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Book Title: Whispers of Spilt Blood

Book Genre: YA Action/Mystery/Thriller

Date of Review: February 25, 2016

Chapter(s) Reviewed: Prologue & Chapter 1 & Chapter 2

Approximate Chapter Length: 600 & 2200 & 2800

Content Flags: None

Summary (copied from book description)

"In the end, death waits for no one."

When Reagan Ortega's brother is accused of killing an innocent man, Reagan knows something is wrong. Her dependable brother, Rick, a murderer? Impossible. Yet all evidence points to the contrary, and to a possible death penalty.

Determined to prove his innocence, Reagan soon finds that there may be more at stake than Rick's life. As she begins to uncover dangerous secrets, she finds that some people will do whatever it takes to keep the truth buried. A truth that may reveal the death penalty to be more than an ending.

With suspicions of government corruption, shady cops watching her every move, and questionable alliances with wanted criminals, Reagan may just be buried along with the truth.

Review

The death penalty has long been a subject of contention, and Whispers of Spilt Blood seeks to take it on. The world presented in this story doesn't quite seem to be our own. It's similar, yes, but with a tweak. What if the death penalty was far more widespread, issued as penalty for even a single charge of murder? As WoodNymphWarrior writes in the prologue, "A life for a life."

The prologue is a bit of an enigma. A prisoner condemned to death for murder is dragged to a dark warehouse and left there in shackles. Two men arrive, a father and son, who offer him an alternative to death: joining the army they are seeking to build. There is a hint of a paranormal vibe in the line "These men seem almost otherworldly to the mortal prisoner," especially when coupled with the fact that the men are described as "good-looking, bordering almost on the line of beautiful." It hints at angels, though this may be unintentional. The story certainly isn't tagged in a way to suggest paranormal elements.

The first chapter opens with something akin to a monologue introducing the idea that the way you see someone your whole life can be shaken to its very foundations in the space of a moment. Then it shifts abruptly to a reporter's voiceover about a recent murder case and concerns that it will further divide the split camps on the death penalty. Our narrator, Reagan, is watching the news as she makes (or rather accidentally burns) some popcorn.

From there, the chapter takes a lighthearted turn as Reagan and her brother Rick enjoy a night of quality time. They watch a movie, rib at each other over their academic performance (one stellar, the other a hair removed from stellar), and generally harass each other in the way siblings are wont to do.

The next morning, Reagan is woken by a pounding at the front door, and when she scrambles down in her pajamas, she learns her brother is being arrested for murder.

The second chapter details Reagan's interactions with the police as they drag away her brother, her drive to the county jail to try to see him, the wait during her father's visitation with her brother, and the sad news that this is a serious arrest with real evidence. Rick will be tried for murder, but Reagan has to believe he's innocent.

This story flows well and is an easy read stylistically, but it jumps all over in terms of mood. The characters don't ring very true to me as a reader. The world either suffers from a lack of research or a lack of details establishing its differences from our own.

In terms of the mood jumping around, I understand the need to establish the relationship between Reagan and Rick with some friendly sibling banter, but it's a bit much. The prologue, too, seems like overkill. The information revealed within it would be better foreshadowed throughout the story, I think. The opening monologue of chapter one feels misplaced, especially when there is already a separate prologue.

Concerning the characters, there were a number of things that felt off. In the prologue, the condemned man does not react to being taken to an abandoned warehouse by his guards, though it hardly seems like standard protocol. I understand he is frightened, but there would be other emotions there too. Perhaps a deep sense of regret. Maybe a touch of anger. Curiosity or disbelief. Depends on the man, really, but there's more to it than a simple fear of death.

In the first chapter, the banter between the siblings is good, though it does go on a bit longer than it really needs to. I did enjoy Reagan stealthily placing popcorn in her brother's hair, and the lines "He doesn't notice, and I give a victorious scream. Not out loud of course. I'm a ninja now." Their attitudes concerning their academics don't seem realistic, though. 

These are small details compared to the biggest problem I had with this chapter. When Rick is arrested for murder, Reagan's initial, gut reaction is "Murder. It's with that word that the realization comes. Irrational thoughts. A frightening reality. And how someone I've known my whole life, may not be who I thought they were." Given the relationship shown between the siblings, I don't buy any gut reaction from her except some variation on no way is my brother a murderer or there must be some mistake.

In the second chapter, we run into some major hurdles with Reagan's world. The police officers don't have a compassionate bone in their bodies, none of them, and we meet several. They even try to avoid telling Reagan where they're taking her brother. At the prison, Rick is only allowed one twenty minute visit with one family member per week, and is scheduled to be moved from holding to an actual jail cell. He has no chance of bail. All of this seems highly unrealistic. It's not how our world functions, and if this one is meant to function differently, it isn't well enough established yet for me to just stomach these details. Additionally, the father's reaction after visiting with Rick doesn't read as real at all. "The tender smile drops off my dad's face and is replaced by a mournful look. 'I did speak to him, as well as the sheriff. Apparently there's been no mistake. They have a case against Rick and even evidence to go along with it.'" Where is his disbelief? His outrage? His frustration? Any of these would make sense here.

To sum this up, Whispers of Spilt Blood is a story with a clear driving conflict and a solid writing style, but that needs work to fully realize the characters and world. It wouldn't take much to nudge this in the right direction, but it isn't there yet.