It’s rare for me to come into a series part way through and feel like I completely understand what’s happening. And yes, I have an unfortunate habit of starting with the newest book and going back for the rest of series later. Frequently, it’s less confusing than you’d think, but reading the earlier book or watching the first movie really adds to my grasp of overall events. In the case of Shattered, I think I actually benefited from not having any back story to the events.

At least, it enabled me to really appreciate how well Dani Pettrey reintroduced her readers to the characters and town. The pre-established relationship between Piper McKenna and Landon Grainger clearly came with a lot of baggage that seemed to allude to prior events, but it unfolded beautifully throughout the plot, and I felt making it part of the mystery served the book well.

As for the mystery, I feel a little shell-shocked. The fast moving plot armed with plenty of hairpin turns seemed like the sort of scenario that the television character Richard Castle would invent while staring at a murder board. While it made for a terribly exciting book, I can’t say that I found it remotely plausible. As someone who deeply loves fantasy and science fiction, this didn’t bother me too much. However, I know many people read mysteries for their verisimilitude, and I think they might find Shattered’s farfetched feel annoying. If you can look past that though, you’ll find Shattered a solid entry in the cozy mystery category.

My thanks to Baker Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Shattered via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion of the book.