Blood Sisters is book 5 in the Katie Maguire series. I haven't previous read any books in this series, but it was no problem getting into the story and I never felt confused with past events since everything was explained well during the book.

DS Katie Maguire must catch a killer that torture and kill nuns. The question is why are the nuns killed, is is because of something in the past. Then a jawbone of a child is found in the garden of the convent. Could the finding have anything to do with the killing?

The cover and the blurb made me interested in reading the book and I was pleased when I was approved to read this book on NetGalley.

The book started off good in a bad way with the finding of several dead horses that had been forced over a cliff, but I must admit as the story progressed my interest in the story waned. I just couldn't find myself interested in what was going on. Sometimes it felt that there was just too many sidetracks in this story that the main story lost a bit focus. Some sidetrack had a connection, but some of them had a connection to past events. And, I felt that all too often what was happening in the book just didn't interest me and I think partly that was because I never connected with the characters in this the book. Katie Maguire is pregnant with another man's child and she struggles through the book to be able to tell her boyfriend that left her before she got pregnant that she is expecting a child that's not his. She also has a problem with a female college that's in love with her and is thinking of leaving the force because of that. But I just neve really cared about it all. The characters never came alive for me.

The book was not all that bad, it was sometimes very tragic, although some very descriptive scenes involving torture could I have lived without and I felt really sorry for the horses. And, I could actually imagine myself reading another book in this series, just to see if it was just this book that didn't work for me. Also, because the book ended with a cliffhanger and I want to know what happens next...

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! ( )

This one was just kind of a whole big bag of meh for me.

It certainly checked off all the boxes:
- Crazed killer who actually prefers to torture and mutilate first? Check.
- Crazed killer has an anti-religion bias? Check.
- Crazed killer is killing due to a decades-old slight against them? Check.
- A current or former cop has a personal vendetta against Katie? Check.
- At least one current or former cop dies in the line of duty? Check.
- Current or former cop that dies is "far too young" to die? Check.
- Katie has issues with her boyfriend? Check.
- Katie has sex that is awkward to read about? Check.
- Katie has a guy make an awkward comment about her beauty? Check.
- Katie has a woman who wants her? Check.
- Katie suffers an attack on her life in her own home? Check.
- Katie visits her dad? Check.
- Katie mentally wrings her hands about an issue that plagues her throughout most of the novel? Check.

Yup. Masterton hit damn near everything.

And that's the problem, I think. When this series started, it felt somewhat fresh and somewhat different. But, five books on, everything that made it fresh and different is now stale and the same old same old.

I'll likely read one more, just to see if Masterton decides to break out and take a chance, but I can't see that happening. ( )

I have been a huge Graham Masterton fan for many years and I have enjoyed every book of his that I have read, until now.

I couldn't get into Blood Sisters, I kept hoping it would pull me in but it just didn't happen and I think that was largely due to the main character. I find a book very hard to enjoy when I don't like the main character. Katie Maguire is an overly complicated and emotionally confused woman, I kept finding myself thinking "sort yourself out woman, really!" She's all over the place and just comes across as a mess.

The plot felt scattered, there were too many side stories resulting in too much happening outside of the main storyline. I can't say I hated it, I stuck with it to the end as I had to know what was going on but it was hard work. I was making myself pick the book up to finish it rather than being drawn to pick it up. There were some grisly and imaginative murder scenes in the book that I really enjoyed, they were very well done and were the best part of the book in my opinion.

One thing I will say, this book makes me glad I'm an atheist!

Not one I would recommend. ( )

Masterton is pretty graphic so if blood, guts and brain matter aren’t your thing, you may want to pass on this series. That said, Maguire has a few cases going on here dealing with dead horses and dead nuns and her usual nemesis. This is a series that is best read consecutively as the plot is character driven in places and it ends with a cliffhanger. I especially liked the history of various saints covered in this one. Another good entry in the Katie Maguire series.

Provided by NetGalley ( )

Over the last month, I have listened to/read the Katie Maguire series in publication order and Blood Sisters, book 5, will have been my last one for a while, I think.
Blood Sisters continues from where Taken For Dead left off. Katie is still dealing with the fallout from previous cases and her private life is anything but settled. John is back, but Katie avoids telling him about her pregnancy. Professionally, she is investigating the horrific deaths of 23 horses as well as the murder of a nun.
The story line with the nuns was interesting, but I found the animal cruelty case rather off-putting. But that's a personal dislike, I generally just hate reading anything to do with dead animals. I really enjoy the police procedural and crime aspects of the story, but what I found a bit disappointing, is the clearly repetitive nature of the story lines now. How many more things can possibly happen in Katie's house?
I enjoyed the first couple of books immensely. But the way Katie has developed (or not) is becoming slightly annoying. I just wish she'd sort out her sex life, and I'm getting so bored with the continuous female attraction thing that's going on. On the positive side, there is a different audio book narrator, and it is completely safe to listen to the audio again after the previous fiasco. The book once again leaves things unresolved, and I will definitely pick up the next one (still hoping Katie will sort herself out), but I am going to give it a little break for now.
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )