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Blood for Blood (Ziba MacKenzie) Paperback – February 1, 2019

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 14,953 ratings

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“For fans of a stylish fast paced thriller, Blood for Blood delivers on the nail” ―Kate Hamer, bestselling author of The Girl in the Red Coat

Shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger Award.

A gripping, twisty serial killer thriller. Perfect for fans of James Patterson and Lee Child.

Ziba Mackenzie profiles killers. Now one is profiling her.

Rush hour, London. A packed commuter train is torn apart in a collision. Picking through the carnage, ex-special forces profiler Ziba MacKenzie helps a dying woman who passes on a cryptic message: He did it. You have to tell someone.

When a corpse is found bearing the gruesome signature of a serial killer dormant for twenty-five years, Ziba is pulled into the hunt for the perpetrator. As the body count rises it becomes clear he’s on a new spree. But what’s brought the London Lacerator back after such a long hiatus? And does his sudden return have anything to do with the woman on the train?

Ziba scrambles to profile the killer in the hope of predicting his next move. But time is running out. And the closer she gets to uncovering his identity, the closer he gets to destroying hers.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This suspense-filled twisty thriller will grab you from the first page and keep you guessing until the end.” Woman’s Own

“I raced through this gripping, dark thriller and loved the central character. Can’t wait for the next installment.” —Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request

“A storyline that speeds along at a rate of knots—a bloody good thriller!” —John Marrs, bestselling author of When You Disappeared

Blood for Blood sets in motion a complex and thrilling plot, and with Ziba MacKenzie it introduces a fascinating protagonist who’s sure to develop a legion of fans.” —Kevin Wignall, bestselling author of A Death in Sweden

“For fans of a stylish fast paced thriller, Blood for Blood, delivers on the nail.” —Kate Hamer, bestselling author of The Girl in the Red Coat

“I LOVED this book…I cannot recommend it enough and can’t wait for the next in the series!” —Niki Mackay, author of I, Witness

“Victoria has created characters that are all complex and captivating, and the plot was fast-paced and totally thrilling.” —Elle Croft, author of The Guilty Wife and The Other Sister

“Ziba MacKenzie emerges from an explosive opening, propelling the reader on a fast, tense, and emotionally eviscerating journey!” —Caroline England, author of My Husband’s Lies

“Ziba MacKenzie is tough, smart and funny—I loved her!” —M. W. Craven, author of The Puppet Show

“I loved it from start to finish and can’t wait to see more of Ziba MacKenzie.” —Alex Lake, bestselling author of After Anna

“High octane, high stakes, high speed. With energy and panache, Selman’s heroine goes it alone in this serial-killer thriller, perfect for our time.” —Jo Furniss, author of The Trailing Spouse and All the Little Children

“A gripping thriller with a fabulously original main character. It grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go!” —Roz Watkins, author of The Devil’s Dice

“A brilliant explosive opening and a thrilling plot that kept me gripped and guessing to the end.” —Lisa Gray, author of Thin Air

“Intense and captivating, this book had me completely gripped from the first page.” —Zoe Lea, author of If He Wakes

“A punchy page-turner. Victoria Selman is definitely one to watch.” —Robert Scragg, author of What Falls Between the Cracks

Blood for Blood is a great, pacey thriller with a compelling heroine and enough twists to keep you hooked to the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” —Marianne Holmes, author of What A Little Bird Told Me

“This book was utterly compelling! I loved the opening: a train crash that propels us straight into the action. I'm looking forward to reading more from Selman.” —Elizabeth Mundy, author of In Strangers’ Houses

About the Author

After graduating from Oxford University, Victoria Selman studied Creative Writing at the City Lit and wrote for the Ham & High and Daily Express newspapers. In 2013 she won the Full Stop Short Story Prize, and her first novel, Blood for Blood, was shortlisted for the 2017 Debut Dagger Award. Victoria lives in London with her husband and two sons.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer (February 1, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 347 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1503905055
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1503905054
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 14,953 ratings

About the author

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Victoria Selman
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Victoria Selman is the Sunday Times bestselling author of five thrillers including Truly Darkly Deeply which was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick as well as being longlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award and shortlisted for the Fingerprint Thriller of the Year Award with film rights sold to See Saw Films. Victoria is also a presenter on Crime Time FM, has been shortlisted for two prestigious CWA Daggers and is the winner of the Full Stop Award.

Her latest novel is the critically acclaimed true-crime thriller, All The Little Liars.

Find Victoria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

*** Don't forget to click the FOLLOW button if you want Amazon to email you when Victoria Selman has a new book out ***

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
14,953 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the storyline engaging and suspenseful. They describe the book as a well-written, easy read with vivid descriptions. The characters are described as compelling and relatable. Readers appreciate the fast-paced narrative and psychological depth.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

708 customers mention "Storyline"582 positive126 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging storyline with its twists and turns. They find the book compelling and well-paced, with a gripping mystery. The plot is described as suspenseful and full of surprises.

"...So, excellent story. I’m eager to read the next installment. I’ll just make sure to read on my Kindle and enjoy broadening my vocabulary." Read more

"...I look forward to reading the next installment because it is a new story with many of the same likeable characters, meaning that the author treated..." Read more

"...For a Kindle First Read it’s a pretty good choice if you like suspense. Our protagonist Ziba MacKenzie is a great character...." Read more

"...Realistic procedures, actions and reactions. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and memorable dialogue. '..." Read more

641 customers mention "Readability"617 positive24 negative

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They say it's a quick read with an interesting plot that keeps them hooked. The author is described as impressive and the narration is enjoyable.

"...The book was thought provoking, something that encourages a slower, more careful read, so as not to miss any details while also enjoying thoroughly..." Read more

"For the most part this is a well written book that will hold you attention. For a Kindle First Read it’s a pretty good choice if you like suspense...." Read more

"...Intriguing, twisting storyline with descriptive writing that draws the reader into each scene. Realistic procedures, actions and reactions...." Read more

"...Great read, just felt it was a bit weighted with so many depravities going on at once." Read more

299 customers mention "Character development"264 positive35 negative

Customers find the characters compelling and interesting. The heroine is described as strong and capable of taking the lead easily. Readers hope for an enjoyable series with a female lead and great action.

"I really enjoyed the story. Fast paced, good character development, tough to figure out who exactly the bad guy was and there were a few loose ends..." Read more

"...installment because it is a new story with many of the same likeable characters, meaning that the author treated the reader with respect through a..." Read more

"...Our protagonist Ziba MacKenzie is a great character. She is fierce and complex and makes for a great series lead...." Read more

"...Realistic procedures, actions and reactions. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and memorable dialogue. '..." Read more

286 customers mention "Writing style"221 positive65 negative

Customers find the writing style engaging and descriptive. They appreciate the author's use of British terminology and idioms, vivid details that make them feel part of the scenes. The author does a good job illustrating the killer's thought process and motivation. Readers also enjoyed the soldier slang and character development. While it was easy to follow, some found it difficult to identify the bad guy.

"...Fast paced, good character development, tough to figure out who exactly the bad guy was and there were a few loose ends which might come up in..." Read more

"...so as not to miss any details while also enjoying thoroughly the well-written and engaging prose...." Read more

"For the most part this is a well written book that will hold you attention. For a Kindle First Read it’s a pretty good choice if you like suspense...." Read more

"...Realistic procedures, actions and reactions. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and memorable dialogue. '..." Read more

170 customers mention "Pacing"137 positive33 negative

Customers find the book's pacing fast and engaging. They say the narrative moves quickly with no extra words to slow down the action. The writing style is described as quick-paced and easy to read, making it an enjoyable quick read.

"I really enjoyed the story. Fast paced, good character development, tough to figure out who exactly the bad guy was and there were a few loose ends..." Read more

"...book was thought provoking, something that encourages a slower, more careful read, so as not to miss any details while also enjoying thoroughly the..." Read more

"...Impressive characterization marks the story, engrossing and deeply penetrating...." Read more

"...plot seemed to me to be of average quality for an "whodunnit", an OK read...." Read more

71 customers mention "Psychological depth"62 positive9 negative

Customers find the book's psychological depth engaging. They appreciate the relatable, human lead character with a good portrayal of her thoughts and emotions. The intricate plot weaves together psychosis, faith, drugs, and murder in an immersive way that makes readers feel part of the scene. Readers praise the author's skillful profiling and ability to blend psychology with the theme.

"...something that encourages a slower, more careful read, so as not to miss any details while also enjoying thoroughly the well-written and engaging..." Read more

"...Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and memorable dialogue. '..." Read more

"...Impressive characterization marks the story, engrossing and deeply penetrating...." Read more

"...noticing the people around her, Ziba is a profiler and can tell things about each person...." Read more

61 customers mention "Profiling"56 positive5 negative

Customers find the profiling aspect interesting. They appreciate the descriptions of British police profiling, especially religious aspects. The book provides an engaging glimpse into the life of a criminal profiler who gets called for serial killers. Readers also mention that the narrative moves quickly and deals matter-of-factly with descriptions of murder victims.

"...This lady is a gem in profiling and an astute observer of human nature...." Read more

"...The heroine is damaged yet dedicated. There are an abundance of clues, suspects, and red herrings that kept me guessing for quite a while...." Read more

"...to the point she was no longer fit for service. But she is a terrific profiler, a skill which..." Read more

"...Yes, she really does profile beyond belief, and she does it all the time, to everyone she comes in contact with. Even passengers on a train...." Read more

52 customers mention "Crime content"38 positive14 negative

Customers enjoy the book's crime content. They appreciate the references and background information on other serial killers, as well as the delve into the minds of criminals. The story is described as compelling, with a mix of mystery and profiling. Readers find the characters smart, believable, and motivated to thwart evil even through personal turmoil.

"Trigger warnings for child sexual abuse. This stand-alone is easy to follow but at times difficult to read due to emotions evoked...." Read more

"...I loved the references and backgrounds it gave for other serial killers, although it got to a point where I felt there could have been a whole other..." Read more

"...the Amazon page for this novel needs to point out that it contains scenes of child abuse...." Read more

"...book that I would recommend for anyone that likes suspense and crime investigation, again at times I got the plot way before the book came to it,..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2019
    I really enjoyed the story. Fast paced, good character development, tough to figure out who exactly the bad guy was and there were a few loose ends which might come up in future books. One thing that sort of bugged me is there wasn’t really a good physical description of the characters. I like to picture who I’m reading about. Still, not a deal breaker since she developed the characters so well. We get a bit more visual description of the various bad guys. Only one thing took me out of the story. I’m not British so literally every other page I had to click on a word or phrase to figure out what the author was saying. The cuss words were strange as well. Please note that is not a negative on the story, just a note for non-British readers. I imagine people from other countries must think US slang, descriptions and casual language are odd as well when they read books written by Americans. So, excellent story. I’m eager to read the next installment. I’ll just make sure to read on my Kindle and enjoy broadening my vocabulary.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2019
    Loved the author's writing style and depth of storytelling. Both an enjoyable and memorable read, the book begins with a number of seemingly unrelated facts that converge in an interesting and complex storyline with many surprises.

    Victoria Selman's writing skills are demonstrated well by how she shapes the characters effectively to develop and expand the plot to a satisfying and complete ending. The book was thought provoking, something that encourages a slower, more careful read, so as not to miss any details while also enjoying thoroughly the well-written and engaging prose.

    At last, I felt the protagonist profiler was qualified with the professional details and substance that added so much to the story. The multiple first-person approach worked well by letting me experience real time what the major characters were thinking and feeling, making them more realistic and believable.

    I look forward to reading the next installment because it is a new story with many of the same likeable characters, meaning that the author treated the reader with respect through a well-developed and complete ending to the first book. No cliffhanger gimmicks at the end.

    I also found the Audible narration most enjoyable as a well-performed support to the reading experience.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2019
    For the most part this is a well written book that will hold you attention. For a Kindle First Read it’s a pretty good choice if you like suspense. Our protagonist Ziba MacKenzie is a great character. She is fierce and complex and makes for a great series lead. As a profiler she’s capable of great Sherlock moments where she can nail a person at first glance. If this book had been solely from her POV I would have liked it more. Unfortunately the author chose to add different POVs. Personally I have no interest in the attempt to humanize the bad guy. I do not want to read from the killer’s POV.

    The author makes the serial killer an OCD, mentally ill Christian. When reading his POV you’re subjected to his delusions which I found tedious. Our protagonist could easily have profiled him and thrown in those details without us having to wade through them. The author also chose to throw in chapters that as a reader you know are the killer being groomed to be abused as a child. They are not graphic but obviously heartwrenching. Again this is not something I want to read about or are necessary. The facts of his abuse could easily be established without forcing the reader through it. It also feels in other language that the other is anti-Christianity which seems out of place in what should be a suspense novel and I found annoying. There is other language that feels very out place today such as calling someone a “blanktard” (substitute blank for a profanity). I have no problem with actual profanity, if anything it would be realistic for the police under harrowing circumstances, but this language feels very outdated and out of fashion. The blurb at the end of the book states this was a debut novel from 2013. Perhaps the author needed another proof read to update the book. It’s hard to know if the anti-Christianity choice was a conscious choice from bias or simply a novel choice.

    The who done it part is pretty simple and not that novel but I don’t think that gets in the way of enjoying the book. I think this novel would have been so much better if the author had stuck to Ziba as the narrator and let the bad guy be more mysterious. I also don’t think as a reader we care to hear the why he did what he did. That was not necessary throughout the novel or in the ending. We know the why but we don’t need to try and humanize the perp. I’m willing to read the next book in the series because as I said Ziba is a great character that I want to read more about. I’m hoping any issues that concerned me can be explained by an author’s first novel. I hope those issues are not repeated in the sequel.

    *I read other reviews after posting mine and some were critical of the spelling. Keep in mind the author is British so this novel has British English spelling like favourite instead of our American favorite. Throughout the novel there are other references that are unique to the UK. Personally I enjoyed them. The author chose to spell some things to match the pronunciation, such as when an Irish character was speaking. I enjoyed her liberal Ayes and other expressions from across the pond.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2019
    Trigger warnings for child sexual abuse.

    This stand-alone is easy to follow but at times difficult to read due to emotions evoked. No editing errors, gratuitous violence or drag-you-down drama. The sexual abuse is not graphic, it leaves one open to imagination.

    Intriguing, twisting storyline with descriptive writing that draws the reader into each scene. Realistic procedures, actions and reactions. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and memorable dialogue.

    'Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.
    Blaise Pascal'

    No desire to re-read this story. I am interested in other works by this author.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Marianne
    1.0 out of 5 stars Weakly Written
    Reviewed in Canada on July 29, 2023
    I do not recommend this book.
  • Jacob Collins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly addictive!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2022
    If you love a good serial killer thriller, you need to add Blood for Blood, by Victoria Selman to your TBR pile, if you haven’t read it already. This is such a pacy, addictive read, and I was hooked right from the first page. I really wish that I got round to reading it sooner.

    Victoria Selman is a writer who knows how to hook her readers in right from the first chapter. There is an explosive opening when profiler, Ziba Mackenzie, is involved in a train crash after the train she is on derails. Even after the horrifying train accident, Ziba wastes no time in getting back to work, and she is soon on the hunt for a terrifying serial killer, who has been on a long hiatus. He has suddenly come back into the spotlight.

    Victoria Selman kept the pace flying forward and I had to know what was going on here. As Ziba gets to grips with the case, Victoria Selman also delves into the mind of an intriguing mystery voice, a young boy. It is clear that the boy is going through something traumatic, and I wondered what impact these scenes would have on the events taking place in the present. There are some tough topics that Victoria Selman explores in this book, which makes it a very dark read.

    I loved Ziba’s character. Victoria Selman writes humour really well, and I thought this did well in bringing Ziba’s character to life on the page. This was especially the case with the interaction she has with her colleagues.

    The plot is so cleverly constructed and I liked how Victoria Selman gradually revealed what was going on. Everything did begin to become very clear, and I could see the real significance of the first chapter.

    I really enjoyed Blood for Blood. It is an engaging and a highly addictive serial killer thriller. I’m now going to be bumping the next book in the series, high up my TBR pile. I can’t wait to read it.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A 'can't put down' thriller
    Reviewed in Australia on February 3, 2019
    Right from the first page this book held my attention and really was hard to put down. Keeping you interested and involved with the main character Ziba having her faults like everyone else and not the 100% super hero. Looking forward to her next story.
  • Mary R
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great start to a series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2024
    This was an enjoyable start to a series where Ziba finds herself involved in an investigation after the discovery of a corpse with links to crimes from many years before. Soon she finds herself a target for the killer.

    The story started off with a bang and ensured it had my full attention. Ziba is a character with some baggage and I found myself flitting between feeling some empathy for her as well as a lot of frustration with her. The relationship between herself and Jack is an interesting one and I'm curious as to where this will go. I actually thought I had things figured out and I was so wrong, which is always a good sign for me. Looking forward to reading more in the series.
  • Bob Pollock
    2.0 out of 5 stars Slowwwwwwwwww
    Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2019
    This is not a strongly written or gripping novel.