Code Blood by Kurt Kamm took me by surprise. I intended to speed read the book to catch the high points but once I got a couple of chapters in I slowed down and enjoyed every new chapter of this true thriller. The book is built around two main characters, Colt, a firefighter/paramedic from Wyoming and a psychopathic albino blood fetishist goth freak named Markus. This is a classic good vs evil plot but you have to read the story to see who prevails.

Kamm sets the theme with the introduction of Colt responding to a vehicle accident. The complex relationship between Colt and the accident victim drive the story. Kamm takes us into the seedy underworld of Los Angeles but the story is centered around the serene campus of the University of California Los Angeles which Kamm calls “CU”. Ultimately the story plays out on the “CU” campus in the middle of the night. Other characters of note we meet along the way include a crooked Russian mortician, a female Chinese researcher and the girlfriend of Markus. All are woven expertly into the story. Kamm brings all the pieces together nicely at the end.
I recommend Code Blood to adult readers. Not for children.