Reviews

Shattered Justice by Susan Furlong

nypeapod's review against another edition

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4.0

Why you might be interested:
1. It continues an established series, though I did not realize this when I picked it up and I was just fine, not lost among all the characters.
2. Setting: rural Tennessee in a small community
3. Characters: Many of the characters are what are usually referred to as "gypsies" and not in a nice way. I have never read a book where the main character is a traveler.
4. Conflict: the main character is conflicted between the people she grew up among and the outsiders. She receives slights and misunderstandings from both "camps" as does anyone who attempts to straddle 2 different cultural identities.
5. writing: I found the writing very good, the sentences were concise and nothing was too wordy.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

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3.0

Shattered Justice by Susan Furlong is the third A Bone Gap Travellers Novel. I have not read the other books in this series and I did feel I was missing important details especially at the beginning of the story. I picked up Shattered Justice because I enjoyed the author’s A Novel Idea Mystery series (written as Lucy Arlington). Shattered Justice is not what I expected. I like that Brynn Callahan is a veteran along with her dog, Wilco. They both suffered injuries in an explosion and, understandably, have PTSD. Poor Wilco suffers from nightmares as does Brynn who has been self-medicating with large quantities of alcohol and pain pills. If Brynn wants to keep her job, she need to give up both and begin attending AA meetings. I was not a fan of Brynn. My main reason is she feels she can take the law into her own hands (plus her addictions, attitude, etc.—felt like a cliched character). It was interesting to learn about the Irish Travellers or Pavee as they prefer to be called. It is a terrible shame that people are prejudiced against them because of their heritage. The mystery was complex with active investigating. I liked the action which helped propel the book forward which was helpful since the pacing was slow. The mystery can be solved before all the clues are revealed. As the law enforcement professionals uncover evidence, there are some descriptions that are best not read while eating (fair warning). Shattered Justice does contain graphic violence along with foul language and spousal abuse. My favorite character in the story is Wilco. I found him to be sweet and courageous. It is amazing what dogs can accomplish with training. As you can tell, Shattered Justice was not a good fit for me. Shattered Justice is a grim, tension filled story with a disturbed killer, surprising secrets, a clever canine, the amazing Appalachian, a dogged deputy, and a caring granddaughter.

kimdavishb's review against another edition

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5.0

SHATTERED JUSTICE, the third book in the Bone Gap Travellers Novel series, by Susan Furlong is another edge-of-your-seat read that left me turning pages until the very last word was read. I was impressed how the deeply-flawed protagonist, Brynn Callahan, captured my attention and had me cheering for her despite her many failings. Central to the book is her battle with alcohol and pills. Brynn had become dependent upon them as she recovered from the horrific injuries, both physical and psychological, that she received as a Marine. Ms. Furlong captures the heart wrenching agony of Brynn’s struggles on the pages, which I hope brings awareness for real-life situations in our society. In addition to her injuries and addiction, Brynn’s attempt to straddle the settled world and the Irish Travellers' society where she was raised, all contribute to the damaged adult she’s become. Despite that, Brynn continues to try to do what she has to in order to survive, which I found inspirational. Ms. Furlong pens a chilling story of retribution and the need to find justice in whatever form. The twists and turns were like following a gloomy trail in a dark forest where every little sound made me jump as I read. This is one book that left me thinking about it long after I’d finished and has me hoping there will be more in this suspenseful series.

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

bookguyinva2022's review against another edition

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5.0

I love this series so much. Brynn is such a strong character and who couldn't love Wilco? I'm torn on wanting another or thinking this book has taken the story as far as it can go. I put my faith in Susan Furlong either way because if another appears I'm sure it will be great and I'll have to read it. If not I'm glad I got to experience these wonderful, hard to put down books.

kbranfield's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars.

Shattered Justice by Susan Furlong is a baffling mystery with a flawed yet likable lead protagonist. Although this latest release is the third installment in the Bone Gap Traveller series, it can be read as a standalone.

Deputy Brynn Callahan's month long sobriety is tenuous and she is skeptical the addiction sessions ordered by her boss Sheriff Frank Pusser's will help her.  But since she wants to keep her job, she does her best of tamp down her cravings and attends the meetings. But when Katie Doogan begins stalking her and threatens to reveal information about Brynn and her beloved Gran, she is hard-pressed to stay away from booze.

The Sheriff's department's current case is a much needed distraction as she, fellow  deputies Nan Parks and Harris and Sheriff Pusser investigate the troubling discoveries of a pair of severed ears and a severed tongue.  Along with the body parts are the messages "hear no evil" and " speak no evil". Brynn and her fellow lawmen fear a serial killer is on the loose but with  little evidence and no bodies, will they find the person responsible for what is shaping up to be a grisly crime?

Brynn is fighting a difficult battle in her attempt at maintaining sobriety. She is some scornful of her fellow meeting attendees and she is still justifying her problems with alcohol and pills. The surprising discovery that Assistant District Attorney Jake Sheehan is a recovering alcoholic leaves Brynn fighting yet another means of dealing with her problems.  She is under extreme stress as Katie ratchets up her efforts to destroy Brynn.  She is also determined to uncover the link between two missing men and hopefully clear fellow Traveller Hughie Black of any involvement in her current case.

The investigation is slow moving due to lack of evidence, no bodies or clear motive.  Tracking one of the missing person's movement leads to an uneasy confrontation with a militia group in the surrounding forest.  Attempting to find a connection between the two men who have disappeared, Brynn and Parks engage in a disquieting but potentially valuable interview with an elderly teacher from the local high school. Will the information gleaned from the  eccentric teacher provide them with the lead they have been waiting for?

Shattered Justice is a dark and gritty mystery that is quite puzzling. Brynn is making progress dealing with her past but whether or not she will conquer her demons is uncertain. The main storyline is complex but dogged determination and painstaking investigating yield viable results. The secondary story arc with Katie adds another layer of suspense to the unfolding story. With shocking twists,  Susan Furlong brings this engrossing mystery to a jaw-dropping conclusion. Old and new fans of the series are sure to enjoy this newest addition to the Bone Gap Traveller series.

nursenell's review against another edition

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5.0

I am so disappointed there are only three books in this series.

javamamanc's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

audiobookmel's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Bone Gap Travellers series. It follows Brynn Callahan who grew up in the pavee community that has “settled” in Bone Gap, Tennessee. Brynn wasn’t really part of that community. Her mother got pregnant with a “settled” person and left Brynn to be raised by her grandmother. She always felt on the outside of both communities. After something happened when she was a teen, she joined the Marines. She’s now out after her and her cadaver dog were injured in an IED explosion. Now they both have PTSD and she’s working for the county sheriff’s office as a deputy.

In this story, Brynn and the sheriff’s office are finding body parts with messages. They need to find the person doing this before they kill again. Their search takes a lot of twists and turns. They run into a group of backwoods people, then on to a survivalist/militia group. Hard to know where to look next. Brynn also struggles with her addiction and has joined an AA type group as a requirement to keep her job. This story is the toughest one yet for Brynn.

I don’t want to go into too much detail on this book because it spoils the suspense of the story, but know this is a great read. I really love the characters in this series. Not just Brynn and her dog, but also her grandmother, her cousin, and the other deputies. I also like learning about the pavee community. I would recommend that you start with the first book, Splintered Silence. Each story builds on the previous one, so best if read in order.

Narration
I really love Amy Landon. This isn’t the first series that I’ve listened to that she narrated. It was her name that caught my eye and made me look at this series. She does a great job with a large cast of characters. She’s great with male and female characters. If you haven’t tried Amy Landon, I highly recommend her.

**I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

beckmank's review against another edition

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4.0

Shattered Justice is the third book in the Bone Gap Travellers series. Set in rural Tennessee, Brynn Callahan straddles two worlds – the Sheriff’s office and the Irish Travellers who don’t trust anyone outside their close-knit community. Brynn is both a deputy and a Traveller, but doesn’t really fit into either world.

These two worlds collide in Shattered Justice. Brynn and Wilco are on the hunt for someone who placed human ears at a playground with the message “Hear No Evil,” and the clues are pointing towards a Traveller, although Brynn is not convinced. In addition to the case, Brynn is dealing with someone from her recent past who wants to hurt her and her family.

Brynn is a complicated, imperfect character. She has physical and mental scars from her time in the Marines as well as other events in her life. In Shattered Justice, we see Brynn struggling to stay sober, thinking she can do it on her own and at times failing. Her true constants in her life are her grandmother (who is very ill), and her dog Wilco, who carries his own battle scars from their time together in the Marines. I found that my favorite part of the book is Brynn’s relationship with Wilco – they share such a strong bond and Ms. Furlong’s writing makes them feel real.

This is a great thriller which really looks at the unseen scars people carry inside them and the consequences of these scars. Brynn’s personal scars include addiction and PTSD, among others. Ms. Furlong does a great job weaving Brynn’s struggles in with the mystery creating a page-turner to the end.

From my review at Hidden Staircase.
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