Sins of the Family: A Callie McFee Mystery by Hy Conrad is an exceptional blend of mystery, suspense, and thriller, featuring two unforgettable characters and a twisty plot that transform the book into a page-turner.

Lawrence “Buddy” McFee cares about his reputation and legacy as one of the best fixers Texas has ever had. When he takes on the DUI case, he is convinced it shouldn’t be anything challenging, even if he is aware that he doesn’t possess the sharp mind he once had. But everything goes wrong when his client, Trevor Birdsong, hangs himself in his room. To turn away the attention from himself, Buddy claims the death was a murder. Now, his daughter and the last person that Trevor contacted before killing himself sets out to uncover the truth. As an investigative journalist and a woman who has developed some liking for Trevor, Callie is determined to find out the truth about his death, but what she doesn’t know is that she is also about to open a can of worms that can have her killed and send her father to jail.

First off, it must be said that Hy Conrad is a terrific writer, a great storyteller who has the ability to pull the reader in by introducing a compelling premise and then characters that are real and compelling. The character depth fascinated me and Buddy’s desperation to protect his reputation by lying is only matched by his daughter’s persistent quest for truth. The narrative features strong plot points and the reader is perpetually intrigued following the conflict as it grows at multiple levels — psychological, emotional, and physical. The pacing in Sins of the Family: A Callie McFee Mystery is relentless, the prose is excellent and the author’s unique ability to build strong motivation in the characters enriches the reading experience and augments the entertainment. It is downright gripping and utterly original, it is an intelligently plotted story that explores dark secrets, conspiracy, and a young woman’s unflinching quest for the truth.