A(nother) Year Of Orenda – Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds

Today it is back to Mandie whose Orenda reading challenge continues with ehr review of Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds. I read the book last summer and you can find my review right here. Read on to find out what Mandie thinks and to learn a little more about the book.

About the Book

When crusading journalist Lydia Wright is sent a video of an apparent murder on a London train, she thinks she’s found the story to revive her career. But she can’t find a victim, much less the killers, and the only witness has disappeared. Wary she’s fallen for fake news, she begins to doubt her instincts – until a sinister call suggests that she’s not the only one interested in the crime.

Michael Stringer deals in information – and doesn’t care which side of the law he finds himself on. But the murder on the train has left him exposed, and now he’ll stop at nothing to discover what Lydia knows.

When their paths collide, Lydia finds the story leads through a nightmare world, where money, power and politics intersect … and information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet.

A nerve-shattering and brutally realistic thriller, Blood Red City bursts with energy and grit from the opening page, twisting and feinting to a superb, unexpected ending that will leave you breathless

Mandie’s Thoughts

Blood Red City is the first book I have read by Rod Reynolds and I will have to admit that if it were not for the fact that it is published by one of my favourite publishers, I would have quite possibly not picked it up to read as it is not the usual style of book I would delve into with relish, but by the end I was hooked.

When Lydia Wright is sent an anonymous video clip of what looks like someone being murdered on a train, she hopes that this will finally get her back into some proper investigative journalism and away from the late-night celebrity puff pieces she has been stuck with. The problem she has is that she initially doesn’t know who sent it to her and there also appears to be no evidence of a body or who may have committed the crime. As she digs further, she comes to the attention of Michael Stringer, someone who hires out his services to anyone willing to pay, doing what ever it takes to ensure the job gets done.

You can’t help but admire Lydia, she is determined to get to the truth, even when it gets her in some tricky situations. As much as it starts out with her wanting to get her career back on track, I think eventually it is more about finding the victim and discovering what happened to him and why. Her biggest problem is not knowing who she can trust, especially when there are people out to stop her,

Michael is more difficult to get to grips with as there is definitely two sides to him. On the one hand there is the man who will do what it takes to complete the job he is paid for and is not averse to using underhand tactics and blackmail to achieve his aim, then there is the devoted family man who will do anything for his loved ones. Its this that really makes him seem more human, especially when he switches from seeing Lydia as a means to an end to get the job done, to someone he will go out on a limb to protect.

The action has a fast enough pace to keep the reader engaged and the plot never falters. With characters that certainly draw your attention you have to wonder if Lydia and Michael will either butt heads or join forces again in the future. I for one are hoping that they do as there is definitely something between them that makes you want to read more.

About the Author

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New
Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir.’ A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books will publish his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and family and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.

Books by Rod Reynolds