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Evan Lane Mystery #1
Carved In Blood
Evelyn Lane had a complicated childhood… That happens when your mother kills your best friend, then goes on to kill other young men. Wanting a clean break, Evelyn joins the Navy and afterwards goes to college. It is around that time that Evelyn becomes Evan Lane and fully embraces being a man. Now, Evan lives in Seven Sisters, a big city a few states over from Freedom Village, where he grew up. He has a lovely girlfriend Sammie, a dog named Paige and a job cleaning up crime sites. No one knows he’s transgender, or that his mother was the serial killer Alice Lane. And that’s just the way he wants it. Until the bodies of young men start showing up and Evan learns they have a message for Evelyn carved in their flesh. Product Information: ISBN: 9781911445906 Author: E. R. Fallon Publisher: Endeavour Ink Format: Paperback Pages: 319 Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 2.5cm
- GenresLGBT
319 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2016
About the author
E.R. Fallon
17 books11 followersBest-selling crime author E.R. Fallon knows well the gritty city streets of which she writes. She studied criminology and was mentored by a leading advocate for the family members of homicide victims. E.R. is currently working on her next gangland book, Tommy's Turn, with her writing partner, KJ. The New York Times best-selling author Da Chen has said E.R. writes the kind of stories that "We stay up all night to finish."
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 1, 2019
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 211
Publisher - Endeavour press
Source - bought copy
Blurb from Goodreads
That happens when your mother kills your best friend, then goes on to kill other young men.
Wanting a clean break, Evelyn joins the Navy and afterwards goes to college.
It is around that time that Evelyn becomes Evan Lane and fully embraces being a man.
Now, Evan lives in Seven Sisters, a big city a few states over from Freedom Village, where he grew up.
He has a lovely girlfriend Sammie, a dog named Paige and a job cleaning up crime sites.
No one knows he’s transgender, or that his mother was the serial killer Alice Lane.
And that’s just the way he wants it.
Until the bodies of young men start showing up and Evan learns they have a message for Evelyn carved in their flesh.
But Evan’s mother is in prison.
So who is killing young men in Seven Sisters?
One day Evan wakes to find that someone he thought he could trust has sold his story and also divulged information about the investigation.
When it goes viral, Chief Gilani is furious and he is suspended.
With time on his hands, Evan figures he can clear his name before things get any worse…
He travels to his hometown of Freedom Village seeking answers.
For the first time in twenty years, Evan sees his mother and learns she might be innocent after all.
And he might be in the killer’s sights.
Carved in Blood is the gripping first installment of the Evan Lane Mystery Series .
My review
Evan is no stranger to dead bodies, he has a team that goes in and cleans up crime scenes. He also happens to be the off spring of a serial killer. As an adult Evan has nothing to do with his mother and has long since left the town he grew up in. Evan is in a happy relationship with Sammie, has a wee dog and quite happy with his lot. When bodies of young men start appearing in his area and he finds out one has a message relating to his old life Evan has to consider is the killer speaking to him? Is he in danger and will he need to face his past to survive his future?
So, as this is in the blurb it isn't a spoiler, Evan is transgender and with bodies piling up he needs to confront his past. His estranged mother has no idea Evan is transgender, in fact she knows nothing of his life. Evan finds himself having to "come out" deal with issues from the past and consider was there more to his mothers crimes that he initially knew?
The book has a few layers, the crime, Evan's personal life, trans phobia, relationship issues, unresolved issues with his mother, his past and how it all impacts on his current life plus a killer who seems to have Evan in their eye!
This is the first book I have read, I think, with a transgender character, it really makes you think about the issues, ignorance, hate and general vileness the trans community face just for living their lives as their true identity. All of this in among a killer on the loose and trying to keep a semblance of a normal life with the past ripping its way into Evan's present. For the start of a series I think it is a good paving stone for book one, I look forward to what is next for the characters and where the author decides to take the series, 3.5/5 for me.
Pages - 211
Publisher - Endeavour press
Source - bought copy
Blurb from Goodreads
That happens when your mother kills your best friend, then goes on to kill other young men.
Wanting a clean break, Evelyn joins the Navy and afterwards goes to college.
It is around that time that Evelyn becomes Evan Lane and fully embraces being a man.
Now, Evan lives in Seven Sisters, a big city a few states over from Freedom Village, where he grew up.
He has a lovely girlfriend Sammie, a dog named Paige and a job cleaning up crime sites.
No one knows he’s transgender, or that his mother was the serial killer Alice Lane.
And that’s just the way he wants it.
Until the bodies of young men start showing up and Evan learns they have a message for Evelyn carved in their flesh.
But Evan’s mother is in prison.
So who is killing young men in Seven Sisters?
One day Evan wakes to find that someone he thought he could trust has sold his story and also divulged information about the investigation.
When it goes viral, Chief Gilani is furious and he is suspended.
With time on his hands, Evan figures he can clear his name before things get any worse…
He travels to his hometown of Freedom Village seeking answers.
For the first time in twenty years, Evan sees his mother and learns she might be innocent after all.
And he might be in the killer’s sights.
Carved in Blood is the gripping first installment of the Evan Lane Mystery Series .
My review
Evan is no stranger to dead bodies, he has a team that goes in and cleans up crime scenes. He also happens to be the off spring of a serial killer. As an adult Evan has nothing to do with his mother and has long since left the town he grew up in. Evan is in a happy relationship with Sammie, has a wee dog and quite happy with his lot. When bodies of young men start appearing in his area and he finds out one has a message relating to his old life Evan has to consider is the killer speaking to him? Is he in danger and will he need to face his past to survive his future?
So, as this is in the blurb it isn't a spoiler, Evan is transgender and with bodies piling up he needs to confront his past. His estranged mother has no idea Evan is transgender, in fact she knows nothing of his life. Evan finds himself having to "come out" deal with issues from the past and consider was there more to his mothers crimes that he initially knew?
The book has a few layers, the crime, Evan's personal life, trans phobia, relationship issues, unresolved issues with his mother, his past and how it all impacts on his current life plus a killer who seems to have Evan in their eye!
This is the first book I have read, I think, with a transgender character, it really makes you think about the issues, ignorance, hate and general vileness the trans community face just for living their lives as their true identity. All of this in among a killer on the loose and trying to keep a semblance of a normal life with the past ripping its way into Evan's present. For the start of a series I think it is a good paving stone for book one, I look forward to what is next for the characters and where the author decides to take the series, 3.5/5 for me.
October 26, 2021
Another steadily mediocre thriller that Lume/Endeavor press tends to specialize in, but this one set in present day. Didn’t realize it was a series starter and, just from having read the book, never would have guessed it – the plot screams standalone - but hey, in this day and age people will serialize a cereal box if they figure out how.
This was actually fairly well done considering, it featured a likable protagonist, Evan Lane, a trans man, with a dark family secret that he thought he left behind decades ago until it comes slithering back. It starts very auspiciously, Evan is a child of a serial killer and how often do you see female serial killers in fiction? A serial killer with potential cannibal leanings, enough to turn Evan into a vegetarian. A serial killer who last victim was Evan’s best friend. And yet, Evan grows up to be a fairly well-adjusted adult, who after a stint in the Navy, gets a degree, a job, a loving girlfriend and an all-around nice life.
Evan’s job is cleaning up crime scenes and the latest crime scenes disturbingly echo those he left behind years ago and the cherry-on-top of that a message addressed to Evan by his deadname. And so, it’s time to go back to the small town he left behind and figure out what’s going on. Evan might have changed, but some things for him, it seems, are just carved in blood.
So far so good, dramatically speaking too. Good character writing also. As the story and its mystery continues to unravel, though, it kind of veers into suspend your disbelief territory, especially from a perspective of some distance. Plausible? Maybe, but so far-fetched.
There’s a certain quality to the writing that one might normally associate with new authors…an occasional stiltedness to the dialogue, a strong tendency to overexplain. A ridiculously cheery romantic ending that Lume positively adores for all its books despite of their contents. But overall, a decent and decently entertaining quick read. Which is all one can really ask for from a freebie.
This was actually fairly well done considering, it featured a likable protagonist, Evan Lane, a trans man, with a dark family secret that he thought he left behind decades ago until it comes slithering back. It starts very auspiciously, Evan is a child of a serial killer and how often do you see female serial killers in fiction? A serial killer with potential cannibal leanings, enough to turn Evan into a vegetarian. A serial killer who last victim was Evan’s best friend. And yet, Evan grows up to be a fairly well-adjusted adult, who after a stint in the Navy, gets a degree, a job, a loving girlfriend and an all-around nice life.
Evan’s job is cleaning up crime scenes and the latest crime scenes disturbingly echo those he left behind years ago and the cherry-on-top of that a message addressed to Evan by his deadname. And so, it’s time to go back to the small town he left behind and figure out what’s going on. Evan might have changed, but some things for him, it seems, are just carved in blood.
So far so good, dramatically speaking too. Good character writing also. As the story and its mystery continues to unravel, though, it kind of veers into suspend your disbelief territory, especially from a perspective of some distance. Plausible? Maybe, but so far-fetched.
There’s a certain quality to the writing that one might normally associate with new authors…an occasional stiltedness to the dialogue, a strong tendency to overexplain. A ridiculously cheery romantic ending that Lume positively adores for all its books despite of their contents. But overall, a decent and decently entertaining quick read. Which is all one can really ask for from a freebie.
February 19, 2022
A weird tale of when your mother kills your best friend and goes on to become a serial killer and spends most of your life in prison.
Lots of twists and turns and a completely surprising ending.
Definitely worth sleep deprivation.
Lots of twists and turns and a completely surprising ending.
Definitely worth sleep deprivation.
August 14, 2018
An odd novel with a great premise but badly delivered.
The plot sounds good - Evelyn Lane's childhood sees her mother convicted as a serial killer of young boys. Evelyn becomes Evan and rebuilds a life in a new city. Then bodies start to turn up once more. Evan returns to his home town and visits his mother in prison after many years to search for the truth.
There are many flaws with this novel. Every character is introduced with a large chunk of exposition giving their back story. No "show don't tell" here. All are rather one dimensional, good or bad. There is a lot of repetition in the dialogue. There are some very odd inconsistencies - a long discussion about whether to drive or take the bus on a journey then later mention of a direct train route. A car journey of less than 200 miles that somehow takes many hours and several meal breaks. A mysteriously ill dog that has no bearing on anything.
The ending is rather cliched and doesn't feel satisfying. If this is really the first in a series, I've no great desire to read on.
The plot sounds good - Evelyn Lane's childhood sees her mother convicted as a serial killer of young boys. Evelyn becomes Evan and rebuilds a life in a new city. Then bodies start to turn up once more. Evan returns to his home town and visits his mother in prison after many years to search for the truth.
There are many flaws with this novel. Every character is introduced with a large chunk of exposition giving their back story. No "show don't tell" here. All are rather one dimensional, good or bad. There is a lot of repetition in the dialogue. There are some very odd inconsistencies - a long discussion about whether to drive or take the bus on a journey then later mention of a direct train route. A car journey of less than 200 miles that somehow takes many hours and several meal breaks. A mysteriously ill dog that has no bearing on anything.
The ending is rather cliched and doesn't feel satisfying. If this is really the first in a series, I've no great desire to read on.
March 28, 2019
Carved In Blood was quite slow. Nothing very much happened until literally the last 50 pages which made the ending feel rushed. Disappointing.
January 3, 2024
STARTED OFF GOOD, GORY AND REALLY GREAT BUT THEN IT GOT BOGGED DOWN AND THE AUTHOR SEEMED MORE OBSESSED THAT THE LEAD CHRACHTER WAS TRANS GENDER TO A RATHER AND DISSAPOINTING CLMAX.
June 13, 2024
Not bad... it was really slow at first, but then it works out pretty nicely.
I really respect the author and the premise of the story and see lots of potential with soon to be series
I really respect the author and the premise of the story and see lots of potential with soon to be series
June 26, 2024
At times great, at times pedestrian. Intriguing story but the writing didn't envelop me the way I had hoped
October 7, 2016
As a lover of science fiction and fantasy, I am quite willing to suspend disbelief in the interest of a good story. However, this book pushed me beyond my threshold. There were just too many completely unbelievable events. I wrote them down as I read. I counted twelve instances in all.
For example, I don't believe a mother who raised a child could fail to recognize him if they sat face to face in a room for two hours talking, no matter how much the child had changed. The essential self is still there and a mother more than anyone would recognize her child.
The protagonist also does a lot of really stupid things, yet he doesn't seem to be a foolish person. I didn't buy it. For example, he is under suspicion for a serious crime and told by the police not to leave the area. He promptly does that, and also misses an important hearing that is critical to his continued employment.
He betrays the trust of his boss, which causes very serious consequences for the boss, yet there is no problem between them in the end and he keeps his job. This leaked information was concerning an open police investigation and there are no consequences there either. I just don't think that would happen.
I don't ask much from a mystery thriller except entertainment, and I did enjoy reading this for the most part. Towards the end, though, there were just too many of those implausible events and I started losing interest.
Note: I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For example, I don't believe a mother who raised a child could fail to recognize him if they sat face to face in a room for two hours talking, no matter how much the child had changed. The essential self is still there and a mother more than anyone would recognize her child.
The protagonist also does a lot of really stupid things, yet he doesn't seem to be a foolish person. I didn't buy it. For example, he is under suspicion for a serious crime and told by the police not to leave the area. He promptly does that, and also misses an important hearing that is critical to his continued employment.
He betrays the trust of his boss, which causes very serious consequences for the boss, yet there is no problem between them in the end and he keeps his job. This leaked information was concerning an open police investigation and there are no consequences there either. I just don't think that would happen.
I don't ask much from a mystery thriller except entertainment, and I did enjoy reading this for the most part. Towards the end, though, there were just too many of those implausible events and I started losing interest.
Note: I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2020
I struggled to get into this book and took me longer then usual to read but does have an interesting story line. I love the fact that the main character is transgender as iv never read a book that has acknowledged transgenderism. Good read would recommend.
November 4, 2016
Weird plot.
Book was slow. Characters a little strange . Skimmed the reading because the story dragged on and on. I think the plot needed help.
Book was slow. Characters a little strange . Skimmed the reading because the story dragged on and on. I think the plot needed help.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews