The Color of Blood: An Irish Novel of Suspense    by Declan Hughes Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2007 (2007) Hardcover      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Declan Hughes, author of The Wrong Kind of Blood, is back with his second novel, The Color of Blood, featuring Ed Loy. In the first book, the PI returned to Dublin after the death of his mother and uncovered layers of deception about his past. Now Shane Howard, member of a prominent Dublin family, retains Loy to find his daughter. Emily has disappeared and Howard fears for her safety. The search for the young girl leads Loy into depths he felt he would never have to plumb. Initially figuring Emily for a typical teenager with a desire for independence, he instead uncovers porn videos, blackmail, incest, mayhem, arson, and murder. As in his first book, Hughes ties all this together with a spider web of clues that branch out to entangle those who seem untouchable. His tight plot and almost constant action keep the reader turning pages as quickly as they can be taken in. Just as the streets of Dublin seem real and just around the corner, the characters have dimension and seem real and believable. Ed Loy is neither as good as he should be nor as bad as he could be. He's a man in an occupation that places him in peril. He takes his knocks and moves on and takes his pleasures where and how he can. Don't miss The Color of Blood. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews