Broken Places »

Sandra Parshall grew up in South Carolina and has worked as a reporter on newspapers in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Baltimore. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, a long-time Washington journalist, and three cats.

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¬ Cam's 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 Tom's former girlfriend, Leslie. She returns home to see justice done¬ and to win Tom back from Rachel. The prime suspect is newcomer Ben Hern, Rachel's 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.

Library Journal

When the owners of the local newspaper in Mason County, VA, are murdered, Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger is put in the awkward position of having to tell his ex-girlfriend her parents are dead. The Taylors had arrived in the 1960s as volunteers in the War on Poverty and stayed on, making friends—and enemies. Veterinarian Rachel Goddard, the sheriff's current lady love, gets involved when a childhood friend is targeted as the prime suspect. VERDICT 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. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 10/1/09; large-print ed. ISBN 978-1-59058-654-9.]