All the Broken Girls

by Linda Hurtado Bond

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Linda Hurtado Bond is a new to me author and one whom I would definitely read again. Two things prompted me to pick up All the Broken Girls, the title and the synopsis. I have no regrets. All the Broken Girls delivered a chilling and suspenseful tale set against the background of the Floridian landscape and rich in Cuban culture and religion.

In All the Broken Girls, we meet crime reporter Mari Alvarez. At the beginning of the story Mari returns to work fresh off a suspension. However, instead of covering the crime beat, her boss relegated her to cover soft issues. She accepted her new assignment reluctantly, but what choice does she have? She either accepted it or lose her job permanently and that was not an option. While heading out to cover a human interest story, she received information about a crime scene. Against her boss’s wishes, she turned up at the crime scene. While there, she recognised the scene bore similarities to her mother’s murder, which occurred ten years ago. Despite the risk of losing her job, she knew she needed to learn the truth behind this murder and that of her mother’s. Will she find the answers before the killer strikes again?

This book is every crime fiction reader’s delight. It possessed all the elements to keep the reader flipping the pages. An evenly paced tale filled with suspense, mystery, betrayal, twists and shocking revelations.

I enjoyed getting to know Mari. Her determination and her desire to fight for the victims contributed to her being a top-notch crime reporter. However, there were moments when these traits led to her acting recklessly in her pursuit of finding the truth.

The story had no romance, however, the chemistry between Mari and the Detective Antonio Garcia could not be denied. It would have been nice if they were given the chance to explore their feelings for each other.

I had a fascinating time learning about Santeria, a Cuban religion steeped in African culture. The murders and Mari’s beliefs centered on this religion. Another note of interest was the killer’s motive, revenge and the belief justice was being served. The takeaway from all of this was ‘Does it matter how justice is served if it’s deserved?" It was interesting following the clues and trying to figure out the killer’s identity. This was not an easy one to solve because of the many suspects who all had motive and opportunity.

The manner in which the story ended suggests hints at the possibility of another book. It would be nice to revisit Mari’s world. All the Broken Girls is a must read for fans of crime fiction. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading