“None of this makes sense.”

Book Review:

Review by Eleanor Bukowsky (JUN 23, 2010)

Karin Slaughter brings together some of her most memorable characters in Broken, her latest thriller. Twenty-one year old Allison Spooner is at the end of her rope. She is short of money, her boyfriend has disappointed her, and her rusted-out hulk of a car is on its last legs. She is struggling to keep up with her college classes at Georgia’s Grant Tech while earning a pittance as a waitress in a diner. Sadly, her dream of escaping her tedious life are shattered when she is attacked and killed by an unknown assailant.

Lena Adams, the senior detective on call, is summoned to the scene. At first, it appears that Spooner may have killed herself, but new evidence points to murder. Lena’s boss, interim chief of police Frank Wallace, is not much help. He has been drinking heavily, and his mind is clearly elsewhere. When Wallace, Adams, and Detective Brad Stephens travel to the address where the victim allegedly lived, they discover a possible suspect. What follows is a series of blunders that lead to disaster both for the person taken into custody and the cops who arrest him.

To make matters more complicated, Dr. Sara Linton, who is a pediatrician, medical examiner, and the widow of the former police chief, Jeffrey Tolliver, is visiting her family for Thanksgiving. Sara despises Lena, whom she blames for her late husband’s death, and would prefer never to lay eyes on the detective ever again. She acidly tell someone that Lena is “never held accountable for anything. She always manages to slither back under her rock.” When Special Agent Will Trent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assigned to look into Allison Spooner’s death, he teams up with Sara, whose expertise proves to be invaluable.

Broken is an exciting, suspenseful, and poignant tale that shows how people sow the seeds of their own destruction. They withhold vital information, try to cover up their mistakes, and shift blame to others. What results is a needless waste of lives and resources. Sara and Will both have inner demons to contend with, but as they get to know one another, they open up a bit and form a tenuous connection.

Slaughter is a terrific storyteller. The plot is well-constructed and involving, her dialogue is realistic, and the author captures the feeling of life in a small Georgia town, where people know everyone else’s business and cling tightly to their prejudices and pettiness. The characters are generally well-delineated: Dr. Sara Linton is still in mourning for her husband, although he has been gone for four years; Lena Adams has committed her share of screw-ups, but has always been too stubborn to admit her culpability; Will Grant is a good-hearted man and an excellent detective but he is hiding a secret that, if revealed, may affect his future in the Bureau; Frank Wallace, after thirty-five years on the force, is an alcoholic who no longer has what it takes to function on the job. This is a fast-moving story that falters a bit during the final formulaic confrontation. In general, however, Broken works, because Karin Slaughter’s compassion for her characters shines through. She depicts them as three-dimensional human beings, warts and all, most of whom would like to fix what is broken in their lives. Unfortunately, not everyone has the courage, honesty, and motivation to face the truth and take the necessary steps to rectify what is wrong.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 173 readers
PUBLISHER:	Delacorte Press; 1 edition (June 22, 2010)
REVIEWER:	Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Karin Slaughter
EXTRAS:	Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Another good storyteller: Karin Fossum

Bibliography:

Grant County, Georgia series:

• Blindsighted (2001)
• Kisscut (2002)
• A Faint Cold Fear (2003)
• Indelible (2004)
• Faithless (2005)
• Beyond Reach (2007) (aka Skin Privilege in UK)

Will Trent series:

• Triptych (2006)
• Fractured (2008)
• Undone (2009) (called Genesis in UK)
• Broken (2010)
• Fallen (2011)
• Criminal (2012)
• Unseen (July 2013)

“Writing can be an exorcism of fear and of hatred; it can be a way to overcome prejudice and pain. At least if you can write you have a chance to express yourself…you can put your thoughts out into the world, and regardless of whether anyone actually reads them or understands them they are no longer trapped inside of you. Bottle them up…and one day you’re likely to just explode.”

Book Review:

Review by Eleanor Bukowsky (OCT 10, 2009)

R. J. Ellory’s A Quiet Belief in Angels is the heartrending story of Joseph Vaughn, a boy who grows up under an unlucky star. The narrator is only eleven when his thirty-seven year old father, Earl, dies in 1939, leaving him and his impoverished young mother to fend for themselves. Earl’s death leaves Joseph and his mother deeply shaken. The boy is further traumatized when a classmate is found dead, after having been stripped, beaten, and assaulted by an unknown perpetrator. This girl’s murder is just the first in a long string of calamities that will dog Augusta Falls, Georgia, where Joseph and his mother live. The specter of death constantly haunts this tragic tale of hopes dashed and innocent lives snuffed out prematurely.

The author eloquently and vividly evokes the atmosphere of rural Georgia before the Second World War, where people make do with very little, gossip is a way of life, neighbors help neighbors, and outsiders are never fully accepted. There was “a richness in friendship and community” that helped compensate for a lack of material wealth. Joseph, who is highly intelligent, sensitive, and imaginative, is given a much-needed boost by his beloved teacher, Miss Webber, who encourages him to become an avid reader and try his hand at creative writing.

This multi-faceted novel blends disparate elements that do not always smoothly coexist. Side by side with scenes of gothic horror are poignant romantic encounters. Humor and tragedy intermingle freely. Although Joseph benefits from a few close friendships, he also endures unspeakable betrayals. Throughout, he recalls in flashback the high and lows of his tumultuous life. Vaughn is a three-dimensional protagonist who holds this somewhat sprawling book together when it is in danger of sinking under its own weight. In an electrifying conclusion, Joseph decides that it is his responsibility to mete out punishment on behalf of the many people whose lives have been ruined by a psychopathic and manipulative villain. It is likely that Ellory tries to do too much in this murder mystery/ coming-of-age story/ exploration of family angst/ and study of small town life. Still, A Quiet Belief in Angels has a gripping quality that draws us in and keeps us on tenterhooks until it culminates in an explosive confrontation between good and evil.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 38 readers
PUBLISHER:	Overlook Hardcover (September 8, 2009)
REVIEWER:	Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	R. J. Ellory
EXTRAS:	Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	More Georgia novels: Ravens by George Dawes Green Swan by Frances Maye In the Dark of the Moon by Suzanne Hudson Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones And a new novel by RJ Ellory: The Anniversary Man

Bibliography:

• Candlemoth (2003)
• Ghostheart (2004)
• A Quiet Vendetta (2005)
• City of Lies (2006)
• A Quiet Belief in Angels (2007; September 2009 in US)
• A Simple Act of Violence (2008; June 2011)
• The Anniversary Man (2009; June 2010 in US)