Terry McCaleb
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''Blood Work'' is a 1997 mystery thriller novel written by
Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of Detective fiction, detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and cr ...
which marks the first appearance of Terry McCaleb. The character McCaleb later returns in ''
A Darkness More Than Night ''A Darkness More Than Night'' is the tenth novel by American crime author Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of Detective fiction, detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featu ...
'' (2000). The book ''Blood Work'' was used as the basis for the 2002 movie of the same name, starring
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
. Connelly was inspired to write the story by a friend who received an organ transplant.


Plot summary

Retired
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
profiler Terrell "Terry" McCaleb, the recent recipient of a heart transplant, is contacted by Graciela Rivers, the sister of his donor Gloria, and asked to investigate her death in an unsolved convenience store robbery. Terry had become a minor celebrity for his work chasing the "Code Killer", a
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
-based
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
who signed his notes with the code "903 472 568". He reluctantly agrees to help Graciela but finds the police handling the case to be extremely hostile. However, he is able to match the style of another killing to Gloria's and gets a copy of the files for both cases from Jaye Winston, the sheriff's deputy on that case. He surprisingly discovers that the call reporting Gloria's shooting was placed slightly prior to the actual shooting, leading him to suspect that she was targeted for murder. He interviews the only witness to the second crime, a man called James Noone, but fails to learn much. As he continues to investigate, against the wishes of his doctor, Terry discovers that the two cases, as well as a third, are linked through the use of a common gun and a common line said by the killer referencing ''
The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...
''. He also learns that the first two victims had Terry's blood types and were on a list of people who had previously donated blood; if the victims died, Terry would benefit from their death as a potential organ recipient. Because of this, the police on Gloria's case focus on Terry as the possible killer and get a warrant to search the fishing boat where he lives. The real killer plants evidence on the boat implicating Terry, but he finds and conceals it. Examining the facts again, Terry realizes that the distinctive attribute of the "Code Killer" was that the nine-digit code did not include a one, and that "James Noone" ("no one") is actually the Code Killer. By following "Noone's" contact information, Terry and Jaye find the Code Killer's files, which prove that he had deliberately killed three people to get Terry a new heart. Although Terry is thus cleared, the fact that Gloria's death was directly due to his illness creates a rift in his increasingly personal relationship with Graciela and her nephew Raymond, Gloria's son. Terry secretly traces the Code Killer to a location in
Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
that matches one "Noone" described. He then finds and is overpowered by the Code Killer, who tells him that he has kidnapped Graciela and Raymond and buried them alive. Despite serious medical problems from so much activity, Terry is able to kill the Code Killer and then uses the little information he has to locate and rescue Graciela and Raymond. Among the law enforcement officials, only Jaye figures out what really happened.


Adaptations

* '' Blood Work'' (2002), film directed by
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...


References


External links


''Blood Work''
at
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Official site
at
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
{{Michael Connelly 1997 American novels Novels by Michael Connelly Novels set in California American novels adapted into films Anthony Award–winning works Macavity Award–winning works Grand Prix de Littérature Policière winners Little, Brown and Company books Mystery novels set in California