Blood Feud is a broiling tale of murderous rampage and unfiltered chaos. It’s these dark qualities that make Martin Rooney’s fiction debut a real killer.
Lee Cain is nobody’s idea of a hero. Abrasive, mean, maybe even a little bigoted, these are not necessarily heroic qualities. But he’s a fighter. Whether it’s cancer, drunks, assassins or a shadowy organization hell-bent on protecting their secrets of immortality, Cain will beat the heck out of anyone in his path. Bring it on for Lee Cain, the man’s a killer.
One of the most mesmerizing qualities of the narrative is its hard-knuckled action. You don’t really feel Cain’s ever in mortal danger, but that doesn’t prevent the amount of thrills delivered per page as Cain takes out his adversaries with brutal efficiency. The fight scenes are meticulously crafted with a punch-by-punch breakdown of each grapple, choke, and lock, powered by Rooney’s own skillset of MMA fighters.
Lee Cain’s personality is a very bold and intriguing choice by Rooney. It’s not an easy decision to have a lead that doesn’t speak to the best of your qualities, but maybe that’s why the narrative works. The pulpy characterization fits the dark and violent core and works as a cautionary tale of a man subject to abuse and violence as a child who grows up to embody evil and hatred. That much is conveyed hauntingly well by Rooney through troubling flashbacks into Cain’s childhood.
Blood Feud is just the beginning of what is shaping up to be an enthralling series and I am pumped to see this story fleshed out further with its set of very flawed and human characters and situations.
Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Blood Feud
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
