Review: Blood and Bone - Refreshingly Different!

Blood and Bone
By William Lashner
William Morrow
ISBN: 9780061143489
389 Pages


I like “different.” Different can be a really great thing when you are reading fiction day after day. So, I thoroughly enjoyed William Lashner’s latest very different novel, Blood and Bone!

First, the main character was different. He was funny, sensitive, and in many ways utterly charming. Yet, he drank most nights, couldn’t hold jobs because he forgot to leave his drinking or his latest female friend, to go to work, and he dressed most of the time in undershirts and shorts! Kyle Byrne won me over quickly. I enjoyed his considering himself an orphan, even though he was in his late 20’s when his mother died. I enjoyed the stories about how he stole his father’s cremation jar and the fact that he continued to look for him, even though he had died when he was 12 and that he kept some of his ashes in the glove compartment of his car—the only thing he still owned, after the bank took his home for his failure to pay the mortgage. And, later, I enjoyed his character change when he “put on his suit.”

Second, I really enjoyed the “bad guy” character! I appreciated the inclusion of his introspection, the love-hate relationship that was behind his actions and the suspenseful buildup as to the female who guided his actions. The last scene between he and the woman was indeed strangely memorable!

But most of all I enjoyed the storyline and all of the characters combined! The storyline was unique and the individuals were those who would be fun to meet. All together this was just a fun read!

You see, Kyle Byrne is the illegitimate son of a man who had been a lawyer. While Liam Byrne had been married and his wife knew about Kyle, he was not able to see him that often. Kyle could remember times when his father had attended and watched him play ball or when he came to visit and stayed for dinner with he and his mother, but there was never enough time with him. Kyle’s mother had continue to love Liam throughout her life and had instilled, perhaps, too much of her love and devotion into her son.

It was only when his father’s old partner was murdered and other strange events started, that Kyle began to wonder exactly what kind of man his father had been.
It had started many, many years ago when Liam Byrne had represented a young man whose family wanted to have a “relationship” eliminated. That young man was now in the political arena and, as always, his past was “fair game” as he set his sights for new offices.

Soon, everybody was looking for “The O’Malley File” and when they discovered Kyle attending the funeral of his father’s former partner, he automatically became the focus for all that was happening! And the police were the first who started asking questions!

Different is good! Yes, there are still gory murder scenes; there are gangsters, arson, and blackmail attempts—not so unique, except in the way that William Lashner rolled them together! Unique characters, unique storyline, a unique, enjoyably memorable read! You won’t be sorry you choose this one!


G. A. Bixler
For Amazon Vine