Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Broken Places... Grips readers from the opening page with a suspenseful plot that will leave them breathless. -Library Journal starred review Summer is deadly in the mountain community of Mason County, Virginia. Cam and Meredith Taylor, who run Mason County's failing newspaper, are murdered within hours of one another. The Taylors arrived in Mason County as volunteers in the 1960s War on Poverty, and over the years they made loyal friends and bitter enemies with their outspoken activism. By rescuing the small, bankrupt newspaper, they gained the wary respect of the local establishment. But when it started going under, Cam proved he would go to any lengths -including blackmail- to save it. Did his pressure tactics backfire and get him and his wife killed? Rachel Goddard is dragged into the case because she heard-but didn't see -Cam's murder. To make matters worse, the prime suspect is cartoonist Ben Hern, the son of another 1960s activist and Rachel's childhood friend. Discovery of a disturbing secret leaves Rachel wondering what else her old friend Ben is hiding. Torn apart by divided loyalties, Tom and Rachel must decide whom they can trust before it's too late. Sandra Parshall, a native of the South, worked as a reporter in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Baltimore. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, a longtime Washington journalist, and their cats. Broken Places is third in her Agatha Award-winning series featuring veterinarian Rachel Goddard. www.sandraparshall.com
Review
*STARRED REVIEW* “Near the start of Parshall's excellent third Rachel Goddard mystery (after 2007's Disturbing the Dead), the Mason County, Va., veterinarian witnesses an argument between newspaper publisher Cam Taylor, who's desperate for money to save his paper, and popular cartoonist Ben Hern (aka Cuban-American artist Benicio Hernandez), who won't give him any, at Ben's mansion. On the drive home, Rachel spots Cam's abandoned car in the road, pulls over, hears gunshots, and finds Cam dead in the woods. Rachel and her vet assistant, Holly Turner, must take care not to become a frantic killer's next victims in a suspenseful tale distinguished by its sharp prose.” –Publishers Weekly of Broken Places *STARRED REVIEW* “This third Rachel Goddard mystery (after The Heat of the Moon and Disturbing the Dead ) grips readers from the opening page with a suspenseful plot that will leave them breathless. The tension between Tom and Rachel adds to the thrill of the hunt for a clever murderer who has covered all the bases. Fans of Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott mysteries will enjoy.” –Library Journal of Broken Places
"Rachel's third is a tense, well-written combination of mystery and romance that will keep readers guessing." -- Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Summer is deadly in the mountain community of Mason County, Virginia. Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger and veterinarian Rachel Goddard are caught in a maelstrom of lies that stretch far into the past and suspicions that threaten the future. Cam and Meredith Taylor are murdered within hours of one another, and Rachel is dragged into the case because she heard ¬but didn't see¬ Cams murder. The Taylors arrived in Mason County as volunteers in the 1960s War on Poverty, and they stayed on, making loyal friends and bitter enemies. The victims daughter is Toms former girlfriend, Leslie. She returns home to see justice done¬ and to win Tom back from Rachel. The prime suspect is newcomer Ben Hern, Rachels childhood friend, and she is desperate to prove him innocent. Leslie pushes for Hern's arrest and launches a campaign of intimidation against Rachel. With the killer targeting Rachel and the community clamoring for an arrest, Tom and Rachel must decide who they can trust.
About the Author
Sandra Parshall, a native southerner, worked as a reporter in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Baltimore. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, a longtime Washington journalist, and their cats.