The Broken (The Apostles Series), by Shelly Coriell

On occasion, I get an advanced reading copy of a book that hasn't been released. This was one that I was invited to read, and once I started could not put it down!

Now, I love me some crime and mystery and romantic suspense.

This book had it all.

Star investigative reporter Katrina Erickson was brutally attacked and left for dead, only she survived only to be attacked again. She knows to survive, she has to disappear. Hiding and on the run as Kate Johnson, she’s carved out a hidden life as a caregiver and part-time jewelry maker. Still, she knows her luck will run out as her attacker won’t stop until she’s dead.

Three years after the original attack, reporters are being butchered again. FBI Investigator Haydeen Reed has been chasing the "Broadcast Butcher" but knows that only one person can help him catch the madman: Kate. Reed tracks down Kate, who must not only convince her to come out of hiding to help find the killer, but learn to trust again.

“It’s a broken system, a broken word, Agent Reed, shattered and ugly and full of evil.”

The author allows the reader to follow the hunt of the killer through the lens of multiple character perspectives. It’s been a long time since I’ve barreled through a mystery/suspense book and this one was a good read with a few unexpected plot twists! With the right amount of suspense, intrigue and character romance, Shelley Coriell creates a cast of individuals that you want to not only root for, but see again in future books.

This is the first in what appears to be a series, so I'm waiting to see what she does next.