Author: Shelley Coriell
Publisher: Grand Central Forever
Publication Date: April, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Description: He took her life, but left her alive.
Three years ago, reporter Kate Johnson was the first victim—and only survivor—of the Broadcast Butcher. Scarred both physically and psychologically by the brutal serial killer, Kate lives life on the run, knowing that one day, he will find her and finish what he started.
In the pursuit of justice, you sometimes have to step outside the law.
Agent Hayden Reed spends his life chasing monsters. The only way to stay sane is to detach, but the second the Broadcast Butcher case crosses his desk, Hayden knows this is the case that might just cost him his soul. To catch this vicious murderer before he strikes again, Hayden must find Kate and earn her trust. For it's her darkest secrets that hold the key to stopping this madman once and for all . . .
My Thoughts: I enjoyed The Broken by new to me author Shelley Coriell. This book is the first installment of a series centering on a crack shot team of FBI agents tasked with hunting down the big bad evil in the world. This first book introduces us to Kate Johnson and Hayden Reed. Kate was the first victim and only survivor of a vicious serial killer and has been in hiding, intent on keeping her trail untraceable, knowing the killer is still out there and anxious to finish the job. Hayden is an FBI profiler looking for the serial killer with personal demons of his own, committed to catching the killer and keeping Kate safe. I really liked that Hayden wasn’t the typical knight in shining armor hero. He’s deeply flawed with painful scars and carrying immense personal baggage and that makes him perfect for Kate. They are kindred spirits and I enjoyed watching them connect and learn to let their guard down and trust one another. Kate’s entire life has been a complete nightmare. Raised by a mentally ill mother and abandoned by her father, Kate worked hard to make her life successful until the night she nearly died. Since then she has been on the run staying with a cantankerous Vietnam vet as his caretaker and making jewelry. She is on high alert always and ready to hit the road at a moment’s notice. When the killer strikes again, she realizes she is going to have to come out of hiding and work with the FBI before another victim is claimed.
This book takes the reader into Kate’s past and we discover the Broadcast Butcher wasn’t the only dark moment in Kate’s life. I was hoping to find out more about her father and what happened with him and why he never came back and my heart went out to the child Kate was and what she endured. I was angry at her grandparents for never being there and wished Kate told them how their absence in her life affected her. Their assistance to the FBI seemed a little too late for me. Perhaps there will be more closure here as the series progresses. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Smokey Joe. He was an amazing character and the perfect surrogate father that Kate needed in her life.
My only problem with this story is that there was such a huge build-up to the end which fell flat for me. I had high anticipation to learn who the killer was but the big reveal was a big letdown. I felt it was it was a random afterthought and the reasons behind why he targeted Kate in the first place felt hollow to me.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good story with interesting and well-written characters that will appeal to fans of mysteries, thrillers and romantic suspense. I am curious about the other agents introduced in this book so I will be looking for the rest of the series to find out their story.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Broken from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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