn't enjoy it at all.
The characters in 'Bloodlines' were quite flat and dull, and I felt that I never got to know them at all outside of the case thus they never felt developed. What did Olivia do with her time? A job was never mentioned, no hobbies, no life. She was as dull as old dish water. In fact, she was duller because sometime dish water has some bits floating in it.
Sure, Trey had a job but did he have dinner with his mother every Sunday or volunteer at a dog shelter? These little details would just have made them more vivid and relatable.
The romance was horribly instant and suffered no obstacles at all once it was introduced. Though the characters did have a past to explain some of this away, it all felt far too easy and safe.
Some small niggles:
Trey calling everyone by their name or an endearment in every sentence was so annoying. Livvie this and sweetheart that... I wanted to strangle him.
The fact that the killer was the killer was super obvious.
The constantly changing narrative voice for one or two paragraphs was unnecessary and had no purpose. Page time afforded to this could have been given to developing the characters better.
The role of Terrance and Carolyn was just odd and added nothing. Remove them and the book remains the same.
Overall, this book required no effort to read because it was underdeveloped and flat and I didn't enjoy it at all.
October 22, 2016
What an excellent read! I was hooked from the first page! A dead baby found in a suitcase behind a wall, a kidnapping from the past, a long lost love reunited, and secrets from the past all intertwine within this story. I really fell in love with Olivia's and Trey's love story. This book had me very involved with every character as a great mystery unfolds. And what a great twist at the end! I would have never guessed it! I highly recommend this book!
December 13, 2013
This book caught me the first page! I believe I could reread multiple times and never be bored!
September 30, 2018
Trey wird zu einem Fall gerufen, in dem ein Kinderskelett in einem Koffer in der Wand entdeckt wird. Dies führt in Kontakt in Kontakt mit seiner ersten großen Liebe Olivia Sealy.
Mein Fazit:
Es geht gleich mit hohem Tempo los und ein Ehepaar findet den Koffer mit den Knochen. Dies war der erste Moment, in dem es mir einen Schauer über den Rücken lief. Olivia wurde als Kind entführt und da sie an der linken Hand zwei Daumen hatte konnte sie einwandfrei identifiziert werden. Das kleine Skelett hat auch zwei Daumen an der linken Hand und dann fängt das Suchen nach der Wahrheit an.
Olivia wird in eine Identitätskrise gestürzt. Ist sie tatsächlich Olivia Sealy oder jemand anderes? Auch das Wiedersehen mit Trey bringt altes, nicht Aufgearbeitetes ans Licht. Ihr Großvater Marcus ist in den Zeiten die treibende Kraft.
Was mir gut gefallen hat, dass gerade Marcus sich reflektiert hat und auch seine Fehler eingestehen konnte! Trey konnte vergeben und Olivia nach vorne schauen.
Was mir nicht so gefallen hat, war das es viele Erzählstränge gegeben hat und auch die Ermordung von Olivias Eltern wurde nur angerissen, aber nie genau erklärt wie genau das Ganze passiert ist. Auch Forster Lawrence muss doch den Mord an Kay und Michael Sealy mitbekommen haben. Gerade weil dies mit der Entführung von Olivia zusammenhing. Dies empfand ich als sehr unglaubwürdig und muss sagen, dass es für mich ein Grund die nicht volle Punktzahl ist.
Auch habe ich in der Beschreibung gelesen, dass es sich um einen Mystery-Thriller handelt. Der Aspekt kam erst zum Schluss und war somit nicht wirklich gegeben!
Ansonsten war es ein nettes, kurzweilige Lesevergnügen und wenn man die kleineren Ungereimtheiten weglässt, ist man gut unterhalten!
Dies war nicht mein erstes Buch der Autorin und wird auch nicht mein Letztes sein! Ich fand es unterhaltsam und auch die Auflösungen waren (fast) gelungen! Deshalb bitte mehr davon, denn es ist wirklich was Schönes für zwischendurch!
Vielen Dank an den Verlag und an netgalley.de für das Leseexemplar! Das hat aber meine Meinung in keinster Weise beeinflusst!
Mein Fazit:
Es geht gleich mit hohem Tempo los und ein Ehepaar findet den Koffer mit den Knochen. Dies war der erste Moment, in dem es mir einen Schauer über den Rücken lief. Olivia wurde als Kind entführt und da sie an der linken Hand zwei Daumen hatte konnte sie einwandfrei identifiziert werden. Das kleine Skelett hat auch zwei Daumen an der linken Hand und dann fängt das Suchen nach der Wahrheit an.
Olivia wird in eine Identitätskrise gestürzt. Ist sie tatsächlich Olivia Sealy oder jemand anderes? Auch das Wiedersehen mit Trey bringt altes, nicht Aufgearbeitetes ans Licht. Ihr Großvater Marcus ist in den Zeiten die treibende Kraft.
Was mir gut gefallen hat, dass gerade Marcus sich reflektiert hat und auch seine Fehler eingestehen konnte! Trey konnte vergeben und Olivia nach vorne schauen.
Was mir nicht so gefallen hat, war das es viele Erzählstränge gegeben hat und auch die Ermordung von Olivias Eltern wurde nur angerissen, aber nie genau erklärt wie genau das Ganze passiert ist. Auch Forster Lawrence muss doch den Mord an Kay und Michael Sealy mitbekommen haben. Gerade weil dies mit der Entführung von Olivia zusammenhing. Dies empfand ich als sehr unglaubwürdig und muss sagen, dass es für mich ein Grund die nicht volle Punktzahl ist.
Auch habe ich in der Beschreibung gelesen, dass es sich um einen Mystery-Thriller handelt. Der Aspekt kam erst zum Schluss und war somit nicht wirklich gegeben!
Ansonsten war es ein nettes, kurzweilige Lesevergnügen und wenn man die kleineren Ungereimtheiten weglässt, ist man gut unterhalten!
Dies war nicht mein erstes Buch der Autorin und wird auch nicht mein Letztes sein! Ich fand es unterhaltsam und auch die Auflösungen waren (fast) gelungen! Deshalb bitte mehr davon, denn es ist wirklich was Schönes für zwischendurch!
Vielen Dank an den Verlag und an netgalley.de für das Leseexemplar! Das hat aber meine Meinung in keinster Weise beeinflusst!
July 13, 2022
The plot and the mystery were great, but I didn’t really care about the main characters getting together.
At the beginning some things are said about Olivia and then when she sees Trey again, I really didn’t like how she reacted, so I didn’t like her from the beginning. After that, there wasn’t really any relationship development between Olivia and Trey, and Olivia seemed more like a side character, so I never really started liking her. Olivia annoyed me from the beginning and since she wasn’t shown a lot throughout the book, there wasn’t a reason to start liking her.
I really liked the plot and how you didn’t really know who could have done those things 25 years ago.
There wasn’t really any character or relationship development.
I might still try other books by this author, but it seems like the book I really liked by this author was a one off.
At the beginning some things are said about Olivia and then when she sees Trey again, I really didn’t like how she reacted, so I didn’t like her from the beginning. After that, there wasn’t really any relationship development between Olivia and Trey, and Olivia seemed more like a side character, so I never really started liking her. Olivia annoyed me from the beginning and since she wasn’t shown a lot throughout the book, there wasn’t a reason to start liking her.
I really liked the plot and how you didn’t really know who could have done those things 25 years ago.
There wasn’t really any character or relationship development.
I might still try other books by this author, but it seems like the book I really liked by this author was a one off.
October 17, 2023
This story held my interest. It was a good mystery, starting with finding the skeleton of a two-year-old girl in a suitcase behind a wall. I took away one star because there were some unnecessary people and events that could have been left out. They didn't advance the story. Terrance and Carolyn didn't need to be brought into the book at all. Also, the romance between Trey and Olivia was unrealistic and overdone. After all those years apart, there should have been a hint of reblossoming love between them instead of what was in this story. Too much, too soon.
The ending had a nice twist to it. I saw hints of it earlier in the book. So, it came together perfectly. Even with my slightly negative comments, I still recommend this book. I enjoyed it.
The ending had a nice twist to it. I saw hints of it earlier in the book. So, it came together perfectly. Even with my slightly negative comments, I still recommend this book. I enjoyed it.
May 8, 2024
Loved
My mother introduced me to Sharon Sala's books when I was in college. We both loved reading an author local to us. My reading journey suspended with marriage, beginning a career, raising children, etc. Then a health crisis confined me to bed and reading became my sanity saver. I recently found myself craving a good mystery, so I picked up this book and discovered that in the intervening years, Sharon Sala has not lost her touch. Publishing has changed tremendously. As has writing. Words that publishers previously disallowed are now common, and Sala has kept up and shown that talent can roll with the changes.
My mother introduced me to Sharon Sala's books when I was in college. We both loved reading an author local to us. My reading journey suspended with marriage, beginning a career, raising children, etc. Then a health crisis confined me to bed and reading became my sanity saver. I recently found myself craving a good mystery, so I picked up this book and discovered that in the intervening years, Sharon Sala has not lost her touch. Publishing has changed tremendously. As has writing. Words that publishers previously disallowed are now common, and Sala has kept up and shown that talent can roll with the changes.
June 9, 2019
An enjoyable book that got a little off track.
The male main character was described as a great detective but I thought he was luckier than great. But he was nice and likable. The female was targeted for strange reasons and pretty much was a damsel in distress the rest of the book. There were some out of the ordinary scenarios and some really strange things that came out at the end. So, it's worth reading and maybe you'll think it's great.
The male main character was described as a great detective but I thought he was luckier than great. But he was nice and likable. The female was targeted for strange reasons and pretty much was a damsel in distress the rest of the book. There were some out of the ordinary scenarios and some really strange things that came out at the end. So, it's worth reading and maybe you'll think it's great.
January 29, 2021
Wow, just wow. I'm going to be honest and say that I am not a reader, or a fast one I should say. But this book, I finished in 24 hours of starting. I was immediately hooked, this book had me wondering about who did it and what happened next so much that I couldn't put it down! There's no explaining why I was so obsessed with the story line, the crime, and how it all panned out, I just was! If you love crime, cop, or mystery stories, read this!! Had to give it 5 stars!
October 2, 2023
Olivia was one dimensional and a doormat. She cries at the drop of anything difficult. Terrance and his wife were extraneous characters that added nothing. Trey was a detective and past love of Olivia. No current information on his parents and their relationship. Marcus is self absorbed. Book reads more like a movie of how the rich and famous exist. Second chance romance for those who have grown up since high school.
March 27, 2021
An interesting mystery, but a slow-moving narrative. The dialogue was stilted and certain things didn't make sense (the age of some of the characters). There was also a dangling thread.
Olivia and Trey were childhood sweethearts. They broke up and meet again many years later when a skeleton is uncovered. I think they rekindled their romance too quickly.
Olivia and Trey were childhood sweethearts. They broke up and meet again many years later when a skeleton is uncovered. I think they rekindled their romance too quickly.
February 1, 2022
Sharon Sala wrote it...that's all I keen to know
It was a startling book a baby had been stuck in s suitcase and placed behind a wall. There were many secrets to be told and Sala never !lets us down by unfolding slowly and fully.
I will always buy a book Sala or Dinah McCall...one and the same.
It was a startling book a baby had been stuck in s suitcase and placed behind a wall. There were many secrets to be told and Sala never !lets us down by unfolding slowly and fully.
I will always buy a book Sala or Dinah McCall...one and the same.
June 29, 2023
I got this book in high school in a bag of free books. I remember loving it. Re reading it years later, still one of my favourite books. Really great story line, a lot of side stories that tie it all together. Mix of mystery, romance, and crime. An ending you would never suspect!! Enjoyed the way it is written as well - highly recommend.
July 5, 2019
Good book
Not this author's best book but still very good. I really became engrossed in the story of the two toddler girls. Surprises from beginning to the very end. Good mystery all in all.
Not this author's best book but still very good. I really became engrossed in the story of the two toddler girls. Surprises from beginning to the very end. Good mystery all in all.
September 12, 2019
Couldn't put it down!
This is the most exciting book I have read in a long time! So many unexpected twists and turns! Never would have predicted the ending. I would love to read more like this!
This is the most exciting book I have read in a long time! So many unexpected twists and turns! Never would have predicted the ending. I would love to read more like this!
April 7, 2021
This would have been really enjoyable if not for the stupid, boring, annoying romance that added nothing to the plot. Trey couldn't go a sentence without calling Olivia darling, baby, or Livvie. If you took a shot every time he said one of those, you'd be drunk by the end of one chapter.
December 17, 2024
I really liked this book. I read it as 1 of the 3 books in the anthology, Suspense Stories, by Sharon Sala. Even though I thought that the book was too long, I still did not skip anything.
A good read.
A good read.
July 20, 2017
Great read
I chose the rating because Sharon Sala books are always captivating. Great job. Great job Great. Great job .Great job
I chose the rating because Sharon Sala books are always captivating. Great job. Great job Great. Great job .Great job
September 10, 2018
Divertissant
September 19, 2019
It was OK, a combined romance and mystery, with some good twists in the story!
July 7, 2020
Love.
Such a heartwarming story of love and justice. Loved it. It is truly a wonderful story. I highly recommend it.
Such a heartwarming story of love and justice. Loved it. It is truly a wonderful story. I highly recommend it.
August 2, 2020
Great plot
Great storyline with well thought out characters. Keeps you reading and guessing. Great to read something that isn't a cliche.
Great storyline with well thought out characters. Keeps you reading and guessing. Great to read something that isn't a cliche.
January 19, 2021
very good read that kept me interested and not wanting to put the book down!
February 28, 2021
A very good plot and characters.
September 19, 2021
Blood lines
Love every book that i have read that was written by Ms Sala. This one took twists and turns that I never saw coming.
Love every book that i have read that was written by Ms Sala. This one took twists and turns that I never saw coming.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews