BROKEN PIECES - Carla Cassidy
Signet Eclipse
ISBN: 978-0-451-22489-1
September 2008
Suspense

Chicago, Illinois; Plains Point, Missouri - Present Day

Sixteen years ago, Mariah Sayers was violently attacked and raped by an unknown assailant. Mariah fled from Plains Point when she discovered she was pregnant. Afraid of her father, Reverend Jed Sayers, and the beating that would follow, Mariah left and vowed never to return. But life has a way of creating unforeseen circumstances, and so Mariah and her daughter Kelsey leave Chicago and head back to Plains Point. Her father is dead and buried. His attorney has notified Mariah that her father has left her the family home and everything in it. As she and Kelsey pull into town, Mariah feels an odd sense of homecoming. Time has a way of healing old hurts and wounds, and Mariah believes it is her time to confront the unthinkable and put the BROKEN PIECES away.

Plains Point has changed in the last sixteen years. It seems every time she turns around, Mariah bumps into an old schoolmate. When Mariah accidentally runs over a stray dog, Kelsey insists they rescue the mutt. Imagine Mariah's surprise when they carry the dog into the local veterinary clinic, and Mariah meets Jack Taylor, who remembers Mariah from school. When Jacks sees Mariah, he is determined to get to know her better. Unbeknownst to Mariah, Jack had a crush on her in high school and was devastated when she abruptly left town. But the sparks are flying between these two. Maybe returning to Plains Point will work out. But is everything okay? Mariah is rattled when she sees someone hiding in the trees and watching the old house, and now she feels she is being stalked. Adding to her fears, the town is shaken when a young girl goes missing and is found murdered. Janice, Mariah's friend, is attacked and barely survives. Mariah feels that cold chunk of dread in the pit of her stomach; will she be the next victim?

Carla Cassidy has created a solid tale with likeable characters, a blooming romance, and with a twist of terror -- a killer on the loose. The intrigue builds as the killer stalks his prey, and Mariah and Jack's romance is almost over before it begins. BROKEN PIECES exposes the secrets that people tend to keep, some innocent, some not. This tale will keep the reader enthralled to the very last page. You will enjoy BROKEN PIECES.

Deborah C. Jackson