Official Review: Blood in the Low Country by Paul Attaway

[Theresa Moffitt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blood in the Low Country" by Paul Attaway.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Blood in the Low Country by Paul Attaway is a fascinating novel about murder, secrets and betrayal. The story begins in South Carolina in 1977 and focuses on the Atkins family. Monty and Rose Atkins have two children, Walker and Eli. To the outside world, they are the perfect family. Monty has a successful law practice and Rose volunteers in the community. Walker and Eli are both impressive athletes. However, when Rose discloses to Walker that Eli is her son from a previous marriage, it leaves Walker confused about his family and his brother. Rose refuses to answer any questions about her previous life. Monty is a warm and loving father to both sons; however, he is consistently torn by Rose’s cold treatment of the boys. She stresses achievement and appearances over happiness for her sons.

When the daughter of a prominent banker in Charleston is murdered, the town focuses on finding the murderer. However, with a rush to judgment and rampant gossip in the close-knit community, everyone is on edge. Since Eli was dating the girl who was murdered, all eyes turn to the Atkins family for answers. As the search for the murderer intensifies, the Atkins family becomes negatively impacted socially and economically. The story becomes increasingly suspenseful as Monty decides to track down the murderer himself.

This is Paul Attaway’s debut novel and it is captivating. The main characters are multi-dimensional. By presenting their historical backgrounds, Attaway shows the reader what motivates these characters. Also, the way the story jumps back and forth in time is effortless. When a comment is made that requires some historical background, the author devotes a chapter to the event and brings the story back to present day seamlessly. That is my favorite aspect of the book. My interest was piqued by the mention of Rose’s previous marriage and, when the time was right for the story, Attaway provided the necessary historical detail.

The relationships between the characters were interesting and realistic. Families have complex relationships and Attaway presented them beautifully. He presented the internal struggle of Monty when faced with supporting his sons or supporting Rose’s idea of parenting. Readers can understand the pressure he feels as the story progresses. Rose was consumed with a desire to look perfect to others. Through her detailed backstory, readers learn why she behaves the way she does. She is a fascinating character throughout the book. There was nothing I disliked about this book.

I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy mystery novels. I also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about complex family relationships. The book has an emphasis on Christianity and includes some Bible quotes; however, it is not a religious book. The story is driven by the characters and the mystery will keep the reader engaged until the very end. There were some errors in the book; however, they were not distracting. Therefore, I saw no reason to give this book anything other than a perfect score.

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Blood in the Low Country
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[Da Rafi]

The story in this book is very interesting, and I want to read it, I will take the time to read it

[Pallavi Lakra]

The dramatic storyline of the book is going to keep a reader coming back to book to find out what's going to happen next. Would love to read a mystery book. Thanks for the review.

[Mercy119]

I like that the author provides detailed backstories that provide further information and liven the storyline. That makes the book worth checking out.

[Mtibza eM]

Great review! I think I will enjoy this book.

[Sakura5]

This seems an intriguing and well-written mystery novel. Nice review!

[Kavita Shah]

The Atkins family is not the perfect family people believed to be. After reading your review, I want to know about Rose and why is she the way she is. Thank you for a informative and fluid review!

[Kenna Ridzi]

It sounds like this author did a great job with character development. I like how the author dedicated chapters to past events that were mentioned, background information is always a good thing. Thank you for your review!

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a complex story with the mystery and everything that concerns the Atkins family, so plot and characeters are strongly developed. Thank you for your great review!

[Buk Nerd]

This sounds like a captivating story with layered and multidimensional characters. It should make for a compelling read. Fantastic review.

[Becca Olsson]

It sounds like the author did a really good job with the plot and characters, especially for a first novel. Thanks for the great review!

[k_madhu_jha]

What a captivating plot. Thank you for the great review. Hope to read this soon.