Shattered Justice

Written by Susan Furlong

Narrated by Amy Landon

In the Appalachian town of Bone Gap, Tennessee, backwoods justice is more than just blind. It’s swift, silent, and shockingly personal. Especially for Irish Traveller turned deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan . . .

“Hear No Evil.”

The first message is found in a playground. A few feet away, a pair of human ears hang from the monkey bars. Deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan isn’t sure what to make of this grisly scene. Do the ears belong to a murder victim? And if so, where is the body? One thing Brynn is sure of: the earring on one of the earlobes belongs to a man she met at a party the previous night. . .

“Speak No Evil.”

The second message is discovered next to a human tongue on a park pavilion. Once again, no body is found. Brynn can’t help but wonder if the crimes are rooted in the town’s long-simmering tensions between Bone Gap locals and the barely tolerated Travellers who’ve settled there.

“See No Evil.”

For Brynn, the investigation hits too close to home—forcing her to confront the demons of her own past. But time is running out. Brynn has to track down the culprit before a third message is delivered—and a third victim is claimed. Rich, atmospheric, and brilliantly chilling, Shattered Justice is the third Bone Gap Travellers novel from the acclaimed author of Splintered Silence and Fractured Truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781799751359

Susan Furlong

Susan Furlong launched her Bone Gap Travellers series with the acclaimed novel Splintered Silence. Raised in North Dakota, she graduated from Montana State University. She and her family live in central Illinois. Visit her on Facebook or at www.susanfurlong.com.

Reviews for Shattered Justice

[emily_wai_catan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brynn Callahan is at a wedding bachelorette’s party in a bar, together with her distant cousin, Maureen (Mo) Black.. There are booze and sexy cowboy dancers to entertain.. and Mo has just riding off with one cowboy, with a G-string and a horseshoe stud in his earlobe, on his stick horse..Next day, a pair of severed ears is found dangling from a monkey bar in a playground, with a message “Hear no evil” spray-painted on the concrete pad… and a horseshoe stud is pierced on one of the lobes.While Pusser, Brynn and the team are busy with the investigation, another message “Speak no evil” is discovered with a piece of human tongue..What is it? A horror puzzle? Are there more to come?Shattered Justice is the 3rd book of Bone Gap Travellers series. The talented and amazing Susan Furlong, once again, does not disappoint in spinning a thrilling page-turner loaded with secrets and lies to fuel your craving of suspense and mystery. And you will fall in love with Wilco!

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[cathygeha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shattered Justice by Susan FurlongBone Gap Travellers #3Well done addition to the series that sees Brynn Callahan wrestling with demons that are not easy to beat. She and her dog, Wilco, were together when they were injured by an IED, both suffer flashabacks and PTSD and they rely on one another to remain grounded when triggers are pulled. Brynn has grown up in the Traveller/Pavee community but straddles the cultures of her childhood and those they called The Settled. She has suffered and seen much with loyalty sometimes divided between her “people” and the people she works with. She has coping mechanisms that have caused her boss to require her to attend AA whether she thinks she needs to or not and that is a deeply embedded bit of her life and also it would seem of the Pavee. This is a murder mystery but it is so much more! What I liked: * The telling of the story – hooked me and kept me interested* The sense of family being there for one another* Brynn – flawed and damaged as she is* Wilco – a K-9 companion in more ways than one – a dog that will not give up...just like the woman he lives with* The twists and turns and surprises* The slow revelation of who everyone was and what they had been doing* The men who care for Brynn...even when she doesn’t realize it* Wondering what will happen to Brynn in the future and how she will get her life together – I really hope she does* Hoping it won’t be a LONG time till book four comes outWhat I didn’t like:* The bad guys I was meant not to like* The prejudice and bigotry that exists in life and in this story* The grim reality of the lives of some of the people in the storyWhat I want to know: * More about the private militia – Viper seems to be a person that might be interesting to hear more about* How Brynn will get her act together* What will happen to some of the women Travellers mentioned in this book* What will happen nextThank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.5 Stars