BLOOD RELATIVE

by Michael Allegretto ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 1992

This time out, Denver p.i. Jake Lomax (Dead of Winter;, Blood Stone; Death on the Rocks) deals with siblings and their spouses in extreme distress over wealthy, controlling dad Samuel Butler's marriage to a second wife--the flashy, trashy Clare. The unsympathetic kids seem all too willing to believe that dad, about to be tried for bashing in Clare's head, did the deed--but did he? Lomax's attempts to prove dad's alibi result in another death and two tries at taking him out: a sniper setup at a deserted golf course and a hit-and-run accident almost identical to the one that smashed up another p.i. formerly employed by the Butlers. Meanwhile, breaking and entering reveals that Butler's company payroll included a dummy employee and some accounts that received rugs with their shipments. Furthermore, Clare was cheating on dad with one of his own children, and it'll take threats, punches, and a major bullying scene before Lomax gets clad off the hook Lomax's sardonic asides add a touch of dry humor here, and the ending again finds him giving away money to a needy cause. Quick with his fists, dead accurate with his gun, the (sometimes) personable Lomax makes for solid p.i. reading.

Pub Date: May 18, 1992

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Scribners

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1992

Categories: FICTION