Glass in the Blood

When it's too surreal to be believed, it might be true!

Fiction - Suspense
460 Pages
Reviewed on 03/10/2025
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

John Michael Reeves was born in Lyndhurst at the heart of the New Forest, England. He now lives with his wife on a sailing boat in - well, wherever they drop the anchor!
Before semi-retirement he was a glass professional travelling the world resolving construction site issues. A knack that kept him globe trotting for decades. And not to the tourist hot spots either! Backwater hotels, busy factory units and bustling construction sites.
As a result, John has lived and worked in many different countries. From England, throughout the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.
Sailing has provided an intriguing twist to life, as he is also an internationally travelled Yacht Master. With over 50,000 nautical miles under the keel from sailing to almost every continent.
It's a fairly unique situation with an uncommon blend of lifestyle and profession. A deep well of experience from which John has drawn extensively for his writing.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Glass in the Blood by John M. Reeves brings together the stories of two desperate characters who are caught in a dangerous international conspiracy. Fatima is a Yemeni mother whose life has been plagued by abuse. In her remote village, her son is her only ray of hope, so when he ends up in very deep trouble, she’ll do anything to save him. Meanwhile, Jim Blood faces financial ruin after his lifestyle of sailing with his wife suddenly changes drastically and destructively. He grasps at a last-chance opportunity for a contract in West Africa, and, as their separate journeys continue, Fatima and Jim find themselves unwittingly entangled in a complex web of international fraud, abduction, and murder. When their paths finally cross, they have no idea if they can trust each other, and there are bizarre hints of supernatural forces at work and hidden alliances to confuse them even more.

Author John M. Reeves' thriller covers different continents and cultures which keeps everything interesting from cover to cover. His character development made me genuinely care about both protagonists. Reeves created an atmosphere where readers question whether certain events have mystical explanations or whether they just appear that way through cultural misunderstandings and manipulation. The settings have vivid sensory details that place you in the story and the cultural context and it was exciting to travel the world through the characters' eyes. Reeves explores compelling themes surrounding faith, superstition, and the shadow operations of intelligence agencies without allowing these deeper elements to slow the relentless forward momentum of the plot. When Fatima and Jim finally confront the true nature of their situation, the ending is satisfying because it comes from character decisions rather than convenient plot devices. Overall, Glass in the Blood is an ambitious international thriller that I highly recommend.

Laurie O'Donnell

A riveting, galloping read. I felt invested in the central characters which are masterfully brought to life by the author. Jim is a classic, brilliant but flawed hero and Fatima is heroically resilient.
The complex weaving of their stories kept me hooked throughout.
I will admit to being disturbed by certain very raw scenarios, but everything was integral to the development of characters and plot.
I hugely recommend this book for some engrossing escapism and an increased pulse rate.

Ian Cooke

An excellent read - couldn't put it down! Characters come to life in a great way with the story unfolding just like you are watching a movie. Keep an eye on the big screen for this one.

John Penman

I really enjoyed this story. Jim Blood is wonderful character - he’s the guy you’d choose to be stuck on a desert island with. His survivor instinct, with a tongue-in-cheek perspective of the world, would keep you alive and entertained whilst you waited to be rescued!

In addition to being an exciting and humorous read, Glass in the Blood is also informative; giving a first hand account of Middle East culture.

Well worth a read!

Maryland Blitz-Mclaughlin

A fascinating well written story that presents cultural and historical facts as fiction. A must read to get insites into today's problems.

Bookview Review

Fate and danger force two strangers into an unexpected collision in Reeves’ suspenseful novel. Jim Blood’s life on the seas with his wife, Valerie, is unraveling. Their finances are in ruins, and desperation pushes Jim to take a job resolving a contractual dispute on a high-stakes project in Africa. In Yemen, Fatima, hardened by a life of abuse and loss, clings to her son—her sole reason to endure. Yet danger looms, testing her limits and resolve. Two lives on opposite sides of the world hurtle toward collision. In the face of looming catastrophe, will they destroy one another—or become unlikely saviors?

Reeves draws deeply from his decades of globe-trotting experience as a glass professional and sailor, lending an authenticity that permeates the narrative. His prose vividly captures the essence of bustling markets, stark border crossings, and the hidden tensions of international dealings. Dialogue crackles with authenticity, reflecting regional nuances and the unspoken power struggles between characters. Jim is a sharp, resourceful protagonist who thrives under pressure. His charisma drives the narrative through high-stakes deals, criminal entanglements, and personal danger. Jim’s journey is both a fight for survival and a quest for self-discovery as he confronts the limits of integrity in a fractured world. While some technical details might feel dense to the uninitiated, they ground the story in realism and heighten its emotional stakes. At its heart, the novel is more than a tale of contracts and crime—it’s a searing exploration of resilience, the corrupting forces of power, and the fragile connections between disparate lives. Layered, gripping, and evocative.