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In Their Blood
In Their Blood
In Their Blood
Ebook414 pages5 hours

In Their Blood

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Born into a life of privilege, Jeremy Stroeb loves freedom, loathes responsibility and drops out of college to start backpacking across Europe. But this free-spirited drifter crashes back to brutal reality when his parents, Rachel and Daniel Stroeb, are murdered in their home on Miami Beach. When he returns to Miami, Jeremy assumes guardianship of his teenage sister, Elise, who is traumatized and convinced the killer will be back for her. With steely, urgent resolve, Jeremy vows to find out what really happened to Rachel Stroeb, the respected CPA and Daniel Stroeb, the controversial professor. Determined to get on the inside of his parents' lives, Jeremy takes a job at the accounting firm where his mother worked, and enrolls at the university where his father taught. But too many details don't add up. With mounting certainty that his parents were anything but the people he thought they were, Jeremy must face the toughest questions of all. Who were Rachel and Daniel Stroeb? And when will the killer be back for the next of kin?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 8, 2009
ISBN9781933515649
In Their Blood
Author

Sharon Potts

Sharon Potts is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of three thriller novels. A native of New York, Sharon graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Before migrating to Miami, she worked in public accounting. In Miami, Sharon served as a managing director of an international staffing company and president of an executive search/accounting recruitment firm. Sharon is vice-president of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America and a member of International Thriller Writers. Her career as a mystery/thriller writer began with In Their Blood, winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award and recipient of a starred review in Publishers Weekly, followed by Someone’s Watching and now, The Devil’s Madonna. Sharon lives in Miami Beach with her husband, Joe, and Australian shepherd, Gidget.

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Reviews for In Their Blood

Rating: 3.499999955555556 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

27 ratings8 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I think there are two subcategories of murder-mysteries within the genre. The first is a story line that puts you in the shoes of the detective; whatever they discover you discover. Because of this, you as the reader have the ability to solve the crime just as if you were working the murder yourself. The second type of murder mystery is more for entertainment. You sit back and get a general glance at the suspects, a few clues, and just enjoy the ride. As a reader you are not given enough information to solve the crime, you just find out when the author decides to reveal it to you.My personal preference is toward the first type of book- one that lets you try to figure out "whodunnit", and equips you with enough information to make at least a good guess. With that said, this book leaned toward the second type of book. It was extremely entertaining, but you weren't given enough information along the way to play detective. There were a couple of clues thrown in toward the end (which I won't detail since it would cause spoilers), but by then the book was coming to a close.Now that I've mentioned some negatives (at least from my personal point of view), let me mention some positives. This book was very well written and kept a steady pace. Even though I had no idea which suspect was the most likely to have committed the crime, at some point I quit trying and just enjoyed the story. There were some great twists, and I felt satisfied at the conclusion of the book. I also really appreciated the fact that the author didn't sugarcoat the average American family. Even good families have struggles, and I thought this aspect of the book gave an authenticity that wouldn't have existed otherwise. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable read, and enjoyed the author's style of writing enough that I would pick up her next release.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In Their Blood by Sharon Potts Jeremy Stroeb, a free-spirited drifter, must come back to reality when his parents are killed and he is made guardian of his 16 year old sister. He vows to find the killer before she's becomes his next victim. A great book for anyone who loves a good mystery
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jeremy has lived a very privileged life- his dad's a college professor and his mom's a successful partner at a CPA firm. He doesn't want that kind of 9-to-5 life for himself though, and drops out of college to travel around Europe and escape the responsibility of becoming an adult. When young Jeremy Stroeb's parents are brutally murdered in their home though, he must rush back to Miami to assume guardianship over his 16-year old sister, Elise. However, upon arriving home, he finds that little is known about who is responsible for the murders and he takes it upon himself to find out. Of course, he must then face the unbearable truths his parents had successfully kept from their children, and figure out which was worth their lives to keep hidden.Potts' novel features many unique and unforgettable characters, which was what I liked most. An eccentric college graduate assistant, a drunken CPA has-been, a corporate mogul making all his money illegally- everyone has a secret waiting to be revealed and all roads lead to the murder victims. Were they killed for money? For lust? To protect a reputation? Something more scandalous? Jeremy throws all he has into trying to find out, and as it turns out, the killer isn't finished either.A very typical murder mystery with a unique set of characters, I was sufficiently entertained and fully engaged from the first page to the last. I give this novel three of five stars and give the author props for a very successful first novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wanted to read this novel in one sitting. I had problems putting it down. I found the characters to be wonderfully real. Some of them were despicable, others, quite the opposite. Lots of plot twists. Very good who-dun-it. I want to read more of her novels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jeremy Stroeb is a lot like many kids his age who are living a comfortable life. With parents who have more than enough money to support his wanderlust, his world of rebellion and backpacking anywhere his heart took him in defiance of his parents so called “sell out world” hits hard when he receives the news that his parents have been brutally murdered in their bed and that his sister Elise is now his responsibility. His parents had named him and not his Uncle Dwight to be her guardian, angering his uncle beyond belief. Jeremy finds for the first time in his life of privileges, that he is now responsible for someone other than himself. In fact, he is the only one who can save his sister from the plight of being thrown into a home with her materialistic Aunt and Uncle. He has to learn the hard way how to be responsible and that way is in a lot of ways hard indeed for Jeremy. Through many false starts and somewhat naive moves, Jeremy takes it upon himself to find his parents killers. But during this time, he makes many decisons, some good and some bad to find the means to an end and put justice to work. He asks for and is given a job with his mothers old firm where he makes friends with Robbie and he learns more than someone is comfortable with at PCM, setting in motion a chain of events that are definitely dicey if not deadly for anyone who pushes the envelope too far. Jeremy also enrolls at his father’s college where he hopes to learn more than is taught in the classroom. Such as why his father’s office was set afire and why it seems the top dog of the school hated his father with a passion. Intertwined in this, is his meeting and ever growing relationship with his father’s grad assistant, Marina who turns out to be someone who turns his life upside down, revealing secrets about his father he never would have dreamed possible. Though she means well, Marina is too close to the action, a fact that Jeremy finds out the hard way. All through Jeremy’s search, his sister Elise is battling her own demons regarding the night her parents were killed. As the shock wears off, she remembers more of the night and that fact alone is enough to put her life in danger as well. Add to this, a grandfather who is supportive while grieving for his late wife, a detective who is working as hard as she can to find the killers, while trying to keep Jeremy and his sister safe and a myriad of other characters as well and you have a suspense novel that is impossible to put down and more impossible to turn the last page on. This is a book like no other. It has romance, lust, suspense, danger, missed signs, and a cast of sometimes unbelievably real characters who make the reader stop and realize that he/she has met someone just like this character in his/her life! That knowledge alone is enough to propel the reader deep into the lives of Jeremy. Elise, their grandfather and all the other characters who are so well fleshed out by author Sharon Potts that you’d swear at times they were sitting in your living room with you! I recommend this book to all who love a mystery/suspense type novel that actually “could” happen given the right circumstances and place. It is a book that rivets the reader and compels them to read until the final page is turned and the book is safely on the self ready for the next read. But I’ll warn you, putting the book away will not take it from your mind, as you will ponder it’s contents for days. And to this reader and writer…that is exactly what makes a good book. The ability for it to stick with you hours and days later. This is that sort of book and I highly recommend this read to anyone, for it will change the way you look at life forever as you follow Jeremy and Elise through the most horrific time anyone can imagine, in their quest for the truth of their parents deaths and justice for their killer.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Does a spoiled, privileged college dropout have the wherewithal to be responsible enough to care for his sister and uncover a murderer?Jeremy Stroeb, a college dropout trying to find himself in Europe, refuses to come home despite pleas from his parents and sister. But his plans change when his mother and father are murdered in their Miami Beach home soon after the family returns from visiting Jeremy in Europe. Jeremy's parents, Rachel, a CPA, and Daniel, a professor, had recently changed their wills naming Jeremy as guardian to his younger sister, Elise. So instead of escaping to Europe, Jeremy decides to stay in Miami Beach and try to find out who killed his parents and why. He manages to get a job at his mom's firm and enrolls in the university where his father worked. But he is dogged by his uncle, who will become Elise's guardian should Jeremy fail in his duties.Author Sharon Potts offers several suspects for the crime, including colleagues of both Rachel and Daniel. As Jeremy delves into his parents' lives, he discovers secrets that shake him to the core. He may just find a new love interest, too.I found myself disliking Jeremy for his self-centeredness at the beginning of the novel. But his character did grow and I have to remember he's pretty young. The risks Jeremy takes reflect his youth, impulsiveness and naivete. Sharon Potts has written a gripping tale of family and intrigue which will appeal to all mystery readers. I look forward to her next release.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Rachael, a partner in an accounting firm and Daniel Stroeb, a college professor, are murdered in their Miami Beach home leaving their two children, Jeremy and Elise, alone. Jeremy is a college dropout roaming around Europe and Elise is a teenager who has been severely traumatized by finding her parents after their murder. Now, Jeremy must return home to take care of his sister but finds it difficult to change his self centered ways. Jeremy soon decides to try to find out who his parents really were and who would want to kill them. But as he discovers, there are many possibilities and he has no idea who he can trust. Ms. Potts has woven a very readable murder mystery that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat till the very end with this tale of a family in crisis and a young man who must grow up quickly. The story is told from Jeremy’s point of view so his character is developed along with his parents as he searches for the truth. After reading Ms. Potts’ biography, I feel the author has accomplished her goal of writing the story that has been brewing with a lifetime of family stories, mysteries and childhood fears while growing up in New York. And on a personal note, I am always fascinated to find how the title of books ties in to the story. I found that this title is actually a little deceptive but you will have to read the book to find out what I mean. I would recommend this book for high school age and above readers that love a good mystery. This book is not a hard core murder-horror story, but an enjoyable mystery with an excellent rhythm and good character development that will appeal to all ages.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book had it ALL. The thrills, the action, mystery, murder – even love. Jeremy Stroeb is the quintessential “rich kid”. His parents are hard workers who got where they are through determination and love of what they do. Jeremy doesn’t know what he wants to do. On the outside he seems to be a slacker living off his parent’s money. On the inside – he’s still just a confused kid whose last wish is to be his parents. He wants to be his own person.Jeremy’s parents are brutally murdered, leaving him and his younger sister behind. He is forced to grow up when it seems that either his sister and his parent’s legacy ends up in his greedy uncle’s hands or his sister ends up with him. In conjunction with this, he wants to know what happened to his parents. To figure this out, he decides to get an internship at his mother’s company and enroll at the college where his father taught.He thinks he knows his parents, but does he really? Jeremy has no idea that his grown-up decision to be a man and find out who killed his parents will put his own life in danger. No one is who they seem to be. Everyone has a secret. Someone has a secret that ended in his parent’s death. Jeremy learns about himself in this book. Who is he? What does he want out of life? Does he even HAVE a life? This is finding oneself to the extreme. I was surprised by this book. It wasn’t what I thought it would be at all. There were twists and turns I never saw coming. There were plots going on that the author sprung on the reader at the last possible moment. I had to keep reading to see what or who was around that corner. I enjoyed it, and I think you will, too.

Book preview

In Their Blood - Sharon Potts

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