When Jay Cassio's best friend is murdered in a job clearly done by professionals, the walls that he has built to protect himself from the world of others begins to shatter. Dan Del Colliano had been his confidante and protector since the men were children on the savage streets of Newark, New Jersey. When Dan supports and revives Jay after Jay's parents die in a plane crash, their bond deepens to something beyond brotherhood, beyond blood. Now Jay, a successful lawyer, must find out why Dan died and find a way to seek justice for his murder.
Isabel Perez has lived a life both tainted and charmed since she was a teenager in Mexico. She holds powerful sway over men and has even more powerful alliances with people no one should ever try to cross. She desperately wants her freedom from the chains these people have placed on her. When Jay catapults into her world, their connection is electric, their alliance is lethal, and their future is anything but certain.
Once again, James LePore has given us a novel of passions, intense moral complexities, an irresistible thrills. Fille with characters you will embrace an characters you will fear, Blood of My Brother is a story about a quest for revenge and redemption you won't soon forget.
Title: Blood of My Brother
Author: James LePore
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: The Story Plant
Publication Date: December 28, 2010
Format: Softcover
Source: Received from publicist for Pump up Your Book blog tour. Many thanks goes to Tracee for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Tour: Pump Up Your Book
Look for it: Amazon.
My rating: 4/5
Jay Cassio and Dan Del Colliano have been inseparable friends since they were five years old. They survived the Newark riots together, and continued to look out for one another throughout the years. Now, Dan has been murdered, and Jay is on a mission to avenge his friend's death.
What he soon learns, is that Dan may have been a pawn in a much larger, dangerous game; a high stakes game of money laundering, drugs, and corruption at the highest level of government. Jay will do anything to avenge his friend's death though, even if it requires his own. His pursuit of justice will take him from his old New Jersey neighbourhood to the coast of Florida, and the streets of Mexico.
Jay is a fully rounded, three dimensional character. His background has been hardship after hardship. When his parents died in a plane crash he retreated into himself, and it was only Dan who was able to bring him back to life again. Dan has been everything to Jay, a friend, confidant, and protector. When he is brutally murdered, Jay is horrified. His case is still open, but no one is working on it, and so Jay takes it upon himself to uncover Dan's last moments and avenge him. Jay is emotionally distraught, and Blood of My Brother shows just what lengths a man, or anyone, will go to, to avenge the death of a loved one. The mystery deepens further though as Jay finds out the FBI is involved, but he is only given the runaround. When more deaths start piling up, Jay can only assume that he'll be next. His voice, his emotions, and his being are all indicative of someone who will do anything to avenge his beloved friend. However, everything is not black and white, and there are many varying shades of gray. Those who work for the police department, or in other positions of power may be corrupt as well, and this book shows the nuances between those characters who have crossed the line, and those who are holding their ground. With a full cast of characters it is easy to become lost not knowing who is who; however, LePore juggles all of his characters and the various threads of his plot with skill, leaving the reader appreciative of the journey they are taking alongside the main characters.
Isabel Perez is another character who garners attention, and it is only a matter of time before her destiny becomes entangled with Jay's. They are a well-matched pair, both reeling from the loss of someone close to them, and the bond they forge while on the run is strong. They will need help from various friends, and each other, if they are to achieve their ultimate goals.
All in all, this is a fast-paced, enthralling, and thrilling read. Definitive characters, and an action-packed plot make this an enjoyable and fast read. The addition of Jay's past memories throughout only strengthens the book and shows the magnitude of the bond he had with Dan, making his decisions all the more credible and heartfelt. Fans of James Patterson's Alex Cross series will enjoy this read, though it is a bit heavier than Patterson's work. LePore is definitely one to look out for in the future.
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