Great Mystery With Great Characters
357342
Broken is the latest novel from Karen Slaughter set in Grant County, Georgia.  I have not read any of her previous novels, but it appears from her web site that she has merged two of her series together in having Will Trent come to Grant County.  In spite of the fact that I had not read any of the preceding books, I had no trouble following the story and thoroughly enjoying it.

It is the Monday of Thanksgiving, and Will Trent gets called down to Grant County after a special request by Sara Linton to investigate the suspicious suicide of local boy Tommy Braham.  He was in custody after confessing to the murder of Allison Spooner, a student at the local college.  However detective Lena Adams and Interim Chief Frank Wallace don't seem to be playing things by the book.  Sara also has a vendetta against Lena because she blames Lena for the death of her husband who also happened to be the local police chief until he was killed in the line of duty a few years back.  The story unfolds nicely over the 396 pages of actual prose, and I even got tripped up by Slaughter on the back half of the novel.  The story is told from the third person omniscient perspective, and it is very well paced.  I found the ending satisfying, and I would like to read future novels from Slaughter.

However you may be wondering, "What's the big deal?"  Indeed that alone would not be worthy of a five star review.  However, Broken is the complete package in that it has a great story, suspense, and character development.  I found myself gravitating toward Trent's character as the story progressed, and he also gets the largest role in the story.  Lena is also very well developed as a not quite good, but not really bad character either.  Her character is a bit of a roller coaster ride as she tries to find her way in the story.  The other character that I thought was well done, though very unlikeable, is Frank Wallace.  He is the stereotype crooked, drunk small town cop.  Yet even he is more complex than the simple evil character.  Many others would probably focus on Sara, and she is a good character too.  I decided to mention Lena and Frank for variety.

This is a little longer than you typical 250-300 page mystery, but I believe this is due to the more in-depth character development.  If you like police procedurals with an added bonus of deeper character development, I would highly recommend Broken by Karen Slaughter.

Overall:  A
755810
I rarely give five stars to a book, but 4 stars is a high rating for me.  The characters were easy to get into.  The book held my interest to the end.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries.
1894053
This is the best mystery I've read in quite a while.  The mystery was quite involved but not so much as to be confusing.  The character descriptions were detailed so as to really make you feel you know the people.  The locales made me want to be there, even in the cold.  And a little romance never hurts, would recommend to anyone who is a mystery buff.
490209
As soon as I finished this book, I looked for the next in the series!  One quibble with a single weakness in the plotting (or so I thought)--otherwise, I'd have given this mystery 5 stars. Great characters, good pacing, good characterization of the time and place. If you like historical mysteries, you should pick this one up.
2320472
Great book, enjoyed the characters and the mystery.  I hope to be able to read more about these characters.  Excellent book.
4017871
Exciting mystery with great characters.  I really love these books.
387047
My review is based on the Audiobook. Faceless is a great mystery in that it keeps you guessing until the end. The Author does a great job dropping bread crumbs of hints along the way but you seriously will be guessing until the very end. Within the mystery we meet a cast of characters that are extremely relatable and you quickly become invested in them. The narrator was fabulous and bringing the story and characters to life. I look forward to more from this Author and narrator. This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
4687168
Read one of this series as part of my book club and have been hooked on them ever since.  The character development is wonderful! The people are varied and the interactions plausible.  You are drawn into the people's lives as they experience both expected and unexpected twists of fate.  Each story takes you into the intricacies of the lives of the characters.  I liked the fact that each story feels complete.  Some books end abruptly or seem to have a contrived ending to tie up loose ends.  This is not the case with this author.  Very enjoyable mystery without overly graphic scenes.
4295967
This is a fun, fast-paced mystery with colorful characters and a captivating plot with a lot of suspects, witty banter, interesting twists and turns. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put the book down. Even though this is the fourth Daisy McDare mystery, it is the first one for me and I had no trouble reading it as a standalone.  However, I liked it so much, I plan to read the rest of the series.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
4254633
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. Barbara Marr is an everyday mom who falls into a mystery after her husband moves out of the house because he needs "his space." She becomes embroiled in the goings-on at the vacant house next door and her life is turned upside down. Great characters. I look forward to the next Barbara Marr murder mystery.
4024097
I am a a huge fan of this series and anxiously wait for each new book.  This one didn't disappoint.

There is something "relaxing" for me when reading a book with no cell phones, internet, cars, trains, modern conveniences but all the mystery I love to wade through.  The characters seem very real and the mystery is generally one with lots of twists and turns that leave me surprised at the end.

Highly recommended.  I also recommend that you read this series from the first book as the characters grow and there is often a reference to things that happened in the earlier books.  It's not necessary to do this to enjoy any of the books, but I just like the natural progression of reading any series from the start.
2229282
Abigail Mackenzie may have left the Las Flores CA Police Dept for the peaceful life of a beekeeper on her farmette, but when her friend Fiona Mary Ryan of Ancient Wisdom Botanicals is murdered, Abby cant ignore her investigative training to solve the crime.

Fionas run-ins with former cult associates, and Abbys BFF, former LFPD partner, Kays dating neighbor Lucas Crawford all cause Abby some unsettling feelings.

Each chapter starts with a note from Henny Penny Farmette Almanac and ends with a recipe.

A well written mystery with great characters.

I received a copy of this e-book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
786863
Vanished is a wonderfully crafted mystery that keeps pulling you in and on your toes throughout. The story starts out simple -three best friends, and our protagonist, Kalah, was the third one to add to the dynamic duo. She is younger than the two other girls - Beth and Brit, and while she feels a bit left out from much of their shared history, she is also secure in the knowledge that they both like her enough despite it. This story revolves around the dynamics of their friendship and the idea that perception, not the truth, determines reality.

While the mystery is definitely the selling point of the book, we have a great narrative being set up by virtue of our protagonist Kalah. She has a past history of mental illness; anxiety is her enemy but is also what is making her see beyond. Not to romanticize it, but she has a sharp mind that worries even when not needed. Her relationship with Zach and Beth pull at her; she loves them both, but strongly for the latter, and so feels guilty over the way she is treating the former. She is bisexual but there is no gay panic over it; it is treated normally like how you would treat a person cheating on one with another. Hiding behind her lie means she can't really come out with her suspicions immediately, and that's how involved the character design is in the plot progression. I really don't want to give the details of the actual mystery away, so all I'll say is that the ending was a teensy bit out of the normal, because I don't see the police not investigating that! Nevertheless, the story, and the book overall, make for a very engaging read.
1135297
Loved this book and the characters who come to life and you care about.  I am seldom unable to guess the murderer by mid-way but I was still unsure near the end and surprised with the reveal .  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries that are not too graphic but well-written.
3236813
Great mystery! It was fun to get tangled up in this mystery with engaging characters from the previous mysteries by Patricia Wood. The foreshadowing was just enough to keep me going but not enough to make me figure out "whodunit." The best thing about a good sequel is getting reacquainted with old friends. The characters acquire more depth and interest as you go along.
2742728
This book has great characters, a unique plot, a little romance, and just the right amount of humor. Amber has the authority to control everyone and keep track of all the facts. She also utilizes her crazy family. Even though she seems to do the same thing over and over again she gets the job done. Amber also seems have a horrible sense about people and tends to mistrust people she should and trust ones she shouldn't. But it was a good story and I enjoyed it. The mystery has great suspects and will leave you guessing throughout.
543558
I really enjoyed reading this mystery with well-developed, fun characters and plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing right up until the end.  It contains no real sex or violence and is a fun story to read.