By Lee Kelly
Two Harbors Press, $14.99, 348 pages

Atlanta Police Detective Lacy Fuller and her partner are assigned what appears to be a routine case. A woman killed her husband because she thought he had given her the HIV virus. His autopsy proved he did not have the virus, and as the detectives looked into it, they found many more cases of people, including a nine year old boy, being infected without having engaged in the usual means of transmission. As Lacy becomes friends with a doctor who is also looking for answers, she uncovers a plot by a diabolical serial killer who seeks to avenge his dead brother. Caught in his trap, Lacy faces extreme danger herself.

Vengeance in Blood is the first novel by author Lee Kelly. She has worked in the medical and pharmaceutical industry for more than twenty years. Originally from Alabama, she currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her four cats and a dog. The story introduces a tough detective with a soft side that she tries to keep hidden. She reluctantly agrees to care for the cat of the woman accused of killing her husband, and unexpectedly finds she loves having the animal as a pet. The people in the book are endearing, and the story is interesting and suspenseful. Very nice first effort by this author.

Reviewed by Fran Byram

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