Full of murder, mayhem, and a search to find faith in God, this story has quite a bit to offer. I must say this book really captured my attention. Josie is trying to adopt Sam while dealing with her impending divorce from her husband. When trouble finds Josie, Nick is the first person to call.

Sam plays only a small part in this book, while Nick provides a lot to the storyline. I also love how the idea of police chief having to deal with being a suspect herself is handled in the storyline.

I love how Josie has people in her life to help when times of trouble come calling. This action, multiple murders, and suspense kept me reading. However, I must say I absolutely was unsatisfied with the way this book ended. Rather than ending, I felt like it was more like stopping by running into a brick wall on purpose. However, I anticipate the ending means more is to come for Josie.

So if you love action-packed Christian suspense novels, check this book out for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review. ( )

“I was playing centerfield in a murder investigation, and I didn’t like standing up alone in the heat.”

As I’ve mentioned in my reviews of books three and four, the blog tours for the Jo Oliver Thrillers series are in reverse publication order. Normally I would never read a series out of order, but due to time constraints I did not have a choice in this case. As a result, I went into “Shattered by Death” with a basic overview of the plot and the identity of the murderer. Strangely enough, I actually found this to be an advantage, because I would not have guessed who it was. I was thus able to look beyond the person I would have incorrectly pegged as the perpetrator and follow the evidence in a different direction. I would still highly recommend beginning with book one and reading them in their proper order, though. There are also discussion questions at the end of the novel to facilitate personal or group analysis and reflection.

In this second book of Catherine Finger’s Jo Oliver series, “Shattered by Death,” the story starts off with a shock when Jo finds her ex-husband and his mistress murdered and herself the prime suspect because of the divorce proceedings. What follows is a tangled web of deception and confusion as she wonders whom she can trust at her own police department and in her personal life. As it becomes obvious that she is being framed, the first-person narration lends itself admirably to the tension and suspense that Finger evokes. This is the most frightening book of the series so far, in my opinion, because of how easily Jo slips from respected Chief of Police to murder suspect. It demonstrates how tenuous our earthly lives are, and it makes the hope of eternal life with the Lord even more precious.

One defining storyline of the novel is Jo’s fledgling faith. In my opinion, Finger has done well in demonstrating the struggles of being a new Christian, and the fact that turning one’s life over to Christ is not a free pass over hardships and trials. By interleaving Jo’s internal dialogue with the narrative, readers get a glimpse into the depths of her turmoil and how she still struggles at times with seeking the Lord’s will. This is something that we all, I’m sure, contend with at one time or another, and probably multiple times throughout our lives. As Jo realizes, though, the Lord is always with us, even when things seem to be imploding. This is such a timely message with the chaos going on in our nation right now, and because of the Lord, we do not have to fear being “Shattered by Death.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Jo Oliver has a lot on her plate. She is going through a messy divorce while waiting for her adoption of a teenager to be finalized. She is also the Chief of Police who has become a suspect when her estranged husband and his girl friend are found murdered, and later, as more murders occur, all of the clues point to her. Who wants everyone to believe that Chief Jo is a serial killer? Who has added her name to their list of victims? Will this prevent Samantha from becoming her legal daughter? Is it possible for Jo to continue to trust God as her life unravels?

This book offers readers peek into the inner workings of a police force. Yes, there is violence and the police chief doesn't always filter her comments or reactions but the officers support and protect each other. When FBI agent Nick Vitarello offers his assistance, romance is added to the plot but it is plagued with Jo's doubts about love and commitment. Author Catherine Fingers has given Shattered by a strong faith message and even when Jo finds her trust in God wavering, prayer is often mentioned and thought-provoking comments help to carry her through.

"God is not a God of confusion. but of peace."
"We will not do God's work for Him. Rather, we will let Him do His work through us."

Shattered by Death is a thrilling Christian suspense novel that ends with a cliff-hanger and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit but there was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own opinions. ( )

This is a quick book to read. I like the characters but you should read the books in this series in order or you might be a little confused as to who everyone is. This has some good suspense. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

This author is at the top of my list for suspense writers . She easily puts faith elements throughout the story in very specific places that heighten the character’s flaws. I had to stop in the middle of reading the book to jot down notes. I didn’t want to forget anything that I felt were important for readers to know.

You can read the back cover and find out what the book is about. I want to highlight Josie so that readers will understand how powerful this story is. Josie is the chief of police and you could tell some people were not excited about her position. There is a definite power struggle between two women that really showed how catty females can be. Can’t we just celebrate when a woman is in authority instead of that ugly green eyed monster showing up? I have worked at several places were there was nothing but drama between the women. I wanted no part of it and refused to play into their hands.

Josie has a moment when she feels helpless and the enemy whispers in her ears to end it all. That one scene gave me chills as she cries out to God to save her, to take away those thoughts running through her mind and rescue her from evil. The author wrote it so well I could see it playing out right before my eyes.

She is in a fight for survival when fingers point to her as guilty. Who would kill her soon to be ex-husband and his mistress? The crime scene is a bit graphic but I understood why the author wrote it that way. The question arises of why someone wanted to brutally murder two people? I began to think that someone was very angry and it showed in the way the people died. There is definitely a battle between light vs darkness in this story. Will there be more murders? Can Josie find the killer while trying to keep her private life from being poisoned by evil?

I was glued to my seat and only stopped to take notes. This is a story that takes readers inside the mind of evil and wraps itself around people to destroy them. Josie will need to continually cover herself in prayer as she battles against something only God can save her from. Will Josie learn to surrender all to God and trust Him even in her darkest hour?

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )