Sometimes there are plots you read about and think “wow, there is no way someone could pull this off” and I have to admit that I did not expect much when I happened upon this book but Ramsay did a very credible job of making this work.  I was thrilled to find this to be a really well-written noir story about the relationship between the mob and the Public Defenders in Chicago during the late 30s’.  Blood Law is an exciting blend of genres.

Prohibition has ended and the mob rules Chicago.  It seems like everyone is crooked, from the beat cop to the Judge.  Finding someone willing to take on the mob is as rare as a sober man in a bar.  Alastair Maddox, a former cop turned prosecuting attorney, is not going to stop his pursuit of justice for any reason other than his own death.  He is the kind of guy you have to admire with outstanding characteristics like honesty, integrity, and not afraid to get his hands dirty.  And, he is winning.  He is making a dent, finding the evidence, bringing the mob members to the light until one dark and rainy night his life changes in a way no one could have imagined.  

Alastair finds himself changed, his life turned upside down, and everything lost.  His job, his girlfriend, his co-workers, and personal friends; nothing can ever be the same because Alastair has been turned.  Coming to the realization that there is something worse than death and that the mob has a much more sinister side than ever imagined before, Alastair now realizes that not only does the mob have a vampire in their employee but that he too must now feed on blood.

Ramsay portrays Alastair with edgy detail that leaves you believing that the story is real, but the struggle to balance good and evil is something that takes great bravery and courage to manage.  This is a well-done mystery that combines two worlds of evil into a dark tale of justice.