ARC Book Review: Legacy of Blood by Alex Connor

Goodreads:  London, 1732. William Hogarth is called to a murder scene. A woman lies dead, her unborn child ripped from her body. It is a warning. Hogarth painted the future King leaving her bed. He must destroy the painting to survive. But her killers made one mistake. They left the Prince's son alive. Centuries later, one man holds proof of this line of succession and keeps a watchful eye on the Prince's heir. The legacy is a terrible burden, but also an incredible opportunity. During a flight in a private jet, when a fellow passenger speaks of having gained possession of proof of this, the Royal Family's darkest secret, everything changes. Within hours of the flight, three of the seven passengers have been silenced. Who killed them? Why? To keep the secret or expose it? Where is the proof? As the body count rises, Alex Connor ratchets up the tension is this page-turning thriller that brings history into the present with devastating consequences

Title: Legacy of Blood

Author: Alex Connor

Publisher: Quercus

Released: 19th January 2012 (although already out in Aus)

Source: Pan Macmillan Australia (Thank you)

Format: Paperback

This book is amazing to say the least.  I haven’t read a good murder mystery contemporary fiction novel for a while and this was awesome.  From the first chapter I was drawn into the mystery and history that is involved.

William Hogarth is an infamous artist who created a masterpiece that is shameful and dangerous.  A painting done in 1732, William paints the Prince of Wales with his mistress and she is with child.  William is warned!  He is then requested to visit a crime scene, which he finds this woman dead.  William now holds the most sacred secret that can cause the royal throne irrevocable trouble.  There is another heir to the throne that is the biggest national secret in history.

Going forward a few centuries, this secret is still being passed down generation to generation with proof.  In the art world, this painting has been stolen, unbeknownst to the secret holder.  On a private plane trip, the new owner of this dangerous painting has a panic attack and tells a fellow art dealer about his find.  Everybody aboard the plane overhears and they are all now in grave danger, they just don’t know it.  They think they are able to sell off this painting, which has been told as a myth, but now seems real to all.

Victor is an ex-con and has been hired to investigate the death of a passenger.  Along his journey, threats against his life are made and those of the other passengers.  Following a trail that seems to lead in circles, Victor discovers things about himself as well as the art world, that weren’t known before.  Who stole the painting and is now holding it?  Who is the descendant?  Who are the secret holders that have had the burden to carry this for centuries?

Along the journey, you follow Victor through all the twists and turns of the plot, with surprises along the way.  Seeing the gruesome details; the betrayals that cause this dangerous secret to become known to others.  I loved the book and the little history chapters added in from the artists’ point of view.  The story was easy to follow and addictive; creating suspense that makes the reader keep turning pages.  I highly recommend this to all murder mystery readers.

                                                        

4 STARS - GREAT READ

You can find Alexandra (Alex) Connor on Goodreads and Amazon.