(2025) Bloodline by Priscilla Masters

"Bloodline" written by Priscilla Masters, It is a mystery novel published in 2025.

The story takes place in Leek, Staffordshire, where Detective Inspector Joanna Piercy is called to investigate a hostage situation at Cloud Mansion, a large, isolated house overlooking Rudyard Lake. The hostage is Joseph Holden, an elderly and reclusive man who had major surgery eight months prior. The hostage-taker is Abdi Daud, a Somali national and professor in political science at Mogadishu University. Also present is Clarice Hani, a cleaner who works for both Holden and the owner of a local antiques shop.

The narrative unravels the connections between Holden, Daud, and Hani, leading back to Holden's past as a mercenary in Somalia during the 1980s. A valuable Somali dagger, a Qolxad with a rhinoceros horn handle, sold at auction a year prior, becomes a crucial link to the hostage situation. The investigation delves into Holden's past actions in Somalia and their consequences, leading to a tense standoff and a revelation of a crime committed decades ago that has come back to haunt Holden.

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