A Line of Blood: A Novel
Written by Ben McPherson
Narrated by Steve West
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Whose secrets cut deeper?
Your family's.
Whose secrets do you fear?
Your neighbor's.
Whose secrets can kill?
Your own.
For Alex Mercer, his wife, Millicent, and their precocious eleven-year-old son, Max, are everything—his little tribe that makes him feel all's right with the world. But when he and Max find their enigmatic next-door neighbor dead in his apartment, their lives are suddenly and irrevocably changed. The police begin an extremely methodical investigation, and Alex becomes increasingly impatient for them to finish. After all, it was so clearly a suicide.
As new information is uncovered, troubling questions arise—questions that begin to throw suspicion on Alex, Millicent, and even Max. Each of them has secrets it seems. And each has something to hide.
With the walls of their perfect little world closing in on them day after day, husband, wife, and son must decide how far they'll go to protect themselves—and their family—from investigators carefully watching their every move . . . waiting for one of them to make a mistake.
A Line of Blood explores what it means to be a family—the ties that bind us, and the lies that can destroy us if we're not careful. Highly provocative, intensely twisty and suspenseful, this novel will have you wondering if one of them is guilty—or if all of them are—and will keep you on edge until its shocking final pages.
You will never look at your loved ones the same way again. . . .
Ben McPherson
Ben McPherson’s debut novel was the highly acclaimed A Line of Blood. He is a television producer and director, as well as a writer, and for more than ten years worked for the BBC, among other outlets. He is also an occasional columnist for Aftenposten, Norway’s leading quality daily, and lives in Oslo with his wife and two children.
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Reviews for A Line of Blood
9 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ben McPherson’s debut novel, “A Line of Blood,” is a rich character-driven psychological mystery. I liked it quite a lot from the first page and my strong interest continued throughout most of the book. I particularly enjoyed its razor-sharp emotional tension and suspense. However, by the time I reached the ending, I was disappointed. I expected a book that good would come together in the end in some extremely effective way. But that’s not what happened…at least, not for me.The writing and characterization were excellent. The dialogue was realistic. The story was captivating and dealt with realistic psychological dysfunctions. Where the book failed me was the details at the end: they didn’t fit together in as believable a fashion as they should have…and in many cases the revealed truth seemed all too contrived. Even with this failing, it’s a book that I enjoyed quite a lot. As a result, I don’t want to ruin it for you here by telling you (or even hinting at) exactly what I found that was too far fetched. Perhaps you’ll like it better than me and not be too disturbed by the details. I’m a very careful reader who takes extensive notes as I read…notes that might be useful when I review a book. As a result, I’m keenly aware of the details of the puzzle and how they fit together. It’s a good ending, but given the high quality of the prose and the depth of the characterization, I expected more.This book is the story of a family thrown into acute psychological crisis after the father and his eleven-year-old son discover the neighbor dead in his bathtub, an apparent victim of electrocution. It opens with the son chasing the family cat over the fence into the neighbor’s yard. Eventually, he follows the cat through the neighbor’s back door into the house. The father is not too far behind trying to stop his son from trespassing, but the boy ignores his father’s calls. By the time the father catches up to the son, they both discover something is very wrong: the ceiling over the living room is bowed and wet with water dripping down on the sofa below. They call, but nobody answers. Eventually, they investigate the source of the leak. That’s when they find the body. It’s a horrific scene and the father’s first concern is for the psychological damage this traumatic event might cause in his young son’s developing mind. The subsequent police investigation turns up a steady stream of family secrets. Isn’t it true that nobody is ever who he or she seems to be? As the tension ratchets up, we learn of secrets that give motive to both parents as well as some other secondary characters. This book could have had a strong four-and-a half-star rating, but given the ending, I can’t rate it any higher than three stars. McPherson is a talented writer. I would not hesitate to read another book by him. I’d just hope that the next time he’d pay more attention to getting the psychological and logistical details a bit more realistic.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Had to force myself to finish it - saw the ending coming a mile away and didn't like any of the customers.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Found this on Hoopla, it's a thriller/murder mystery. I knew who the killer was halfway through (a 15 hour book! Listened at 1.5 speed though). So many more clues and motives for different people kept coming up, right up to the last 1/4 of the book. But no, I was right all along. The clues are all there, the foreshadowing is strong. It's not that thrilling when it's obvious...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was with some trepidation I encountered Ben McPherson's debut. I have known Ben for years as a great TV professional, but fiction writer? What a surprise it was to read this delightful, exciting, very well written cand constructed first novel and put my doubts to shame. A Line of Blood is a story that drags you in from the first page. This is so much more than a thriller (and it is a great thriller), it is a study of the urban human condition, the modern parent and partner. McPherson toys with us by speaking to us through his main character Alex, giving us bits of information here and there, lets us misunderstand and interpret what we read, takes us on a rollercoaster ride. He cares deeply for his characters, they are all multidimensional, vulnerable and shifty, like we all are, I guess. A Line of Blood (not the best of titles, but that's forgiveable) tells the story of Alex, Millicent and 11-year old Max, a family ("tribe") living in a London neighbourhood, who experiences a sudden death next door. They are all dragged into a maelstrom circling the death of their neighbour, and so is the reader. Highly recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Line of Blood is Ben McPherson's debut novel.Alex Mercer and his eleven year old son Max are trying to retrieve their cat when it runs into a neighbour's yard and then through his backdoor. Hesitating, Alex calls out. When there's no answer he enters and chases the cat upstairs. Mistake. The neighbour is home and in the bathtub. But - he's dead - an apparent suicide.However, the police have questions and decide to open an investigation. And as they question Alex, his wife Millicent and even Max, it appears that each member of the Mercer family is keeping secrets.There is a unsettling tone in the dialogue and actions of the main characters. Something is decidedly 'off' with this family. The reader is kept off kilter as pieces of the past are revealed. McPherson uses foreshadowing to great effect. The current story is just as unpredictable and well, jarring. I was caught up in the uncertainty of what had really happened to the neighbour. I had my suspicions.....This is the kind of book I love - twisty, turny psychological thrillers. But....I (really) didn't like the characters at all. Now, I know this is not a prerequisite to enjoying a novel. But as the story progressed, I truly questioned whether a couple would tolerate each other's behavior in order to preserve 'their little tribe.' And if they should even be allowed to keep their child. That being said, the publisher's blurb includes the following - "A Line of Blood explores what it means to be a family—the ties that bind us, and the lies that can destroy us if we're not careful." Still, I thought it stretched credulity.But I never considered putting the book down. That off kilter uncertainty kept me turning pages to the end reveal. My suspicions on 'whodunit' were proven correct - it's fairly well telegraphed. But I was left with my own uncertainty - I enjoyed the book, but not as much as I wanted to. I think I went in expecting more suspense, less character study. Still, I would pick up McPherson's next book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/53.5 when Alex and his eleven year old son follow their cat into the unlocked backdoor, they do not expect to see what they find. The neighbor, who, has apparently committed suicide, and is dead in his bathtub. Soon the police begin investigating. Is this suicide or murder?Alexis not a very good father, he lets Max see things he shouldn't and hear things he shouldn't. At times it seems he is pitting himself again Max's mother. Secrets, many secrets come to light and we are never sure what they mean. These are not very likable characters and the tone is deeply reminiscent of [book:The Dinner|15797938], but the constant shifts are compelling. The prose is almost matter of fact, even with all the emotional discoveries constantly being made. The ending was predictable but the getting there was entertaining.The way we parent and what our children actually think are thought provoking things that this book brings to the forefront. ARC from NetGalley.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I received an arc from First Reads in return for an honest review.
Actual Rating- 2.5 stars
I despised every character in this book. All of them were shady, self-absorbed pricks and I felt sympathy for none of them. Their words and actions irritated me to no end and I can only hope the author meant for them to be perceived this way.
While essentially the story revolves around the suicide (possible homicide) of the Mercer's neighbor, the real focus is on Alex's home life and the strange relationship he and his family have. There are an abundance of secrets that come to light because of Bryce's (the neighbors) death and one question repeatedly comes to mind: do you really ever know someone or do you only see/accept what they want you to and what you are willing to.
Although this is a mystery, I felt little suspense. Despite the minor plot twists and constant revealingly of lies, I found it easy to guess the truth behind Bryce's death fairly early on.
As for the Mercer family: I found them deplorable. Alex's and Millicent's parenting is nonexistent (you wonder why your kid acts that way...); their relationship is a farce, sewn together by lies and complacency; and the overall dynamic was actually disturbing to me.
In spite of all this, A Line of Blood can still hold ones attention. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alex Mercer and his precocious 11 year old son Max enter a neighbor's house in pursuit of their cat. They come upon the body of Mr. Bryce dead in his tub. This is the start of a well written psychological thriller about the monster next door and the secrets we keep. Bryce remains a cipher for most of the book. We learn very little about him, even as the police start interrogating various people to determine whether the death was the result of suicide, as it appears, or murder. The story is told from the POV of Alex and we learn a lot about him, his wife Millicent and Max. I suspect that this book will appeal to readers who liked "Gone Girl". I didn't like that book, but at least I managed to finish "A Line of Blood" even though I didn't find it to be a pleasant experience. Each of Alex and Millicent has things in their past that they need to keep hidden. Even Max knows more than he should for a child his age. It was an unsavory group of people with whom to spend time. The book held my interest and kept me guessing up until the info dump at the end. I've given it four, rather than three, stars because the writing was skillful enough to keep me reading, even though I disliked the characters and the situation was kind of repellent. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.