ALL THE BROKEN GIRLS is a well-written piece about revenge. ALL THE BROKEN GIRLS is cloaked around a crime, a murder, an investigation, and a crime scene reporter. Penned with a nod towards suspense by Linda Hurtado Bond. The starring characters are Marisol Alvarez, the reporter, and Antonio Garcia, the lead investigator. But the supporting cast is equally important and substantial. Mari and Garcia meet at the recent murder scene of a retired deputy. This deputy's gun had been used to kill a six-year-old son. Said son is now in prison. The father of the six-year-old would naturally be a prime suspect. The deputy leaves behind two teenage daughters. It is the daughters that compel Mari to not turn her back on a story that she candidly did not have the authorization to follow by her television station.
Mari had witnessed the murder of her mother. A crime was still unsolved. Anger seethed below the surface. Mari still recoils from scenes like this current one. Too many memories and unresolved issues. After all, how does one recover from such a frightening event in their life?
Mari certainly understands the need for revenge, even if that is not, she copes with the loss of her mother. So she has empathy for the father of that six-year-old. She understands the angst. The taste of revenge. But is the murder of the deputy the act of that father?
Neither Mari nor Garcia are going to be quick on the draw and point fingers at the father, even if they know he was at the scene. There are eyewitnesses, one of them Mari herself. But Mari doesn't believe in coincidence. And her works necessitate the need for proof. She is not in a position to gather any proof. Her station doesn't want her involved in any crime stories right now. She has been assigned to fluff pieces until her name is cleared in a recent matter.
But one thing we learn quickly is that there is no one capable of controlling Mari. And now we have suspicions that Mari may also be in the sights of someone with an ax to grind.
To say ALL THE BROKEN GIRLS is a page-turner would be an understatement. I heard about this book and sought it out for review. This is the first book published under the name Linda Hurtado Bond. Previous books were issued under the name Linda Bond. The author is an Emmy award-winning journalist. Says a lot about how well this book is written. I am particularly fond of dialog both verbal and mental. Mari is an amazing character with so many levels to investigate. Her mental conversations are meant to inform and entertain, and they do. Her relationship with her abuela is heartwarming and at the same time intriguing. Again by design. And her working relationship with detective Garcia brings out still another dimension.
All and all Linda Hurtado Bond created a unique world enmeshed in Cuban traditions and superstitions which hit the mark. ALL THE BROKEN GIRLS is fascinating. Whether or not Mari and Garcia catch this suspected serial killer is the question. Putting all the information is an enjoyable exercise.
Crime reporter Mari Alvarez was never able to solve her mother’s murder ten years ago. But when a woman is gunned down on the doorstep of her West Tampa neighborhood, Mari can’t shake the eerie sense of connection.
The others will break
Now there have been two murders in two days. Each crime scene awash with arcane clues—and without a trace of DNA from the killer. And for each victim, a doll. The first is missing an eye. The second is missing a heart. But are these clues leading to the killer…or messages for Mari?
Unless she plays the game...
Caught up in a maelstrom of Old-World superstition, secrets, and ties to her own past, Mari has only one option. Put the puzzle together before someone else dies—even if it destroys her career. But there’s no escaping the hungry spider’s web when it’s been made just for you…
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