" Poison" (Bloodline Trilogy #2) by Jordyn Redwood (Medical Suspense) - Review & Giveaway

About the book:  Five years ago, Keelyn Samuels's armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father's frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI's hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man's delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

SWAT team member Lee Watson was there that day. He watched it all unfold and was able to pull Keelyn and Raven from the grip of their demon-possessed father. Though partially successful, his team had still failed, and the outcome of that day--and that tortured family--has continued to plague Lee ever since. Though unusual for SWAT to reconnect with survivors, Lee bumped into Keelyn two years after the crisis, and they both found some peace in their budding relationship. But peace is hard to maintain when the memory returns . . . in the flesh.

Lucent is back, and he's no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven's daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she and Lee can emerge unscathed a second time.

The highly anticipated second installment of the Bloodline Trilogy explores the boundaries of faith and family and what happens when both are put to the test.

Review:  With a title such as "Poison" you just know that this book will jolt you by taking you somewhere into a world where there is a deadly poisonous substance or person that is encountered.  You crack the book anticipating, not knowing what will grip you.  Book #2 of the Bloodline Triology follows tight on the heels of "Proof," Book #1 in the series.  in "Proof" we were taken on a roller coaster ride into the lives of characters as they were seeking proof for their case. "Poison" is no less of a ride and certainly takes you into a venomous world of danger. A world of spiritual darkness. Mental instability. Danger fraught at every turn. "Poison" is a psychological thriller sure to keep you on edge.

Jordyn Redwood has wrapped her story around characters with psychotic behaviors.  Characters include some who are from the book "Proof" and were staged in the shadow of a tragedy that was a subplot of 'Proof."   The story opens with our heroine waiting for her fiancée to arrive. A man sits beside her and tells her he is Lucent.  But Lucent is suppose to be the delusion of a sick man and not a real person; yet Lucent, a real person, is sitting beside her and knows things this stranger shouldn't.

Keelyn's half sister, Rachel, one of the survivors of the tragedy in "Proof," is missing and the story is tightly woven around her. Rachel is a troubled young lady but one who is a seeker. But does she find God? Does she reject God? Keelyn's fiancée, Lee, is a SWAT team member and certainly a handy person to have around with all the danger they face.  

"Her screams caused Keelyn's body to shake with desperate anxiety."

The author's personal experience as a pediatric nurse in the ER is evidenced as she records scenes involving Raven's child, Sophia, whose life is in immense danger. The professional care for this child - medical, social services, and personal - (and others for whom she has cared in the ER) is evident as Ms. Redwood writes.  It is rather humorous to read the scenes and actions as Keelyn takes on the care of Sophia knowing absolutely nothing about child care. In a story as deep and dark as "Poison," it is nice to see a bit of levity.

Having now reviewed both "Proof" and "Poison," I can hardly wait for Jordyn Redwood to launch Book #3 - "Peril."


GIVEAWAY: A giveaway copy has been provided by the author, Jordyn Redwood, for one of Chat With Vera's readers. Begins April 29 & ENDS May 13 # 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open USA mainland only.
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Author info: Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two novels, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal and have been endorsed by the likes of Dr. Richard Mabry, Lynette Eason, and Mike Dellosso to name a few. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.net. 

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of "Poison" from Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review. Giveaway copy provided by the author. Opinions expressed are solely my own.