Crazy Blood: A Novel

by T. Jefferson Parker Narrated by P. J. Ochlan

Overview

"A brave and daring writer." -Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of Shanghai Girls

The Carson dynasty rules the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Founded by patriarch Adam, the town is the site of the Mammoth Cup ski race-a qualifier for the Olympics. But when Wylie Welborn, Adam's illegitimate grandson, returns after a stint in Afghanistan, it reopens a dark moment in Carson family history: the murder of Wylie's father by his jealous and very pregnant wife, Cynthia.
Her son Sky, born while his mother was in prison, and Wylie are half-brothers. They inherit not only superb athletic skills but an enmity that threatens to play out in a lethal drama on one of the fastest and most perilous ski slopes in the world.

Three powerful and unusual women have central roles in this volatile family feud: Cynthia, bent on destroying Wylie; his mother Kathleen, determined to protect him; and April Holly, a beautiful celebrity snowboarder, on track to win Olympic Gold. But, as Wylie falls in love with April and they begin to imagine a life away from the violence that has shattered his family, history threatens to repeat itself and destroy them both.

Combining exquisite writing with breathtaking scenes of high stakes skiing, T. Jefferson Parker's Crazy Blood is an unforgettable story of two brothers on a ruthless quest for supremacy.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"An intricate and atmospheric family drama reminiscent of the works of T.C. Boyle and John Steinbeck." —Library Journal

"The story of Wylie's return to ski-cross racing and to civilian life is compelling, and the addition of Parker's strong dose of foreshadowing propels the story to a dramatic climax. A fun, fast-paced thriller." —Booklist

On Full Mearuse
“Parker, known for his crime novels, delivers an emotional and gut-wrenching literary departure that's miles away from what his fans and readers would expect in Full Measure. . . . Parker has a gift for storytelling, and Full Measure is realistic on every level.” —Associated Press

“A tense and compelling drama of the wars without and the wars within—and of the flame of violence that burns through the American psyche.” —T.C. Boyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Women

“A novel that is not only supremely readable — that’s true of all Parker’s fiction — but is also a moving, sometimes heartbreaking portrait of what often seems a lost generation. . . . artfully composed and painfully honest.” —Washington Post

“Parker’s skillful narrative builds up to revealing, with suspenseful subplots—a romance with a local reporter, a hit-and-run whodunit, a troubled brother drawn into the orbit of a racist townie mechanic—woven into a satisfying finish. A departure from Parker’s typical California crime fare, Full Measure looks at what it means to sacrifice for things you believe in—and things you don’t.” —Playboy

“An emotional and gut-wrenching literary departure. . . . Parker captures the experience of what it means for a soldier to return home. . . Parker has a gift for storytelling, and Full Measure is realistic on every level.” —Star Tribune

T. C. Boyle

A tense and compelling drama of the wars without and the wars within.

Library Journal

01/01/2016
In 1990, Cynthia Carson murders her husband, Richard, after he sleeps with his teenage student, Kathleen Welborn. Twenty-five years later, Wylie Welborn, Richard's illegitimate son, returns to Mammoth Lakes, CA, after his deployment to Afghanistan and five years spent skiing throughout Europe. Shortly after Wylie's arrival, his half brother, Robert Carson, who always maintained the peace between the wealthy Carson family and the working-class Welborn clan, crashes during a ski-cross race and is left comatose. Robert's psychologically troubled brother, Sky, challenges Wylie to run next year's race. Meanwhile, Wylie's adolescent half sisters devise a plan to solve their family's financial troubles that arise when a Starbucks-like conglomerate threatens to shut down their family's local coffee house. VERDICT In a change of pace from his crime novels, three-time Edgar Award winner Parker (Full Measure; California Girl; Laguna Heat), delivers an intricate and atmospheric family drama reminiscent of the works of T.C. Boyle and John Steinbeck. [See Prepub Alert, 9/21/15; library marketing.]—Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Coll. Lib., Wilmington, DE

Kirkus Reviews

2016-01-09
Two brothers battle for dominance on the slopes in hopes of shaking a decadeslong family curse. In the small northern California town of Mammoth Lakes, life revolves around the snow and the mountain, which is the domain of the Carson family under patriarch Adam. The Carson legacy is a troubled one. Adam's two grandsons, half brothers Sky Carson and Wylie Welborn, have been at odds their entire lives because Sky's mother, Cynthia, pregnant with Sky, shot and killed the brothers' father, who was having an affair with Kathleen, who was pregnant with Wylie. After Wylie arrives back in town following a five-year stint in the Marines, the brothers, now both 25, renew their rivalry on the ski cross course, both angling to take home the Mammoth Cup, a victory that sends the winner to the X Games and possibly the Olympics. Parker (Full Measure, 2014, etc.) gives his heroes and villains stock strengths and neuroses so that when they ultimately succeed or fail, it's neither thrilling nor surprising. Wylie, the more focused and stable of the brothers, wants to win the cup to help his family's struggling coffee shop, Let It Bean, which is being overrun by a Starbucks-like corporate chain, while the mentally deteriorating Sky wants to crush Wylie—the "demon bastard"—on the mountain and everywhere else. The events that led to the death of the brothers' father at the hands of Sky's mother are barely touched on, while lavish, even excessive, attention is paid to the intricacies of ski racing. Despite a picturesque setting, there's little here beyond a drawn-out family squabble on skis.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171777449
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	03/08/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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