Broken [ Delacorte Press 2010, 416 pages] by Karin Slaughter is marketed as the 7th book in the Grant County series. The author combined the Will Trent series (Triptych) with the Grant County series in Undone. The Grant County series followed Dr. Sara Linton along with her ex-husband, police officer, Jefferey Tolliver. Sara was the town’s pediatrician and part-time coroner. The following article contains spoilers so I don’t recommend reading beyond the break.

Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation drives down from Atlanta to the small town of Grant County to investigate the circumstances surrounding a suspect who dies in police custody. Detective Lena Adams makes her first appearance since Beyond Reach and as usual, she’s already involved in a mess. On a early, cold and rainy morning, a body of a young woman is fished out of the lake. She’s identified as Amanda Spooner, a college student who worked at the local diner. The crime scene shows signs of a suicide but a fatal stab wound at the back of the neck negates that possibility. Continue reading →