New Zealand author Ben Sanders (Only the Dead) makes his bow stateside with a high-speed thriller. Marshall Grade--a former NYPD officer now in witness protection--oversteps his bounds when he starts to investigate the disappearance of a young woman in Albuquerque, N.Mex. If the mob-hired killer known as the Dallas Man finds him, his erasure will be swift. Still, Marshall hopes that helping the woman will give him respite from his guilt over the mistakes that landed him here. Unfortunately, his investigation pits him against drug traffickers, and the shock waves trigger not only the attention of sympathetic narcotics agent Lauren Shore but also that of the Dallas Man.
Sanders's tense voice lends a gritty heft to the time-honored story of a man blessed with a very specific set of skills. Handy with a weapon and possessing a quick mind, Marshall matches wits with thug after thug. While finding the missing woman remains his priority, the pertinent question becomes whether or not Marshall will meet someone more dangerous than himself first.
As the title American Blood suggests, copious pints are shed in varied and gruesome fashions. Although the pacing leaves no time for navel gazing, character development is not lost in the shuffle. The Dallas Man in particular intrigues: a hitman extraordinaire who dispatches targets with cold precision, yet calls his young daughter every time he needs distance from the reality of his life. Sanders keeps forward momentum at maximum velocity, and manages to slip in a few nifty plot twists at the last second, including a terrific hook that sets up a sequel. American Blood is a thrill ride more than worth the admission. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads