Macmillian: 12/10/19
eBook review copy; 320 pages
ISBN-13: 9781250178329
Detective Gemma Monroe Series #4
Shatter the Night by Emily Littlejohn is a highly recommended mystery/police procedural and the fourth book in the series featuring Gemma Monroe.
On Halloween night in Cedar Valley, CO, Detective Gemma Monroe, fiancé, Brody Sutherland, and their daughter, Grace, stop by the law office of an old family friend, retired Judge Caleb Montgomery. After admiring costumes, Caleb talks to Gemma privately and gives her a stack of threatening letters he's been receiving. Shortly after Gemma and her family leave, the judge's car explodes - with him inside. Gemma and her team immediately begin investigating suspects and motives, including the judge's past rulings from when he was on the bench. As the investigation continues, another man is murdered and the case becomes more complicated with perhaps decades old roots.
The plot flows smoothly as you follow the various threads of the investigation and the inquiries made as the team strives to find the killer in this adeptly written mystery. Part of the pleasure is in following working mom Gemma juggle the complex investigation and the needs of her family. All the characters, including the minor ones, are developed and come across as real people. Every little tidbit of information uncovered could be an important lead or a false trail as the tension slowly built through the novel. The culmination of the investigation was satisfying after plenty of suspects were considered and rejected.
Shatter the Night can certainly be read as a stand-alone novel. This is my first Gemma Monroe novel and I could very easily follow the plot and the backstory. I also liked the character of Gemma quite-a-bit and look forward to entering her world again someday.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian.
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