The third book in the fourth trilogy of the Bishop/SCU series, Blood Ties starts with a bang— literally.  While at the crime scenes of the aforementioned victims, two agents—Hollis Templeton and Reese DeMarco—are fired upon by a sniper and intentionally allowed to live. The luck for the Special Crimes Unit plummets from there.  One of their rental SUVs is blown up, several townspeople become targets for their sniper, and both Miranda and her husband, Noah Bishop, become very certain that a mole still hides within the SCU.

That's not the only thing from their past back to haunt them - and in the SCU, a unit of agents chosen specifically for their psychic abilities - haunting is unheard-of.  Diana Brisco, one of the team's two mediums, falls victim to the sniper as well, and discovers in what she calls the "gray time" that an evil the unit had thought they defeated is just waiting for an opportunity for, basically, reincarnation.  Diana's spirit guide won't let her return to her body until she uncovers several secrets, one of which throws everything she's been brought up to believe into a tailspin.  Several other of these discoveries, however, are necessities in the investigation, so Diana presses forward, eager to return to her body to impart the information.

Hollis Templeton, who acquired her medium abilities while taking on said evil, makes the choice to go after Diana in the gray time, not a place with which she is comfortable. Both women know, however, in the way of SCU agents, that time is running short and more good men and women will be lost if they don't complete their supernatural mission before much time goes by ... and Diana's body will permanently sever ties to her soul if she waits too long.

The plotline of this novel is rapid-fire, and the perpetrators get to be a little confusing once the team realizes there are several working together.  The handy little explanation at the end does not do the novel justice, and the connections between the cases and the internal leak could definitely have used more fleshing-out.  However, as usual, Hooper delivers a mystery that will keep readers guessing.  Hooper does not flinch away from loss, and several will be felt during the course of Blood Ties.  Those against reading paranormal-themed novels will not have a problem with Blood Ties, or, for the most part, the entire Bishop series; it focuses primarily on the crimes and secondarily on the interpersonal relationships between the agents as well as between agents and their significant others.

A few new characters make appearances in Blood Ties, and a few old faces are welcomed back.  Hooper is trying a new method of adding footnotes in various places so readers can refer back to the tale from which a character comes.  Some readers will find this very convenient, many will likely find it irritating and a bit pompous.  A character list as an appendix does come in handy, though, when trying to place a name.  As, I assume, was intended, both will certainly send those who enjoy the novel out to check out earlier ones.  Those who have read the previous novels will certainly find Blood Ties a suitable addition to this successful series.

--Sarrah Knight