BY BLOOD OR NOT

Author John Eidswick knows how to keep an audience in the palm of his hand in this superbly crafted mystery novel. Although there’s plenty of adult content and dark theming, the overall pace and attitude of the work keep it from getting too dark or depressing, letting the action race forward and always giving us hope that James, and justice, will prevail. I really liked James as a central character, balanced well between the FBI special agent training that gives him many of his capabilities, but also the emotional turmoil he’s been through, and how this trauma teaches him to be smarter than the evil he’s facing. I also really liked the way that family issues were dealt with, including what it means to be family, whether that’s by blood or not. This central theme gives the novel an emotional core that really raises the stakes, especially as it draws to a nail-biting conclusion. Overall, I would certainly recommend A Hole in the Head for anyone seeking a mystery novel with a lot of meat on its bones. – K.C. Finn, Readers’ Favorite