Book Tour - BLOODLINES by Peter Hartog

Out of This World SFF Reviews is delighted to be just one of the many blogs participating in the Storytellers On Tour Book Tour featuring author Peter Hartog and his book, BLOODLINES!  This entertaining read is a cool blend of urban fantasy and detective SF and I am so excited to be part of the tour with all of the other amazing bloggers to talk about it.  I will soon be giving you a synopsis of the book as well as my official review, plus some additional links to connect with Peter Hartog and his books.

But first I'd just like to mention that Storytellers is currently running an incredible giveaway in conjunction with this tour.  You could win a signed paperback copy of Bloodlines!  (International entries welcome)  

To enter, just click this link.  The winner will be chosen at random and the giveaway ends this Sunday, April 25th at 11:59pm, so get those entries in now!

And now here is a synopsis of Peter Hartog's BLOODLINES, followed by my review:

Book Blurb

When former hotshot homicide detective Tom "Doc" Holliday is recruited to join Special Crimes, he trades in his boring desk job for a second chance to do what he does best, hunt down killers.  And his first case doesn't disappoint: a murdered woman with a bogus past, her body drained of blood, and two eyewitnesses wasted on the designer drug goldjoy claiming a vampire did it.

For Holliday is no stranger to the unusual.  He wields the Insight, a fickle clairvoyance that allows him to see the dark and terrible things that hide upon this world.  After all, when you live in Empire City, where magic and technology co-exist, and humanity endures behind walls of stone and spell-forged steel, anything is possible.

Saddled with a team whose past is as checkered as his own, Holliday embarks upon an investigation that pits them against bio-engineered vampires, inter-dimensional parasites and the magical masterminds behind it all.

From nightclubs and skyscrapers, to underground drug labs and coffee shops, Holliday's search for the truth will uncover a shadowy conspiracy that spans the ages, and forces him to confront a destiny he never wanted.

Review

It is almost inevitable that any detective urban SF is going to be compared to Jim Butcher's "gold standard" The Dresden Files.  And while I can understand that, I also think it is a bit unfair.  What I will say with regard to Peter Hartog's BLOODLINES is that you will definitely be reminded of Dresden's landmark series when you read his debut novel.  In my opinion though, Hartog's version is significantly edgier and less cartoonish than the Dresden books, with a good deal more character development as well. 

I won't give away too much the plot, suffice to say, this book is virtually a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end with moments of tension that work brilliantly in making this a very suspenseful detective story throughout.  There are also flares of the fantastic and horrific that lend a depth to BLOODLINES and give it much more of a punch than your everyday noir fiction.  

Infused in all of this is Hartog's tight and vivid prose that you might not necessarily expect from a debut author, but it's obvious from the first couple of chapters that he certainly has the writing chops to tell a great story.  It's also obvious in the depth of his characters as I mentioned earlier, these are people who have a complex history that often motivate their actions, Tom Holliday in particular.  It's really what makes a good story a great one and intensifies the reader's investment in what unfolds both good and bad.

I had an awesome time reading BLOODLINES and a big part of that enjoyment came from the amount of misdirection that Peter Hartog throws at you just when you think you might be figuring stuff out.  Hartog hooked me from the very beginning and then kept me engrossed throughout as the murder mystery took hold and one perilous aspect of the investigation after another is delightfully delivered.  

This was a really gripping first book in this series and I already can't wait to check out book #2.  If you are looking for a more adult urban fantasy read with super cool technology, a captivating SF noir feel, intriguing mysteries, and monsters that can only be described as nightmares come to life, then Peter Hartog has written the first book in a promising new series that you should definitely check out right now.  I had a ton of fun reading this and I feel like things are only going to get even better and crazier in the upcoming entries.  An impressive debut for sure.

Overall Rating:

You can purchase a copy of BLOODLINES on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Author Bio

A native son of Massachusetts, Peter has been living in the Deep South for over 25 years.  By day, he's an insurance professional, saving the world one policy at a time.  But at night, well, no one really wants to see him fighting crime in his Spider-Man onesie.  Instead, Peter develops new worlds of adventure, influenced by his love of science fiction, mysteries, music and fantasy.  Whether it's running role-playing games for his long-time friends, watching his beloved New England sporting teams, or just chilling with a movie, his wife, two boys, one puppy and three cats, Peter's imagination is always on the move.  It's the reason why his stories are an eclectic blend of intrigue, excitement, humor and magi, all drawn from four decade's worth of television, film, novels, and comic books.  You can connect with Peter online via his Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

And that concludes my stop on the BLOODLINES book tour!  Hope you enjoyed it.  I would like to extend a special thank you to Storytellers On Tour and author Peter Hartog for the opportunity to participate.  There are many more awesome stops on this tour, so if you would like to check those out, below is the official schedule.

Thanks as always for supporting the blog, it is always appreciated more than you know.  Happy Reading!

-Nick