.

.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

The Darkest Thread - Jen Blood

The Darkest Thread by Jen Blood

First Paragraph(s):

The brush was thick and the air cool, and the rain pelted my chilled skin.  My shirt was drenched, and my ponytail had gotten snagged so many times I was debating cutting the damned thing off.  Up ahead I caught sight of a flash of dark fur and cursed under my breath.
     Phantom is my lead dog, a German shepherd who was closer to death than life when I rescued her from the needle at an animal shelter in my hometown back in Georgia five years ago.  She's one of the best search dogs I've ever had, but she can also be a willful old goat--particularly when she sets her mind to something.  This morning, that was exactly what she'd done.

My Thoughts:

I read this book as part of our mystery group's theme for February - 'Working Dogs' - which would include service dogs, search-and-rescue dogs and dogs trained for combat situations.  This is Jen Blood's first Jamie Flint and Phantom book.  She has written another series, where Jamie and Phantom appear briefly, but I've not read any of those books.  In an interview, she shared that each of the books in this S&R series will be a standalone type story.  I listened to THE DARKEST THREAD on audio and it was narrated by Elise Arsenault.  She did a good job.

I liked this one well enough, though there were times that I had to suspend my disbelief of certain situations.  There is a bit of paranormal activity.  Jamie and her son, Bear, can both sense certain presences - what's left behind when people die.  Ghosts sort of, but not exactly.  Bear is able to sense more than his mother.  The dogs in the story are sensitive as well.  The FBI team and their handling of the missing girls is where I was a bit skeptical.  However, there were extenuating circumstances that explained some of the problems.  If I had one issue, I'd say the book was a little long.  At one point, a couple of the primary characters are held hostage by someone and that seemed to go on forever.  My final assessment is that I would read another book in the series.  I do understand that a '1st series book' needs space to set up the characters, etc.  Liked the part the dogs played.  THE DARKEST THREAD gets a 'mostly' good from me.

Blurb:

Meet Jamie Flint -- a no-nonsense veteran K-9 trainer and handler with a 'gift' she'd be happy to return: like her dogs, Jamie can sense things the rest of the world is blind to.

When teenage sisters go missing in the mysterious 'Bennington Triangle' of Vermont, an area renowned for its disappearances and strange occurrences over the past hundred years, FBI agent Jack Juarez brings Jamie and her dog Phantom in to assist with the search. When Jack learns that the case shares haunting similarities with the murders of the missing girls' aunts ten years before, he realizes they're dealing with much more than two girls who simply wandered off the beaten path. And when a young girl appears in the shadows, visible to Jamie alone, it becomes clear that something is desperately wrong here.

22 comments:

  1. I don't normally read books with animals in them because I'm afraid all the time that something awful will happen to them. But with this being a series, I wouldn't have that worry since Phantom obviously survives. Sounds intriguing, but I'll wait and see what you think of the next one, if you do go on to read it...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know that a lot of people worry about the dog or animal. And, yes, Phantom survives. I wouldn't do that to everyone. Not sure when the next will be published.

      Delete
  2. I'm with FictionFan. I always need an assurance that the dog lives before I can start a book! This does sound like the setup is a bit heavy. I find the dog aspect intriguing and I don't mind the paranormal bit in theory. I think I may wait to see if I like the sounds of the 2nd book before I start this one though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand. This one might be a little grim for you, Katherine.

      Delete
  3. I would read it on this recommendation, Kay. I have a blind brother who ‘reads’ books on a device from the library for the blind, audio books made special for this machine. He loves books including dogs or cats as characters. I’ll see if the library for the blind has this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peggy, just remember that this is a crime novel. The descriptions are a bit grim. If your brother is sensitive to those things. :-)

      Delete
  4. I'll put this on my maybe list. Thanks for sharing about a series I hadn't heard of.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Doggies! I love doggies in stories as long as they remain safe and healthy. I can't handle when they get sick or die in a book. It is too painful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The dogs are OK in the book. Definitely working dogs.

      Delete
  6. I have to admit I often struggle with suspension of belief although interesting your group chose to look at dogs in books - not a category I would have thought of myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm the one who selects the books or the themes for the group. We have several in our club that are devoted dog people. They will have a good time with this theme.

      Delete
  7. I'm certainly interested in this one as I enjoy books about working dogs! I enjoy Margaret Mizushima's mysteries almost as much for Robo as for the the mystery.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I suggested that the group check out Mizushima's books. I was going to read one myself, but got sidetracked to other authors.

      Delete
  8. I love books about working dogs so I'm hoping to read this one. Maybe my library will have it. In any case I'm glad that you told us Phantom survives!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are a lot of 'working dog' books out there right now. It's a popular theme. And, yes, Phantom does indeed survive, but she does protect her 'human', Jamie. :-)

      Delete
  9. I'm not sure if this would be one for me. While I love dogs and other pets in stories, I tend to not read stories where they almost become a main character. Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully the sequel gets even better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I'm hoping so. No notice yet that there will be a sequel. We'll see.

      Delete
  10. Working dogs fascinate me and I don't think I've read too many books about them. Will keep this book in mind.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I like the opening paragraph you shared. I think the biggest draw for me to this book would be the dogs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, there are 3 of them - all search and rescue dogs.

      Delete

Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!