There is only one good thing in Mariah Sayers' life, and that is her teenaged daughter, Kelsey. Now she is uprooting her daughter to return to Plains Point, Missouri, the town she left behind sixteen years ago, to settle the affairs of the estate left to her by her father. The town holds few good memories for her, and the house she grew up in even fewer. She can still remember the violent attack and rape that propelled her from the town when she was a teenager, and those memories are better left in the past. Mariah quickly finds herself getting caught up with old friends, and her daughter seems to be adjusting rather well with a few friends of her own. Mariah even hits it off with the town vet, Jack Taylor, who used to have a crush on her in high school. However, Mariah is plagued by her attack. Is the man still hanging around Plains Point? Could one of her old friends be her attacker?

Mariah starts relaxing and falling into a daily routine. She has the added benefit of having the town's sexiest bachelor at her beck and call, so it is easy for her to imagine extending her stay. Kelsey seems to be taken with the town, and she keeps pushing her mom toward the vet. However, Mariah's safe world is about to be shattered. When her friend is attacked and nearly murdered, Mariah knows that the time has come for her to confront her past. It appears that her rapist has escalated to murder, and may be responsible for many girls' disappearances through the years. Will she be able to remember the details from that night that changed her life forever? Will Mariah be able to stop the crazed man before he kills again?

Carla Cassidy has crafted an entertaining romantic suspense. Her characters are well written and believable. Mariah has had a traumatic experience in her life that she has tried to turn around for the better, but the past has a way of not letting go. She has a wonderful daughter and friend who are always there to support her and help give her a push now and then especially when it comes to dating. Jack is ready to jump at the second chance that he has been given when Mariah appears back in his life. The story line is a bit intense as we share in the emotions faced by a woman who was raped and the terror that she feels returning to the scene of the crime. BROKEN PIECES is a page-turner that leaves you anticipating the final outcome.

Book Summary

Mariah Sayers survived a brutal attack as a teenager, and ran away out of fear. Sixteen years later she returns with her daughter to make peace with her past. Just as she feels she is rekindling old friendships and even an old flame, she receives some shocking news; a girl has been killed in her town. Now, Mariah will have to confront the unthinkable—and reclaim the broken pieces of her shattered past.