Bad Blood

Violet Darger #4

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

The body slumps over the steering wheel. Pools of blood going tacky on the dash. Two shots to the back of the head.

A mafia-style hit in a small town.

Special Agent Violet Darger must make sense of this savagery. Figure out how brutality like this could happen in rural Michigan.

The victim had been living the American dream. A small-business owner who built a construction empire. Started a family. Coached youth hockey. He seemed to have it all.

But his surface life didn’t tell the full story.

He carried dark secrets to the grave. Left clues which offer more questions than answers, clues that seem to lead Darger to Detroit.

In the city, she finds despair. Corruption. Decay.

Blocks of vacant buildings line the streets. Crumbling. Caving in. It resembles ancient ruins more than a modern American city. Concrete caverns waiting to be explored.

And there, among the rubble, she gets swept up in the hunt for a notorious hit man.

He kills for profit. Navigates the brutal world of organized crime. Harbors secrets of his own, albeit domestic ones.

He holds the answers to all of Darger’s questions, but only if she can catch him.

This pulse-pounding thriller will have you on the edge of your seat until the final page. Fans of John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, Harlan Coben, and Lisa Jackson should check out the Violet Darger series.

The books in the series can be read in any order, so grab Bad Blood and get started today.
Praise for the Violet Darger series:
"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"This series is full of suspense, action, and lots of murder." -- EllenAn

"Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her." -- Cat

"A rush of excitement, twists and turns." -- C. Munger

"Insightful, bloody. Page turner about the corruption of morality and warped thinking patterns." -- Bella from Readingnstuff.com

"Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence." -- Bloodymummer

"Reading a Violet Darger novel always feels like coming home to an old friend—we hang out, we drink some coffee, we talk about her and Loshak’s personal lives, we interview victims’ families, we chase down some serial killers—all the stuff you normally do with your friends, except better. More exciting.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Procedural, Adventure

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2018

About the author

Lex Vargus is the co-author of over 20 thriller and horror novels.

FIND LEX ON:
Amazon - Twitter - LTVargus.com

BOOKS BY LT VARGUS

The Violet Darger series



The Victor Loshak series


The Charlotte Winters series

Reviews

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An agent with an addiction to opiates and a troubled relationship, a battle for the top spot on the mafia, and a psychotic hit man. What a set of ingredients. It"It's no wonder this is a compelling, action packed hard hitting novel. Well written, good cast of characters and a taut plot makes this a recommended book.

[eden Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No exaggeration, Bad Blood is the best Violet Darger book LT Vargus and Tim McBain have written so far. If you’ve read Violet before, then you know that’s really saying something. If you haven’t, what the heck are you waiting for? Go get Dead End Girl already and start! (You don’t have to read the Darger books in order, but trust me, if you start reading one, you’re going to be hooked, so why not save yourself the time and just get them all?)

Page for page, Bad Blood is the most violent and fascinating adventure Darger has lived through, filled with enough darkness to get you all twisted up inside, while also being so entertaining and fast-paced that you can’t put it down. I was genuinely worried for almost every character in this book at one point or another—a few of them the whole way through. (Except Luck. Hipster mustaches are lame, you douchebag.) One of the things Vargus and McBain do so well in all their books is bring to life not just the Special Agents trying to catch the murderers, but also paint a clear picture of the murderers themselves, and boy is the hitman in Bad Blood a doozy! Look, I love Darger as much as anybody, but if you’re not rooting for the hitman to win by the end, then you need to go back and make sure you didn’t skip Chapters 2 through 63.

Bad Blood is a book of dualities: The story of the hitman and the story of the Fed who’s trying to catch him. Organized crime and the task force that should be taking them down. Good cops and bad cops. Good killers and bad killers. The old mafia and the new mafia. Even the setting, Detroit Murder City, is wearing two faces—one the sprawling lawless ghost town, and the other the gated community flourishing a mile or two down the road. And just when you think things are going to work out, it all collides head-on, culminating in an explosive, adrenaline-fueled climax that’ll have you screaming things like “No!” and “Turn around! Watch out behind you!” at your kindle. And that ending…

Bad Blood is amazing. I don’t know where Darger will go from here, but I want to know. I want to know right now. How long is it until book 5 comes out?

[Annie Oakley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the "Girl" books and this one and all three get one star for decent writing (above the 9th grade level and keeping the plot going at good pace. Let's look at Violet. If I were a mother, I would scream if a person like Violet Darger became my child's role model. Violet needs a lot of therapy. She a uncouth slob, aggressive, pushy, vulgar defensive person. I see her as a bully, because deep inside she's totally insecure. She does not tolerate criticism, she tries to be one of the boys instead of just being a woman and earning respect based on her performance and competence. She reads in between the lines where there's nothing to read in between the lines. She is pathetic and, worse of all,she is dumber than a tree stump. She makes impulsive decisions which kill others and suffers no consequences. Frankly, I root against her not for her. She has no manners, makes snap decision and always loses her gun which leads me to believe she should not be allowed to carry one. Now, the technical part. I hate when writers think readers are stupid and don't know anything. Before putting words on paper, knowing some will take it as gospel, writers should really do their leg work. TV is equally guilty is forming false opinions and wrong images all for the sake of entertainment. The FBI does not really work as these two want you to believe. Nobody graduates college and becomes a super star profiler in two years. Men like John Douglas or Robert Ressler worked years as agents honing their skills before the BAU was created. Writers would want us to believe agents just pick and chose their cases and do whatever they want. Violet Darger does not seem to have supervisors or folks who monitor her work. She does no paperwork, answers to no one. Have our authors ever heard the word SAC? Do they realize the Bureau is one mind boggling trail of paperwork? You do what you are assigned to and you answer for your each and every step to those above you who also have people they answer to. The Bureau is highly sensitive of the image it presents and no agent is allowed to perform the theatrics she is performing. Even the famous "Donny Brasco" had his handlers and his every move was based on what his superiors thought was the best. For goodness sake, that is nothing but common sense. When I read such nonsense, I feel offended. We give writers the artistic license and overlook errors if the book is superb. Thomas Harris had Clarice Starling pulled out of Quantico training. It does not happen. They do not pull help baked agents in training out of Quantico to solve serial killer cases. But because "Silence of the Lambs" was an awesome, terrifically written book and because Clarice Starling had everyone rooting for her, we allowed for such errors to exist. Violet Darger is no Starling. I was actually hoping Jaworsky would put some serious hurting on her that's how annoying she is. In a good suspense thriller, reader has to like the good guys. Reader likes to identify with the good guys. Darger, although allegedly one of the good guys, lacks so many empathy evoking human qualities, I just wish she'd go away somewhere. Some of her fellow agents are likeable and human. I like Loshak, he makes sense. Sanford readers like Davenport and Flowers. They are touchable and reachable and human. Darger is nothing but a bully with a huge ego and a ton of issues.
Since Bad Blood ends with a dramatic gesture of Violet throwing away her
FBI credentials, I foresee the next step will be for some big FBI boss to appear and beg her on his knees to come back since the Bureau will actually fall apart and not be able to function without her.
Yes, i know ; this is only entertainment but even entertainment should make sense. All three books are so filled with factual errors as to how law enforcement and the FBI actually function and operate it is embarrassing. The authors should fix the factual errors to make things more believable and if they wish to continue to use Darger as their super sleuth, they should fix her too.

[Jim Crocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a stunner. And of course Violet is up to her neck in the soup again. Right off, when L.T. started talking about the pesky bugs, I knew the setting was Detroit. Whaddyagonnado? That's just one more reason why I moved to my "bug free" valley in Montana. Poor old Detroit. The setting is about as grim as can be. Violet's got some big time issues to contend with here. The ending is a not-so-surprising surprise ending.

This book really gets into people's heads and explores what makes 'em tick. And there's the creepy bits, too. Enough to give you the willies.

I always come away with a good quote to put in my Quote Box. This one is kinda long and is about justice in this world. It ain't pretty:

"Justice is the product they sell the masses. Not the real thing. The image of it. Just make it look good to the the rubes on the hook, to make them all believe, string them along for as long as they can. It's all just marketing in the end Business. Branding and image."

Think about that one, next to you go on jury duty.

Cheers and Happy Reading and Writing!
JIM in MT
http://blackdogebooks.com/

[Tami Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Violet! She is so good at what she does and she's such a fallible human. The guy she's tailing in this one is not a nice guy but L.T and Tim managed to portray his vulnerabilities so well, that I was rooting for him. There is a scene where I covered my eyes because I didn't want to see it. (It is hard to read with your eyes covered, so i peeked through a space between my fingers). I screeched and gasped. I held my breath and said "oh no" quite a bit...but I couldn't stop reading and I couldn't walk away, it was that good. I'm always ready for more Darger and Loshak. This latest installment did not disappoint.

[Melanie Foxfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is different. Darger and Loshak are working a case that leads them into a dangerous web of organized crime and corrupt law enforcement. I like the story and the character development in this book. I like how Violet has this new crisis of conscience to work through. So far the books have focused on the killers and our favorite FBI agents solving the crimes. But now Violet has to question the world around her in a totally new way. Great story, great character development. Oh yeah, and a seriously scary crime ring of brutal killers. And dirty cops. Can't wait to see what happens to Violet next and and how she grows from this experience.

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest adventure of Violet Darger has her tracking a mob hitman. This story takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride with a number of unforeseen twists and turns, and even when you think you know what's coming next you may just find out you are way off in your assessment.

I'm not sure how L.T. & Tim do it but these stories just get better with each new book, and they rea always impossible to put down. I received an advance reader copy and chose to provide this review.

[Dawn Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is WOW!!! This is a great continuation of the Violet Darger Series. Violet is having some physical issues from her run in with Stump. Yet we are not real sure if it is physical or mental. She still has some time left on her leave but Loshak calls her in and she goes. Her past comes back to haunt her. With her dealing with her past, she is also in the process of ruining her relationship with current boyfriend. In my opinion L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain write really AWESOME crime thrillers (I'm not sure what genre to put this book in). L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain know how to write intriguing characters that are flawed and vulnerable. There were twist thrown in to keep you guessing. There is suspense, blood, action and a little mystery. I'm not sure how the authors did it, but they wrote Jaworski so I found myself rooting for him. Authors wrote the ending to keep you guessing if there is another one coming. I believe there will be another one and I think we will see certain people back to be a pain in Violet's side. There is some gory scenes in this book that brought very vivid pictures to mind. In my opinion if you like Criminal Minds with a little Stephen King thrown in then I would recommend. This kept me on the edge of my seat turning the pages. I received an ARC edition for my honest and voluntary review.

[JB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Violet, she’s one of my favorite heroines. I can relate to her, she makes mistakes sometimes, but she’s also extremely brilliant at putting together the puzzles pieces together in the cases she is assigned to with Loshak. I loathe mysteries, however a well written thriller with action, horror and suspense is just right up my alley. As long as this series continues, I will read and recommend for reading, enjoy!

[Danielle Snyder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rough

I love this series and all the books before this I could not put down. However, with this book it was rough to get through. I had to force myself to finish it even though I did not want to. I unfortunately would not recommend this book in the series.

[Jennifer Tooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the authors but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.

Murder City, USA

Bad Blood is the fourth in the Violet Darger series of books by authors Tim McBain and LT Vargus. Taking place approximately 6 months after her harrowing escape from Leonard Stump, Violet returns to the field to assist Loshak with his current case. Joining a task force in Detroit to take down a mafioso kingpin, Darger is teamed up with a face from the past and the awkward duo set out to chase down clues in search of a killer. Just as soon as the pieces start falling into place, more questions arise as Violet comes to the realization that the mafia’s tentacles are deeper than she had ever imagined. Not knowing who to trust, she sets out on her own, but what she ultimately discovers may be more devastating than the murders themselves.

Violet returns in this newest story, the fourth in the series to date, and the action is just as fast and furious. With the action taking place 6 months after her near-death experience in The Girl in the Sand, we see a Violet who is not quite 100% but is stir crazy to get back into the action. Surviving on coffee and narcotics is not the best prescription though, and I think this is probably the most reckless that Darger has been in any of the previous books. With the setting being Detroit Violet is out of her element from the start, but that factor gets ratcheted up when she is partnered not with Loshak, but with her one-time fling Casey Luck. Even with a rocky start, the duo is able to pull just the right string to start to unravel the web of deceit that has permeated the city for years. It is then that everything hits the fan and to say that there is a twist would be an understatement as it’s more like a Mack truck swerving out of nowhere to totally blow your mind. After finishing this installment, I am very curious as to Violet’s future. I can only see this continuing one of two ways and it’ll be interesting to see where McBain and Vargus take the series from here.

[Ada Lavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

He didn't understand what happened at those times. Mostly, it was just a job. A way to make a living. Go in do the job, do it clean, leave no evidence, clean up what mess there was and go home. He got no pleasure from the job. Actually, he felt no emotions at all. Then there were those few odd times when something came over him. Some strange blackness he didn't understand. It seemed to blind his thinking, all of his reason. He couldn't remember what happened in the brief minutes right after. Then slowly it all comes clear what has happened.

Violet Darger is in Detroit working on a new case. Violet and Lorshak meet back up with an officer they with in Violet's first with who has since joined the FBI. Together with his help Violet takes on the mob and an elusive, brilliant hit man.

From the beginning the beginning the killer seems to be ahead of their very move. No matter what they do, what move they make. Until Violet and Luke start to make some unexpected moves. Then it becomes clear that the killer has some unexpected help.

In an unexpected twist this book comes to an explosive conclusion. I see the ending of this book leaving the door open for what I can see as the next book in this series.

[Just Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I want to say I like and enjoy reading the series BUT the authors tends to leave a lot of cliffhangers and not follow through with the new books.. Book three was the worse cliffhangers of them all... I wanted a little more insight with VD healing, more of the 3 survivors but mostly Emily and Nicole... I wanted to know what Emily wanted to say VL that she didn’t say to him that night.. Are they still in the same profession or did they choose a new path.. smh.
Book four started of with VD fully and completely healed with no insight of anything. Why did we not get a lot of grandpa VL in book four... Now we are left with VD throwing away her FBI badge and hoping to catchup with Owen.. seriously , I have more questions then answers.. Don’t get my wrong I like VD being all badass but I want her and her partner to face the bad guys together... I want to see some team asskicking n less solo... anyways, I’m hoping we get more insight to the pervious books before diving into the new one.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another outstanding episode of the Violet Darger series. While the story would be enjoyable as a stand-alone novel, I think it's best if the stories are read in order.

In this book, FBI Special Agent Violet Darger is still recovering from her injuries in her previous book, but she has been recently cleared to return to duty. At the request of her partner, Special Agent Victor Loshak, Darger cuts her vacation short in order to fly to Detroit to assist with what sounds like a routine homicide investigation. Once she gets there, she realizes that this is perhaps a bit more involved than originally thought.

As usual, the story is fast-paced and engrossing, and I had a hard time putting it down. I don't want to give spoilers, but there's a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end that has me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forget the rollercoaster.....this recent Violet Darger installment is more like the zipper meets the bumper cars. What you have in this adventure is what McBain and Vargus do so well. A vivid blow by blow detailed painting in word form. You’ll see everything so clearly it’ll be like watching a movie. The twists along the way always leave you guessing. There are not many writers who can make me hate someone, fear someone, and then root for that same someone all in one shot. And I’m not talking about the heros here.... At one point my nerves were sizzling wondering/worrying how a particular “transport” was going to play out. I was surprised to feel an emotional tug of war several times throughout the chapters involving many of the characters. If you love a great, vividly written, knock down, drag out MOB vs FBI war....jump in.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another great installment in the Darger series. Mobsters, corrupt cops, shootouts, oh my! Violet gets to work a case with her ex, which is always fun and interesting 🙄 Don’t worry, she’s still partners with Loshack. Even while still recovering from injuries sustained in her last case she still makes connections others don’t see. Looking forward to more installments in this series! LT & Tim never fail to produce great books! Many thanks to the authors for providing an advance copy for review.

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This was a horrible book.
100,000 useless words in the thoughts of paid assassins, that do absolutely nothing for the story at 45% I decided to start skimming, hoping that I’d get past the endless

The main character is an idiot. And the premise that the “top of her head was blown off” in the last book, but 6 months later shes taking on the mob. Alone again of course

Idiocy!

Stopped completely at 78%

[Roseanna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I wish I could give more than five stars. I just now finished and I am sitting here in tears. So many emotions throughout; fear, anger, hope, chills, to name a few. When I read these it is like I am right there with them and that is exactly how it should be in my opinion. I hope there are more Violet Darger books on the way.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Great

Unfortunately this book was not as good as the previous books in the series. It could have been cut in half very easily by removing all of the unnecessary, useless details / descriptions that were thrown in throughout the book. The author referenced a character as “The Other” in several areas, which was just bizarre and didn’t fit the story. Waste of time.

[Lisa Spearman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another explosive thriller from the fantastic team of Tim McBain and L. T. Vargas. This novel features the incredibly tough Violet Darger and her partner. Very interesting read with the mafia based out of Detroit. i highly recommend this!

[lindel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the end of the series for me

Weak storyline, gratuitous violence that served no purpose except as filler for the story. Bordered on cheap vulgarity. Book ends with a cliffhanger and sadly I’m no longer interested in where Ms Darger goes next.

[Ann Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me.

From the setting....Detroit....to the subject....the mob, corruption in FBI....and the gratuitous graphic descriptions of bodies being dismembered...and a very dissatisfying ending. My first and last.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Violet Darger book. I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen & I kept being wrong. My only complaint is that this ended too quickly.

[Julisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful. A protagonist that is thoroughly unlikeable, pages and pages of rambling writing, hugely unlikely scenarios of how the FBI works. Blech.

[J.G. Gatewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many twists and turns in this book. I absolutely loved it, but at the end, I felt a hint of bittersweet. She tossed her badge into the river and I'm afraid the Darger & Loshak connection may be gone. I hope not. I really enjoyed this and have already started on book 5.

[Lindamac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great action and suspense. Now I can't wait until book 5!

[Suzanne Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful

This series in INTENSE!! Violet is a very dynamic character with grit and determination. Crazy plot twists and intense chapters makes this a cant put down series!

[susan maynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

A book that is difficult to put down . Description of actions and emotions were very well done. Can't say anything more because everyone shouldn't know the plot ahead of time.

[Debra Chiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

What now? Ms. Violet has come to a conclusion. She will need help to get past this one. Onto the next installment.

[Ann Hagstedt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mafia at its finest

Good story! Characters are pretty well developed or at least their flaws explained. The plot always
keeps me turning the pages. It almost seemed like the bad guy was going to reform at the end but he had to pay the ultimate price for all his hit murders with his life. Meanwhile, Violet Darger has to get her life priorities straight. Career or a life with her loved one. Might be too late. To be continued ....