In The Blood is an action-packed thriller by Gary E. Smith. Warren Steelgrave is a successful author currently having relationship issues with his long-time lover, Cindy O'Brian. Hoping to take a break, he visits Italy, only to find FBI Agent Jim Dempsey, who wants Warren's help searching for his friend, Jack Sullivan. Jack is about to publish a non-fiction book that exposes stock market manipulations and the murder of Wall Street broker George Daily. Warren meets Jack but soon finds himself on the run alongside him as nefarious people try to stop them from discovering the truth. Helping them along the way is a reporter named Amata, who has a weird obsession with Warren. After one of Jack's friends is brutally murdered, Warren must avoid being the next victim.

Gary E. Smith uses an intricately crafted plot and a fast-paced narrative to deliver an engaging conspiracy thriller that readers will relish. In The Blood pulls the rug from under your feet over and over again, keeping you on the edge of your seat up until the end. The cast of characters is large, but each character gets their share of page time and is distinctive with their own agency that drives their actions and motives. The plot moves at a blistering pace, and every chapter brings new twists and turns that will keep you hooked on the story. I loved the friendship between Warren and Jack and Warren's devotion to Cindy, although I was not a big fan of the Warren-Amata dynamic. Overall, this is an entertaining thriller that fans of the genre will definitely savor.

In Gary E. Smith's In the Blood, the love of his life, Cindy O'Brian, was becoming more distant from Warren Steelgrave, which worried him. Warren chose to go to Italy without her, hoping that their time apart would strengthen their bond. The FBI was waiting for Warren in Italy, and they were looking for his friend Jack Sullivan. Jack was a retired Santa Rosa police detective who became a writer and had been off the grid for about three days. The FBI was investigating how a small group of men manipulated the market, and Jack was writing a book about the same thing. Jack was concerned about Warren since the breakup with Cindy was upsetting Warren and might get them both killed before Jack's book was sent to his publisher.

In The Blood by Gary E. Smith was a thrilling page-turner that kept me hooked from the first page until the last. With all the twists and turns, I never knew what would happen next, and I was guessing until the end. The story was fast-paced and jam-packed with action, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. It was exciting to try to predict how the plot would unfold toward the conclusion, and I was not disappointed by the results. The characters were authentic and relatable. It was clear Warren and Jack were very good friends, and they worked together as a team to get the necessary verification for Jack's book. I was surprised by the ending because it was so expertly written and everything fitted together so well.