BLOOD In The LOW COUNTRY by Paul Attaway – Religious Mysteries, Action & Adventure Literary Fiction, Southern Literary Sagas

Are the sins of the father destined to burden the children? Or is it the sins of the mother that create a child’s worst nightmare? Find out in Paul Attaway’s riveting Southern mystery, Blood in the Low Country (The Atkins Family Saga).

Rose Atkins is weighed down by a lifetime of desperate secrets. The mother of two teenage sons and wife to a lawyer, Monty, Rose goes to great lengths to keep her past hidden. Her attempts to conceal all details about this sordid history may bury both of her sons. With the passage of time, secrets become harder and harder to keep. The pressure builds and leads to cracks in the foundation that Rose carefully manufactured for her life. If she falls through, it may be her family that will pay the heaviest price.

Rose’s brutal efforts to maintain a blissful family illusion is designed so she will be admired by all in the community.

Behind closed doors their dysfunctional home life erupts. Rose idolizes her younger son, Walker and loathes her older son, Eli. Both extremes are destructive. Her misguided actions reflect her feelings about their different fathers.

Despite their mother’s constant interference, sons Eli and Walker develop a close bond. They work to brighten their futures, creating their own secrets as they try to live undetected by their mother’s intrusive radar. At the same time, they can’t help but engage in a never-ending series of individual attempts to earn love from Rose and Monty. All their efforts end in disappointment. Rose and Monty always want more.

The boys become discouraged and distraught by the pressure of their parents’ requirements of acceptance – of earning their love. Why does love have strings attached? Eli and Walker are caught in a sad cycle. If only Monty could find a way to unite the family, but he is mystified by his wife’s actions and unsure what he can do.

Catastrophe strikes when Eli’s girlfriend, Kimberly is found murdered.

Last seen in an argument with Eli, the boy becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Eli declares his innocence and naturally seeks support from his mother. She coldly turns her back on him. Abandoned, can her desperate son find justice on his own?

The shock of this tragedy has forever altered the lives of Eli, Walker, his parents, and all those in Kimberly’s family. In the meantime, there is a killer on the loose who is emboldened knowing that all accusing eyes are distracted by Eli.

Author Paul Attaway creates intriguing characters with complex interrelationships, presented in such a realistic way readers will find it difficult to put the book down.

The characters’ reactions to their situations as the plot moves forward is compelling and heartbreaking. In short, those who enjoy their Southern Mysteries with an intricate plot and highly relatable characters will line up for more. Blood in the Low Country is one mystery we highly recommend.

Author Paul Attaway is a master at showing a series of events from such varying characters’ perspectives. It’s so intriguing to discover the motives and actions of the different personalities when confronted by the same events. The writing is artfully paced, stimulating the reader with a constant curiosity of what can happen next.

These characters, often at cross purposes, drive circumstances forward to an inevitable, explosive conclusion. The author ignites this climax by skillfully revealing surprise twists. While presenting this enticing drama, the story also contains a thrilling mystery and hunt for a killer. Readers follow the clues as they are uncovered, finding themselves caught up in the case and cheering for the families, and for justice. But, once Blood in the Low Country is spilled, can secrets be forgiven, love triumph, and trust be restored?