The Blood Promise (Hugo Marston Series #3)

by Mark Pryor

Overview

Hugo Marston must figure out what lies hidden inside an old sailor's chest before a 200-year-old blood promise is revealed and claims another life. In post-Revolution Paris, an old man signs a letter in blood, then hides it in a secret compartment in a sailor's chest. A messenger arrives to transport the chest and its hidden contents, but then the plague strikes and an untimely death changes history. Two hundred years later, Hugo Marston is safeguarding an unpredictable but popular senator who is in Paris negotiating a France/U.S. dispute. The talks, held at a country chateau, collapse when the senator accuses someone of breaking into his room. Theft becomes the least of Hugo's concerns when someone discovers a sailor's chest and the secrets hidden within, and decides that the power and money they promise are worth killing for. But when the darkness of history is unleashed, even the most ruthless and cunning are powerless to control it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616148157
Publisher:	Seventh Street Books
Publication date:	01/14/2014
Series:	Hugo Marston Series , #3
Pages:	291
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Mark Pryor (Austin, TX) is the author of The Bookseller and The Crypt Thief, the first two Hugo Marston novels, and the true-crime book As She Lay Sleeping. An assistant district attorney with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, in Austin, Texas, he is the creator of the true-crime blog DAConfidential. He has appeared on CBS News’s 48 Hours and Discovery Channel’s Discovery ID: Cold Blood. Visit him online at www.markpryorbooks.com, www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Pryor-Author, and http://DAConfidential.com.

Reading Group Guide

1. What do you think is meant by the title? What, in the book, is the “blood promise” - and is there more than one?

2. In The Blood Promise, several people are more concerned with image and impression than reality. Who are they, and do you think they have good cause to be?

3. Hugo has seen a lot of death in his career. In The Blood Promise, someone close to him dies - do you think his familiarity with death makes losing a friend any easier?

4. In several of the Hugo Marston books, characters point out that the coming of the European union altered the playing field for the good guys and the bad guys alike. In what way has this happened, and which of those groups do you think benefits the most?

5. Hugo and Tom Green have similar backgrounds, yet their investigative approaches differ - why is that? Is one more appropriate or effective than the other?

6. Hugo and Tom also have remarkably different personalities. Do you agree that often Hugo acts more like Tom’s brother than his friend? If so, why do you think that is?

7. Why is Hugo so confident in his work, yet seemingly less so when courting Claudia?

8. Crime solving can be high-tech these days, with fingerprint and DNA analysis, as well as surveillance cameras on every corner. Hugo’s methods, by contrast, are more old-fashioned: legwork and deductive reasoning, relying on his knowledge of human behavior rather than technology. Is there still a place for the Hugo Marstons of the world when it comes to solving big crimes?

9. How much of Hugo’s character is defined by his role as an outsider, a foreigner? Do you think this is a benefit or a hindrance to solving crimes?

10. Hugo says that Paris is his favorite city. Why do you think that is? Do cities really have personalities of their own, or are they merely reflections of our own experiences, prejudices, preferences, and perceptions?

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Blood Promise

"Mark Pryor is one of the smartest new writers on the block. His new novel is a doozy."
--Philip Kerr, author of A Man Without Breath, a Bernie Gunther novel

"Pryor seems to have hit his stride in this series, as he adroitly juxtaposes the light banter between Marston and Green with some scenes of intense emotion.... And, all the while, the suspense ramps up. Top-notch mystery in a skillfully delineated Parisian setting."
--Booklist

Praise for previous Hugo Marston novels:

"[I]n Pryor's propulsive second novel starring affable former FBI profiler Hugo Marston.... The engaging characters sweep readers into a suspenseful chase from Pigalle to the Pyrenées."
--Publishers Weekly

"The Crypt Thief is an eerily good read. Mark Pryor has crafted another chilling, complex, and compelling story. Don't start it if you need a good night's sleep!"
--Allison Leotta, author of Speak of the Devil

"A complex puzzle, genuine suspense, and a compelling protagonist--what more can any reader ask for? Oh yeah, a great location: Paris. I'm sold."
--Michael Robotham, author of Say You're Sorry

"Pryor's steady and engrossing debut combines Sherlockian puzzle solving with Eric Ambler-like spy intrigue. With a cast of characters you want to know better. . . ."
--Library Journal Starred Review and Debut of the Month!

"A tale of a city that's gritty, utterly real and filled with surprises both horrifying and tender. Much like a baguette, this fabulous story is crusty on the outside, sweet on the inside, and once you've had a bit, you can't wait for more."
--Oprah.com

"Enough intrigue to satisfy every reader.... A fantastic debut!"
--RT Book Reviews

"The Hugo Marston series now belongs on every espionage fan's watch list."
--Booklist

From the Publisher