After 16 years, Mariah Sayers is heading home.  The death of her parents has left her with the family home to deal with.  Mariah was only sixteen when she left after being brutally attacked and raped.  She gave birth to her daughter Kelsey but never told her the truth of her conception.  Her past comes back to haunt her when she returns to her Missouri home. 

Wow, this was a powerful story featuring a true survivor!  Mariah overcomes a horrific ordeal and made a life for herself.  It is admirable what she has accomplished without a family to support her.  She has raised her child and gotten her teaching degree. The author spends time developing Mariah’s relationship with her daughter.  It is one that is filled with warmth, love and respect.  Kelsey is a lovely child and she is a reflection of her mother.  Mariah is what this reader envisions a heroine to be.  Her return to her hometown brings back memories and friends from the past. Jack is a man who has experienced one bad marriage and doesn’t want to fall for a woman with baggage.  He has always been attracted to Mariah and feelings are rekindled when they meet again.  Ms. Cassidy introduces us to all these characters and it is a mystery as to who the rapist is.  The author created characters that feel real.  They experience normal emotions and readers will feel a connection with them.  It goes without saying that the mystery is solved but I didn’t guess who it was until almost the very end. 

Broken Pieces is just terrific.  It features memorable characters; from the lead couple to the secondary players.  It is thought-provoking and suspenseful story that will keep you reading until the very end.  The mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat it was a tautly written and fast-paced!  Bravo to Ms. Cassidy as she has created a first-class tale!

August 5, 2008