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Blood Alley

(Detective Brock Scanlin Files #1)

K.D. McNiven (Goodreads Author)

it was amazing 5.00 · Rating details · 15 ratings · 12 reviews

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Published September 2nd 2020

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Feb 14, 2021 David Lucero rated it it was amazing

Detective Brock Scanlin is up to his ears in crime. He's got a double homicide to deal with, a potential serial killer on the loose, political suspects with too much power and too many friends to confront, and a daughter who comes up with a surprise that catches him flat-footed. To top it off, he tends to fall-off-the-wagon as the problems mount.

When he receives important leads and key witnesses which may allow him to crack his cases, along with the help of an FBI agent and his devoted partners, ...more

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Mar 25, 2021 Shawn Callon rated it it was amazing

This novel is an action-packed and complex murder investigation. It has all the ingredients for a gripping story - a determined, hard-drinking lead detective bent on solving multiple murders, a stunning FBI profiler seconded to assist the New Orleans police and a potpourri of political corruption/drugs/trafficking.
What I really like about K.D.'s books is her figurative descriptions of scenes and events. For instance when Alex the FBI profiler is confronted by a horde of cockroaches, the author ...more

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Sep 21, 2020 Joe Congel rated it it was amazing

I have been a fan of K.D. McNiven ever since I discovered her wonderful action-adventure series featuring Decker and Callie. Within the pages of Bermuda Conspiracy, book 3 in that series, we were introduced to Brock Scanlin, a Detective with the New Orleans Police Dept. I remember thinking as I was reading that story that Detective Scanlin was worthy of starring in his own book series. Well, I got my wish with McNiven’s newest offering, Blood Alley. This is a departure from the author’s other wo I have been a fan of K.D. McNiven ever since I discovered her wonderful action-adventure series featuring Decker and Callie. Within the pages of Bermuda Conspiracy, book 3 in that series, we were introduced to Brock Scanlin, a Detective with the New Orleans Police Dept. I remember thinking as I was reading that story that Detective Scanlin was worthy of starring in his own book series. Well, I got my wish with McNiven’s newest offering, Blood Alley. This is a departure from the author’s other work… and when a writer moves out of their comfort zone and tries to craft a storyline within a different genre, one can’t help but wonder if the story and characters will hold up. As a lover of mysteries and police procedurals, I went into this with a high level of curiosity. That curiosity was satisfied within the first few minutes of the first chapter. McNiven is a terrific writer and had no issues handling the twists and turns needed for a good mystery. She has put together a great whodunnit in Blood Alley, and I was soon caught up in the gritty storyline which kept me turning the pages late into the night.

As much fun as the city of N’Orleans can be with all the great restaurants, sporting events, and of course, Mardi Gras, like a lot of tourist cities with a party atmosphere, there is bound to be a dark, seedy underbelly full of prostitution, drugs, and murder. And that is what Detective Scanlin specializes in; murder and catching those who commit such vile acts.

At its core, this book is a murder mystery. But the heart of this book is found within its characters. The author has done a great job fleshing out each member of the primary cast, with more and more of their backstories emerging as you progress through the story. This gives the book the flavor of a character driven story rather than just being plot driven. That being said, McNiven has crafted an excellent plot with plenty of murder and mayhem throughout.

Scanlin is a seasoned detective who has seen it all... and it has taken a toll on him personally. His marriage fell apart years ago, he doesn’t see his daughter and grandchild as much as he would like, his health could be better, he drinks a little too much, and his diet is atrocious. All casualties from a job that takes up all his time and doesn’t let him sleep at night. The job is the only thing he is really good at, which is good for the city of New Orleans even if not for his personal life. When a young girl is found murdered in a back alley, Scanlin and his team must decide if this crime is related or somehow connected to another murdered young girl. The trail of suspects rivals the trail of bodies, with their investigation leading them down a path of immoral, foul behavior that promises to shake the city to its core.

There are enough curveballs to satisfy any mystery fan, with a turn of events toward the end that took me by surprise. I enjoyed this book very much. I certainly hope this isn’t the last we see of Detective Brock Scanlin, as I believe McNiven has put together the makings of a great new detective mystery series.

Highly recommended.
...more

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Oct 02, 2020 Nina Romano rated it it was amazing

Review of Blood Alley by K D McNiven

In her mystery novel Blood Alley, author K. D. McNiven nails the seamy, corrupt, sordid, and sleazy side of New Orleans. This is a good, solid murder story replete with all the elements of a police procedural—detectives investigate brutal crimes, study clues, profile possible perpetrators, criminals, and suspects. What also gives the book a realistic setting and flavor is the author’s use of the lingo and speech patterns to enhance the narrative. New Orleans P ...more

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Sep 06, 2020 Jena Henry rated it it was amazing

Starting a new series by Author K.D. McNiven!
Brock Scanlin is back!

Good news readers. New Orleans Police Detective Brock Scanlin made a memorable appearance in Bermuda Conspiracy by Author McNiven. Brock caught my imagination as the older cop, somewhat jaded and cynical, trying to hide his heart. He was so popular he is now the lead character in this new series, set in New Orleans. (And he looks great on the cover!)

New Orleans oozes its own secret vibe and Det. Scanlin knows his city all too w Starting a new series by Author K.D. McNiven!
Brock Scanlin is back!

Good news readers. New Orleans Police Detective Brock Scanlin made a memorable appearance in Bermuda Conspiracy by Author McNiven. Brock caught my imagination as the older cop, somewhat jaded and cynical, trying to hide his heart. He was so popular he is now the lead character in this new series, set in New Orleans. (And he looks great on the cover!)

New Orleans oozes its own secret vibe and Det. Scanlin knows his city all too well. As part of the NOPD, he needs lots of coffee to function, and although he tries to hide it, he needs someone to care about, too. The crime, the murders, the victims- each one has added to the callus on his soul. In Blood Alley, he is confronted by evil so revolting and unfathomable that it almost breaks him.

The crimes and their solutions make for an exciting and “must keep reading” book. Murder, poisoning and a terrible crime are all well presented. I don’t want to reveal any of the specifics- I want you to savor them. Instead, as this is a character-driven book filled with fascinating characters, let’s look at them.

Detective Scanlin is more of an old school cop. Yes, he knows about DNA evidence, but he’s the guy who interviews all the witness and follows up on all the details. He’s brave and caring, but he also has weaknesses and darkness within him. He loves his adult daughter Kari, and her daughter, Nikki. Kari is the kind of daughter who invites him over to family meals, so she can get some “greens” into him. Turns out, she has a big surprise for him.

We meet some of the police force. Det. Brodsky is Brock’s partner- a bit more modern, but just as dedicated as Brock. Special FBI Agent and profiler Alex Foret is another surprise in the book, and a pleasant one for Det. Brodsky. And will we be seeing more of police administrator Wanda ‘Bright Spot’ Garber? Det. Scanlin like his beignets but I suspect he likes Wanda, too.

This crime thriller features exciting police work, excellent characters, and wonderful writing. You will see, hear and feel “The Big Easy.” I highlighted so many descriptions. Here is one, “Branches draped over the homes like arms of the past wrapped around them.”

Blood Alley is a well-paced and well-written book and an enticing introduction to what I hope will be a long series. Yes, it’s called Blood Alley and horrible crimes are committed but the descriptions are not gory. Thanks to the author for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

...more

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Sep 13, 2020 Richard Schwindt rated it it was amazing

KD McNiven writes large, about people, in bright colours, a style that has worked well in a number of warm weather thrillers. I wouldn’t have thought her approach would work for a gritty New Orleans police procedural about murdered prostitutes, poisoners and corruption. And I would have been wrong. In fact her style, personified in cop protagonist Brock Scanlin, humanizes everyone. The victims have mothers. He has a daughter and granddaughter he loves. Sure, he’s tough and smart but he’s also as ...more

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Nov 25, 2021 Mrs. Y rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-reviews, crime-review, fiction-reviews

If you have been a long-time reader, I am sure you know I love the "Callie and Decker" series by KD McNiven. This is her new series, and this is a detective series. Today I'm reviewing "Blood Alley," the first in the "Brock Scanlin Files" series of novels. And I paid for this on my own and reviewed it via Kindle!

For this feast of a book, post-Thanksgiving, I want to talk about what this is about briefly. This is a story that is a crime novel with a New Orleans twist. The premise is excellent, t If you have been a long-time reader, I am sure you know I love the "Callie and Decker" series by KD McNiven. This is her new series, and this is a detective series. Today I'm reviewing "Blood Alley," the first in the "Brock Scanlin Files" series of novels. And I paid for this on my own and reviewed it via Kindle!

For this feast of a book, post-Thanksgiving, I want to talk about what this is about briefly. This is a story that is a crime novel with a New Orleans twist. The premise is excellent, the theme was delightful, so for the first bite to this novel, I want to make sure that you all know my initial impression.

With that in mind, I go into critiques for the review. My main critique has to do with a lack of a trigger warning. There were topics I wasn't expecting. Though I suppose with modern crime novels, I probably should expect it. And yet, no, and that is where I got hit in my feelings and some triggers.

So, as a warning, this novel does involve human trafficking or underage minors being harmed, or discussion of sexualizing of minors, but not in graphic ways. This is a trigger for me. Whenever I read stuff like this, my reading progress grinds to a halt. It took me a while to process my feelings on it as I went, and if you have similar issues with these topics, I want you to be aware of it.

My secondary issue is that some of the action sequences are very predictable and cliche at times. If a car can flip, it will. If a person can die, they will; if a body has to be found, it will, that sort of thing. I wasn't surprised often by some predictable bits. It's not terrible, but it is something to note.

That said, I want to go into what I truly enjoyed about "Blood Alley."

Firstly, there is a lot of work to make the story and the setting work together as one. New Orleans is a beautiful setting, but to add crime and intrigue into a story with that setting and still make it authentic and fun was a great premise. It has everything a New Orleans story needs, from political corruption to delicious food, and, for me, the best part was characters fitting in the setting and interacting with it. The characters were outstanding, drawn well, believable, and grounded in reality, and I liked the dialogue and interplay. In this story, the father/daughter relationship is realistic to me, and I found it heartwarming and heartbreaking in alternate succession. This is an excellent marriage of setting and story.

My main enjoyment is that KD always writes some of the best antagonists I've read for their story genre. The motives are always so evil, and I like that about her villains. I wish I could write Villians so well. And I think for me, that's what makes the first critique so hard was that the antagonistic plot was genuinely believable and heavy. It's like a double-edged sword, I enjoy her evil work, but the heaviness of the subject was tough for my heart to get around.

Overall, I liked this book a lot. "Blood Alley" is the perfect kind of cops against evil kind of book, and if you are into this genre, I am sure this is the right kind of book for you! With Christmas coming, this may be a perfect gift for the "Crime Novel" lover in your life. And seriously, you should consider this for the holiday season. I bet it would fit in a stocking!

I'm scoring "Blood Alley" with an 90/100, and that's a 5-Star Review on Goodreads and Amazon. You can pick this up on Kindle Unlimited or purchase it as I did! Support your Indie Writers! ...more

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Dec 15, 2021 S.S. Bazinet rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Put the words murder and thriller together, and you have a perfect summary of BLOOD ALLEY. The descriptions of characters, locales and police procedures are spot on. Combined, they give the reader an exciting, close up and personal, intense experience of what’s happening throughout the story.

I felt like I got to know Detective Brock Scanlin, his dedication, his exhaustion, and how he gave his investigation everything he had to give. The toll on his health and relationships was portrayed in a way ...more

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Dec 31, 2021 John DeBoer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

K.D. McNiven presents us with a fast-paced novel that keeps the pages turning. Who is responsible for the deaths of two underage women on the streets of New Orleans? Where the evidence points is not necessarily the solution to the murders. Or is it? The plot thickens into a gumbo stew of mayhem as more murders are added to the list veteran NOPD detective Brock Scanlin must solve. And then when his own daughter becomes a target for the killer - or killers? - Scanlin and his team must race against ...more

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Aug 22, 2021 C.P. Daly rated it it was amazing

I love police procedural novels, and New Orleans is a great setting for this type of novel.
The main character, Detective Scanlin uses old school police work to unravel the crime.
He's good at what he does, and doesn't apologize for his character flaws.
The case hits close to home and he and his team do what it takes to solve it. With his first priority keeping his family safe.
I enjoyed the plot twists, and the cast of characters.
Looking forward to reading the next book in the Detective Brock Scan ...more

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Oct 04, 2020 Diana J rated it it was amazing

Blood Ally

I loved this book. I have read all of Ms McNiven’s book and this is by far my most favourite because I love crime novels. What I appreciate most about this book besides all the characters is the lack of swear words and gratuitous sex which are found in many other crime novels. Thank you for this small mercy Ms McNiven. I fell quickly in love with the characters and I look forward to the second novel in this series. This was a page turner.

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Jan 23, 2022 MJ LaBeff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Believable characters, Breakneck Plot

Blood Alley will keep mystery and police procedural fans guessing until the very end. The non-stop plot twists and mounting deaths make for a real page turner. The characters are engaging and relatable from the start and the city of New Orleans comes to life thanks to author K.D. McNiven’s vibrant descriptions. You’ll feel like you’re walking in the characters shoes taking in the sights, smells, sounds…I could taste the beignets.

The death of a prostitute ope ...more

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