Peter M. Ball

Twelfth Planet Press (2010)

ISBN: 978-0-9808274

Reviewed by Mitenae

Miriam Aster doesn’t want the job. In fact, she’s quit six times over the last seven years. But Safia Mulani insists on coming back with a new piece of evidence that could finally unlock her sister, Uma’s, disappearance. Aster doesn’t want it. Her instincts tell her the fey are involved but solving the case means working with Barry Gideon, the man who killed her.

Bleed is a tightly written novel following on from Horn that continues the story of Miriam Aster. It delves more deeply into Miriam’s backstory and successfully weaves it into the present.

My biggest concern with this book is about Miriam herself. For me the only detail that defines her as female is her name. If you changed it to a masculine name the character and the story would still work as it is, and it shouldn’t.

Despite that, this is the second novella in a series (I hope) that I adore and that I am more than willing to thrust at my friends and insist they read. It’s a wonderful continuation of the life of Miriam Aster.