Black Oil, Red Blood Blog Tour

Black Oil, Red Blood by Diane Castle

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: The thing about cancer is it’s hard to prove somebody gave it to you on purpose—but Chloe Taylor can prove it. In fact, she proves it for a living. She sues oil refineries that would rather save a buck than comply with safety regulations designed to do important things like, you know, keep people alive.

Chloe had a successful career until circumstances forced her to move to the bass-ackwards town of Kettle, Texas (human population: 4,000; gun population: 34,356). Big Oil industry giant PetroPlex employs half of Kettle’s population, and there’s no question the judge in the town’s got oil stains on his hands. It’s no wonder she’s been on a losing streak lately. She suspects she’s been litigating on an uneven playing field, but when her star expert witness turns up dead less than 48 hours before a make-or break hearing, she knows.

What she doesn’t know is the key piece of information that got her expert killed. It turns out PetroPlex is harboring a shocking secret—one that has the potential to skyrocket gasoline prices, spark an energy market meltdown, and trigger riots, chaos, death, and destruction on a global scale. Chloe must discover the secret and expose the villains before she is permanently silenced, all while juggling a troublesome ex-fiancé and a tantalizing new flame along the way.

Review: An action packed story with likable characters and delicious justice.

This book starts out simply enough. Chloe is the prosecuting lawyer on a case against PetroPlex (I couldn't help but thinking of BP as PetroPlex when I read this book) when her expert witness ends up dead. Obviously someone had him killed to keep him quiet since he knew too much. I believed it was PetroPlex who killed him to keep him quiet. Chloe starts to investigate and the repercussions of her actions manages to ensnare and involve almost the whole damn town. A conspiracy is at work and the bodies start to pile up. The plot does get a tad ridiculous at times, but it was very entertaining. 

The characters were a big part of this book. I loved the sad irony of Chloe wearing designer clothes and eating ramen every night for dinner. She was strong, compassionate, and, especially important, was smart about her ex-fiance. Nash was the strong, but not totally silent type. I enjoyed the blossoming romance between Nash and Chloe. Miles had to be my favorite though. He could be a little over the top, but his reactions to his situation were very funny. Despite the serious nature of this book, the characters and their interplay had me laughing a number of times. 

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy legal fiction, thrillers, or stories where politics play a large role.