Secrets Can Kill

A Line of Blood
by Ben McPherson
416 pages
$12.99 Kindle version

For Alex Mercer, his wife, Millicent, and their precocious eleven-year-old son, Max, are everything—his little tribe that makes him feel all's right with the world. But when he and Max find their enigmatic next-door neighbor dead in his apartment, their lives are suddenly and irrevocably changed. The police begin an extremely methodical investigation, and Alex becomes increasingly impatient for them to finish. After all, it was so clearly a suicide.

As new information is uncovered, troubling questions arise—questions that begin to throw suspicion on Alex, Millicent, and even Max. Each of them has secrets it seems. And each has something to hide.

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A father and son discover their dead neighbor while searching for their missing cat. At first glance, it appears to be a suicide, but the police investigation suggests it may have been a murder. There are multiple suspects, each with a damning motive. As the investigation progresses, several secrets are revealed about the Mercer family living next door to the deceased. With each revelation, McPherson draws readers further into the tragic life of Alex Mercer. Told from Alex's POV, this family drama digs into the betrayal and revenge that threatens to tear apart everything that Alex thought he knew about his relationships.

Alex is desperate to save his marriage as the truth about his wife comes to light, and, for the life of me, I have no idea why. I hated Millicent for the hell she brings upon Alex and their son Max. However, I also disliked Max for the disrespect and disobedience that he wields throughout the novel. I couldn't fathom how Alex managed to get through even one day, considering the amount of abuse he takes from his wife and son. Despite my issues with the Mercer family and their decisions, I felt the character development was superb! I had to keep reminding myself that these were just fictional people, but I couldn't put the book down...I read the story in one long sitting.

Between the suspense and frustration, I couldn't tear myself away from a single page. Ben McPherson knows how to hold his readers captive. One of the best novels I've read all year!

As always,
AstraDaemon