In the Blood

In the Blood by Lisa Unger gives readers a sinister story with a few twists, but I'm not sure I'd call it a thriller. It's an interesting and darker read, but I'd describe it as more of a tense, character-driven story that focuses on mental health, manipulation and secrets. 

Unger tells a haunting story using two POVs - Lana's POV in current day and the diary entries of an unnamed female character. Pretty much all of the characters have a dark side and major issues, but I can't say I was rooting for any one person in particular. The cast did a bang-up job creeping me out with their secrets and issues but I failed to empathize with any of them. 

I enjoyed how Unger addresses some big issues (great fodder for book clubs) as well as the creepy small-town setting and thought the pacing good for the first two-thirds of the book. But I felt the author dropped so many hints about a major plot point that it was a little too easy for this thriller fan to figure it out early on. It's an interesting read with a deliciously creepy vibe that keeps readers entertained but there is no big 'ta-da' type of reveal and I had to suspend disbelief for the ending that is tied up a little too neatly.

Overall, this is a good pick for readers who like a chilling story set within a creepy, small town atmosphere that features a bevy of unreliable and disturbed characters. I eagerly look forward to reading Unger's latest book, Confessions on the 7:45 very soon.

Note: I didn't realize that this is the third book in Unger's The Hollows series but even though it is part of a series, In the Blood can be read as a standalone. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Lisa Unger

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Pages: 342

Series: #3 in The Hollows series

Publisher: Gallery Books

First Published: January 7, 2014

Opening Lines: There are twelve slats of wood under my bed. 

I know this because I count them over and over. 

Book Description from GoodReads: Liar, liar, pants on fire . . .

College senior Lana Granger has told so many lies about her past that the truth seems like a distant, cloudy nightmare. But she meets her match when she begins babysitting for a volatile, manipulative eleven-year-old boy. Soon after Lana takes the job, her close friend Beck mysteriously disappears. Lana instantly begins fabricating stories-to friends, to police, to herself. Why doesn't her account jibe with those of eye-witnesses? Lana will do anything to bury the truth about that night...and about her life. But someone else knows her secrets. And he's dying to tell.

As darkly startling and finely crafted as her blockbuster bestsellers Beautiful Lies and Fragile, Lisa Unger's masterful new psychological thriller has already "set the bar for thrillers to come" (BookReporter) and is "guaranteed to keep the pages turning long past the midnight hour.