What do you think?
Rate this book
For the Blood is the Life
Evan Summers is a detective with a shameful past, a muddled present, and an uncertain future. While investigating a series of gruesome murders and trying to battle his alcoholism, Summers will try to reconnect with his young son. But when a break in the case puts his family at risk, it will be up to Summers alone to capture the mysterious killer. It will test the limits of his addiction, and make Summers decide how just far he will go to protect the person he loves.
73 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2019
4 people want to read
About the author
Joe Albanese
7 books32 followersJoe Albanese is a writer from South Jersey. His fiction, nonfiction, and poetry can be found in publications across the U.S. and in ten other countries. Joe is the author of Smash and Grab, Caina, Candy Apple Red, For the Blood is the Life, and a poetry collection, Cocktails with a Dead Man.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 18, 2019
"Then he took a final breath, and his eyes closed."
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review; thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. This in no way sways my review or opinion of the novel.
I was very lucky to receive a copy of another work by Albanese --- this time, a thriller short story! Short stories are definitely my weakness, especially one done right. For the Blood is the Life was an interesting read, one I didn't expect to enjoy as this genre typically isn't my cup of tea ... or so I thought. I was happily surprised by the turn of events when reading this work, for I had NO idea of the plot twist that was to occur!
CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains abuse (child - mentioned, domestic - mentioned), alcoholism, anger issues, blood/gore, divorce, murder, prostitution (mentioned), and violence.
Spoiler Free! Full review available at Bookmark Your Thoughts.
The Pros
Captivating and enticing, Albanese's short story makes the reader eager to know more. I honestly don't know how he does it, but For the Blood is the Life was nearly impossible to put down. Once I began reading it, I simply HAD to know the outcome of Summers' insane case. Albanese balances the perfect amount of information to provide the reader throughout the story, giving enough information to stay intrigued but not enough to provide that opportunity to put it down --- this is SUCH an essential part of writing, which Albanese executed perfectly.
A twist like no other, readers will be surprised by the turn of events in this story. It's terribly boring when you can speculate the outcome of a novel or short story. Luckily, Albanese's story does NOT fall under this trap! When going into this, I thought I had the whole plot pegged ... but then I was proven wrong over and over and OVER again. Seriously, everything was a shock until the very last line --- which I loved, by the way. He gives nothing away without purpose, breaking the norms of these "stereotypical and predictable plots" with this amazing story!
The central character of this story is not only fascinating, but bends the norms of "good" and "evil". I'm not used to following a character that has a fairly dark past, which made me hesitant to read this --- thank goodness I changed my mind. Summers, the central character, is wonderfully complex --- he's not necessarily a likable character, but you also don't hate the guy either; from a passion to save lives to also having anger and aggression issues, Summers is unpredictable and unreliable throughout the entire story. I've never come across a MC like this before, but I like the concept. All of the characters in this story are interesting though, for Albanese consistently blurs the line between "good and evil" --- "hero and villain" --- "light and dark".
The Woes
There are a number of grammatical errors, which are both bothersome and cause some interruptions. This tends to be a fairly big issue for a lot of people, but I'm not overly troubled by this ... no one is perfect, not even an editor. The issue I did have, however, is how certain grammatical issues caused me to lose my focus, as I would have to reread the sentence and/or paragraph multiple times. These errors occurred in sentence structures, punctuation, and spelling wise. So unfortunately, this DID take away from the story at times.
Relating to grammatical issues, there are a number of word repetitions that are incredibly noticeable and cause a distraction. For instance, there are times numerous times when the author either uses the same phrasing or keywords too close to one another. Another thing I noticed that seemed particularly odd was the repetition of characters' names. Instead of switching to their proper pronoun, Albanese would keep using their full name multiple times in a paragraph or even sentence. An element that's noticed in lower grade level writing, this contradicted with the rest of the novel as the remaining elements are well-written.
For the Blood is the Life lacks descriptive elements, as it's overtaken by dialogue heavy scenes. Whether it be a short story or a novel, a balance between dialogue and descriptive writing should be met --- also known as narrative writing. Not only did the lack of descriptive writing make it more difficult to visualize the settings, it also made the short story feel more like a script at times.
Overall
Albanese's For the Blood is the Life is a thrilling reading experience, full of unpredictable scenarios and well-written characters. A complete and utter page turner, Albanese has perfected the art of captivating the reader into his works, making this a perfect one day read. Though the narrative writing requires some work in regards to the descriptive portion, the rest of the writing and the compelling story make up for this element. If you're looking for a quick and suspenseful read with a shocking turn of events, For the Life is the Blood may be the prefect read for you!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review; thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. This in no way sways my review or opinion of the novel.
I was very lucky to receive a copy of another work by Albanese --- this time, a thriller short story! Short stories are definitely my weakness, especially one done right. For the Blood is the Life was an interesting read, one I didn't expect to enjoy as this genre typically isn't my cup of tea ... or so I thought. I was happily surprised by the turn of events when reading this work, for I had NO idea of the plot twist that was to occur!
CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains abuse (child - mentioned, domestic - mentioned), alcoholism, anger issues, blood/gore, divorce, murder, prostitution (mentioned), and violence.
Spoiler Free! Full review available at Bookmark Your Thoughts.
The Pros
Captivating and enticing, Albanese's short story makes the reader eager to know more. I honestly don't know how he does it, but For the Blood is the Life was nearly impossible to put down. Once I began reading it, I simply HAD to know the outcome of Summers' insane case. Albanese balances the perfect amount of information to provide the reader throughout the story, giving enough information to stay intrigued but not enough to provide that opportunity to put it down --- this is SUCH an essential part of writing, which Albanese executed perfectly.
A twist like no other, readers will be surprised by the turn of events in this story. It's terribly boring when you can speculate the outcome of a novel or short story. Luckily, Albanese's story does NOT fall under this trap! When going into this, I thought I had the whole plot pegged ... but then I was proven wrong over and over and OVER again. Seriously, everything was a shock until the very last line --- which I loved, by the way. He gives nothing away without purpose, breaking the norms of these "stereotypical and predictable plots" with this amazing story!
The central character of this story is not only fascinating, but bends the norms of "good" and "evil". I'm not used to following a character that has a fairly dark past, which made me hesitant to read this --- thank goodness I changed my mind. Summers, the central character, is wonderfully complex --- he's not necessarily a likable character, but you also don't hate the guy either; from a passion to save lives to also having anger and aggression issues, Summers is unpredictable and unreliable throughout the entire story. I've never come across a MC like this before, but I like the concept. All of the characters in this story are interesting though, for Albanese consistently blurs the line between "good and evil" --- "hero and villain" --- "light and dark".
The Woes
There are a number of grammatical errors, which are both bothersome and cause some interruptions. This tends to be a fairly big issue for a lot of people, but I'm not overly troubled by this ... no one is perfect, not even an editor. The issue I did have, however, is how certain grammatical issues caused me to lose my focus, as I would have to reread the sentence and/or paragraph multiple times. These errors occurred in sentence structures, punctuation, and spelling wise. So unfortunately, this DID take away from the story at times.
Relating to grammatical issues, there are a number of word repetitions that are incredibly noticeable and cause a distraction. For instance, there are times numerous times when the author either uses the same phrasing or keywords too close to one another. Another thing I noticed that seemed particularly odd was the repetition of characters' names. Instead of switching to their proper pronoun, Albanese would keep using their full name multiple times in a paragraph or even sentence. An element that's noticed in lower grade level writing, this contradicted with the rest of the novel as the remaining elements are well-written.
For the Blood is the Life lacks descriptive elements, as it's overtaken by dialogue heavy scenes. Whether it be a short story or a novel, a balance between dialogue and descriptive writing should be met --- also known as narrative writing. Not only did the lack of descriptive writing make it more difficult to visualize the settings, it also made the short story feel more like a script at times.
Overall
Albanese's For the Blood is the Life is a thrilling reading experience, full of unpredictable scenarios and well-written characters. A complete and utter page turner, Albanese has perfected the art of captivating the reader into his works, making this a perfect one day read. Though the narrative writing requires some work in regards to the descriptive portion, the rest of the writing and the compelling story make up for this element. If you're looking for a quick and suspenseful read with a shocking turn of events, For the Life is the Blood may be the prefect read for you!
March 25, 2019
An alcoholic detective is hunting a face behind all the barbaric murders of the women and is simultaneously stuck with a challenge in his personal life. The past history of him being abusive haunts him and it is difficult for him to get through it. Meanwhile, he is bitten by something that casts a shadow on his already gloomy life. Would he be able to come off this web? Would he be able to conquer his demons and protect his dear ones?
For The Blood Is The Life is a scary story that has emotions at its core. It primarily focuses on a person grappling with his miserable past and trying to make peace with it. Along with it, lingers the mystery behind the killing of several women. And during this investigation, our protagonist meets a horrifying truth that handicaps him. But the challenge lies in him overcoming the bad energy to kill the human inside him. The storyline is fine and nicely executed. I liked how the author sets up the backdrop and draws the narrative. The language is well and the flow of the story is smooth. I didn't find any loophole. It was a breezy read for me. And I really like books which are short and precise. So yeah, this one was really good. However, this whole sequence of murder mystery was not unique. I have come across such plots before too and so, the story didn't strike me in particular. What engaged me was the writing style. So, if you are a stickler of a fine writing style and gory details, you can definitely pick this book.
3.75/ 5
For The Blood Is The Life is a scary story that has emotions at its core. It primarily focuses on a person grappling with his miserable past and trying to make peace with it. Along with it, lingers the mystery behind the killing of several women. And during this investigation, our protagonist meets a horrifying truth that handicaps him. But the challenge lies in him overcoming the bad energy to kill the human inside him. The storyline is fine and nicely executed. I liked how the author sets up the backdrop and draws the narrative. The language is well and the flow of the story is smooth. I didn't find any loophole. It was a breezy read for me. And I really like books which are short and precise. So yeah, this one was really good. However, this whole sequence of murder mystery was not unique. I have come across such plots before too and so, the story didn't strike me in particular. What engaged me was the writing style. So, if you are a stickler of a fine writing style and gory details, you can definitely pick this book.
3.75/ 5
March 24, 2019
Murders, missing women, a custody battle, alcoholism and a Detective trying to keep it together made for an entertaining read
Detective Evan Summers, recovering alcoholic, is dealing with a slew of missing women around his city and the threat of losing his son forever without succumbing to his addiction. I was hooked as soon as the "mysterious stranger" entered the bar and then further pulled in when the first throat was ...well you can read it to find out that part. But, the investigation takes on a bizarre feel and just like that, you are pulled into the book further with this bizarre killing. Detective Evan comes face to face with the unthinkable and becoming something otherworldly or does he?
This is a well-written story. The formatting, content, and structure were professionally done. I look forward to the sequel and the new dynamic between Summers and McNally.
This was a good read.
Detective Evan Summers, recovering alcoholic, is dealing with a slew of missing women around his city and the threat of losing his son forever without succumbing to his addiction. I was hooked as soon as the "mysterious stranger" entered the bar and then further pulled in when the first throat was ...well you can read it to find out that part. But, the investigation takes on a bizarre feel and just like that, you are pulled into the book further with this bizarre killing. Detective Evan comes face to face with the unthinkable and becoming something otherworldly or does he?
This is a well-written story. The formatting, content, and structure were professionally done. I look forward to the sequel and the new dynamic between Summers and McNally.
This was a good read.
April 1, 2019
My kind of detective story!
Albanese pens a unique and interesting story in For the Blood is the Life. What I like the most about this story is that the detective isn't polished and perfect. Summers is a mess, dealing with personal life and professional life, while trying to stay away from the spirits of the bottle. The investigation, itself, is intriguing and interesting. Albanese writes well, very well, giving the readers human characters, flaws and all. I have read Albanese's work in the past, and I think this is one of my favorites. Albanese writes with variety and flair, and definitely knows how to keep a reader hooked. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Albanese pens a unique and interesting story in For the Blood is the Life. What I like the most about this story is that the detective isn't polished and perfect. Summers is a mess, dealing with personal life and professional life, while trying to stay away from the spirits of the bottle. The investigation, itself, is intriguing and interesting. Albanese writes well, very well, giving the readers human characters, flaws and all. I have read Albanese's work in the past, and I think this is one of my favorites. Albanese writes with variety and flair, and definitely knows how to keep a reader hooked. I look forward to reading more by this author.
March 19, 2019
For the Blood is the Life is a well written, interesting story. The author leads you through a period of an alcoholic detective's live, who is trying, or so he thinks, to follow the AA program but can't let go of his anger and maybe fear of something. The author takes you through a very unexpected second part and conclusion. It is for people who like an anger, pitiful character who draws the reader to love and care for him. It is an exciting dark story. Not my usual read but once I got into it I was caught by the main character, he dragged me along with him to the end.
March 20, 2019
Detective Evan Summers's life is in shambles. Has been for awhile. He's going through a nasty divorce and risks losing joint custody of his son. When a slew of dead bodies mysteriously turn up and while searching for the killer, Evan comes face to face with a witty and dangerous vampire.
Author Joe Albanese drew me in from the beginning and held my attention to the end. If there is going to be a sequel, sign me up!
Author Joe Albanese drew me in from the beginning and held my attention to the end. If there is going to be a sequel, sign me up!
April 8, 2020
For the Blood is the Life is a compelling short story. Once I began reading, I barely took a breath. A mix of police procedural, classic vampire trope, alcoholism, and family drama make for a story full of non-stop action and drama. I recommend this book to lovers of all the previously mentioned genres.
March 31, 2019
A murder mystery that held me from the moment I read the first sentence until I read the last. Just when you think you have the story line figured out, you are surprised by the twist. Highly recommended
March 16, 2019
I actually really like this story. I hope you like it too!
December 14, 2025
Summary:
Evan Summers is a cop down on his luck. He's struggling with alcoholism, his soon-to-be ex-wife wants sole custody of their son, and there's a serial killer ripping out the throats of prostitutes, yet somehow, no one on the police force had any idea that the women had died. When a young bartender is murdered, Summers and his older partner McNally investigate, with the dubious help of an obnoxious subordinate.
When his ex announces a move to a different city, Summers can no longer resist the siren call of alcohol. Then he ends up face-to-face with the killer. Exactly who--and what--the killer is defies belief and leaves him baffled about their encounter. It also might drive him to make a dangerous bargain, one that leaves more than himself at risk.
My thoughts:
This novella is a quick, easy read.
There's a bit of jumpiness to the narrative, and I felt rather jerked around as I read. However, this is to be expected in such a short (70-odd pages) saga.
The twist truly startled me. I blinked. Wow, I really wasn't expecting that! I thought. Honestly, I was unsure how I felt about this turn of events. (I don't normally read in this subgenre. Without a major spoiler, I can't say what that subgenre is!) However, the narrative picked up steam after that. The second part was more energetic than the first. The ending is unexpected but fitting. It brought things full circle in a sad and unexpectedly moving way.
The strongest aspect of the book was the relationship between McNally and Summers.
McNally worries that he did Summers a disservice by recommending the younger man's promotion to detective at such a young age. He also thinks that the stress of the job contributed to the alcohol addiction and domestic violence that led to the breakup of Summers' marriage. He feels responsible, in part, for this. He's also grown fond of Christine, Summer's ex, and their son Aaron. He truly wants the best for their family.
For his part, Summers struggles with how "everyone" treats him like a child when they speak of his battle with alcohol. He also seems to care about McNally, just like he cares about Aaron and Christine. But caring about someone doesn't equal being good to or good for them.
There were some odd quirks in the prose that distracted from the overall story. (Hence the 3 stars.) Occasionally there's an unnecessary verb tense shift (from simple past to present) and some minor typos mar the text.
There were also some point of view lapses. The book is mainly in close 3rd person (with Summers and McNally as the POV characters), but there are occasional points when we read things that the POV character cannot know.
For example, when police sketch artists produce four different descriptions of the killer, we are told that three of the sketches Summers looks at aren't even close to being right (page 20). As Summers hasn't met the killer yet, how can he know this? He can't. Yet we're supposed to be reading his point of view.
Overall, though, a good story.
Thanks to Joe Albanese for providing a review copy. I was not required to write a good review.
This review also appears on my blog https://meredithrankin.com where you can find my other reviews and book recommendations.
Evan Summers is a cop down on his luck. He's struggling with alcoholism, his soon-to-be ex-wife wants sole custody of their son, and there's a serial killer ripping out the throats of prostitutes, yet somehow, no one on the police force had any idea that the women had died. When a young bartender is murdered, Summers and his older partner McNally investigate, with the dubious help of an obnoxious subordinate.
When his ex announces a move to a different city, Summers can no longer resist the siren call of alcohol. Then he ends up face-to-face with the killer. Exactly who--and what--the killer is defies belief and leaves him baffled about their encounter. It also might drive him to make a dangerous bargain, one that leaves more than himself at risk.
My thoughts:
This novella is a quick, easy read.
There's a bit of jumpiness to the narrative, and I felt rather jerked around as I read. However, this is to be expected in such a short (70-odd pages) saga.
The twist truly startled me. I blinked. Wow, I really wasn't expecting that! I thought. Honestly, I was unsure how I felt about this turn of events. (I don't normally read in this subgenre. Without a major spoiler, I can't say what that subgenre is!) However, the narrative picked up steam after that. The second part was more energetic than the first. The ending is unexpected but fitting. It brought things full circle in a sad and unexpectedly moving way.
The strongest aspect of the book was the relationship between McNally and Summers.
McNally worries that he did Summers a disservice by recommending the younger man's promotion to detective at such a young age. He also thinks that the stress of the job contributed to the alcohol addiction and domestic violence that led to the breakup of Summers' marriage. He feels responsible, in part, for this. He's also grown fond of Christine, Summer's ex, and their son Aaron. He truly wants the best for their family.
For his part, Summers struggles with how "everyone" treats him like a child when they speak of his battle with alcohol. He also seems to care about McNally, just like he cares about Aaron and Christine. But caring about someone doesn't equal being good to or good for them.
There were some odd quirks in the prose that distracted from the overall story. (Hence the 3 stars.) Occasionally there's an unnecessary verb tense shift (from simple past to present) and some minor typos mar the text.
There were also some point of view lapses. The book is mainly in close 3rd person (with Summers and McNally as the POV characters), but there are occasional points when we read things that the POV character cannot know.
For example, when police sketch artists produce four different descriptions of the killer, we are told that three of the sketches Summers looks at aren't even close to being right (page 20). As Summers hasn't met the killer yet, how can he know this? He can't. Yet we're supposed to be reading his point of view.
Overall, though, a good story.
Thanks to Joe Albanese for providing a review copy. I was not required to write a good review.
This review also appears on my blog https://meredithrankin.com where you can find my other reviews and book recommendations.
April 5, 2019
This is the second book I have read by the Author. It got better the further in you got. I didn’t really know what to expect from this story. It didn’t disappoint, really sucked me in at the end. The story idea isn’t that original but the storytelling is on point.
I liked how the main character is very grey, you do root for him near the end but at the same time, you don’t really like the person he was.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)
I liked how the main character is very grey, you do root for him near the end but at the same time, you don’t really like the person he was.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews