This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Richard Prause for Readers' Favorite
In Broken: A Lester Caine Mystery by Fred Berri, investigators Lester Caine, Gloria Saville, and Ronald Walker tackle a horrific case that irreversibly shakes a small Florida town. The year is 1949, and the discovery of fourteen-year-old Rosie Salvo discarded in a Lantana dump lot ignites a huge investigation. This isn’t a routine homicide setup either. The perpetrator used professional chemical techniques and surgical methods to erase the clues, turning the crime scene into a complex puzzle. Caine brings his older NYPD detective instincts to the table, while his associate, Gloria, uses her intelligence background to decode a diary left behind by the victim. The stakes skyrocket when the team discovers church figures might be connected to the girl’s impoverished mother. Will this trio manage to navigate the cover-ups and corner a monster before the trail goes cold?
Broken by Fred Berri delivers a highly compelling historical crime mystery with zero downtime. It reminds me of classic Raymond Chandler novels with a heavy forensic twist. The pacing moves exceptionally fast. One minute you are looking at forensic shoe profiles in the mud, and the next you are looking into stolen church collections. Caine brings a classic, sharp investigative edge that keeps you fixated on the storyline, while Gloria is a brilliant puzzle solver who gives the agency its real advantage. Berri brings the post-war South Florida backdrop alive beautifully, balancing local neighborhood dynamics with a parallel multi-million-dollar art theft subplot involving Lester’s ex-wife. Seeing how these seemingly separate worlds collide keeps the plot development exciting. Everything moves briskly toward a dramatic pursuit through a crowded Miami celebration. This book is a definite must-read for anyone seeking a clever, mid-century procedural that keeps its edge until the final confrontation.
