This book was so good! I loved reading about a place about 2 hours away. I grew up in Oklahoma and have lived near the Arkansas/Oklahoma border for more than 20 years. This book shows just a few of the struggles that Native Americans have faced. They are many things in this book that are based on actual events. The author was able to weave those events into the story and make it believable. There were several plot twists that I didn’t see coming! So that was refreshing. This book picked up speed around 30% in and I didn’t want to put it down. I switched off between both the audio and ebook. I feel as though the narrator for the audiobook really brought the story to life.

This was a tough book to get through, with its relentless brutality, and the equally brutal historic swindling of American Indigenous people. And I loved it all the more for the stories it tells. Vanessa Lillie writes beautifully about hard lives, corporate greed, and (always) family. Didn’t see the twist coming.
Crime novels are a good way ( for me, at least ) to increase my knowledge of indigenous history as well as current social issues. Blood Sisters does this wonderfully!

Blood Sisters is a compelling mystery that follows Syd, a Cherokee archaeologist, who is haunted by her past and has vowed never to return to Oklahoma. When a skull is found in her hometown, she is forced to return and face the events 15 years prior.

I cannot describe how pleasantly surprised I was with Blood Sisters. Not only was the plot complex, twisty, and full of surprises, the story is one of the best written mysteries or thrillers I have read. Lillie’s descriptions immersed me in 2008 Oklahoma without easing the pace. In fact, there were numerous times while reading Blood Sisters that I forgot where I really was. In addition to being immersive, the story is fast-paced and enthralling. My one criticism is I wanted more closer regarding Syd and her wife’s relationship. I am hoping that we will see Syd soon, and this will be resolved in a second book.

The characters in Blood Sisters are well-developed, particularly for a mystery/thriller book. I came to really know Syd and her sister and understand their motivations. I just wished that all of the characters were equally fleshed out. Regardless, I appreciated the strength and determination of the main characters and reveled in reading about unassailable women fighting for their communities and justice.

I loved Blood Sisters’ themes of sisterhood, family, community, and connection to the land. Lillie succeeds in crafting an enjoyable, engrossing mystery with depth while also discussing important issues facing Indigenous Americans. She manages to do all this without the story feeling preachy or heavy-handed. If you are not a fan of nonfiction but want to learn more about Native Americans’ lived experience in the U.S., Blood Sisters is a great introduction to a number of topics like missing and murdered Indigenous woman, girls, and two spirit; land rights; tribal government; and even NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items.

Overall, Blood Sisters is a captivating novel that will be one of my 2023 favorite books. So, I was super excited to discover that Blood Sisters is the first novel in a new mystery series focusing on MMIWG2S. Now, go read this book!

Note: I received an e-ARC of this book from its publisher, Berkley. Regardless, I always provide a fair and honest review.

As an avid reader, it's always exciting for me to discover books that stimulate and challenge me while also enlightening me on social issues. Extra points to an author who tackles a subject rooted in history and yet one that's still prevalent in today's world, rendering it in such a manner as to be highly entertaining at the same time as educational. Without Lillie's skill and mesmerizing prose, BLOOD SISTERS might have been one long sermon on the injustices suffered by Native Americans. However, with brilliant plotting, intriguing characterizations and a lot of heart, Lillie skillfully entices readers with a fantastic, heart stopping mystery while also highlighting the gross indignities and mistreatment suffered by a group of Indigenous people. Carve out enough time to read this one straight through as there's no way to put it down once you begin.

Vanessa Lillie's BLOOD SISTERS is an intense, eye opening, highly emotional suspense thriller delivered via the voice of Syd Walker, an archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Rhode Island. Her mission is to preserve Cherokee history, culture and land rights while identifying skeletal remains of victims of violence and returning them home to their people. Syd is disturbed when she receives a request to return to the town of Pincher, Oklahoma - a place she fled fifteen years prior following an attack that left her best friend dead and her sister Emma Lou damaged in a way that left her permanently scarred and floundering in a world of drugs and bad decisions. Syd’s haunted by her troubled past, but the discovery of a skull with Syd's old I.D. card lodged in its mouth makes it impossible for her to refuse the case. Leaving behind her wife who's just announced her pregnancy, Syd heads back to her small hometown with the ghost of her best friend Luna riding shotgun in her mind, stirring up old disturbing memories. A number of Indigenous women have gone missing in the area and upon arriving home, Syd learns her sister Emma is among them. As Syd starts investigating, it's soon clear she's rattling skeletons that are making people in power extremely nervous. Once again, decisions are forced upon her people without proper restitution, but this time Syd won't walk away until she gets justice for both the dead and the living. If they don't kill her first.

BLOOD SISTERS focuses on one native woman's efforts to find the missing and return them home - whether dead or alive. The plot line is intricately woven, unfolding at a steadily rising, tension ladened pace through vivid prose that transports readers to the dark, desolate countryside alongside Syd while charging all with solving the mysterious disappearances while exposing the secrets held within the raped land before time runs out. The author's utilization of a ghost's voice in Syd's head to deliver the story is genius, setting an eerie, spooky tone while leading readers to speculate if the person is a ghost or Syd is hallucinating. It's clear Syd is in a precarious state of mind and holding on by a thread as she battles both inner and outer demons determined to take her down, all of which adds to the dark, malevolent atmosphere of this riveting thriller. I love that just when you think you have it all figured out, the shocking climax knocks you off your feet.

Vanessa Lillie has rendered a story rich in the history of Native Americans, spotlighting their continued struggles with drug and environmental issues, forced abandonment of their homes and land without restitution and the suspicious disappearance of Indigenous women for whom no one seems to be searching. Indications are this is the first in a series of books to come featuring Syd - an Indigenous, lesbian woman - as the lead character which is exciting, albeit a rare occurrence in the book world. Through Lillie's brilliant, descriptive writing, Syd comes across as a spirited, yet vulnerable character with strong ethics battling her own demons - one who readers will have no problem respecting and/or feeling empathy for. BLOOD SISTERS is a dynamic, engrossing, heart touching suspense thriller that's highly addictive as well as eye-opening, and it's clear it comes straight from the heart of the author. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers as well as readers who enjoy beautifully written stories with a spotlight on critical issues and injustices rooted in history that have existed over the years.

The main character got on my nerves with her questionable decision making but then it hit me that she was leading with her heart and not her head when it came to finding her missing sister. So once I came to that realization I was able to stop judging and cheer for the main character! The story had a lot of twists and turns I didn't expect and the authors note on finding Indigenous women is SO important.

This is a story about a Cherokee archaeologist who works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is assigned to a case back in her hometown in Oklahoma and involves family members and neighbors. Syd hasn’t been back to her hometown since she left after all she dealt with, and is now trying to make a life with her partner, Mal. Syd gets the call that her sister, Emma Lou has gone missing, so Syd lives Mal behind and goes back to face a fifteen year old tragedy she’s done her best to put behind her.
There’s a lot of history of indigenous oppression and the strong characters who are a part of that history. It is a complex legacy in which even the BIA saw fit to exploit Native land when they were supposed to be protecting it. Syd has been working her whole career to fight for the many injustices agains voiceless Native American women. But as she digs into the case, literally and figuratively, the deeper she reveals the damages go. She has to find her sister, but also set right the long buried truths in this little Oklahoma town.
This was a subject that I didn’t know a lot about going in, and definitely learned about from the story, which goes along with the story suggestion that these women’s plights often go unnoticed. It was an interesting read, and though at times it did drag a little, it was definitely worth reading.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

While I enjoyed the compelling mystery of the disappearing indigenous women, I did find the the information about how white people took advantage of the Natives throughout history to be too repetitive. There was a really good reveal about that early on in the story, and that is probably all that the reader needed to know. Repeating it in almost identical wordage just seemed like the author was focusing too much on an agenda.

I was drawn into the story because Syd, a Cherokee archaeologist for the bureau of Indian affairs, was called back to her home in Aurora, Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of two women one of whom was her sister. That family and home connection appealed to me, as did one very tough woman.

During her investigation, Syd discovers lots of secrets that have been buried for many years, and she comes to terms with a trauma from her childhood that was most horrifying. No wonder she had nightmares for years..

From the standpoint of being a suspenseful thriller this book is a terrific read, and I recommend it to those who, like me, enjoy a complicated story, a surprising resolution, and characters who are as real as your next-door neighbor.

An important, intense thriller that pulled at my heart strings. Such an important voice in the thriller space.

This is not an easy book to read: both because of the serious subject matter and the multiple plot threads that distract from the core story. Worth a read because we need more lights on the serious topic of violence against Indigenous Women.

This is a new to me author, and what a book! Part thriller/part mystery/part education on social injustice pertaining to indigenous women.

Syd is a Cherokee woman and works as an archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Rhode Island.

She is assigned to a case in Oklahoma - home - where she has to confront her own past in addition to the case.

There is a skull found near the location Syd escaped from 15 or so years ago. Syd also learns her sister is missing. She is determined to find her sister and solve the crime surrounding the skull.

This book was pretty intense and very insightful for me as far as indigenous women and their struggles. Besides the mystery aspect, it dealt a lot with family and those bonds.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A full throttle thriller that packs a series punch. Syd Walker is called home to investigate a cold case that has ties to her own traumatic past. Her sister is also missing. Could this be part of the mystery?
I really enjoyed Blood Sisters. Not only a great thriller of a novel, but the Native American representation is what really drew me in. Vanessa Lillie ties in the epidemic of the missing and murdered indigenous people crisis in a compassionate but informative manner that aligns with the plot flawlessly. I read that Blood Sisters is the start of a series that puts the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit movement front and center of the story. I must say I'm definitely looking forward to reading more.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Berkley and PRH audio, thank you for a book that so thoughtfully honors Indigenous voices and stories of identity, family, land, and also victimization and women's bodies. I want to note that the audiobook is thoughtfully narrated by Indigenous women and that made the book resonate with me more deeply.

I love the start of a what feels like a new series, strong and complicated, layered characters, intelligent plots that weave in the past and present, and an attention to detail that makes for a fully engaged read. Blood Sisters does this, leading the reader into Syd (main character's) work as an archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and brings her into a mystery of missing women, including her sister's disappearance, and back to her hometown... where there are clearly secrets to be uncovered but at a possibly great cost to Syd and her family.

I was so excited to be invited to read an ARC of Blood Sisters. This book is the start of a series by Vanessa Lillie, an indigenous author. The series will focus on MMIWG2S, which stands for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit. This subject is not mentioned enough, and I'm looking forward to learning more about it through Lillie's books.

Blood Sisters was a great thriller. First of all, Syd. She was such a great main character. She was strong and independent, and I enjoyed reading her thoughts about family as well. I loved how determined she was to bring justice to the girls who keep going missing on native land. Not just to find her sister, but to bring peace to other families as well.

The thriller story itself was so well written. Message aside, I couldn't wait to put it all together and discover what happened to the girls. It's heartbreaking to read a really good thriller like this and know it's based on real life.

I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series and learning more about this topic. Thanks to Vanessa Lillie for finally writing the type of thriller I've been looking for!

Blood Sisters is a compelling thriller and stands out from a lot of other books I’ve read. Syd is a Cherokee archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and at the start of the book is asked to return to her hometown in Oklahoma to investigate a skull that was discovered. Leaving behind her pregnant wife Mal, Syd makes the journey across the country and into her own past.

I was most drawn to the story due to this paragraph in an email from the publisher:
“Vanessa Lillie is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and at its heart Blood Sisters is the story of missing girls and women. When Lillie was a senior in high school, two local Oklahoma girls went missing and for more than twenty years she has watched the family search. While the crime in the opening pages and at the center of this novel is not the same as what happened to those girls, Lillie says ‘my emotions, my observations, and my own anger, is within these pages. These feelings are also connected to the larger conversation about the high rate of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit.’”

Unfortunately, some of the actual execution of the plot was a bit of a miss for me. I would definitely be interested to read another if this ends up being the start of a series about Syd.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the free ebook. I also purchased the audiobook.

Thank you @berkleypub for my complimentary copy and @prhaudio for my gifted audiobook. My thoughts are my own.

Syd Walker escaped from a grueling night of terror when she was growing up in Oklahoma. Fifteen years later, Syd lives in Rhode Island and works as a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. When a skull is found near the old Oklahoma crime scene, Syd reluctantly returns to Oklahoma to investigate the skull as well as the recent disappearance of two women, including her sister, Emma Lou. As she delves into the case, she discovers that even more indigenous women have gone missing, and she determines to get to the bottom of things.

This compelling mystery, though fictional, brings to light some of the crimes against indigenous Americans and how even law enforcement has ignored them. With well developed characters, a complex and intriguing plot, this one kept me engaged from page one. I also listened to portions of the book but I enjoyed the print version much more than the audio. I felt the narrator did not have much expression in her voice and I found myself getting distracted.

Read this if you enjoy dark plots, complex characters, and a fast-moving, compelling storyline.

Syd Walker is a Native American archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). I have to admit I wasn't well-versed in the different governmental agencies involved with Native Americans and that was quite the eye-opener in this story. Syd is currently living in Rhode Island and gets reassigned to help investigate the case of a skull found with her ID card. Yeah. Creepy.

To say that Syd doesn't want to return to Oklahoma is an understatement. After a devastating incident in her teens, she doesn't want to go back there. There's too much trouble, too many missing girls and now her sister is one of them. Blood Ties is very much about Syd recovering from what happened with the "devils" and figuring out who she is in the present. She often sees and hears her deceased sister Luna. Her wife is pregnant and she's ambivalent about it. Lots of mixed emotions and failures color her thinking.

As Syd hunts for her other sister, she's fearless, sometimes getting into some very dangerous situations. But she doesn't give up her search for truth and justice. The story moves along quite well and there's a complexity that I liked. This was quite a bit of new material for me regarding Native American conditions and culture and I really liked that about the story, even though it wasn't always butterflies and roses. It was dark and gritty and didn't always work out the way things should.

I feel like I must mention that the author's notes are a must read for this title. The missing indigenous women are not fiction -- this story is based on real events. I thoroughly enjoyed the Native American culture that graces this book and those were the parts I liked the most. I did like Syd as well -- from her confusion to her dedication, she was a very interesting character.

So overall, I liked this story and what I learned while reading it. It wasn't just a suspenseful thriller -- it's a powerful story about indigenous people and their history. It's about exploitation of resources and the impact of addiction. There's a lot to unpack here, and it was worth it.

A gripping Own Voices story about the crisis of missing indigenous women and the woman who returns to her hometown after her sister disappears. Syd Walker left her family and life behind in Oklahoma when she began her job as an archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is still processing a traumatic event that happened when she was younger. Now, she may be the only one to find her missing sister and get justice for the crime that was committed so many years ago. This was riveting and fast-paced and I couldn't put it down.

Many thanks to Berkley for the ARC.

Thanks @berkleypub for this eARC

I knew I was going to like this one but wow did it blow me away. This is one of those books that you will keep thinking about weeks if not months later. Syd works for BIA as an archeologist - she is a white passing Native - two spirits which we also get a little bit in the story. She has to go back to Oklahoma to help on a case and what comes along with that is a lot of personal trauma and history but also generational trauma and history as well. Oh, and her sister is missing. This is not only a fantastic crime(s) thriller it’s also an important read.

Vanessa does a fantastic job of keeping the readers guessing what's next while we are also learning about MMIWG2S, Native life, the history of Cherokee and other Nations, Oklahoma and the BIA. You can tell this is an Indigenous own voices novel .

I don’t know if my archeologist skills are up to Syd’s outside activities level but I love that this story can replace older narratives about archeology. I loved Syd- she is my new favorite fictional badass archy!

I can’t not wait for more of Vanessa’s work and hope we get many books in this series or a new series from her! Wonderfully done and highly recommended!!

Blood Sisters follows Syd Walker, an archeologist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who is called back home after a skull is found close to where a horrific event occured 15 years ago. Upon returning home, she discovers that her sister is missing and begins to suspect the two cases may be connected.

I enjoyed the mystery and following along with Syd as she uncovers secrets about her community that some would rather keep buried.
To be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Syd a majority of the time but I appreciated her determination to not only bring her sister home but to get justice for the countless missing Indigenous women that the government has ignored.

My interest did begin to wane around half-way through but I’m very glad I stuck with it because there were some good twists near the end that I did not see coming!