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Marshall Grade #1
American Blood
Though Michael Smith cannot forget the pornographic atrocities he witnessed abroad during the Vietnam war, it is the pervasive brutality of civilian life that threatens to destroy him. American Blood is a timely and fiercely moral statement on violence and loss.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published November 17, 2015
61 people are currently reading
1594 people want to read
About the author
John Nichols
33 books116 followersJohn Nichols is the author of the New Mexico trilogy, a series about the complex relationship between history, race and ethnicity, and land and water rights in the fictional Chamisaville County, New Mexico. The trilogy consists of The Milagro Beanfield War (which was adapted into the film The Milagro Beanfield War directed by Robert Redford), The Magic Journey, and The Nirvana Blues.
Two of his other novels have been made into films. The Wizard of Loneliness was published in 1966 and the film version with Lukas Haas was made in 1988. Another successful movie adaptation was of The Sterile Cuckoo, which was published in 1965 and was filmed by Alan J. Pakula in 1969.
Nichols has also written non-fiction, including the trilogy If Mountains Die, The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn and On the Mesa. John Nichols has lived in Taos, New Mexico for many years.
Two of his other novels have been made into films. The Wizard of Loneliness was published in 1966 and the film version with Lukas Haas was made in 1988. Another successful movie adaptation was of The Sterile Cuckoo, which was published in 1965 and was filmed by Alan J. Pakula in 1969.
Nichols has also written non-fiction, including the trilogy If Mountains Die, The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn and On the Mesa. John Nichols has lived in Taos, New Mexico for many years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
December 20, 2015
Ex NYPD officer Marshall Grade was in witness protection; but he worked it his own way. Lucas Cohen was his contact – when Marshall felt like contacting him. Even with the instruction to keep a low profile, Marshall felt personally connected when he heard about the disappearance of a young woman by the name of Alyce Ray. And so his investigation into her disappearance began…
With The Dallas Man, the drug cartel and his old enemies from the undercover operation which went badly wrong after him, keeping ahead was a challenge that he relished. But circling around and coming upon the ones he was after was what he did best. Detective Lauren Shore was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Marshall happened to be there as well – their meeting was fortuitous in that her life was saved because of Marshall’s intervention.
Would Marshall find Alyce alive? Or would he be too late? The bodies were mounting; he knew he was close – but they were close to him as well…
American Blood by author Ben Sanders is his debut crime thriller and is gritty and fast paced. My problem was the large amount of characters and keeping track of them. Each chapter is narrated by a different character and the person’s name is at the beginning of each chapter which is great, but I noticed a couple of times I missed it, and thought I was reading about a different person…therefore a bit of confusion as I had to go back to check. It also seemed a little disjointed at times. But that aside, I would definitely recommend it to lovers of the genre.
With thanks to The Reading Room and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
With The Dallas Man, the drug cartel and his old enemies from the undercover operation which went badly wrong after him, keeping ahead was a challenge that he relished. But circling around and coming upon the ones he was after was what he did best. Detective Lauren Shore was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Marshall happened to be there as well – their meeting was fortuitous in that her life was saved because of Marshall’s intervention.
Would Marshall find Alyce alive? Or would he be too late? The bodies were mounting; he knew he was close – but they were close to him as well…
American Blood by author Ben Sanders is his debut crime thriller and is gritty and fast paced. My problem was the large amount of characters and keeping track of them. Each chapter is narrated by a different character and the person’s name is at the beginning of each chapter which is great, but I noticed a couple of times I missed it, and thought I was reading about a different person…therefore a bit of confusion as I had to go back to check. It also seemed a little disjointed at times. But that aside, I would definitely recommend it to lovers of the genre.
With thanks to The Reading Room and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
January 10, 2016
Considering I don't really like this style of action/shootem up/smashem up/ pump action, dipped in blood type thriller, this was a pretty impressive read.
My View:
After you have read the description (above) of American Blood by New Zealander Ben Sanders you might find yourself questioning why I read this book – I know I had doubts when I first picked it up.
This book is all the things I loathe is a thriller, it is
Violent
Bloody
A “Hollywood” style shootem up – never have I read a narrative with some many shoot outs, such carnage, and such violence. (But it is not voyeuristic).
And yet I loved this book! I can’t believe I even said that, felt that - this should be a book I detested! (It did take me a few chapters to engage with the characters and to learn how to follow the style of the writing – the back and forwards of events in time) However:
This book is all the things I love in a narrative:
Fast paced
Twisty plot
Some great characters – the protagonist is a real HERO – putting himself at risk to save others. He is droll with a fine sense of black humour. Or maybe he just tells it as he sees it?
Engaging and absorbing reading.
A sense of urgency and anticipation that had me reading till the early hours of the morning till the book was finished.
All in all, once I started this book and had a few chapters read I found this so engaging I could not put it down. It defies all logic but I loved this book!
My View:
After you have read the description (above) of American Blood by New Zealander Ben Sanders you might find yourself questioning why I read this book – I know I had doubts when I first picked it up.
This book is all the things I loathe is a thriller, it is
Violent
Bloody
A “Hollywood” style shootem up – never have I read a narrative with some many shoot outs, such carnage, and such violence. (But it is not voyeuristic).
And yet I loved this book! I can’t believe I even said that, felt that - this should be a book I detested! (It did take me a few chapters to engage with the characters and to learn how to follow the style of the writing – the back and forwards of events in time) However:
This book is all the things I love in a narrative:
Fast paced
Twisty plot
Some great characters – the protagonist is a real HERO – putting himself at risk to save others. He is droll with a fine sense of black humour. Or maybe he just tells it as he sees it?
Engaging and absorbing reading.
A sense of urgency and anticipation that had me reading till the early hours of the morning till the book was finished.
All in all, once I started this book and had a few chapters read I found this so engaging I could not put it down. It defies all logic but I loved this book!
May 15, 2018
American Blood is book one of the Marshall Grade debut series by Ben Sanders. Marshall Grade was ex-cop who was in witness protection, however, was running around doing his own thing. When he found out about a missing girl Alyce Ray, he started to investigate against the wishes of his handler Lucas Cohen. Marshall Grade investigation into Alyce Ray began to be noticed, and a hitman was hired to kill him. The readers of American Blood will continue to follow Marshall Grade investigation and to see what happens to Marshall will he survivor.
The way Ben Sanders wrote American Blood, I found confusing, and I lost tack few times with the characters and the plot. The idea of Marshall Grade character is good. However, for me, it was portrayed poorly. For me the ending of American Blood was incomplete. The readers of American Blood will learn about the role and procedures of the U.S. Marshals Service and witness protection. Ben Sanders did a great job in describing and researching his settings and the US witness protection scheme.
I did not enjoy reading American Blood, but I will recommend it to others.
The way Ben Sanders wrote American Blood, I found confusing, and I lost tack few times with the characters and the plot. The idea of Marshall Grade character is good. However, for me, it was portrayed poorly. For me the ending of American Blood was incomplete. The readers of American Blood will learn about the role and procedures of the U.S. Marshals Service and witness protection. Ben Sanders did a great job in describing and researching his settings and the US witness protection scheme.
I did not enjoy reading American Blood, but I will recommend it to others.
January 25, 2023
Marshall Grade is a competent ex-cop who likes taking on the criminals and drug dealers. Interesting story so far.
August 1, 2016
American Blood by Ben Sanders is the action packed first novel in the Marshall Grade series. I'm really looking forward to reading the next installment. I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
September 29, 2016
This was an enjoyable enough thriller but, while I liked it I did not love it as much as I really wanted to.
Some of the things I failed to love about it may be due to the fact that the author is still a relatively young writer and, at least in this case, is writing a book set in America when he is not American. It seems to me that this may account for how flat a lot of the scenes felt to me, the writing didn't transport me to the locations I was reading about, they just seemed like anonymous backdrops. A lot of the praise I have read for this author's previous work was based on using Auckland as a setting and perhaps the first book by this author that I should have read is one of those.
Early in the book, I felt that there were too many individual narratives: While it was clear that eventually all the separate threads would tie together it made the early part of the book, at times, something of a chore which is not really what you want when starting a new novel. This was very much exacerbated by the fact that the chapters were tiny enough to make me grit my teeth; Five pages is NOT chapter! Five pages is so short that as you start to get the hang of what you are reading about the narrative frustratingly chops off, and, my bad, but I was at chapter four before I realised that each title gave you the name of the person you were reading about, this was essential information because at that point two of the characters were so identically I was struggling to tell which I was reading about.
Which brings me to my next criticism, the chilly detachment of the lead characters, both the main men, for sure, but also the woman. While the characters struck me as really well conceived and remarkably understated in a pretty awesome way (which, for me, made them a little less believable as Americans) and while they were written in a straightforward manner that made them very accessible for a thriller (at least when you get to read them for more than a couple of pages at a time), despite this, they remained frustratingly distant from the reader. Marshall and Bannister especially, they did not give enough of themselves, early enough in the book to become emotionally involved in their stories at all. Rojas was better, he seemed more fleshed out and while he was a despicable character he was actually easier to bond with than the mains. Or was that the intention of the author? I suppose it might have been.
Since this is a #1 in a series that (according to the publisher) aims for the Lee Child type of ongoing character, perhaps Marshall's detachment is an attempt to plan for a long slow exposition of his personality. For me, Marshall did not have the depth that Jack Reacher had and there was a superficiality to him that left me unintrigued by his history and which did not draw me in to his storyline. This character building is part of what made me very aware of the fact I was reading a work by a young writer. The young Marshall felt more real than the current day one and the 'bad guys' ended up with more depth and more accessible to the reader than the lead characters, two things I associate with younger authors.
There seemed to me to be a very high level of random behaviour as plot builders. By the last third of the book there were dozens of questions about why people were doing things, not doing things, there at all, or general wtf. Now most of these questions do end up being addressed, but it feels a bit as though they were being held onto for too long so they could be popped out as a series of exposes at the end when it might have been more organic to reveal them along the way.
So by now, you, the review reader might be excused for thinking I hated this book: Not at all, I actually liked a great deal of it, I am certainly keen to read one of the earlier books by this author (the ones set in NZ) and I might well read more of this series if it keeps going. Because despite all the gripes I have written it is still very enjoyable a lot of the time. The actual narrative is comfortable to read and descriptively vivid, which is to say that I often received a visual image of teh scenes I was reading about. The situations were intriguingly structured and the blending of intention, coincidence in the events portrayed was cunning. The novel was for the most part well planned (though at times a bit laboriously) and even while I was reading things that annoyed me (as I mentioned above, there were a few of them), I was still wanting to like the novel it more than I could as I was reading it. It was an odd sensation.
Some of the things I failed to love about it may be due to the fact that the author is still a relatively young writer and, at least in this case, is writing a book set in America when he is not American. It seems to me that this may account for how flat a lot of the scenes felt to me, the writing didn't transport me to the locations I was reading about, they just seemed like anonymous backdrops. A lot of the praise I have read for this author's previous work was based on using Auckland as a setting and perhaps the first book by this author that I should have read is one of those.
Early in the book, I felt that there were too many individual narratives: While it was clear that eventually all the separate threads would tie together it made the early part of the book, at times, something of a chore which is not really what you want when starting a new novel. This was very much exacerbated by the fact that the chapters were tiny enough to make me grit my teeth; Five pages is NOT chapter! Five pages is so short that as you start to get the hang of what you are reading about the narrative frustratingly chops off, and, my bad, but I was at chapter four before I realised that each title gave you the name of the person you were reading about, this was essential information because at that point two of the characters were so identically I was struggling to tell which I was reading about.
Which brings me to my next criticism, the chilly detachment of the lead characters, both the main men, for sure, but also the woman. While the characters struck me as really well conceived and remarkably understated in a pretty awesome way (which, for me, made them a little less believable as Americans) and while they were written in a straightforward manner that made them very accessible for a thriller (at least when you get to read them for more than a couple of pages at a time), despite this, they remained frustratingly distant from the reader. Marshall and Bannister especially, they did not give enough of themselves, early enough in the book to become emotionally involved in their stories at all. Rojas was better, he seemed more fleshed out and while he was a despicable character he was actually easier to bond with than the mains. Or was that the intention of the author? I suppose it might have been.
Since this is a #1 in a series that (according to the publisher) aims for the Lee Child type of ongoing character, perhaps Marshall's detachment is an attempt to plan for a long slow exposition of his personality. For me, Marshall did not have the depth that Jack Reacher had and there was a superficiality to him that left me unintrigued by his history and which did not draw me in to his storyline. This character building is part of what made me very aware of the fact I was reading a work by a young writer. The young Marshall felt more real than the current day one and the 'bad guys' ended up with more depth and more accessible to the reader than the lead characters, two things I associate with younger authors.
There seemed to me to be a very high level of random behaviour as plot builders. By the last third of the book there were dozens of questions about why people were doing things, not doing things, there at all, or general wtf. Now most of these questions do end up being addressed, but it feels a bit as though they were being held onto for too long so they could be popped out as a series of exposes at the end when it might have been more organic to reveal them along the way.
So by now, you, the review reader might be excused for thinking I hated this book: Not at all, I actually liked a great deal of it, I am certainly keen to read one of the earlier books by this author (the ones set in NZ) and I might well read more of this series if it keeps going. Because despite all the gripes I have written it is still very enjoyable a lot of the time. The actual narrative is comfortable to read and descriptively vivid, which is to say that I often received a visual image of teh scenes I was reading about. The situations were intriguingly structured and the blending of intention, coincidence in the events portrayed was cunning. The novel was for the most part well planned (though at times a bit laboriously) and even while I was reading things that annoyed me (as I mentioned above, there were a few of them), I was still wanting to like the novel it more than I could as I was reading it. It was an odd sensation.
March 15, 2013
To start with, I had assumed that I would never read a book more violent than Blood Meridian (by Cormac McCarthy). I was wrong. Perhaps the future clue will be the use of the word "Blood" in the title.
In any case the first 35 pages or so overflow with the most graphic Vietnam atrocities imaginable (or that I could imagine, anyway). "I'm not reading this book any further," I kept promising myself, but had heard that things settled down after the opening and so I pressed on.
The book is actually about violence in America, and the rest of the book cleverly chronicles the pervasive infiltration of violence into the daily lives of Americans. Gradually the reader understands that what created revulsion in pages 1-35, despite being war atrocities, occurs every day in America, and is accepted largely because it is not so close to home.
Nichols addresses that as well, by bringing back the atrocity to home near the end of the book, where it cannot be ignored.
This is the story of two Vietnam veterans, both who bring home their intense personal demons, and search for some sort of salvation from them. How they do or do not find it is the story of American Blood. Two other characters, Janine and Cathie, join these men throughout the story. As usual, Nichols crafts exceedingly memorable, unique, and quirky characters that will make you laugh and cry,
Don't even think about reading this is you can't abide with the rather intense violence at the opening of the book. If you can, you will be rewarded with Nichols' usual lyric prose and carefully crafted phrases, sentences, and chapters. Not for the feint of heart, but you will be left asking yourself how you have so slowly come to accept the violence that pervades our daily news and our society.
In any case the first 35 pages or so overflow with the most graphic Vietnam atrocities imaginable (or that I could imagine, anyway). "I'm not reading this book any further," I kept promising myself, but had heard that things settled down after the opening and so I pressed on.
The book is actually about violence in America, and the rest of the book cleverly chronicles the pervasive infiltration of violence into the daily lives of Americans. Gradually the reader understands that what created revulsion in pages 1-35, despite being war atrocities, occurs every day in America, and is accepted largely because it is not so close to home.
Nichols addresses that as well, by bringing back the atrocity to home near the end of the book, where it cannot be ignored.
This is the story of two Vietnam veterans, both who bring home their intense personal demons, and search for some sort of salvation from them. How they do or do not find it is the story of American Blood. Two other characters, Janine and Cathie, join these men throughout the story. As usual, Nichols crafts exceedingly memorable, unique, and quirky characters that will make you laugh and cry,
Don't even think about reading this is you can't abide with the rather intense violence at the opening of the book. If you can, you will be rewarded with Nichols' usual lyric prose and carefully crafted phrases, sentences, and chapters. Not for the feint of heart, but you will be left asking yourself how you have so slowly come to accept the violence that pervades our daily news and our society.
June 18, 2017
I rarely read crime fiction; maybe one a year, but I really enjoyed this little foray outside my comfort zone.
Marshall is in witness protection following an undercover operation with the mob going wrong. But due to an experience whilst undercover, Marshall feels drawn to solving the case of a young woman who is missing. In doing so, he blows his anonymity and is back on the edge, living dangerously.
The book is structured in short, episodic chapters with changing character viewpoints. In addition, there are flashbacks within chapter as well. I found I needed to concentrate on this book, particularly at the start. I needed that focus to be able to keep track of the threads of the narrative and of who each character was. By a hundred or so pages I felt confident of who was who, and what was happening, and relaxed into the read a lot more. As is always the case with shifting viewpoints, there were two I was always anxious to get back to; Marshall, as well as a baddie – Rojas.
I read, not sure if fact or rumour, that this book will be made into a film starring Bradley Cooper. My $0.02 is that the book will make a fantastic film. The book’s episodic structure will very much lend itself to a film medium, as does the easy, natural dialogue, and the fast pacing. The author would be a great screenplay writer.
With thanks to the publisher and to Goodreads First Reads for this copy to read and review.
Marshall is in witness protection following an undercover operation with the mob going wrong. But due to an experience whilst undercover, Marshall feels drawn to solving the case of a young woman who is missing. In doing so, he blows his anonymity and is back on the edge, living dangerously.
The book is structured in short, episodic chapters with changing character viewpoints. In addition, there are flashbacks within chapter as well. I found I needed to concentrate on this book, particularly at the start. I needed that focus to be able to keep track of the threads of the narrative and of who each character was. By a hundred or so pages I felt confident of who was who, and what was happening, and relaxed into the read a lot more. As is always the case with shifting viewpoints, there were two I was always anxious to get back to; Marshall, as well as a baddie – Rojas.
I read, not sure if fact or rumour, that this book will be made into a film starring Bradley Cooper. My $0.02 is that the book will make a fantastic film. The book’s episodic structure will very much lend itself to a film medium, as does the easy, natural dialogue, and the fast pacing. The author would be a great screenplay writer.
With thanks to the publisher and to Goodreads First Reads for this copy to read and review.
May 30, 2019
Move over Reacher, Bourne, et al., there's a new badass on the scene and his name is James Marshall Grade!
Grade is a former NYPD undercover. He is now in WITSEC out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This following a compromised op in the Big Apple. Some very bad people are after him.
One day, on TV, he sees the case of missing Alyce Ray. Alyce reminds him of someone from his former life. He decides to look for her. Helping out is kinda what he does.
This will lead him into the dangerous world of drugs, cartels and evil men.
This a slam-bang action thriller of the first order. The characters are "real" and colorful. The dialog would have made Elmore Leonard proud.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
Grade is a former NYPD undercover. He is now in WITSEC out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This following a compromised op in the Big Apple. Some very bad people are after him.
One day, on TV, he sees the case of missing Alyce Ray. Alyce reminds him of someone from his former life. He decides to look for her. Helping out is kinda what he does.
This will lead him into the dangerous world of drugs, cartels and evil men.
This a slam-bang action thriller of the first order. The characters are "real" and colorful. The dialog would have made Elmore Leonard proud.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
December 18, 2015
Marshall Grade is a former NYPD undercover cop still living undercover, though in the federal witness protection program (WITSEC) in the Southwest. He had tried to get out of his undercover role five years earlier, fearing that he was being morally compromised by it, but the NYPD and FBI handlers strung him along until his situation turned really bad. So now he's on the run from the crime family that he damaged, while morally damaged, in his opinion, by his past work. Driven by a need for atonement, he decides to rescue a young woman who has been kidnapped by a bunch of really bad criminal types. They resist his efforts to find her, and he pushes those efforts even harder. And he is a very hard man. Imagine Jack Reacher with a wounded psyche: big, fast, muscular, alarmingly direct in speech and action, and basically honorable. Aided by a deputy federal marshal and a woman cop he rescued from a couple of bad situations (herself pretty damaged psychologically), Marshall (as he thinks of himself) cuts a swathe through the criminal world in the Southwest, while stockpiling future trouble. After all, an all-out war with criminals is hardly the kind of thing that keeps one's cover intact. All of which means that another book is coming (a good thing), in addition to a movie.
January 12, 2016
Just utter crap. Superman heroes and villains who can take down multiple armed professional thugs by grabbing their weapons because they are That Good - Jack Bauer on steroids. Laughable attempts at "poetic" descriptive prose amid choppy "hard-boiled" semi-sentences. Murky plot, murky motivation.
I gave it an extra star just because a lot of people get shot and it's set in New Mexico. I could have stood to finish it but I have better things to do. If you're tempted to read this, watch Breaking Bad reruns instead. Or for that matter, Ally McBeal.
I gave it an extra star just because a lot of people get shot and it's set in New Mexico. I could have stood to finish it but I have better things to do. If you're tempted to read this, watch Breaking Bad reruns instead. Or for that matter, Ally McBeal.
December 22, 2015
Fast-moving mystery, but certainly no Elmore Leonard--very graphic violence, like a cable movie. I cannot recommend this one--characters are confusing too
February 21, 2016
Full of dependent/subordinate clauses. Drove me mad.
April 16, 2017
I really enjoyed this first book in the "Marshall" series and made even more enjoyable to know that it is written by a NZ author!
Was that good finished it in half a day!
Great characters and the plot moved along at a good pace, and no scenes were cliche (ie one man taking down 5 armed men!)
Felt the ending made sense and has whet my appetite for the next book - Marshall's Law. In fact, going to start to read it now!
Was that good finished it in half a day!
Great characters and the plot moved along at a good pace, and no scenes were cliche (ie one man taking down 5 armed men!)
Felt the ending made sense and has whet my appetite for the next book - Marshall's Law. In fact, going to start to read it now!
January 3, 2016
Acclaimed New Zealand author Ben Sanders makes his U.S. debut with American Blood, a stylish, action-packed thriller that blends the signature elements of Elmore Leonard and Lee Child, and introduces readers to a protagonist daring to take up Jack Reacher’s mantle as the genre’s premier butt-kicker. With film rights sold to Warner Bros, and Bradley Cooper attached to play Marshall Grade, few novels have been as hyped up pre-release as American Blood.
Marshall Grade is a former NYPD detective who worked undercover trying to dismantle a particularly vicious crime syndicate until his cover was blown, and he was forced into Witness Protection. Now living under the radar in Albuquerque, Marshall lives under the radar, going as far as to sublet his WITSEC safe-house to a lower-tier criminal in order to circumvent any possible paper trail. Not that his hander, marshal Lucas Cohen, seems to mind Marshall’s exploits, so long as his charge stays out of the limelight and out of trouble. But trouble has a way of finding Marshall – or rather, he has a way of finding it – because when he leans of the disappearance of Alyce Ray, a woman he doesn’t know, but who who reminds him of someone from his past, Marshall makes it his mission to find her. In doing so, he antagonizes a local group of thugs who are perhaps more capable than he anticipated. Even worse, they’re not the only ones gunning for him: Marshall’s past comes back to haunt him in the shape of the cold and twisted professional killer known as the Dallas Man.
American Blood combines a brisk plot, impactful action scenes, and great dialogue. Once its plot has built up its momentum, it’s unstoppable – a real page-turner. Before that, readers will need to justify Marshall’s motives in their own minds, because the reasons Sanders provides are paper-thin. The story revolves around the disappearance of Alyce Ray – but this is a woman who means nothing to Marshall besides reminding him of a woman from his past. There is no real personal connection; and while Jack Reacher has frequently gotten involved in the search for people’s he’s never met, his reasons for doing so have always felt more justifiable than what’s offered here. It’s a slight blotch on otherwise gritty, fast-moving thriller, and a successful launch of a new series character.
Chapter-by-chapter Ben Sanders shifts between various character perspectives, always propelling the narrative forward, stamping forks and roadblocks in their paths. American Blood is the kind of thriller easily devoured in a single sitting, and its delicious final chapter twist will leave readers desperate for its sequel. It’s not necessarily a gasp-worthy moment – in fact, I foresaw it – but it means American Blood will leave its hooks in you, which is what every first novel in a series should accomplish.
THANKS TO ALLEN & UNWIN FOR PROVIDING A REVIEW COPY
Marshall Grade is a former NYPD detective who worked undercover trying to dismantle a particularly vicious crime syndicate until his cover was blown, and he was forced into Witness Protection. Now living under the radar in Albuquerque, Marshall lives under the radar, going as far as to sublet his WITSEC safe-house to a lower-tier criminal in order to circumvent any possible paper trail. Not that his hander, marshal Lucas Cohen, seems to mind Marshall’s exploits, so long as his charge stays out of the limelight and out of trouble. But trouble has a way of finding Marshall – or rather, he has a way of finding it – because when he leans of the disappearance of Alyce Ray, a woman he doesn’t know, but who who reminds him of someone from his past, Marshall makes it his mission to find her. In doing so, he antagonizes a local group of thugs who are perhaps more capable than he anticipated. Even worse, they’re not the only ones gunning for him: Marshall’s past comes back to haunt him in the shape of the cold and twisted professional killer known as the Dallas Man.
American Blood combines a brisk plot, impactful action scenes, and great dialogue. Once its plot has built up its momentum, it’s unstoppable – a real page-turner. Before that, readers will need to justify Marshall’s motives in their own minds, because the reasons Sanders provides are paper-thin. The story revolves around the disappearance of Alyce Ray – but this is a woman who means nothing to Marshall besides reminding him of a woman from his past. There is no real personal connection; and while Jack Reacher has frequently gotten involved in the search for people’s he’s never met, his reasons for doing so have always felt more justifiable than what’s offered here. It’s a slight blotch on otherwise gritty, fast-moving thriller, and a successful launch of a new series character.
Chapter-by-chapter Ben Sanders shifts between various character perspectives, always propelling the narrative forward, stamping forks and roadblocks in their paths. American Blood is the kind of thriller easily devoured in a single sitting, and its delicious final chapter twist will leave readers desperate for its sequel. It’s not necessarily a gasp-worthy moment – in fact, I foresaw it – but it means American Blood will leave its hooks in you, which is what every first novel in a series should accomplish.
THANKS TO ALLEN & UNWIN FOR PROVIDING A REVIEW COPY
January 14, 2016
What is this about: Marshall is an ex-undercover cop in witness protection looking for redemption in the act of finding a woman who has disappeared.
What else is it about: The Dallas Man, an assassin, is searching for Marshall to exact revenge on behalf of the organisation Marshall infiltrated.
Is worth a read: Yes, definitely.
Having interviewed Ben Sanders recently, to say I was excited when I won a copy from of American Blood from Goodreads is a bit of an understatement.
That said, when I started writing this review, I couldn’t figure out how to describe American Blood. It took me more than a few chapters to get into the book, and the pacing especially bothered me until I realised I was turning every page, tense and waiting for something to happen – my shoulders were hunched up as I sat reading on the train to work.
This is a good book.
When the book begins, Marshall is lost, it seems. He lives a life anticipating retaliation from his work as an undercover cop, and as such, it’s not a life but an existence. When he finds out about Alyce Ray, so begins the dive into his past and what brought him to Santa Fe, New Mexico. As the book progresses Sanders shows us the botched operation that forced him into witness protection, and contrasts the man he once was with the man now. I pitied Marshall, he’d lost so much and as it turns out, lost more by the book’s end.
That doesn’t hamper the action in the book though, or his skills. Sanders wastes no time in taking reader straight into the heart of his search for Alyce Ray, with bloody, violent encounters for Marshall. He gives Marshall support in the form of a cop and his handler.
Sanders also gives the bad guys a POV in this book, making them more complex – and bloody – than I expected. Of particular note here is the Dallas Man, the assassin after Marshall is given much more depth that his one mention in the blurb might suggest. The unexpected parts of Dallas Man in Sanders hands made me wish for a book that focused on Dallas Man hunting Marshall only – complex characters pitting their wits against one another? Yes, please!
I can see how this book would translate well into a movie, but Marshall is so much more than a Jack Reacher-clone and an impressive American debut for the author.
What else is it about: The Dallas Man, an assassin, is searching for Marshall to exact revenge on behalf of the organisation Marshall infiltrated.
Is worth a read: Yes, definitely.
Having interviewed Ben Sanders recently, to say I was excited when I won a copy from of American Blood from Goodreads is a bit of an understatement.
That said, when I started writing this review, I couldn’t figure out how to describe American Blood. It took me more than a few chapters to get into the book, and the pacing especially bothered me until I realised I was turning every page, tense and waiting for something to happen – my shoulders were hunched up as I sat reading on the train to work.
This is a good book.
When the book begins, Marshall is lost, it seems. He lives a life anticipating retaliation from his work as an undercover cop, and as such, it’s not a life but an existence. When he finds out about Alyce Ray, so begins the dive into his past and what brought him to Santa Fe, New Mexico. As the book progresses Sanders shows us the botched operation that forced him into witness protection, and contrasts the man he once was with the man now. I pitied Marshall, he’d lost so much and as it turns out, lost more by the book’s end.
That doesn’t hamper the action in the book though, or his skills. Sanders wastes no time in taking reader straight into the heart of his search for Alyce Ray, with bloody, violent encounters for Marshall. He gives Marshall support in the form of a cop and his handler.
Sanders also gives the bad guys a POV in this book, making them more complex – and bloody – than I expected. Of particular note here is the Dallas Man, the assassin after Marshall is given much more depth that his one mention in the blurb might suggest. The unexpected parts of Dallas Man in Sanders hands made me wish for a book that focused on Dallas Man hunting Marshall only – complex characters pitting their wits against one another? Yes, please!
I can see how this book would translate well into a movie, but Marshall is so much more than a Jack Reacher-clone and an impressive American debut for the author.
January 18, 2016
I want to send my thanks to Ben Sanders, author and to Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for the copy of American Blood that I won in the Giveaway.
If you are looking for a crime thriller with lots of twists and turns and killing by the crime syndicates then American Blood is an excellent choice. It is well written, has several subplots and a surprise ending to make it a very enjoyable crime story to read. You can't help but hope Marshall finds the girl he is looking for and save her despite how he accomplishes the save. His handler in Witness Protection, Lucas Cohen is also one of the good guys and keeps it together to help Marshall every step of the way. I liked that the author explained how the Dallas Man came to be in the business and how he showed he had another side too. I highly recommend American Blood to anyone looking for an excellent crime thriller. It delivers!
If you are looking for a crime thriller with lots of twists and turns and killing by the crime syndicates then American Blood is an excellent choice. It is well written, has several subplots and a surprise ending to make it a very enjoyable crime story to read. You can't help but hope Marshall finds the girl he is looking for and save her despite how he accomplishes the save. His handler in Witness Protection, Lucas Cohen is also one of the good guys and keeps it together to help Marshall every step of the way. I liked that the author explained how the Dallas Man came to be in the business and how he showed he had another side too. I highly recommend American Blood to anyone looking for an excellent crime thriller. It delivers!
January 20, 2016
This is basically a screenplay that somehow got published as a book, but even so it's a bit of a slog; am halfway thru but not sure will finish. Main problem is too many POVs, a statement you'd find chocolate-milk-snort funny if you went to grad school with me, because not only do I tend to feature ensemble casts in my own books, I also give each character a Plus One. The short chapters here from different POVs slow the action down instead of pushing it forward, and the consistent lack of interiority makes it hard to truly care about any of the (many, *many*) characters. Might just wait for the movie with this one...
January 2, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed Sanders' clipped and no-nonsense prose; it really propelled the story along. The plot, with its multiple character POVs can get a little confusing early on, but stick with it. It all starts to make sense fairly quickly. A great action-crime thriller that I found similar in some ways to CB McKenzie's Bad Country. If you liked that, you'll probably like American Blood.
Read
August 5, 2015Unappealing, gratuitous violence, sometimes described in clunky fashion. A contrived, almost artificial style. A difficult read for discerning readers with little affinity to raw shock and awe stimulation.
A Goodreads First Reads copy received.
A Goodreads First Reads copy received.
November 26, 2015
How can a book with good reviews be SO bad. I tried but it was choppy and boring!! So in reading American Blood I have now read two books by this author: my first & last.
July 13, 2019
American Blood (Marshall Grade, #1 not bad but not distinctive enough for me. A lot of good action which was really well done.
April 29, 2024
If Elmore Leonard and Don Winslow met at a diner and wrote a book, this would be it.
December 7, 2015
American Blood is a crime thriller written by Ben Sanders. Throughout the book I had the sense that it was a second book in a series because of the many references to background events.
Some things are explained a bit in flashbacks. The hero( anti-hero? ) is Marshall Grade, formerly an NYPD detective who had gone undercover, acting as a crooked cop with mob connections. Now he is in witness protection with a new identity in New Mexico, when one night, while eating in a diner, he sees a news report about a missing , possibly abducted young woman. For reasons unclear right then, Grade decides to become involved and find her.Most motivations in the book are not very clear.
Suddenly, in flashback,the reader is back in NY, and Grade is sitting with a bunch of mob guys who are having a tense negotiation over some kind of debt. Things go bad and Grade shoots a mobster' bodyguard , for which he is threatened by his mob pals as a reward. None of this is presented very well. The book is like that.
Grade looks for the missing woman.Violence ensues, which leads to Grade's whereabouts being discovered by a super bad hit man hired by that NY mob to off him.If that is not enough, local drug guys, who's had apparently abducted the aforementioned woman, are hunting for Grade, also. Why? Well, that is complicated thread of a long story.
You can see that there is a lot of things going on in "American Blood". Not all of them are clear.People and situations pop up; Grade usually deals with them violently. That seems the point of it all, anyway.
There is nothing very new in the book. You have read it all before. In such a case, the author has to make his characters interesting and his story line has to be written well enough to grab the reader's attention. The characters are flat and undifferentiated, in that one bad guy is pretty much another; the names are different but the viciousness is the same. The situations in which Marshall Grade finds himself begin with a car ride somewhere, a meeting with people, a chase and a fight that spatters the sagebrush.
I read along hoping for a reason not to put the book aside to do something more worthwhile, but
that did not happen for me. I really had to slog along to finish the book to give it a fair review.
And that is what the book is: only fair. That is this reader's opinion; you may find it differently.
Some things are explained a bit in flashbacks. The hero( anti-hero? ) is Marshall Grade, formerly an NYPD detective who had gone undercover, acting as a crooked cop with mob connections. Now he is in witness protection with a new identity in New Mexico, when one night, while eating in a diner, he sees a news report about a missing , possibly abducted young woman. For reasons unclear right then, Grade decides to become involved and find her.Most motivations in the book are not very clear.
Suddenly, in flashback,the reader is back in NY, and Grade is sitting with a bunch of mob guys who are having a tense negotiation over some kind of debt. Things go bad and Grade shoots a mobster' bodyguard , for which he is threatened by his mob pals as a reward. None of this is presented very well. The book is like that.
Grade looks for the missing woman.Violence ensues, which leads to Grade's whereabouts being discovered by a super bad hit man hired by that NY mob to off him.If that is not enough, local drug guys, who's had apparently abducted the aforementioned woman, are hunting for Grade, also. Why? Well, that is complicated thread of a long story.
You can see that there is a lot of things going on in "American Blood". Not all of them are clear.People and situations pop up; Grade usually deals with them violently. That seems the point of it all, anyway.
There is nothing very new in the book. You have read it all before. In such a case, the author has to make his characters interesting and his story line has to be written well enough to grab the reader's attention. The characters are flat and undifferentiated, in that one bad guy is pretty much another; the names are different but the viciousness is the same. The situations in which Marshall Grade finds himself begin with a car ride somewhere, a meeting with people, a chase and a fight that spatters the sagebrush.
I read along hoping for a reason not to put the book aside to do something more worthwhile, but
that did not happen for me. I really had to slog along to finish the book to give it a fair review.
And that is what the book is: only fair. That is this reader's opinion; you may find it differently.
September 27, 2016
Falls Jack Reacher mit dem Ruhestand liebäugelt…
…bietet sich mit Marshall Grade, dem Protagonisten in Ben Sanders Thriller „American Blood“, ein Nachfolger an. Die Filmrechte sind bereits an Warner Bros. verkauft, und für die Hauptrolle ist offenbar Bradley Cooper im Gespräch. Wie bereits der Titel vermuten lässt, ist die Handlung des Thrillers in Amerika verortet, obwohl der Autor Ben Sanders Neuseeländer ist.
Zur Story: Eine verdeckte Operation des NYPD geht gründlich in die Hose. Mit dem Resultat, dass Marshall Grade enttarnt und seines Lebens nicht mehr sicher ist. Deshalb muss er im Zeugenschutzprogramm untertauchen und lebt seither unauffällig in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Nicht nur, dass seit einiger Zeit eine Menge zwielichtiger Gestalten hinter ihm her sind, auch ein Auftragskiller trachtet ihm nach dem Leben. Von daher ist es angesagt, besser die Füße stillzuhalten. Leichter gesagt als getan. Denn als eine junge Frau spurlos verschwindet, die jemandem ähnelt, den er früher kannte, schlägt er alle Warnungen in den Wind und begibt sich auf die Suche nach ihr. Es ist ein tiefes Schuldgefühl, das ihn antreibt. Und er muss sie finden, selbst um den Preis seiner eigenen Sicherheit.
Er ist ein tougher Typ, dieser Marshall Grade. Ein absoluter Einzelgänger, Typ einsamer Wolf, der seinen eigenen Kanon für Recht und Ordnung hat. Immer auf der Seite der Opfer. Zurückhaltend mit Worten, dafür aber umso schneller mit Fäusten und Waffen. Ich sagte es bereits, Grade ist ein Kerl wie Lee Childs Jack Reacher. Und wie gemacht für einen Serienhelden.
Hohes Tempo und jede Menge Action, „American Blood“ ist ein Popcorn-Thriller, wie er im Buche steht. Unerwartete Wendungen im Handlungsverlauf treiben die Story voran, wie auch die Technik, jedes Kapitel aus der Perspektive eines anderen Akteurs schildern zu lassen. Der neuseeländische Autor schreibt lebhaft und sehr anschaulich, sodass der Leser bereits während der Lektüre quasi die Verfilmung vor Augen hat. Gut gemacht, Ben Sanders!
Aber falls dieser Thriller der Auftaktband einer Reihe ist, würde ich mir für die nachfolgenden Bände wünschen, dass der Autor der Charakterisierung seiner Personen etwas mehr Raum gibt und etwas weniger Wert auf die detaillierte Beschreibung der Waffen legt.
…bietet sich mit Marshall Grade, dem Protagonisten in Ben Sanders Thriller „American Blood“, ein Nachfolger an. Die Filmrechte sind bereits an Warner Bros. verkauft, und für die Hauptrolle ist offenbar Bradley Cooper im Gespräch. Wie bereits der Titel vermuten lässt, ist die Handlung des Thrillers in Amerika verortet, obwohl der Autor Ben Sanders Neuseeländer ist.
Zur Story: Eine verdeckte Operation des NYPD geht gründlich in die Hose. Mit dem Resultat, dass Marshall Grade enttarnt und seines Lebens nicht mehr sicher ist. Deshalb muss er im Zeugenschutzprogramm untertauchen und lebt seither unauffällig in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Nicht nur, dass seit einiger Zeit eine Menge zwielichtiger Gestalten hinter ihm her sind, auch ein Auftragskiller trachtet ihm nach dem Leben. Von daher ist es angesagt, besser die Füße stillzuhalten. Leichter gesagt als getan. Denn als eine junge Frau spurlos verschwindet, die jemandem ähnelt, den er früher kannte, schlägt er alle Warnungen in den Wind und begibt sich auf die Suche nach ihr. Es ist ein tiefes Schuldgefühl, das ihn antreibt. Und er muss sie finden, selbst um den Preis seiner eigenen Sicherheit.
Er ist ein tougher Typ, dieser Marshall Grade. Ein absoluter Einzelgänger, Typ einsamer Wolf, der seinen eigenen Kanon für Recht und Ordnung hat. Immer auf der Seite der Opfer. Zurückhaltend mit Worten, dafür aber umso schneller mit Fäusten und Waffen. Ich sagte es bereits, Grade ist ein Kerl wie Lee Childs Jack Reacher. Und wie gemacht für einen Serienhelden.
Hohes Tempo und jede Menge Action, „American Blood“ ist ein Popcorn-Thriller, wie er im Buche steht. Unerwartete Wendungen im Handlungsverlauf treiben die Story voran, wie auch die Technik, jedes Kapitel aus der Perspektive eines anderen Akteurs schildern zu lassen. Der neuseeländische Autor schreibt lebhaft und sehr anschaulich, sodass der Leser bereits während der Lektüre quasi die Verfilmung vor Augen hat. Gut gemacht, Ben Sanders!
Aber falls dieser Thriller der Auftaktband einer Reihe ist, würde ich mir für die nachfolgenden Bände wünschen, dass der Autor der Charakterisierung seiner Personen etwas mehr Raum gibt und etwas weniger Wert auf die detaillierte Beschreibung der Waffen legt.
September 20, 2017
Auckland author Ben Sanders has been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Best Crime Novel, for his fifth novel Marshall’s Law. The award is due to be announced and given out in Christchurch on the 28th of October. In preparation for this I’ve been asked to join the Ngaio Marsh Blog tour and so I read up on Sanders’ 3rd novel, American Blood, the first of the two part Marshall Series.
Reading this book I can see why Sanders has cited Lee Child as one of his influences. His style was rather reminiscent of Child in the journey approach. I’m curious to find out whether he would have chosen to set the book in America if he hadn’t been asked to do this by his publisher, Macmillan. Having not read the Auckland Trilogy I’m not sure whether this resulted in a change in style or if it was the same. However, the style has impressed Warner Bros enough to option a film based upon this book.
The flashback elements of the story were in my opinion, the better part of his approach and if he changed his style to implement this a bit more it might have been better. Writing each chapter from the point of view of certain characters did work well and it allowed the story to run chronologically, adding extra dramatic tension to a story that was action packed enough to make a good film. However, I do feel that it would make a better film than a book and although I’m interested in seeing what Warner Bros do with it, I’d only give the book 3 stars. I shall have to read Marshall’s Law to see if he has improved in his style and approach.
The other shortlisted books are:
CJ Carver, Spare Me The Truth (Zaffre)
Jonothan Cullinane, Red Herring (HarperCollins)
Ben Sanders, Marshall’s Law (Allen & Unwin)
Fiona Sussman, The Last Time We Spoke (Allison & Busby)
Finn Bell, Pancake Money (ebook)
https://hawleyreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Reading this book I can see why Sanders has cited Lee Child as one of his influences. His style was rather reminiscent of Child in the journey approach. I’m curious to find out whether he would have chosen to set the book in America if he hadn’t been asked to do this by his publisher, Macmillan. Having not read the Auckland Trilogy I’m not sure whether this resulted in a change in style or if it was the same. However, the style has impressed Warner Bros enough to option a film based upon this book.
The flashback elements of the story were in my opinion, the better part of his approach and if he changed his style to implement this a bit more it might have been better. Writing each chapter from the point of view of certain characters did work well and it allowed the story to run chronologically, adding extra dramatic tension to a story that was action packed enough to make a good film. However, I do feel that it would make a better film than a book and although I’m interested in seeing what Warner Bros do with it, I’d only give the book 3 stars. I shall have to read Marshall’s Law to see if he has improved in his style and approach.
The other shortlisted books are:
CJ Carver, Spare Me The Truth (Zaffre)
Jonothan Cullinane, Red Herring (HarperCollins)
Ben Sanders, Marshall’s Law (Allen & Unwin)
Fiona Sussman, The Last Time We Spoke (Allison & Busby)
Finn Bell, Pancake Money (ebook)
https://hawleyreviews.wordpress.com/2...
January 3, 2016
I loved Sanders first 3 novels and rated them highly. They were all set in Auckland, NZ where he lives and I enjoyed reading them partly because of this. It is unusual to read books with the names of streets and places you know. He started writing when he was 18 and is only 24 now. His books received critical acclaim.
American Blood is his first foray into America. Impressively the rites have been bought to make it into a film (even before the book was published). His writing is extremely mature - as if he were in his 40's or 50's. The book held my interest till the very end because I wanted to find out who the 'Patriarch' was. The book made me feel depressed all the way through though because of the brutality, murder and mayhem. I should imagine males will love this one and it will make an excellent movie, possibly rating as high as 'The Godfather'.
Here is what "The Hollywood Reporter " has said:
"Warner Bros. has acquired American Blood, an upcoming crime novel by Ben Sanders, with Bradley Cooper attached to star and produce.
At least one other studio had bid on the project (which is currently a partial manuscript), and several TV companies had also expressed interest.
The story follows Marshall Grade, an NYPD officer turned mob informant, who, while living in the witness protection program in New Mexico, is pulled into a dangerous investigation involving a missing woman."
American Blood is his first foray into America. Impressively the rites have been bought to make it into a film (even before the book was published). His writing is extremely mature - as if he were in his 40's or 50's. The book held my interest till the very end because I wanted to find out who the 'Patriarch' was. The book made me feel depressed all the way through though because of the brutality, murder and mayhem. I should imagine males will love this one and it will make an excellent movie, possibly rating as high as 'The Godfather'.
Here is what "The Hollywood Reporter " has said:
"Warner Bros. has acquired American Blood, an upcoming crime novel by Ben Sanders, with Bradley Cooper attached to star and produce.
At least one other studio had bid on the project (which is currently a partial manuscript), and several TV companies had also expressed interest.
The story follows Marshall Grade, an NYPD officer turned mob informant, who, while living in the witness protection program in New Mexico, is pulled into a dangerous investigation involving a missing woman."
January 11, 2016
Thank you to The Reading Room and publisher Allen & Unwin for a copy of the book to read and review.
The publishers blurb is very accurate and a great introduction to this novel.
My husband read this book before me and I was astonished when he finished in two days - while he does read he is very selective on what he reads or finishes reading. So I was impressed.
I also read this novel in two days - easy to read and flows very quickly. The story is captivating and the characters well developed. There were a lot of ‘bad’ guys with a range of ‘badness’ - with some being incredibly clever and other just down right ‘dumb’ but this certainly added depth to the story and to the characters as well. Often characters are clearly good and bad but there were a lot of grey areas that made the characters feel genuine. There was a lot of heart in this book despite the gory bits!
In order to give background to what is happening, the characters take us back to an early period. At times this was a little confusing and a couple of times I had to go back to check what period the character was in. Just a minor criticism as sometimes it is the reader at fault for losing a little concentration.
The ending was great with unexpected twists that kept the story going to the last page.
Highly recommend reading if you like crime stories and thrillers.
The publishers blurb is very accurate and a great introduction to this novel.
My husband read this book before me and I was astonished when he finished in two days - while he does read he is very selective on what he reads or finishes reading. So I was impressed.
I also read this novel in two days - easy to read and flows very quickly. The story is captivating and the characters well developed. There were a lot of ‘bad’ guys with a range of ‘badness’ - with some being incredibly clever and other just down right ‘dumb’ but this certainly added depth to the story and to the characters as well. Often characters are clearly good and bad but there were a lot of grey areas that made the characters feel genuine. There was a lot of heart in this book despite the gory bits!
In order to give background to what is happening, the characters take us back to an early period. At times this was a little confusing and a couple of times I had to go back to check what period the character was in. Just a minor criticism as sometimes it is the reader at fault for losing a little concentration.
The ending was great with unexpected twists that kept the story going to the last page.
Highly recommend reading if you like crime stories and thrillers.
November 9, 2015
I was excited at the prospect of reading this debut crime thriller from Ben Sanders. Especially after learning that the film rights had been obtained with Bradley Cooper set to star. Sadly, the writing and story did not hold up as well as expected.
A former NYPD Officer, Marshall Grade, is living in New Mexico following a botched undercover operation that has put him in the sights of the Mob. Of course, he is unable to keep a low profile and immediately gets involved in a search for a missing woman and butting heads with some local drug lords. It's just a matter of time before he is back on the radar of the criminal underworld and his NYC past will come back to haunt him.
I only wish the story and Ben Sanders' writing was as exciting as the above premise. The story starts out with a bang but quickly gets stuck in the mud and mires there for the rest of the novel. I was hoping for something to happen --- or to care about any of the characters --- and was bored to death eagerly waiting for the story to end. Hoping the film has a bit more oomph.
A former NYPD Officer, Marshall Grade, is living in New Mexico following a botched undercover operation that has put him in the sights of the Mob. Of course, he is unable to keep a low profile and immediately gets involved in a search for a missing woman and butting heads with some local drug lords. It's just a matter of time before he is back on the radar of the criminal underworld and his NYC past will come back to haunt him.
I only wish the story and Ben Sanders' writing was as exciting as the above premise. The story starts out with a bang but quickly gets stuck in the mud and mires there for the rest of the novel. I was hoping for something to happen --- or to care about any of the characters --- and was bored to death eagerly waiting for the story to end. Hoping the film has a bit more oomph.
June 2, 2019
Book was ok but not as great as people said it would be. Some compare it to a Jack Reacher novel but not as good.
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