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Blood & Circumstance
The pretrial interview sessions between a killer and a doctor create an intricate tale of murder, mercy, and madness.
Joel Stabler takes the life of his beloved brother Danny in what appears to be a mercy killing. When Joel’s lawyers assign a psychologist to determine his sanity at the time of the shooting, the full story of the brothers’ past — and long family history of mental illness — begins to unfold.
Told entirely through Joel’s pre-trial interview sessions with Dr. Andrews, Blood and Circumstance takes on the argument of nature versus nurture, closely examining the factors that prompted this murder. And as Joel responds to the doctor’s probing questions, he, in turn, begins to evaluate the doctor, stealing glimpses of his notes and speculating about his personal life. Listening in on their conversations, it becomes less and less clear whom to trust, what is certain, and where the truth actually lies.
With his signature prose and unwavering attention to detail, Frank Turner Hollon’s latest achievement examines the uncertain search for identity through the crisscrossing paths of blood and circumstance.
Joel Stabler takes the life of his beloved brother Danny in what appears to be a mercy killing. When Joel’s lawyers assign a psychologist to determine his sanity at the time of the shooting, the full story of the brothers’ past — and long family history of mental illness — begins to unfold.
Told entirely through Joel’s pre-trial interview sessions with Dr. Andrews, Blood and Circumstance takes on the argument of nature versus nurture, closely examining the factors that prompted this murder. And as Joel responds to the doctor’s probing questions, he, in turn, begins to evaluate the doctor, stealing glimpses of his notes and speculating about his personal life. Listening in on their conversations, it becomes less and less clear whom to trust, what is certain, and where the truth actually lies.
With his signature prose and unwavering attention to detail, Frank Turner Hollon’s latest achievement examines the uncertain search for identity through the crisscrossing paths of blood and circumstance.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
42 people want to read
About the author
Frank Turner Hollon
18 books22 followersFrank Turner Hollon, a talented author, has works that vary from suspenseful novels, to short stories, to children’s books. Frank Hollon was born on July 24th, 1963 in Huntsville, Alabama. Although born in Alabama, Hollon soon became a Louisiana native when he moved to Slidell, Louisiana, or as he says “the ugliest town in America,” when he was 5 years old. Hollon attended Slidell High School and graduated in 1981. Hollon went to Louisiana Tech University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, which earned him a scholarship to Tulane Law School.
Frank Turner Hollon began writing at an early age, usually composing short stories and poetry. He wrote his first book, The Pains of April, in the 1980s, while still in law school. Hollon never really wanted to be a lawyer, but he opted for law school when offered a scholarship, rather than having a full-time job. At the time, he worked at the St. Charles Guesthouse on Prytania Street. Always a free spirit, he even showed up at law school barefooted.
Hollon lived in Louisiana from the age of 5 until he graduated from law school when he was 24. The book, The Pains of April, was Frank Turner Hollon’s first book to be published, and was written while he was in law school in New Orleans. Only a few friends and family read his manuscript while the book sat under his bed for 12 years. This book was published by an Alabama publisher, Sonny Brewer. Another one of Hollon’s books, Life is a Strange Place, is set in New Orleans. This book is currently being made into a movie, called Barry Munday. Hollon has said that Walker Percy, a prestigious Southern author and one of Hollon’s favorite authors, has influenced and greatly affected his writings. Hollon read Percy’s books in New Orleans, and many Walker Percy quotes can be found throughout Hollon’s novels.
Throughout his books, Hollon’s style of writing is very unique, and his stories broadly range. In the psychological suspense story, Blood and Circumstance, the novel is written in the form of a transcript of interviews. Hollon says this is because, “The art of conversation is dying amongst cell phones, e-mails, and text messages. Our minds and bodies are geared instinctively for face-to-face communication.” His second book, The God File, consisted of 47 brief chapters. Throughout Hollon’s collections of writings, each book is notably different than the last. He has established a wide variety of readers, with dark, psychological suspenseful novels, to children’s books, to short stories. Each book seems to be a response to the previous one. Hollon creates intriguing and dynamic characters. From dysfunctional “mercy killers” to lawyers and psychiatrists, the book Blood and Circumstance challenges the reader to evaluate their own beliefs and keeps the reader interested. Strong opinions are voiced in many of the books about subjects like religion and legal matters, but usually they are not Hollon’s beliefs. He says that he writes through the eyes of his characters, thus investigating opinions that are not really his own. Hollon says, “After drowning in a very serious subject or character, I sometimes seek the lightness of a funny novel or children's book.”
Today, Frank Turner Hollon lives in Baldwin County, Alabama, with his wife and family. He still practices law, yet manages to keep a successful writing career and continues to write books.
(source: faculty.ashrosary.org/faculty/wohl/20...)
Frank Turner Hollon began writing at an early age, usually composing short stories and poetry. He wrote his first book, The Pains of April, in the 1980s, while still in law school. Hollon never really wanted to be a lawyer, but he opted for law school when offered a scholarship, rather than having a full-time job. At the time, he worked at the St. Charles Guesthouse on Prytania Street. Always a free spirit, he even showed up at law school barefooted.
Hollon lived in Louisiana from the age of 5 until he graduated from law school when he was 24. The book, The Pains of April, was Frank Turner Hollon’s first book to be published, and was written while he was in law school in New Orleans. Only a few friends and family read his manuscript while the book sat under his bed for 12 years. This book was published by an Alabama publisher, Sonny Brewer. Another one of Hollon’s books, Life is a Strange Place, is set in New Orleans. This book is currently being made into a movie, called Barry Munday. Hollon has said that Walker Percy, a prestigious Southern author and one of Hollon’s favorite authors, has influenced and greatly affected his writings. Hollon read Percy’s books in New Orleans, and many Walker Percy quotes can be found throughout Hollon’s novels.
Throughout his books, Hollon’s style of writing is very unique, and his stories broadly range. In the psychological suspense story, Blood and Circumstance, the novel is written in the form of a transcript of interviews. Hollon says this is because, “The art of conversation is dying amongst cell phones, e-mails, and text messages. Our minds and bodies are geared instinctively for face-to-face communication.” His second book, The God File, consisted of 47 brief chapters. Throughout Hollon’s collections of writings, each book is notably different than the last. He has established a wide variety of readers, with dark, psychological suspenseful novels, to children’s books, to short stories. Each book seems to be a response to the previous one. Hollon creates intriguing and dynamic characters. From dysfunctional “mercy killers” to lawyers and psychiatrists, the book Blood and Circumstance challenges the reader to evaluate their own beliefs and keeps the reader interested. Strong opinions are voiced in many of the books about subjects like religion and legal matters, but usually they are not Hollon’s beliefs. He says that he writes through the eyes of his characters, thus investigating opinions that are not really his own. Hollon says, “After drowning in a very serious subject or character, I sometimes seek the lightness of a funny novel or children's book.”
Today, Frank Turner Hollon lives in Baldwin County, Alabama, with his wife and family. He still practices law, yet manages to keep a successful writing career and continues to write books.
(source: faculty.ashrosary.org/faculty/wohl/20...)
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 20, 2010
This is not so much a novel (though it is) as a polemic of sorts. Much of it is written in dialogue and most of that is spoken by a mentally ill man (who's killed his brother -- we know this from the start) in response to questioning by a doctor whose job it is to evaluate the prisoner's competency to stand trial.
The ideas were truly interesting, but I was left wanting less 'philosophy' rendered through the dialogue (by the prisoner) and more of something else. The ending has a twist, which -- even though I part of it -- caused me to reread the first few pages. At first, I had wondered why those pages were even there, but the ending reveals both the cleverness and the manipulation of them.
This is the fourth book I've read by Hollon, and he certainly doesn't rewrite himself.
The ideas were truly interesting, but I was left wanting less 'philosophy' rendered through the dialogue (by the prisoner) and more of something else. The ending has a twist, which -- even though I part of it -- caused me to reread the first few pages. At first, I had wondered why those pages were even there, but the ending reveals both the cleverness and the manipulation of them.
This is the fourth book I've read by Hollon, and he certainly doesn't rewrite himself.
June 1, 2015
I thought I knew how this book was going to end, but I was quite surprised. Not so much a mystery as an exploration of the mind and how mental illness affects a family.
April 10, 2007
A young man kills his mentally ill younger brother and undergoes a psychological evaluation. I LOVED this book. I read it in one sitting- I could not put it down. It's told mainly from the point of view of Joel after he shoots his brother to death and is interviewed by a psychologist. The main characters, Joel and Dr. Andrews, are absolutely fascinating and their interaction is so compelling. The ending of the book threw me for a serious loop. I'm still thinking about it.
April 3, 2011
I like Frank Turner Hollon's books, but he's outdone himself here. I lost myself early in this book. Caught up in Joel's insightful examination of himself and who he is, his expectation that the insanity in his family will catch up with him, I became totally immersed in this. I did not completely anticipate the ending, which affects every insight revealed in the book, so this is something I will read again for the joy of seeing it unfold anew.
June 17, 2013
First mystery I've ever read. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure why it's classified as a mystery, but either way I thought this book was wonderful.
July 29, 2020
Told entirely through a series of pre-trial interviews, a man shoots his brother in the head and a psychologist must determine whether he is competent to stand trial. As the reader listens in on their conversations, it becomes less and less clear whom to trust, what is certain, or where truth and fact actually live. A fascinating short read and highly recommended.
February 14, 2025
All I can say is that my mind is absolutely blown. Would give it 4.5 stars if I could.
June 11, 2025
Interesting story of mental illness from the viewpoint of an outsider.
A bit of a surprise around the middle makes the twists at the end less impactful, but bring the story to a satisfying close.
A bit of a surprise around the middle makes the twists at the end less impactful, but bring the story to a satisfying close.
January 4, 2017
So, I made it a mission to keep track of all the books I read this year. Because I read A LOT. I had been throwing around the idea of doing something for it on my YouTube channel, but then I just figured that since I hate being in front of the camera as it is (as you can tell from my stellar performances in my vlogs so far), I might as well just do them on the blog. I'm being all gung-ho about it right now anyway, but don't worry, that might change after inevitable failure.
The first thing I decided to read (something small so that I could just get my brain back in gear after finishing The Butcher Boy which made me hate POV/stream-of-conscious/British people, and if you know me, you know I LOVE those things most of the time) was Blood and Circumstance by Frank Turner Hollon, who, I did not know until I finished the book, is a lawyer in Alabama. The more you know.
I found myself really enjoying this book. It was a quick read (I would have finished it sooner had I not attempted a social life and also gotten distracted by episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents') and turned out to have some of my favorite subjects tied into it without being too gory. (I like serial killers, let's be honest.)
For me, this book tied in themes of religion, philosophy, as well as mental illness, and just plain psychosis and the power of the mind within harsh situations. It got straight to the point without being too succinct, but also had just enough detail to be relatable and intriguing.
...and doesn't THAT sound like something that a book reviewer might say?
Ugh, whatever. I still liked the book. It had some parts that I really identified with, such as the subjects on God and the possibility that life ultimately has no meaning except to the individual, and the all around pessimistic life view that I have was mirrored by the main character.
I've taken the habit of marking pages that I find interesting or arousing (mentally as well as physically) in the books that I read and there are three particular sections that stood out to me while reading that I thought I might share. It's not my intention to give away any spoilers for the book, but I really wanted to point out some of the things that I loved about reading this novel.
"'You know, how do we really know anyway? How do
we know that when I see red, it's the same red you see?
Why is it we believe there only one realty, and not a different
world through different eyes? It's comforting to
believe there's one truth, but who the hell can really say
what's rational to me was rational to Danny?" (p75)
This reminded me of so many discussions in Philosophy class.
"[...] There are three groups of
people. All of us fall into one of the categories. There are
certain people who will fuck up their lives no matter
what. There are certain people who will succeed no matter
what. And then there's everybody else, all those people
who will fuck up or succeed depending on the place in
this life, their parents, circumstances beyond their control.
Victims, or beneficiaries, of the world." (p112)
Now, that's just me every day of the week. I like to think I fall into the third category, but moments (a lot of them) tell me that I might be in the first category. It's a sad thing to think about yourself, but maybe that's just my reality; the way I see my own reality.
"[...] It's just the idea of God doesn't fit. If time and space are infinite,
and nothing we do really matters, why would
God put us in such a place? And if we're required to recognize
the bleak reality to survive, and then take the next
step to self-reliance, where is God in all that? I'm not a
devil worshipper. I'm a realist." (p129)
I've never really been religious, even though I was brought up in a Catholic household (not strict or anything), but this is a question that I've heard a lot, whether it be from friends of mine who are atheist or just my own head when I'm thinking too hard about life when I'm stuck in self-misery (often).
There are no real answers that I can gain from this book, but it was a very good read and I would recommend this to anyone who listens.
While trying not to give away anything, I'll leave you with one final quote which, I think, hit me the hardest:
"We're sympathetic, and then it's time to eat. We're
overcome with sadness for another, and then we fall
asleep. Cancer, suicide, heart attacks, car wrecks, shootings,
are just the way of the world. We pretend we're
shocked, but we're not. Deep inside, not matter how
buried we are in comforts and stability, we know the
world is a dangerous and unpredictable place to be." (p156)
Thoughts?
The first thing I decided to read (something small so that I could just get my brain back in gear after finishing The Butcher Boy which made me hate POV/stream-of-conscious/British people, and if you know me, you know I LOVE those things most of the time) was Blood and Circumstance by Frank Turner Hollon, who, I did not know until I finished the book, is a lawyer in Alabama. The more you know.
I found myself really enjoying this book. It was a quick read (I would have finished it sooner had I not attempted a social life and also gotten distracted by episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents') and turned out to have some of my favorite subjects tied into it without being too gory. (I like serial killers, let's be honest.)
For me, this book tied in themes of religion, philosophy, as well as mental illness, and just plain psychosis and the power of the mind within harsh situations. It got straight to the point without being too succinct, but also had just enough detail to be relatable and intriguing.
...and doesn't THAT sound like something that a book reviewer might say?
Ugh, whatever. I still liked the book. It had some parts that I really identified with, such as the subjects on God and the possibility that life ultimately has no meaning except to the individual, and the all around pessimistic life view that I have was mirrored by the main character.
I've taken the habit of marking pages that I find interesting or arousing (mentally as well as physically) in the books that I read and there are three particular sections that stood out to me while reading that I thought I might share. It's not my intention to give away any spoilers for the book, but I really wanted to point out some of the things that I loved about reading this novel.
"'You know, how do we really know anyway? How do
we know that when I see red, it's the same red you see?
Why is it we believe there only one realty, and not a different
world through different eyes? It's comforting to
believe there's one truth, but who the hell can really say
what's rational to me was rational to Danny?" (p75)
This reminded me of so many discussions in Philosophy class.
"[...] There are three groups of
people. All of us fall into one of the categories. There are
certain people who will fuck up their lives no matter
what. There are certain people who will succeed no matter
what. And then there's everybody else, all those people
who will fuck up or succeed depending on the place in
this life, their parents, circumstances beyond their control.
Victims, or beneficiaries, of the world." (p112)
Now, that's just me every day of the week. I like to think I fall into the third category, but moments (a lot of them) tell me that I might be in the first category. It's a sad thing to think about yourself, but maybe that's just my reality; the way I see my own reality.
"[...] It's just the idea of God doesn't fit. If time and space are infinite,
and nothing we do really matters, why would
God put us in such a place? And if we're required to recognize
the bleak reality to survive, and then take the next
step to self-reliance, where is God in all that? I'm not a
devil worshipper. I'm a realist." (p129)
I've never really been religious, even though I was brought up in a Catholic household (not strict or anything), but this is a question that I've heard a lot, whether it be from friends of mine who are atheist or just my own head when I'm thinking too hard about life when I'm stuck in self-misery (often).
There are no real answers that I can gain from this book, but it was a very good read and I would recommend this to anyone who listens.
While trying not to give away anything, I'll leave you with one final quote which, I think, hit me the hardest:
"We're sympathetic, and then it's time to eat. We're
overcome with sadness for another, and then we fall
asleep. Cancer, suicide, heart attacks, car wrecks, shootings,
are just the way of the world. We pretend we're
shocked, but we're not. Deep inside, not matter how
buried we are in comforts and stability, we know the
world is a dangerous and unpredictable place to be." (p156)
Thoughts?
September 13, 2012
Only 170 pages, so it is a quick read. Joel Stabler is in jail for killing his younger brother who is mentally ill. He is being interviewed by a psychoanalyst, Dr. Ellis Andrews, who has been hired by Joel's attorney to determine if Joel is competent to stand trial. The first 150 pages is told by Joel and is a sort of transcript of the five interview sessions between Joel and Dr. Andrews. The last twenty pages is told by Dr. Andrews. There is a twist in Dr. Andrews narrative that I did not see coming.
May 12, 2009
Written by an attorney, this novel is a disturbing look at a dysfunctional family. Written in the form of interviews between a psychologist and a man accused of killing his brother, this is a skillfully written psychological thriller. I was floored by the ending and am certainly looking forward to reading more this author's work. I loved it and very highly recommend.
August 21, 2013
There are two different types of twists when it comes to books. There is 'Oh wow I didn't see that coming' and then there is 'WHAT, WHEN! Why!'. This book for me fits the latter. I loved this book, it teases at your concept of what is actually happening. In the end my mind was still blown so I had to read it a second time and follow through with the truth.
February 10, 2009
This is another quick read, mainly with dialogue, for two days, for an easy read. Thanks to the gang of Suspense and Thrillers for recommending it to me last year. Labeled as mystery, it's also a thriller in a way, right to the end.
November 23, 2008
Very short (really more of a long short story) tale of a young man in prison and the court appointed psychologist brought in to determine his santiy. Interesting take on what is really true versus peoples' perceptions.
January 5, 2009
A great tale about how subjective our perceptions of reality really are.
May 22, 2012
I couldn't put this down. A page turner for sure.
February 4, 2014
Well written. If the point was to leave the reader confused and unsure of what happened then the author did a great job
August 1, 2016
Wow, was this twisted and shocking. I am still reeling for the ending. Such a great little story.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews