Piper McKenna couldn't be more thrilled that her prodigal brother, Reef, has returned to Yancey, Alaska, after five years. But her happiness is short-lived when Reef appears at her house covered in blood. A fellow snowboarder has been killed--but despite the evidence, Reef swears he's innocent. And Piper believes him.
Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn to find the truth. Piper is frustrated with his need for facts over faith, but he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth may mean risking Landon's career.
With Piper waging her own search, the two head deep into Canada's rugged backcountry--and unexpected complications. Not only does their long friendship seem to be turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with each step.
My review:
My favorite aspect of this novel was probably all of the snow-related themes such as the avalanches, blizzards, and snowboarding/skiing activities. What a perfect way to cool off during the summer - by escaping to the cold wilds of Alaska in your mind! I've always enjoy learning about new settings and this book provided plenty of new information about snowboarding and other activities to keep me interested. I also liked how it introduced a new character, Darcy, who will be the heroine in the third book.
It was great to see the same characters from the first book in this second book of the series. I already knew them in the opening chapters and that helped with my overall enjoyment of the novel. I didn't enjoy the mystery and suspense aspects of this novel as much as the first book, though. This one seemed a bit more stilted in regards to the faith element and sometimes it slowed the pacing down. Plus, there is just something about romantic conflict where the characters drive each other nuts and then constantly fight their feelings that can annoy me. This book wasn't too bad in that respect, but it did start to feel a bit repetitious.
Other than the internal dialog where the hero and heroine kept fighting their feelings for each other and doubting their faith, this story was quite an adventure. The hero's internal monologue about his attraction to Piper was quite realistic and I liked that aspect of his character. Plus, there were enough twists and turns to make a reader dizzy. I had no clue where it was going. Things just kept getting more and more complicated and the further they searched, the more risky their detective work became. All in all, this was an enjoyable story. I'd recommend it for mystery/suspense lovers who like a heavy dose of interpersonal conflict.
Shattered was published by Bethany House and released in February 2013.
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