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ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
2.0
New Zealand author Paul Cleave's newest book, sets itself up for something brilliant. The son of a serial killer, whose life was destroyed with his father's arrest, rebuilds and overcomes his father's notoriety to live a quiet life as an accountant, happily married, with a daughter. He and his wife are in a bank in downtown Christchurch in the middle of a sunny December day to see about qualifying for a mortgage, when the bank is robbed. And the action and reactions begin.
The first half of this book is full of normal human reactions to horrific events. People are terrified, observers unable to take greater action than to use their phones to record the events unfolding and there are occasional and usually futile acts of bravery. Eddie is himself frozen and uncertain, both during the robbery and afterwards. He's conflicted and angry and very real. And then the book descends into a revenge fantasy bloodbath. Every so often, Eddie reflects for a moment, but he never really allows contemplation to halt his forward motion. Blood Men is a brutal read; during the first half it seemed to be leading somewhere revelatory, but in the second half, as the body count rose, it was merely gratuitous.
The first half of this book is full of normal human reactions to horrific events. People are terrified, observers unable to take greater action than to use their phones to record the events unfolding and there are occasional and usually futile acts of bravery. Eddie is himself frozen and uncertain, both during the robbery and afterwards. He's conflicted and angry and very real. And then the book descends into a revenge fantasy bloodbath. Every so often, Eddie reflects for a moment, but he never really allows contemplation to halt his forward motion. Blood Men is a brutal read; during the first half it seemed to be leading somewhere revelatory, but in the second half, as the body count rose, it was merely gratuitous.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
5.0
It always amazes me, how Paul Cleave can start out with a scenario that somehow seems quite normal and "expected" and then make it all go very very good weird, and you don't even notice that it's happening until you finish the book, turn all the lights back on the in house and take a big deep breath. And check the locks.
I'm very very partial to Paul Cleave's books and BLOOD MEN was no exception. Noir doesn't really cut it when you're describing these books, they are dense, intrinsically, fundamentally dark books sure, but there's also always something slightly unexpected, something slight twisty, something just that little bit weird in what is going on that a reader really isn't allowed to get into a comfort zone. But BLOOD MEN is built around a scenario that couldn't possibly make you comfortable - the idea that a happily married family man, the son of a man of blood - a notorious serial killer never to be released. A son who has spent his life denying the father that he then must turn to for help. It somehow seems quite natural that with a family background like Edward's, he'd be worried about his destiny. Is he free of the worst of his father's legacy or is he, Edward, destined to be a man of blood also?
Of course, in a scenario like this, there's going to be some graphic violence, but that's tempered somewhat by a cheeky, sly and clever sense of humour. Having said that the taut plotline and the way that the tension over Edward's future builds was more than enough to make this reader charge through the violence, desperate to get to the end. So desperate that this was a one sitting book. Which, as per usual, means I was reading it in the dark, early morning. Which lead, of course, to that turning on all the lights problem. Which leads to the lack of sleep that I've come to expect when reading a Paul Cleave book. There aren't many authors that make me change my daily routine, but Paul Cleave does it everytime and I can't wait for the next book.
I'm very very partial to Paul Cleave's books and BLOOD MEN was no exception. Noir doesn't really cut it when you're describing these books, they are dense, intrinsically, fundamentally dark books sure, but there's also always something slightly unexpected, something slight twisty, something just that little bit weird in what is going on that a reader really isn't allowed to get into a comfort zone. But BLOOD MEN is built around a scenario that couldn't possibly make you comfortable - the idea that a happily married family man, the son of a man of blood - a notorious serial killer never to be released. A son who has spent his life denying the father that he then must turn to for help. It somehow seems quite natural that with a family background like Edward's, he'd be worried about his destiny. Is he free of the worst of his father's legacy or is he, Edward, destined to be a man of blood also?
Of course, in a scenario like this, there's going to be some graphic violence, but that's tempered somewhat by a cheeky, sly and clever sense of humour. Having said that the taut plotline and the way that the tension over Edward's future builds was more than enough to make this reader charge through the violence, desperate to get to the end. So desperate that this was a one sitting book. Which, as per usual, means I was reading it in the dark, early morning. Which lead, of course, to that turning on all the lights problem. Which leads to the lack of sleep that I've come to expect when reading a Paul Cleave book. There aren't many authors that make me change my daily routine, but Paul Cleave does it everytime and I can't wait for the next book.
daisycadigan's review
2.0
The “people with paranoid schizophrenia are dangerous and violent” trope in crime is so tired, so overdone, harmful and BORING give us something else!!! That said tho the plot twists in this got me, and there’s something quite cheesy and fun about the Gotham-esque way Cleave always describes Christchurch. Would give it a higher rating w/o the bad schizo tropes but given it’s kind of central to the book…
ajnel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The fourth installment in Cleave's Christchurch Noir series, is written in the same unique first person black comedy style as the previous novels. The reveals are however extremely unexpected and come at the reader like sledgehammer. Not a book for all audiences, but classic Cleave.
perfectlymisaligned's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent thriller. One of the best I have read in years.
mdigreg's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
paperbackstash's review against another edition
4.0
It's ironic I ended up bringing this won book on a won trip. We had won an all paid for vacation to the Texas Frightmare Movie Convention, courtesy of the amazing Rue Morgue Magazine. Yes, really, we won the grand prize last year! I also won this book, Blood Men, through a Goodreads giveaway. We wanted to bring a book with us for downtime in the hotel room and on the plane trip over.
I made a mistake of bringing such a riveting book with me! Because, folks, it's one of those. The plot is tragic and like watching a train wreck, you don't want to put it down. You're on the edge of your seat wondering, hoping, watching, thinking of all the possibilities that might happen next. You just NEED to keep reading. The bank robbery at the beginning was horrifying and sad, and once you've forgiven the book for some tears, it really grows on you and flys off.
The middle was strongly written and riveting. I was anxious to see what would happen to the main character Edward and find out all the revelations about his father in prison. Cleave takes you step by step through different situations that are either heart-wrenching or heart-stopping. The suspense is brutal and this is why I struggled putting it down.
Characterization clearly worked amazingly well. All characters were very life-like and realistic, making it easy to care about what disasters than ran into, hoping they'd avoid the ultimate meltdown. I even cared about the "bad guys" because they fascinated me so much. Not sympathetic exactly, but you still ended up caring about the events surrounding them. The psychological twisting, growth, and angst was extreme.
I ended up loving this dark, intricate book. It pushes the boundaries of normalcy and sets the reader into a troubled seat, witnessing horrifying but realistic events unfolding. You fall into the minds of the character so well you feel his pain and angst as he struggles to stay above the water line. I'll definitely have to check out more of Cleave's work. I did end up giving four stars rather than five, surprising myself, because at the end the book started letting me down a bit with some of the actions and turnabouts that took place.
Brilliantly written with an addictive pace, amazing characterization and heart-wrenching scenarios, highly recommended for all readers. The darkness will speak to those who like horror, the suspense and thrills are high enough for any suspense fan, even mystery fans should like wondering what will happen next, and there's a high amount of drama infused within to satisfy drama buffs as the story is quite emotional.
I made a mistake of bringing such a riveting book with me! Because, folks, it's one of those. The plot is tragic and like watching a train wreck, you don't want to put it down. You're on the edge of your seat wondering, hoping, watching, thinking of all the possibilities that might happen next. You just NEED to keep reading. The bank robbery at the beginning was horrifying and sad, and once you've forgiven the book for some tears, it really grows on you and flys off.
The middle was strongly written and riveting. I was anxious to see what would happen to the main character Edward and find out all the revelations about his father in prison. Cleave takes you step by step through different situations that are either heart-wrenching or heart-stopping. The suspense is brutal and this is why I struggled putting it down.
Characterization clearly worked amazingly well. All characters were very life-like and realistic, making it easy to care about what disasters than ran into, hoping they'd avoid the ultimate meltdown. I even cared about the "bad guys" because they fascinated me so much. Not sympathetic exactly, but you still ended up caring about the events surrounding them. The psychological twisting, growth, and angst was extreme.
I ended up loving this dark, intricate book. It pushes the boundaries of normalcy and sets the reader into a troubled seat, witnessing horrifying but realistic events unfolding. You fall into the minds of the character so well you feel his pain and angst as he struggles to stay above the water line. I'll definitely have to check out more of Cleave's work. I did end up giving four stars rather than five, surprising myself, because at the end the book started letting me down a bit with some of the actions and turnabouts that took place.
Brilliantly written with an addictive pace, amazing characterization and heart-wrenching scenarios, highly recommended for all readers. The darkness will speak to those who like horror, the suspense and thrills are high enough for any suspense fan, even mystery fans should like wondering what will happen next, and there's a high amount of drama infused within to satisfy drama buffs as the story is quite emotional.
petra_reads's review against another edition
5.0
My original Blood Men audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
I’ve read several books written by Paul Cleave now and enjoyed each one, but Blood Men was the darkest and toughest one to listen to so far. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but I’ve never felt so sad for one of Cleave’s characters before.
Blood Men is the story of Edward Hunter, a happily married accountant with a young daughter. All that changes when Edward and his wife happen to be in a bank when a robbery takes place. Within minutes, Edward’s entire life disintegrates and he has to face up to his past. Edward is the son of a serial killer who was imprisoned for killing prostitutes when Edward was a young boy. Having been under scrutiny for most of his life and in the public’s eye as the son of a monster, Edward was always adamant that he was nothing like his father, but if circumstances changed, could Edward become a blood man like his Dad?
Paul Cleave always manages to surprise me. I’ve come to expect his tales as gritty and disturbing, which is just the way I like it, but then he drops some brutal twists that still manage to shock me although I read plenty of dark thrillers and should be used to it by now.
Blood Men was awarded the Ngaio Marsh prize for best crime novel in 2011. It’s part of Cleave’s Christchurch Noir Crime series. It’s a standalone novel, but some characters also appear in Cleave’s other thrillers set in Christchurch, such as Detective Schroder.
Most of these books are now available on audio narrated by Paul Ansdell, and I intend to work my way through them, as I love Cleave’s writing, his dark humor, and Paul Ansdell’s excellent narration.
Mr. Ansdell really brings the story to life and takes on the personality of Edward expressing all the emotions expertly. Great pacing as well. There were no production issues.
Blood Men contains plenty of violence and cruelty and hence will not be to everyone’s liking. If you’re looking for an 'enjoyable', feel-good thriller, this isn’t it. However, if you like really dark and really twisty, suspenseful and out of the ordinary, then I can highly recommend this.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
I’ve read several books written by Paul Cleave now and enjoyed each one, but Blood Men was the darkest and toughest one to listen to so far. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but I’ve never felt so sad for one of Cleave’s characters before.
Blood Men is the story of Edward Hunter, a happily married accountant with a young daughter. All that changes when Edward and his wife happen to be in a bank when a robbery takes place. Within minutes, Edward’s entire life disintegrates and he has to face up to his past. Edward is the son of a serial killer who was imprisoned for killing prostitutes when Edward was a young boy. Having been under scrutiny for most of his life and in the public’s eye as the son of a monster, Edward was always adamant that he was nothing like his father, but if circumstances changed, could Edward become a blood man like his Dad?
Paul Cleave always manages to surprise me. I’ve come to expect his tales as gritty and disturbing, which is just the way I like it, but then he drops some brutal twists that still manage to shock me although I read plenty of dark thrillers and should be used to it by now.
Blood Men was awarded the Ngaio Marsh prize for best crime novel in 2011. It’s part of Cleave’s Christchurch Noir Crime series. It’s a standalone novel, but some characters also appear in Cleave’s other thrillers set in Christchurch, such as Detective Schroder.
Most of these books are now available on audio narrated by Paul Ansdell, and I intend to work my way through them, as I love Cleave’s writing, his dark humor, and Paul Ansdell’s excellent narration.
Mr. Ansdell really brings the story to life and takes on the personality of Edward expressing all the emotions expertly. Great pacing as well. There were no production issues.
Blood Men contains plenty of violence and cruelty and hence will not be to everyone’s liking. If you’re looking for an 'enjoyable', feel-good thriller, this isn’t it. However, if you like really dark and really twisty, suspenseful and out of the ordinary, then I can highly recommend this.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com