Blood Innocents is American crime writer Thomas H. Cook’s first novel. Published in 1980, it tells the story of NYC police detective John Reardon who, returning to work after the death of his wife, is given a strange case involving the slaughter of two deer in the Children’s Zoo in Central Park.
Yep – deer. Not people.
The deer had been gifted to the zoo by one of New York City’s most prominent businessmen, Wallace Van Allen. When Reardon balks at the assignment, his lieutenant, Piccolini tells him
“…this is a big case. One of the biggest. Some real big people are looking in on this one, interested in it, if you know what I mean. I know you’re in homicide, but this is bigger than a homicide right now, and the people downtown want top people on it all the way.”
Reardon has made a reputation for himself by following his instincts and so despite the strangeness of the case, he starts digging. Then, when the bodies of two young women turn up in their apartment with almost identical injuries as the deer, Reardon redoubles his efforts to solve the crimes.
I have been a Thomas H. Cook fan for many years. He’s a prolific writer, with more than 30 books to his credit, and yet many people have never heard of him. The first book I ever read by him is called Breakheart Hill (1995) and it had such an amazing twist that I was keen to read more by him. Except it was almost impossible to find his books anywhere. Over the years I have managed to track down and read Evidence of Blood, Peril, Mortal Memory, The Interrogation, The Fate of Katherine Carr, Master of the Delta, The Cloud of Unknowing, Instruments of the Night, Red Leaves, Places in the Dark, The Chatham School Affair and I have one more book on my tbr shelf, Night Secrets, which I will not read until I track down at least one more.
If Blood Innocents had been the first book I’d ever read, I am not sure I would have become the super fan I am now. It’s not that the book wasn’t any good, it’s just that it lacked the layers I’ve always found in his novels: complicated father/son relationships (although Reardon does have a son, and they are certainly not close), a clever twist (this novel is really just a straight-forward detective story), philosophical underpinnings (although Reardon is certainly at a thoughtful point in his life after the loss of his wife.)
It was definitely cool to go back to the very beginning, but I am glad it’s not where I started.
The Ludic Reader 
Currently reading my nineteenth Thomas H. Cook novel (although ‘Blood Innocent’s’ I haven’t read). My first one was ‘Red Leaves’ which I randomly picked up in a cheap bookstore many years ago. A superior read. Blown away by it – been hooked ever since. Looks like he’s retired now. Shame he never became a household name when plenty of inferior writers create novels that sell in their millions.
Nice to meet another fan. I don’t understand why Cook is not a household name. Like, why is James Patterson so dang famous, but no one knows who Cook is? I think he’s fantastic and I am always on the hunt for his books.
Same here. Nice to express myself with someone of the same tribe so to speak. A mystery and a shame why we only seem to be a fringe group.
Readers just don’t know what they’re missing. Maybe if social media had been bigger back in the day, more people would know about him.