Blood Drama by Christopher Meeks introduces us to Ian Nash, a grad student who has been kicked out of his PhD program. To make matters worse, while applying for a job at a coffee shop in a bank lobby, Ian is taken captive by bank robbers lead by the Busty Bandit and her gang. What is different about this Busty Bandit robbery, however, is that this time it has turned deadly. Hot on Busty's trail is FBI Special Agent Aleece Medina, who is trying to discover the identity of the hostage while tracking down the robbers.

Once Ian manages to escape, one of the robbers, called Owen, seems determined to kill him. Owen leaves a trail of bodies while trying to track Ian down. Agent Medina is doing her best to find out what Ian knows and how it will help her track down the robbers. At the same time, Ian is determined to insert himself into the investigation in order to help Medina solve the case and bring the robbers to justice.

Ian is a hapless hero who uses his knowledge of theatre and deductive reasoning to solve clues about the robbers along side Agent Medina, who is fighting to solve and stay on the case. Even as she nears solving it, male higher-ups want to step in, take over, and, perhaps, take credit for the resolution. As they try to solve the case, Aleece and Ian also are fighting their attraction to each other.

Blood Drama was highly entertaining and extremely enjoyable. It is a combination black comedy and crime novel. The characters of Ian and Aleece are memorable, quirky, and unique. I soon reveled in Ian's quoting David Mamet (or some other playwright or work of literature) to deduce and interpret the information he had to ascertain where the clues were leading them.

As always, Meeks is a gifted writer. He has a pleasing way of propelling the action forward while developing his plot and characters. I had an advanced reading copy so I'm not providing quotes, but I couldn't help but share this gem:
"English teachers liked using allusions the way kids love sprinklers."

I enjoyed Meeks Love at Absolute Zero quite a bit, but I liked Blood Drama even more. I'm hopeful that Meeks will bring back Ian and Aleece to solve another crime.

Very Highly Recommended


Disclosure: I received a digital advanced reading copy of this book from Christopher Meeks and Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for review purposes. ( )

Christopher Meeks is an award winning playwright and obviously visual person. Perhaps that explains his ability to create characters I'll remember for a long time. The lead character is Ian Nash. In the beginning of the story we find Nash being booted out of his Ph.D. program because his work isn't proceeding as it should. He storms out in anger. Driving home he calms down enough to realize he'd better get a job ASAP. He has heard a particular coffee shop chain pays well and even has benefits so he goes into one of their sites. It happens to be in the large, beautiful lobby of a California bank.

As Nash overthinks his answers for the employment application and ruins it, a beautiful woman catches his eye. She pulls out a gun and tells everyone to hit the floor - this is a robbery. The three robbers stay in the bank too long, sirens are nearing, and they take Nash hostage. His response? He throws up on the floor of the getaway car. If you just laughed, you're going to love this book.

The story of Nash, the robbers, four including the getaway car driver, and the FBI agent who heads up the investigation makes for a satisfying read. As I said, Meeks is visual and you are enmeshed in the story and its locations. Aleece Medina, the FBI agent, is competent and has fought her way up in the agency despite her handicap; she's a beautiful Latina woman. Sexist comments from fellow agents and even her bosses are an hourly hassle but she's determined not to let them distract her from her job. Her successes just further irritate less competent members of the agency.

The most brilliant part of this novel is Meeks' wit. I laughed out loud, especially at Ian Nash who is a sort of Walter Mitty. He just knows he can help, by which he means solve the case and get rid of the out of control vicious member of the robbery crew. He can be a pain in the neck, but you can't help liking him.

I can't tell you more without spoiling the book for you, but trust me, this is a winner.

Highly Recommended.
Source: Partners in Crime Book Tours ( )

Blood Drama is the story of Ian, who after losing his position at the college, goes to a cafe located inside of a bank and while he is filling out an application, the bank gets robbed and he is taken hostage. After being beat, Ian is able to escape and meets Aleece, an FBI agent investigating the robbery. This is the first book I have read by Christopher Meeks and I would like to read more.

I found the book a bit slow at first but it did catch on and I found myself waiting for the next shoe to drop. It seems that one of the robbers, Owen, is bound and determined to kill Ian. Broken bones, bruised ribs and other injuries do not deter Ian from being involved in the investigation. As the bodies pile up, it is a race to find the robbers before more people get killed.
A murder mystery filled with interesting characters, harrowing encounters and a bit of a love interest between Ian and Aleece make this an interesting and satisfying read.

I received a copy of the book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review. ( )

4.5

*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ian Nash has been dumped by his fiancé and dropped from the theater PhD program at Southern California University. At 29 years old he is broke and has no idea what he’s going to do. Stopping for coffee at a Carrie’s located inside a bank seemed like a good place to think and possibly submit a job application. Unfortunately, the bank is robbed and he’s taken hostage. Ian’s day just went from really crappy to unbelievably screwed. However, after 2 days he escapes. Now, it’s a race to use what he can remember to find the suspects before they find him and take him out of the equation. Permanently.

Christopher Meeks really knows how to put a reader right at the center of the action. The more I read from Ian’s viewpoint the more I realize he’s a loser yet I couldn’t help but like him. Aleece Medina is the FBI agent in charge of the robbery case and she’s a great character, strong yet vulnerable, intelligent and highly intuitive. And boy, there towards the end, does she lay it on Ian. Finally, someone who forces him to reevaluate his life and how he deals with things. The piecing together of the clues is fascinating even if Ian butting his nose in is at times irritating. Though I do understand his viewpoint. It’s his life on the line and if the FBI is going to back burner the case then I can see how he would be motivated to find the robbery/murder suspects before they find him. I enjoyed reading the inner workings of the FBI and how they have to cooperate with other agencies in order to get results. Something people tend to forget. I also loved that this is told from Ian’s and Aleece’s viewpoints, so I really got a feel for them.

This would be a 5 biter for me if it weren’t for all the stuff Ian spouts about plays and theaters and philosophies. I’m sure others will find it awesome and see something insightful in the ramblings, but it’s just not my thing. Otherwise, this is a great suspense book. Figuring out and following the clues to catch all four suspects is something that Ian is surprisingly good at and something Aleece excels at doing. I loved riding along as all the pieces fell into place. ( )

Could not put it down…

I picked up Blood Drama yesterday and could not put it down! The book introduces our protagonist Ian Nash, who to put it mildly is having a very bad day!

The story opens begins when Nash loses his job, gets thrown out of his graduate program, misses his exit on the freeway, and winds up at a coffee shop filling out a job application. If the day isn’t going badly enough, the coffee shop is in the lobby of a bank.

The bank is robbed and Nash taken as the only hostage by the bank robbers—and this is just the beginning. The action continues from the opening scene until the closing scene with no wasted words. Ever scene moves the story forward and leaves you asking, what is going to happen next? What more could possibly happen?

Just when you figure things cannot possible become worse author Christopher Meeks delivers, yet another astounding blow to Nash’s adventure. What I loved the best about Meek’s novel is that there was no wasted time describing the leaves on the trees or cumbersome background information to make my inattentive eyes glaze over.

I found Blood Drama to be an easy, pleasant, read. I will be on the lookout for more of Meek’s novels in the future. ( )