Book: Blood Runs Thin by Remy Porter
Reviewed by Tessara
Rating: 5/5
Arthur Hale, a semi-retired private investigator living in Blackpool, England, suddenly vanishes. The police have no leads, but they call his grandson and suggest he cross the Channel. Jonas Hale has a bit of a youthful record, but he’s been living in France for almost a decade, faithfully taking the anti-psychotics that keep him balanced and hosting his grandfather at Christmas each year. Reluctantly, he returns to England, where he meets Arthur’s downstairs neighbor, Elena—she reported Arthur missing but has little trust in police and the cops are wary of Jonas because of his record, so the two investigate the disappearance on their own. As they progress, they hit one roadblock after another; Jonas is discovering just how little he knew his grandfather. But when they uncover evidence Arthur was surreptitiously helping people with nowhere else to turn, no one in the secret homeless camp Elena leads him to will tell them anything…until an older woman whispers a name to them: Callum Mercer, a shadowy figure who may well be disappearing desperate young women, vulnerable people the cops won’t help.
Jonas tries to question Mercer, who mocks him, threatens him, and then has him thrown out of his bar. After he tells Detective Constable Emily Carter about it, she learns of a tale passed down to new recruits: back in the 1970s, a single family owned half the town until they were implicated in the disappearance of several young women and fell under media scrutiny. Supposedly, the Mercers sold their holdings and packed up for greener pastures, but Carter receives a warning in her locker that very same evening to stop following this thread of investigation, suggesting the family has allies lingering on the force and protecting their interests. And then Mercer comes for Jonas, dragging him from his bed, threatening him with death. And then everything goes sideways…because Jonas has been haunted by a nightmare full of flames and a tall shadowy figure since his childhood, and Callum doesn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle, no matter what he thinks.
From the surreal prologue covering the night of Arthur’s disappearance to the end, this book had me clutched tight in its claws. Poor Jonas is all the family Arthur has left, and he cares for his grandfather, but as he is further drawn into investigating what happened, the unease creeps through the page to infect the reader—is he jumping at shadows? Is something more sinister going on? When Mercer came for Jonas, I was confused—it seemed far too early in the book for such a move—but with each further twist and turn, it became harder to guess what exactly would come next. Whenever I thought I’d figured out what kind of book I was reading, something else would come along and turn that on its ear.
Jonas and Elena were both really enjoyable characters, but so many of the background characters are wonderfully surprising as well. Elena’s mother, Daria, is unexpectedly funny and incredibly perceptive. Jonas’ friend Dezzie is cheerfully perplexing, and delightfully scrappy. Marguerite and the other denizens of the secret camp have a great deal of heart and unexplored depth, giving them great strength of character. Speaking of the homeless camp, one of the major themes of the book centered around immigration and uneven policing, and I enjoyed how the author handled this topic in such an unconventional setting. Power and privilege ran through the story in satisfying and intriguing ways.
Full of tension and mystery, Blood Runs Thin is a quick read with an explosive end. The description of settings was highly evocative, creating the perfect mood for each scene. The characters were well-realized and realistic. I think this book would appeal to fans of supernatural horror, fast-paced thrillers, readers who enjoy found family and ensembles of heroes, anyone who likes offbeat humor and subtle satire, and readers sensitive to issues of race, class, immigration, and policing. It’s out now, and I would recommend picking it up for a surprise-filled read you can knock out in a day or two!
Thanks to the author for providing an advance reader copy through BookSirens!