Blood Work (novel): Difference between revisions

'''''Blood Work''''' is a 19971998 [[Mystery fiction|mystery]] [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] novel written by [[Michael Connelly]] which marks the first appearance of '''Terry McCaleb'''. The character McCaleb later returns in ''[[A Darkness More Than Night|]]''A Darkness More Than Night'']] (2000).

The book ''Blood Work'' was used as the basis for the 2002 [[Blood Work (film)|movie of the same name]], starring [[Clint Eastwood]]. Connelly was inspired to write the story by a friend who received an organ transplant.

After receiving a heart transplant, retiredRetired [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] [[criminal profiling|profiler]] Terrell "Terry" McCaleb, the recent recipient of a [[heart transplant]], is contacted by Graciela Rivers, the sister of his donor Gloria, and asked to investigate her death, which occurred duringin an unsolved convenience store robbery. McCalebTerry had become a minor celebrity asfor thehis headwork of the FBI task force onchasing the "Code Killer", an L.A.-baseda [[serialLos killerAngeles]] (similar to the-based [[Zodiacserial Killerkiller]]) who always signed his notes with the code "903 472 568", but he is now living on his fishing boat and has been inactive to prevent rejection of his new heart (to the extent that he cannot even drive). He reluctantly agrees to help Graciela but finds the police handling the case to be extremely hostile. However, he is able to match the style of another killing to Gloria's and gets a copy of the files for both cases from Jaye Winston, the sheriff's deputy on that case. He surprisingly discovers that the call reporting Gloria's shooting was placed slightly prior to the actual shooting, leading him to suspect that Gloriashe was targeted for murder. He interviews the only witness to the second crime, a man called James Noone, but fails to learn much.

As he continues to investigate, with Winston's support but against the wishes of his doctor, heTerry findsdiscovers that the two cases, plusas well as a third case, are linked through the use of a common gun and a common line said by the killer after the shooting, "Don't forget the cannoli" fromreferencing ''[[The Godfather]]''. He thenalso learns that the first two victims had McCalebTerry's blood types and were on a list of people who had previously donated blood.; Ifif the victims died, McCalebTerry would benefit from their death as a potential organ recipient. Because of this, the police on Gloria's case focus on himTerry as the possible killer and get a warrant to search warrantthe forfishing hisboat where boathe lives. Then, theThe real killer begins to plantplants evidence implicating McCaleb on histhe boat, expectingimplicating the police to find itTerry, but McCalebhe finds and then conceals the most incriminating evidenceit. Examining the facts again, McCalebTerry realizes that the distinctive attribute of the "Code Killer" was that the nine-digit identifying code did not include a one, and that "James Noone" ("no one") is actually the Code Killer. By following the contact information on Noone, McCaleb and Jaye Winston find the Code Killer's files, which prove that he had deliberately killed three people to get McCaleb a new heart. Although McCaleb is thus cleared, the fact that Gloria's death was directly due to his illness creates a rift in his increasingly personal relationship with Graciela and her nephew Raymond, Gloria's son.

McCalebBy following "Noone's" contact information, whoTerry isand stillJaye supposedfind tothe beCode inactiveKiller's files, secretlywhich continuesprove that he had deliberately killed three people to traceget theTerry Codea Killernew fromheart. informationAlthough Terry is thus cleared, the fact that heGloria's learneddeath duringwas directly due to his interviewillness creates a rift in his increasingly personal relationship with "Noone"Graciela and drivesher nephew Raymond, Gloria's son. Terry secretly traces the Code Killer to a location in [[Baja California]] that matches one "Noone" described. He then finds and is overpowered by the Code Killer, who tells him that he has kidnapped Graciela and Raymond and buried them alive. Despite serious medical problems from so much activity, McCalebTerry is able to kill himthe Code Killer and then uses the little information he has to locate and rescue Graciela and Raymond. Upon his return, he apologizes to his doctor and says that he went to Mexico because he needed a vacation. Only Jaye Winston amongAmong the law enforcement officials, only Jaye figures out what really happened.