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    Fractured
    Fractured
    Fractured
    Audiobook10 hours

    Fractured

    Written by Sarah Fine

    Narrated by Amy McFadden

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Book Two in the Guards of the Shadowlands series

    In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

    Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela’s authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

    As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateOct 29, 2013
    ISBN9781480544826
    Fractured
    Author

    Sarah Fine

    Sarah Fine is the author of several popular series, including The Impostor Queen and the Guards of the Shadowlands. And while she promises she is not psychoanalyzing those around her, she manages to use both her talent as a writer and her experience as a psychologist to great effect. Sarah's stories blur lines, challenge convention, and press boundaries. Her mash-up of seemingly disparate genres yields stories that not only are engaging but will keep readers guessing. Sarah has lived on the West Coast and in the Midwest, but she currently calls the East Coast home. She confesses to having the music tastes of an adolescent boy and an adventurous spirit when it comes to food (especially if it's fried). But if her many books are any indication, writing clearly trumps both her musical and culinary loves.

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    Reviews for Fractured

    4/5

    647 ratings41 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Karin Slaughter is the absolute best crime/mystery writer I have come across in this day and age. Her novels will simply astound you with their heart-racing moments and intrigue. Every time I pick one of her novels up I cannot stop reading until I'm done and I still find myself begging for more. She's a writer with no fear! She wields her instruments like a knife ready to dig in deep and take you by surprise at every turn!
    • 5/5
      After falling head over heels in love with Malachi Sanctum by Sarah Fine, I expected Fractured to be no different. And I was not disappointed.This book, instead of being set in the terrifying and dark place of the Shadowlands, it’s set in the human world.At first I was a bit skeptical about how Sarah would manage to make things interesting (since the human world is such a boring place), but she did not fail in creating a captivating world.I loved seeing Lela in this book being more emotionally stable, and much more badass. There is no doubt in my mind that Lela can definitely take care of herself. She is strong, she is tough, and she can be undeniably ruthless. Loved her.Malachi is also different in this book: he’s in the human world, out of his element,; and it was fun seeing him trying to adjust to this. I loved seeing Malachi in the real world, because he was a bit like Lela was in the beginning of Sanctum.There were some new characters added to this book, and I think that they all added something interesting to the story. There wasn’t an unimportant character in the book.The way the story seemed to flow, you really had no idea where it was going, and I think that was the best part. You were constantly on your toes because Sarah could throw you a curveball at any moment! It was awesome.In this book, the romance takes a backseat to everything, and I was happy to see that. I wanted to know if I would have been able to enjoy this book without it, and I did enjoy it. I enjoyed it so much.Also, HOLY MOTHER OF CLIFFHANGERS! This book has the most devastating cliffhanger ever to exist. I don’t think I’ve ever been this emotionally damaged. This cliffhanger came completely out of nowhere, and just when you think you have more pages left. I was really surprised. I kind of admire what the author did with this book, because with that cliffhanger, you have no idea what’s going to happen with the next book. You don’t know how the characters are going to get through this situation, which means I am more than anxious for the next book in this series.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoy reading this author although this one took me a while to get into as it didn't have the Sara Linton character in it that has featured in the other books I've read. Still a great read though.
    • 4/5
      Book Description
      1CBreathless tension! 1D raved the San Francisco Chronicle. 1COne of [the year 19s] most remarkable achievements, 1D crowed the Philadelphia Inquirer. Karin Slaughter dazzled readers and critics alike with Triptych, her New York Times bestselling suspense novel set in metropolitan Atlanta. Now the #1 internationally bestselling author returns to the damaged landscape she knows so well in a bold new novel 14at once a powder keg of suspense, a gritty portrait of a cop 19s life, and a searing exploration of a shocking crime and its aftermath 26

      With its gracious homes and tree-lined streets, Ansley Park is one of Atlanta 19s most desirable neighborhoods. But in one gleaming mansion, in a teenager 19s lavish bedroom, a girl has been savagely murdered. And in the hallway, her horrified mother stands amid shattered glass, having killed her daughter 19s attacker with her bare hands.

      Detective Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is here only to do a political favor; the murder site belongs to the Atlanta police. But Trent soon sees something that the cops are missing, something in the trail of blood, in a matrix of forensic evidence, and in the eyes of the shell-shocked mother. Within minutes, Trent is taking over the case 14and adding another one to it. He is sure that another teenage girl is missing, and that a killer is on the loose.

      Armed with only fleeting clues, teamed with a female cop who has her own personal reasons for hating him, Trent has enemies all around him 14and a gnawing feeling that this case, which started in the best of homes, is cutting quick and deep through the ruins of perfect lives broken wide-open: where human demons emerge with a vengeance.

      My Review
      This was a fast-paced read with lots of suspense. It had well-developed plot and characters. It was very well written and leaves you wanting to learn more about Will. I 19m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Undone.
    • 4/5
      When I first started reading this book I thought it was a standalone but quickly realized it was the next book in a series which started with Triptych. The story starts with a woman arriving home and finding her door open and the window glass smashed. She thinks of her daughter and runs up the stairs but at the top of the stairs she sees a girl obviously murdered (presumably her daughter) and a man kneeling next to her with a knife in her hand. She screams and runs down the stairs, she falls down the stairs, the man follows, grabs her legs, she kicks him, gets on top of him and strangles him to death. A very exciting start and things slowly unravel to not be as they first appeared. This was an enjoyable mystery with lots of turns in the plot and a satisfying solution. However, I expected more from a Karin Slaughter book. I'm used to using the word "gruesome" to describe her books and this was nowhere near that calibre which is somewhat a shame since the first book in this new series, Triptych, was an incredibly brutal and intricately woven story. I honestly felt that for some reason Slaughter was purposefully trying to tone down the stomach-turning details of her previous works and that is not what I expected. The book ends on an obvious note that there will be more books in this series. The main characters from this book appear as minor characters in a few of her other Grant Country series books so I would suggest starting from the beginning with Karin Slaughter and read her books either by series or by the order in which they were published.
    • 3/5
      I like Will Trent. He's the best flawed character I've read in a long time. I loved how in Triptych, you couldn't tell until well into the book that Will was the main character, and series regular. Unfortunately, the story in Fractured just wasn't that interesting. I love that Will's functionally illiterate. It's fascinating that a writer and her readers (all of whom are obviously quite literate) would enter a journey with a person who finds reading the simplest words a trial. But I didn't give a much of a hoot about the other characters, some of whom lived, a couple died, and one kidnapped. Plus after such an excellent introduction to a new series, I was looking for more about Will, and Angie, and even the little rat that passes for a dog.
    • 4/5
      THAT ENDING!!

      I cried. And, when I was done crying, I couldn't stop myself from saying wow out loud over and over again. For good or bad reasons, these books make me want to talk to myself.

      Lela and Malachi, like I said before, I ignored what was going on between them romantically. And it was hard considering no matter what Lela was talking or thinking about, it always came back to Malachi. I'm just not a romance person. However none of that mattered though, because I'm in love with this Trilogy so far.
    • 4/5
      This was initially going to be 3.5 stars, but the ending made it 4 stars. As it often happens with sequels, it wasn't as good as the first book, I actually had quite a lot of issues with it, I found it slow most of the time and there were few scenes that made me feel anything at all. I also found that the first person narration bothered me a lot, an issue which I didn't have in the first book. On the bright side, there were parts that caught me by surprise, I loved Jim and Henry, and Lela is still a great protagonist. I will definitely be reading the third one.
    • 5/5
      "When Atlanta housewife Abigail Campano comes home unexpectedly one afternoon, she walks into a nightmare. A broken window, a bloody footprint on the stairs and, most devastating of all, the horrifying sight of her teenage daughter lying dead on the landing, a man standing over her with a bloody knife. The struggle which follows changes Abigail's life for ever."The author weaves a fascinating tale of monsters who hide in plain sight, monsters who show who they are but the concept is difficult to grasp and people who are sworn to protect the public but have a plethora of their own secrets. Will Trent's series is off to a great start and I cannot wait to continue the ride.
    • 2/5
      This is the first time in my life when I read a detective novel solely for the character of the investigators. The story starts very strong with the nightmare scenario of a rich woman coming back from tennis to find her daughter lying in a pool of blood and a man kneeling above her holding a bloody knife.

      The story does not improve from then on if it were not for my interest in Will Trent the investigating officer and his new partner Faith Mitchell.
      The investigation unfolds over the course of three days with following up the usual leads in the tradition of CSI and Law and Order, the only thing is that it takes longer to get to the conclusion and when it finally comes it is a little bit of a cliche. It would have been all deadly boring if it was not for the interest in the character of Will Trent, a Special agent who grew up as a ward of the state, and Faith Mitchell the 33-year old detective whose son is a college freshman. I think I had a secret wish for them to get involved romantically, but by the end of the book they only managed to hit it off to a friendship and a long-term partnership.
    • 5/5
      I found this book in the library and was halfway into it when I noticed that I had it on my 'reject' shelf in Goodreads. I'm glad I did not check that first or I would not have given it a chance.

      It's a very good story with very interesting characters including an illiterate police detective.

      I see that I have read another book of hers and didn't like it as well. She's prolific so I have some more to try and will.
    • 3/5
      When a teenage girl from an affluent Atlanta neighborhood is murdered and her apparent friend is kidnapped, Detective Will Trent is in charge of tracking down those responsible. This is book #2 in the Will Trent series. I've not read the first book, nor any other books by Karin Slaughter prior to this one. Mostly, I was underwhelmed by this novel. The story line was decent enough, although it did drag on longer than I felt it needed to. It was the writing that I really just couldn't appreciate. Lots of overused phrases and cliches, and combined with an audiobook reader who was overdramatic at times, I caught myself rolling my eyes more than once. All in all, I was left with a rather lukewarm feeling regarding this author.
    • 3/5
      This book clinched it. I'm hooked on this series. Characters are just too good. And the writing is interesting and fast-paced. Not to mention that the narration for the audio version was very well done. Subject matter was a little rough (sex crimes) but not overly graphic.
    • 4/5
      Fractured
      4.5 Stars

      The characters in this series are completely different from those in Karin Slaughter's Grant County series in that they are all so incredibly likable.

      Yes, GBI agent Will Trent is damaged, but he is also one of those people who never allows adversity to defeat them. His intelligence and resilience are amazing, and his lack of social skills and graces make him all the more endearing.

      Will's partner, Faith Mitchell, is also very engaging. Despite her personal animosity toward Will, she is able to look past her bias and focus on what needed to be done to solve the case.

      Will's supervisor, Amanda Wagner, is one tough cookie, but it is obvious that she has his best interests at heart, and it will be interesting to discover more about their history as there is definitely more to their relationship than meets the eye.

      One cannot help but compare Angie Polaski to Lena from the Grant County. Nevertheless, their similarities only go so far, and one significant difference is a certain self awareness on Angie's part, which Lena is lacking. This makes her a much more appealing character.

      The case is gripping from the very first page and following the investigation with all its twists and turns makes it impossible to put down. As the truth of the convoluted crime emerges, one cannot help but feel even more for the suffering of the victims, and rejoice when the perpetrators receive their just deserts.

      In sum, another fantastic story from Slaughter and I am looking forward to the next book in which the Grant County and Will Trent series merge together.
    • 4/5
      This book took me two months to read. TWO. MONTHS. That is just crazy. I'm a fast reader and rather enjoy the books I read, but this one kind of got away from me. I nearly DNF it a few times, but because I can tend to get attached to characters (in books/movies/video games) I just couldn't let it go. I'm glad I didn't because it quickly made up for the slow start. The ending wrapped up rather nicely, in my opinion.

      This is the second in the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter. Trent is an agent in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and damn good one. Fresh off a case in which he brought down multiple corrupt cops in the Atlanta PD, he is partnered up with the daughter of one of those cops to work a murder case involving a seventeen-year-old girl. The thing that interested me most was Will Trent's secret. He is dyslexic. It makes for a character that embraces his disorder as a strength rather than as a weakness. It is admirable and inspiring.
    • 4/5
      Abigail Campano walks into her house to find her daughter Emma dead, a man still standing over her with a knife. Without thinking about danger to herself she attacks the man, choking him to death. When the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Will Trent arrives, he reads the devastating scene in a completely different way. Someone is dead, but it isn't Emma. It appears that Emma has been kidnapped. Will is paired up in this investigation with Atlanta Police Detective Faith Mitchell, who despises Will for her own personal reasons.

      This is the second book of the Will Trent series and the one where Faith makes her debut. Having read this series previously, I enjoyed seeing how far their work relationship has evolved over the years. Will is a completely different type of investigator than I'm used to. He's tall and ungainly, has a pet Chihuahua named Betty, the “social skills of a feral monkey”, and he's been keeping his dyslexia a secret for years.

      I've started to listen to the entire series in audio and Phil Gigante does a sensational job with his narration. The author does a remarkable job of mixing mystery and suspense with outstanding character development. Fractured kept me on the edge of my seat and I'm anxious to read the next book in the series, Undone.
    • 5/5
      There is just something so very tight about Karin Slaughter's writing style, and yet she is able to find the depth of humanity (or not) in a character.

      This murder mystery is no exception: drawing the reader into a hot Atlanta August, the traffic on Peachtree, and the beauty of the Ansley Park area are just the settings that she manages deftly. Add to that a horrifying realization early on in the book, and once again you can't put it down.

      When the book ends you realize how easily things like the events described can happen to anyone.
    • 4/5
      "Fractured", a story about a murder/kidnapping/sex abuse case, is a police procedural concerned primarily with the relationship between the two detectives assigned to the horrific crime. Will Trent, a loner who was raised in an orphanage with the father of one of the victims. Faith Mitchell, the 30-something mother of a college freshman. Both relationship-challenged, both with significant personal issues, both intensely private about their thoughts and feelings. As they struggle to find the perpetrators, they must also struggle to work out an effective professional partnership.

      The plot line is a solid one, but in solving the mystery, more reliance is placed upon coincidence than policing or evidence. It also bogged down in the middle sections, and the heavy repetition of some of the themes grew tiresome. But Karin Slaughter is skilled at writing dialogue and creating tension and drama without resorting to histrionics. With "Fracture", she has created two new, sympathetic characters who have plenty of room to develop.
    • 5/5
      Sometimes, all you could do was pray for the strength to carry on.A very fitting quote that applies well to the entire scope of Fractured. This book is INTENSE. The action and suspense starts immediately and doesn't let up as a family clings to the tiniest glimmer of hope that their daughter will be found alive. The book begins with a tragic crime in the Campano home. Right away there are twists in the plot and shocking surprises I never imagined. The emotion radiated off the pages, amping up the suspense, the anxiety of the family, the frustration of Detective Will Trent and other law enforcement personnel, etc. Karin Slaughter really shines when it comes to writing crime drama from the law enforcement perspective and I think it's because her characters always give it that extra edge. She doesn't know how to write a cookie cutter character. Be it a villain, a hero, or just a one scene witness, he/she will be as complex, emotional, and thought provoking as possible. This is why I keep returning to her books. Fractured is the second book in the Will Trent series and so far, I'm deeply intrigued by his mysterious personality. We're given a glimpse into his childhood and gain a little more understanding as to why he seems so broken and lonely. I really like his investigative style and his eye for detail. He picks up on clues at the scene that might not stand out to others, but yet he struggles with a learning disability that he's hiding from his superiors. He's walking a constant tight rope as far as his job is concerned and this time, the life of a 17-year-old girl hangs in the balance. I also enjoyed getting to know Amanda and hope that we will see her work with Trent again in future books. She's another character with multiple layers to explore. I've mentioned before that these books aren't for everyone. The violence is graphic and the subject matter is definitely adult: issues dealing with teenage sex, sexual exploitation of a minor, rape, and other violence. As always, theses tough issues are realistic and not just thrown in for shock value. I'll be moving on to book three!
    • 5/5
      Spannend bis zur letzten Seite. Nicht jede Vorstellung wird erfüllt sondern auch mal auf eine andere Denkweise gelenkt, was das Buch sehr interessant und spannend macht. Die Hauptfigur Will Trent ist Legastheniker und wie er mit den alltäglichen Hürden und der Bürokratie klarkommt ist höchst interessant zumal gerade das ihn kurzzeitig fast endgültig zum Verhängnis zu werden scheint. Das er am Ende dann doch noch den einen Täter findet der die Schlüsselfigur im Fall darstellt und somit auf den Haupttäter, der eigentlichen Manipulator, kommt ist bemerkenswert ausgearbeitet.
    • 4/5
      Fractured by Karin Slaughter (Will Trent Series #2), is another intense crime thriller set in Ansley Park, an upscale neighborhood of Atlanta, a teenage girl murdered, and another is kidnapped and missing.

      A case of mistaken identity, when the girl murdered is not the girl who lives in this upscale home. Affluent Atlanta housewife, Abigail Campano, arrives home to find a man standing over the corpse of a teenage girl she thinks is her daughter. She kills him in a blind rage, but learns later that he and the dead girl were friends of her daughter, who has been kidnapped.

      To further complicate, Will grew up with Emma’s dad, Paul. Paul dislikes Will since they were orphans. He does not want Trent in his house, much less investigating the case. He is accustomed to getting his own way, as wealthy and throws money and possessions out to his daughter to the point of being out of control. His marriage is also rocky and Abigail wants Trent involved to get to the bottom of the crime.

      Atlanta Homicide Detective Faith Mitchell has been temporarily transferred to Trent’s partner. She is not so thrilled with this assignment. Trent has been given the assignment of uncovering corruption in the Atlanta police department. Ten officers were fired, and Mitchell’s mother was forced to take retirement since she was involved in the takedown.

      Detective Will Trent (GBI) and APD Faith Mitchell are assigned to the case to find Emma. (the rich girl who is missing). Throughout the book, readers get an inside look into the relationships of the characters, making the suspense high for an engaging and satisfying read.

      Having read all the Will Trent series, I am now playing catch up this evening writing all my reviews. Karin has a unique writing style with in depth police procedural, well-developed characters, detailed information of Atlanta, and up close and personal with insights into each personality—connecting with the reader on all levels.

      I listened to the audiobook and Phil Gigante did ok; however, I prefer Kathleen Early (narrator of her latest releases).

      Read them all – you will not be disappointed - Love Will Trent!!
    • 5/5
      A good crime book with a good story.
    • 4/5
      A well-written whodunit involving murder and kidnapping with plenty of discovery, depravity, twists and an introduction to dyslexia and other reading challenges.A well-to-do mother, while on the phone with her husband, realizes someone had broken into the house as she arrives home and comes across a bloody young man holding a knife over her daughter’s obviously raped, beaten and stabbed body. When the kid comes after her, she fights back and kills him. But wait, that’s not Emma, it’s her best friend who looks a lot like her. The case is reluctantly turned over to the GBI, which is a good thing because Special Agent Will Trent sees a number of things the Atlanta PD didn’t, including the fact that the young man had been a victim too.Detective Faith Mitchell from the Atlanta PD is not happy to be working the case with Will. He’d done some investigation that recently got a number of police fired for taking drug money and her own mother was forced to retire from the force early because she upheld the Code of Silence and wouldn’t rat out her own people. But she eventually sees how good he is and how much more respect she gets from him than she’s ever gotten when working with other male detectives.As always the author leads us down a number of different interesting paths while trying to find Emma, and in doing so, we and Will learn more about his dyslexia when interviewing a teacher that tutors kids with various levels of reading challenges. He’s so good at his job because of this different wiring in his head that always made him think he was just stupid. But he’s got plenty of ways to hide this issue and at work; only his boss knows his secret.You won’t be guessing who has Emma until the author is ready to share and through the investigation, a secondary case is uncovered. Having enough evidence for the person involved in the secondary case to keep him in jail will make you feel good. Some very interesting characters and situations are shared with us and I really like Faith who shares a lot of screen time. We’d met Will in Triptych and he is who he is because of his upbringing and earlier experiences. But I’m really hoping that as the series goes on, he starts including successful experiences and his new understanding of dyslexia into the equation of how he views himself and his worthiness.
    • 5/5
      A woman comes home to find a man with a knife hunched over what she believes to be the dead body of her teenage daughter. She did what she felt she had to do, and fought back, killing him. But all was not as it appeared.This is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read, and I loved every second of it. Slaughter's writing style reminds me a lot of Lisa Gardner's, which is a huge compliment from me because I adore her books also. The story was gripping and I genuinely couldn't figure out who did it. I'm not used to being unable to figure it out - usually my overly-analytical brain doesn't give up until it's done, but I think that the plot for this book was so enthralling that I couldn't think of anything at all, I was far too engrossed. Slaughter really seems to care a great deal about her characters. Throughout the book, I really felt like I got to know them and actually developed some deep feelings towards them. I was actually really saddened when I turned the last page; I just wanted to stay there with them. I'm already looking into the next book in the series because I feel like I can't stay away from my beloved Will Trent for much longer.I can't speak too much about the writing style. I simply wasn't paying attention to it. I know that she is considered to write quite vigorously and can be quite a tough read, but I didn't find this at all. I found this book to almost turn the pages itself. I was reading, and then before I knew it, I was at the end. It took me two days to read over 500 pages and I think that really speaks volumes for how much it captivated me and how easy to read I found this book. It was a sophisticated book, though, and that's for sure. Both the plot and characters were incredibly realistic. This is important to me (although I can't say why). The plot itself was captivating and really leaves you wanting more. Everything ties in nicely with everything else, and despite all loose ends being tied at the end, it wasn't perfect. And that lack of perfection at the ending really adds to the realism of the story. Slaughter writes as though she's just telling a tale of something that happened in real life, and I think that when writing a thriller, the scariest and most captivating of tales are those that we can see really happening to our neighbour, our father, ourselves. It is brilliant.Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and am so excited to read the next in the series.
    • 4/5
      Interesting story, provides good insight to Will Trent's character, and some into Faith Mitchell's. I have just downloaded the 3rd book in this series!Reader Phil Gigante does an excellent job with the many characters voices, making it readily obvious who is speaking. He also emotes believable emotions for them.
    • 2/5
      Although Slaughter knows how to write a page-turner, and this one was no exception, several highly improbable leaps in this one strained even this most forgiving reader. I liked the characters, though, and hope Slaughter will give them a better novel in which to appear in the future.
    • 3/5
      At the start of bestseller Slaughter’s heart-pounding sequel to 2006’s Triptych, wealthy housewife Abigail Campano returns home one day to Atlanta’s posh Ansley Park neighborhood to find a dead girl in the mansion’s upstairs hallway, the apparent killer nearby. Thinking that the girl is her teenage daughter, Emma, the distraught Abby kills the alleged attacker only to realize that the murdered girl is not Emma, but Emma’s friend, Kayla Alexander. Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation soon determines that he has a murder and kidnapping on his hands. Paired with Det. Faith Mitchell, Trent scrambles to put the pieces together and find Emma before it’s too late. Summary BPLContinuing to read Slaughter’s book out of order with no nasty side effects. Although peopled with continuing characters, each book stands alone and strong. Ms Slaughter has not disappointed yet!8 out 10 Recommended to murder mystery fans with strong stomachs….
    • 4/5
      Again Slaughter has produced another winner. The story could be partly from the average nightly newscast, but she puts in the backstories that make you not want to put this down. She doesn’t sugar coat it—the good guys aren’t saints and the bad guys, well not all are born that way. A very different look at what happens after a trauma, and an interesting tidbit to look forward to in the future.
    • 2/5
      Slaughter is one of my fav authors but this book was not her usual. Likable characters but the story just went on and on. I was very disappointed.
    • 5/5
      Firstly thanks to Gael for giving me a new writer that I can enjoy. I know I had a wee dig in the first review by Slaughter but this book was a brilliant read. While it took me more than my usual week to read, this was in no way because of the writing but my own busy schedule (fitting it in with housework, kids, cooking, drinking etc). The last 200 pages went by in a flash and in fact had me up until nearly midnight finishing it.Without giving too much away the main story follows an FBI-type cop and his struggles to find the murderer of a school girl who has abducted a second one. The girls are from a well-to-do background which has its normal politics involved, but when he is paired up with a badge who happens to be the daughter of a woman he forced into retirement through another investigation he has to battle not only his own slut of a fiance, his dyslexia, but her (and the entire force’s) hatred for him.Unlike my favourite pin-cushion, Richard Layton, Slaughter’s dip into weird sex fetishes comes across as believable and readable…In a style that seems to be her MO Slaughter throws a few curve balls into the mix to have you guessing and double guessing but this is par for the course, but what I did like in this book that while the case was seemingly solved with nearly 100 pages to run the story was by no means finished. You’d think a story would drag with an early conclusion but it didn’t.The other good aspect to this book were a couple of ‘will they, won’t they” by lines.But I have to throw some criticism, and it has nothing to do with the story; but I suspect Karin is somewhat needy, particularly for recognition. For a story of about 500 pages, the first 10 or so are taken up with credits and plaudits for her writing. Christ woman, we get it you’re not a bad scribe, but do you have to boast about it so blatantly?Anyway, Gael, some more loaners soon?