FRACTURED

A complex mystery that tracks a woman’s quest for justice both on the job and in her own life.

In Rosa’s novel (Lumberville Seven, 2012 , etc.), Natalie Faye, a newly promoted NYPD officer, is a brave, quick-thinking heroine. She has been put in charge of a rather gruesome case after two skeletons, one from a woman and the other from a newborn baby, are discovered within the walls of a home that is being demolished. Natalie soon finds herself caught in a maze of twists and turns within her investigation as she follows leads that only take her deeper into the unsolved mystery. Starting with a senile neighbor who remembers the Nolands, a troubled family living in the house a while back, Natalie must piece together the scattered scraps of information to learn what actually happened. But every person she contacts raises more questions than answers. The situation becomes more complicated when a prison guard goes missing. As Natalie investigates her case, she struggles with her new quirky, unpredictable partner (while still coming to terms with seeing her former partner killed on the job), as well as her own issues with her estranged mother. Fraught with anxiety, Natalie is nevertheless a protagonist who manages to be smart, funny, kind and sharp no matter what mess she finds herself in. The story clips along quickly and satisfyingly. Though sometimes grisly, Natalie’s layered story reaches beyond the scope of the ordinary murder mystery. With memorable characters and thought-provoking content, this is an exciting, contemplative read that will appeal to mystery fans.

A fast-paced, tightly woven crime novel that is frightening, funny and always enjoyable.