Reviewed by Mick

Two men, the best of friends, meet again after 20 years apart. But things are very different and much has changed since a carefree youth. Roger learns that his best friend, Perry, has AIDS.

I'm sorry to blatantly give away the main mystery in this story but there is no way to comment on this story without bringing in the AIDS issue. The story doesn't really hide the fact that the character has the disease and you'll work it out soon enough anyway. Herein lies one of the problems with Blood Brothers, it is predictable.

The writing style here is solid and the characters are believable. I liked the way Carol started the piece with the bonding of two close friends, the picture of two young men with the world at their feet. The trouble here is that AIDS is well-covered territory and to write on the subject, you need something very special to keep the reader's attention.

There were a couple of moments that I questioned in this story. Is it really possible to consider someone you haven't seen for 20 years a "best friend"? I doubt it, unless you've been living in a closet (pun not intended!) for the last two decades. And the reaction of the best friend is way over the top. I'd write the reaction down a little. The two extremes here between rejection and denial, to acceptance and love are too fast and too extreme to lend credibility to this story.

But what of the blood bonding here? When Roger finds out Perry has AIDs it doesn't even bother him that they had once mixed blood, despite Perry saying "I've always been gay". I know alarm bells would be going off in my head, even 26 years after the event!

Carol writes a good story. I'd like to see more of her work.