Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

Michael Elliot is an investigative journalist working on an article about the abuse of opioids. He has made appointments to meet some officials in Canada's capital city, Ottawa. Because his meetings coincided with Ottawa's one hundred and fiftieth anniversary celebration, Michael had made reservations at the Dorfin Hotel a year in advance. However, when Michael and his girlfriend, Megan, arrive at the hotel, they discover there has been a glitch with their room. A woman got there before they did and is lying on their bed, dead. Does the mysterious woman have anything to do with Michael's project?

The authorities suspect the woman's husband, but Michael isn't sure he agrees with their logic. The possibility of opioids being instrumental in her demise has Michael convinced there might be something more sinister behind it than an unhappy spouse. Despite the possible danger, Megan insists on getting involved in the investigation. Contacting an old friend who works with the government officials of the city, Megan discovers there may be a link between the dead woman, opioids, and some prominent Ottawa bureaucrats. However, when the husband of the deceased also turns up dead, more questions arise. Were their deaths connected? What would be the motive behind a double murder?

Broken Trust (Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery Book 5) by Sandra Nikolai is an exciting murder mystery, a brainteaser with intriguing twists and turns. The complex plot is realistic with terrifying facts and statistics on the effects of opioids. The information included about drug trafficking and the dire results of watering down of street drugs are interesting, alarming and eye-opening. This is the fifth book in the series and it does fairly well as a stand-alone; there are a few references to previous episodes, but they are explained well enough so that I didn't get lost. I believe fans of amateur sleuthing and cozy mysteries will enjoy this riveting murder mystery.