Title: Shattered Justice by Susan Furlong
Bone Gap Travellers Series Book Three
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In the Appalachian town of Bone Gap, Tennessee, backwoods justice is more than just blind. It’s swift, silent, and shockingly personal. Especially for Irish Traveller turned deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan . . .
“Hear No Evil.”
The first message is found in a playground. A few feet away, a pair of human ears hang from the monkey bars. Deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan isn’t sure what to make of this grisly scene. Do the ears belong to a murder victim? And if so, where is the body? One thing Brynn is sure of: the earring on one of the earlobes belongs to a man she met at a party the previous night. . .
“Speak No Evil.”
The second message is discovered next to a human tongue on a park pavilion. Once again, no body is found. Brynn can’t help but wonder if the crimes are rooted in the town’s long-simmering tensions between Bone Gap locals and the barely tolerated Travellers who’ve settled there.
“See No Evil.”
For Brynn, the investigation hits too close to home—forcing her to confront the demons of her own past. But time is running out. Brynn has to track down the culprit before a third message is delivered—and a third victim is claimed. Rich, atmospheric, and brilliantly chilling, Shattered Justice is the third Bone Gap Travellers novel from the acclaimed author of Splintered Silence and Fractured Truth.
Review:
Shattered Justice by Susan Furlong is a baffling mystery with a flawed yet likable lead protagonist. Although this latest release is the third installment in the Bone Gap Traveller series, it can be read as a standalone.
Deputy Brynn Callahan’s month long sobriety is tenuous and she is skeptical the addiction sessions ordered by her boss Sheriff Frank Pusser’s will help her. But since she wants to keep her job, she does her best of tamp down her cravings and attends the meetings. But when Katie Doogan begins stalking her and threatens to reveal information about Brynn and her beloved Gran, she is hard-pressed to stay away from booze.
The Sheriff’s department’s current case is a much needed distraction as she, fellow deputies Nan Parks and Harris and Sheriff Pusser investigate the troubling discoveries of a pair of severed ears and a severed tongue. Along with the body parts are the messages “hear no evil” and ” speak no evil”. Brynn and her fellow lawmen fear a serial killer is on the loose but with little evidence and no bodies, will they find the person responsible for what is shaping up to be a grisly crime?
Brynn is fighting a difficult battle in her attempt at maintaining sobriety. She is some scornful of her fellow meeting attendees and she is still justifying her problems with alcohol and pills. The surprising discovery that Assistant District Attorney Jake Sheehan is a recovering alcoholic leaves Brynn fighting yet another means of dealing with her problems. She is under extreme stress as Katie ratchets up her efforts to destroy Brynn. She is also determined to uncover the link between two missing men and hopefully clear fellow Traveller Hughie Black of any involvement in her current case.
The investigation is slow moving due to lack of evidence, no bodies or clear motive. Tracking one of the missing person’s movement leads to an uneasy confrontation with a militia group in the surrounding forest. Attempting to find a connection between the two men who have disappeared, Brynn and Parks engage in a disquieting but potentially valuable interview with an elderly teacher from the local high school. Will the information gleaned from the eccentric teacher provide them with the lead they have been waiting for?
Shattered Justice is a dark and gritty mystery that is quite puzzling. Brynn is making progress dealing with her past but whether or not she will conquer her demons is uncertain. The main storyline is complex but dogged determination and painstaking investigating yield viable results. The secondary story arc with Katie adds another layer of suspense to the unfolding story. With shocking twists, Susan Furlong brings this engrossing mystery to a jaw-dropping conclusion. Old and new fans of the series are sure to enjoy this newest addition to the Bone Gap Traveller series.
