*This is a standalone novel.*
It’s 1958. There are 16 bloodless bodies over four Midwest
states, the final occurring in [fictitious] Black Deer Falls, Minnesota. The
Carlson family, minus the toddler, have been found murdered. Throats slit,
drained of blood, no sign of a struggle. In the middle of it all stands a
15-year-old girl covered in the victims’ blood. Her name is Marie Catherine Hale.
17-year-old Michael Jensen is the son of the local sheriff and an aspiring
journalist. Marie agrees to recount her tale, but she’ll only tell Michael,
because “he’s the only one who’ll
believe me.” But will he? Marie weaves a tale that is the stuff of
legend. And yet, it makes sense. Doesn’t it?
Right away,
when I read of “bloodless bodies,” I immediately thought to myself that this is
a vampire story. And that people dub them the “Bloodless Murders” or the “Dracula
Murders” only seems to strengthen that theory. But the thing is, fictional as
this tale is, it reads like a true crime story. I didn’t love the story, as I
thought it lacked some of the gothic horror I’ve come to expect from Blake, but
this remains a well-crafted, YA novel. She includes in her Author’s Note that
inspiration was taken, in part, by an actual string of murders that also
occurred in 1958 throughout the states of Nebraska and Wyoming. That killing
spree left 11 dead. The murdered Carlson family was inspired by the murders of
the Clutter family in 1959 (not related to the 1958 killing spree). For parents
or teachers of advanced readers, they may like knowing that there is no
romantic twist to the story, but may still hesitate to recommend it due to the
macabre plot. If you’ve never read a story by Blake, I wouldn’t read this one
first. Ask me to recommend something else instead!
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