Blood Brothers

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Blood Brothers concludes the story of Steve Garrett that has stretched
across three previous novels: Brothers and Strangers (1991), Stranger on
the Run (1992), and Stranger on the Line (1997). When young teen readers
last encountered Steve, he was fleeing drug dealer Carlos Romero.

Steve, now 21, is in Montana, where, lacking the necessary papers, he
has been manipulated into working at a body shop stripping stolen cars.
A workmate sees a newspaper ad with Steve’s picture in it and a
message asking for Steve to call home. During the call Steve learns that
his younger brother, Beau, 18, has cancer and requires a stem cell
transfer from a related donor. Illegally slipping back across the
Canadian border, Steve returns to his Alberta home and finds that he is
a suitable transfer match.

Halvorson throws in a number of surprises, including the return of
Steve’s mother, who deserted the family a decade ago, and the
introduction of a new character, Jacey, Steve’s 10-year-old sister.
Virtually all of the loose ends from the previous three novels are tied
up: during a car chase involving Steve and Jacey, the bad guys, Romero
and Donovan, are killed; the boys’ estranged parents appear headed
toward a reconciliation; and Beau will likely marry his high-school
sweetheart, Raine. Even Lynne Tremaine reappears and offers Steve
another chance at their being a couple. Only Steve’s having abandoned
his day parole remains unresolved.

Halvorson supplies sufficient background that Blood Brothers can be
read on its own. Recommended.