Fractured by Karin Slaughter

I have now read every Karin Slaughter book out there and must now wait for the next one. I believe I talked about Slaughter's penchant for the wicked twist in a previous blog entry; whether it's in the opening chapters or at the end, she's got a talent for them. Another thing I like about Slaughter's books is how the mystery of whodunit is revealed and resolved. She makes the resolution believable and organic--though this does not mean it was necessarily predictable by any means and is often quite the opposite. Maybe it's a testament to Slaughter's meticulous development of characters throughout the story that one never feels that the culprit appears suddenly from the mists out in left field.

Fractured opens in an affluent, Atlanta neighborhood. A wealthy teenage girl has been beaten to death and quite possibly raped during the course of her brutal murder. Before the sun sets on this murder, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case and agent Will Trent is searching for another girl, who has been kidnapped. Throughout the course of the investigation an extremely unfavorable portrait is painted of a cruelly manipulative girl for whom causing trouble and wrecking lives soon becomes a blood sport. The investigation also introduces Trent to Atlanta homicide detective, Faith Mitchell, his future GBI partner.

While I love the characters of Mitchell and Trent, I can't say as much for Trent's "fiancee," Angie. If that woman jumped off a cliff, never to be seen nor heard from again, I would be very happy.

This is a gripping page turner dripping with suspense as Trent and Mitchell track down leads and clues, putting the pieces of the puzzle together as quickly as possible. But will it be quickly enough to save the girl who's been taken and is surely suffering unspeakable horrors at the hands of her captor?

I highly recommend you read this book. It is available on shelf at Matthews Public Library; it is also available upon request from Annville Free Library, Lebanon Community Library, Myerstown Community Library, Palmyra Public Library, and Richland Community Library.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

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