Blood Brothers: A Short Story Exclusive
Released On: Oct 22, 2013

From New York Times, bestselling authors comes a dark story of murder, mystery, and a brotherhood steeped in a bloody past.

As a young reporter, Arthur Crane exposed the secrets behind the Orchid Killer, a cult murderer from the late ‘60s whose crimes blackened the end of the Summer of Love. Half a century later, Arthur wakes to find an orchid resting on his pillow, a symbol of death from a killer connected to his estranged younger brother, Christian. To discover the horrifying truth, Arthur will risk all—even his very soul—for Christian may not be the brother that Arthur remembers…

Included with this chilling story is a sneak peek at Innocent Blood, the second book in the Order of the Sanguines Series.

*The Short Story Blood Brothers now available in the omnibus “Unrestricted Access: New and Classic Short Fiction and is also included in the paperback edition of Innocent Blood.

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Bibliography [View, Print and Download the James Rollins Bibliography]

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Critical Acclaim

  • This short story just melted my heart it couldn't have been written any better than it was. Two brothers brought together by despair and heartbreak who later came together and made a bond after a tragic death. Both loosing something in the process but manage to find each other will forever be connected by blood. I can't get enough of this series I think it's one of the best ones I've read for the year and WOW. Definitely a thrill and great read, HIGHLY recommend.

    Fabulous 3 [5.0 out of 5 starsWow this was heartwarming] (Reader Review)
  • I love this series! I will continue to read and look forward to the next full-length novel!

    Lori Bradley [5.0 out of 5 starsI love this series!] (Reader Review)
  • This short story was entirely too short! This story contains a fantastic and thoroughly satisfying plot. It gives the reader a glimpse and peek into the world of the Sanquinists and Belials. I highly recommend this tantalizing treat!

    Delores Lovett [Fleetingly Exquisite!!!] (Reader Review)
  • Another great read by Rollins and Cantrell. Hope this partnership continues for a long, long time. Look forward to reading the next installment

    DA [Snapped me up right away...] (Reader Review)
  • Wow, Rollins and Cantrell are an amazing storyteller who can combine science, fantasy, and suspense in a great page turner.

    Linda C [Great page turner.] (Reader Review)
  • I could not put it down. It is a short story and is part of a series. Great action and characters.

    Suzanne S. [Great read.] (Reader Review)
  • Excellent storyline. A different way to add new characters into the series.

    Tom Walker [5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent storyline. A different way to add new characters ...] (Reader Review)
  • A beautiful lead into the Blood Gospel. I am very pleased with the new Rollins-Cantrell series, a concept that's new in the ideas of redemption.

    Doris O. Rountree [Who would have dreamed this up?] (Reader Review)
  • I enjoyed this short story and the only bad feature was it was too short. I wanted more, but what was there was great

    Patricia J. Matheso [5.0 out of 5 starsI enjoyed this short story and the only bad feature was ...] (Reader Review)
  • Another thrilling thrilling adventure, fictional series of good triumphing over evil and doing good for mankind. This is a supernatural tale of vampirism mixed with bits and pieces of historical fact that only James Rollins can weave into a super-supernatural tale to make it believable and exciting at the same time. I have read the whole series and found them very facinating. You will find yourself rooting for characters who normally would be the "bad guy" . John keeps you guessing and never fails to surprise you with his twists and turns in the tales of good and evil. A super super adventure.

    Margaret Begel [] (Reader Review)
  • Nicely structured this time. A reporter from England catches wind of a returning killer that's terrorized America decades ago. Most of the story takes place in that time era (with an extra flashback-within-flashback of the two brothers as teens), and it does give plenty of backstory to Arthur, the reporter. Beyond the backstory, there's some interesting vampire action with a new vampire, Arthur's brother. With the cliffhanger ending (and a promise from both authors that he's in Innocent Blood), can't wait to read more of Christian Crane.

    Jason Brown [A Bloody good time between brothers] (Reader Review)
  • This gets you interested in reading the series. The new character is a keeper. I enjoyed this addition to the series.

    J. Bittle [Gets you interested] (Reader Review)
  • Nothing better than a short story by James Rollins except possibly one with Rebecca Cantrell. This is a lead-in for the new hardback Innocent Blood and it will definitely get fans excited about the new thriller coming. New characters plus old ones from the previous book in the Order of the Sanguines series. Just enough there to set the nerves tingling. Great read.

    Peggy J. Kincaid [High Thriller Alert] (Reader Review)
  • An excellent story to read prior to INNOCENT BLOOD. Well written by two excellent authors working together on a new series, The Order of the Sanguines!

    Jerry Zavada [Brothers forever!!] (Reader Review)
  • Can't wait to read the second book in the sanguiness series. Blood Brothers is a great short story leaving the reader wanting more. As always, very well written with an exciting story line.

    Marion G. Frazier [Great intro to next book] (Reader Review)

FAQ

  • Q. Christian is such an interesting and dynamic character, is that why you chose to write a prequel, BLOOD BROTHERS, about this character? How did this character come to life for you both?
    A. Jim - Christian is first mentioned in passing in THE BLOOD GOSPEL. Even in that brief reference in t ... Read More
  • Q. Did you face any challenges with writing the second book, INNOCENT BLOOD, that you didn’t face with the debut in the series, THE BLOOD GOSPEL?
    A. Jim - During the creation of the first book, it was all about world building, creating this landscap ... Read More
  • Q. In an article published by The Telegraph (UK), fellow suspense writer Patricia Cornwell claims she has uncovered one of history’s best-kept secrets: the true identity of Jack The Ripper. Is there an unresolved mystery that you would like to investigate together?
    A. Jim - I always love dabbling into historical mysteries, those pieces of the past that end in a quest ... Read More
  • Q. In INNOCENT BLOOD and its prequel, THE BLOOD GOSPEL, you introduced elements of a ‘mystical and otherworldly’ nature: religion, Scriptures, apocrypha, angelology. Has anything in your research completely shocked you and changed the way you thought about religion or spirituality?
    A. Rebecca - I was surprised by how easy it was to create the Sanguinist/strigoi mythology by using ref ... Read More
  • Q. INNOCENT BLOOD is a terrific blend of supernatural, mystery, and thriller. Which one of these aspects did you develop first in the genesis of the book?
    A. Rebecca - All of them at once, I think. We had already created the supernatural world and the charac ... Read More
  • Q. What was the biggest challenge in further developing the characters that appeared in THE BLOOD GOSPEL, for the second book in the Sanguines series, INNOCENT BLOOD?
    A. Rebecca - I answered this one early, didn’t I? Sorry about that. The characters had some intense e ... Read More
  • Q. What’s in store for readers in the next book in the Order of the Sanguines series?
    A. Rebecca - I don’t want to give too much away, but the forces unleashed at the end of INNOCENT BLOO ... Read More
  • Q. You now have co-authored two books in the Order of the Sanguines series, how did you decide to join forces? How do two prolific minds work together during the writing process?
    A. Jim - The seed for this series came during a trip to a museum in Los Angeles, where I found myself s ... Read More

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