Fragmentary Blue

Alex & CJ #1

by Erica Abbott

C.J. St. Clair’s success as a police officer has brought her a new job and a fresh start with Internal Affairs in Colfax, Colorado. It’s a long way from her hometown of Savannah, and among the many welcome sights on her new horizons is Alex Ryan, the head of the Detective Unit.

Captain Ryan loves her department, her detectives and her family. Loving another woman isn’t in the game plan, but C.J.’s southern charms are difficult to ignore. Romantic possibilities are crushed when a murder and scandal erupt within Alex’s command. The system they have both sworn to uphold makes them enemies separated by mounting evidence—and there is no honorable way to cross the divide.

Fragmentary Blue is a sizzling novel of forbidden attraction and heart-pounding tension from an exciting new writer!

Newcomer Erica Abbott brings her legal background, love of good food, good women and good song to this breathless romantic journey!

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT, Mystery, Romance, Crime, Lesbian Fiction, Thriller

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2012

About the author

Erica Abbott had been an attorney for nearly thirty years, many spent working with law enforcement and local government as a prosecutor. She had also taught legal courses, studied bridge and golf—mastering neither—and had appeared as a performer and singer in numerous local community theater productions in her beloved Denver, Colorado.

Erica Abbott's debut novel, Fragmentary Blue, was awarded an Alice B. Lavender Certificate for 2013.

GCLS Goldie Awards:
Taken In, Finalist, Mystery/Thriller
Desert Places, Finalist, Romantic Suspense/Intrigue/Adventure
One Fine Day, Finalist in Lesbian Contemporary Romance
Fragmentary Blue, Finalist in Lesbian Debut Author
Certain Dark Things, Finalist in Lesbian Mystery/Thriller.

Erica Abbott passed away on the 4th of July, 2020—just a few weeks before her last book [Un]Common Ground was released.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series! clever storyline: good crime drama and a little romance to go along with these well developed and sometimes likable characters..nice balance of good writing and investigation..recommended series to everyone

[Lex Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about this book before hand. Just sort of stumbled upon it as a rental from booksfree, and boy I'm glad I did. It was well written, engaging, romantic, with a small bit of suspense. Really, you can't ask for more in the crime genre.
Characters are always a big thing for me. If the characters are really likeable, I can forgive a few plot holes or other story problems. (not that this story had problems) And to me the main characters in this story where great, especially CJ. To be honest I'd put CJ up there with Luca Bennett (Carsen Taite's books) as some of the better characters I've read in a crime book. She was just so darn likeable.
There are 3 books in this series, so far, and I can't wait to read the next. If you enjoy a great crime/mystery/romance, don't pass this one up!

[Agirlcandream · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read. Polished writing, great character development and a genuine reason for angst to build and be resolved for these two cops in love. The mystery was fairly easy to solve but I still enjoyed the way it tested this new relationship.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story - see it’s part one. Always a worry - what angst, having been though so much angst in Part 1 - will be thrown in Part 2,3 & 4? Humph! Read the back pages. Too much! But this is recommended. Great story

[Pin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Fragmentary Blue yesterday and its sequel Certain Dark Things today. That says it all. Both books worked for me and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

[Sky. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so ridiculous how I finished it i have no idea

Insta love with zoro chemistry between the MCs, I didn’t feel anything between them at all and I couldn’t care less about them
And the timeline was weird as fuck and the writing wasn’t for me.

[Endlesscribbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read and am going right into the second book in the series. I think that says it all.

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by Ms. Abbott & it won't be my last. I picked this one up as soon as I finished One Fine Day. One Fine Day is more of a traditional romance while this one is a mystery/police procedural but at the core it is a romance. Again Abbott has created very likable and memorable lead characters - I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series. I was proud of myself when I figured out correctly the whodunnit, catching the small clue that Abbott dropped. Having read countless mysteries in the past helped.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author. First, I'm gonna say that I did like this book. But, for me it had one major flaw....the use of the word Y'all. I'm from Alabama...I know, use and understand the word y'all. This author does not! Y'all is a plural word...as in you all. Not singular. Which is the way this author uses the word. Most people probably wouldn't care. But it drove me crazy to the point of distraction. Which was unfortunate.

It was an otherwise, nicely written police story. Not really much of a mystery, but was good just the same. The attraction between the main characters is pretty sudden and one of those that jumps pretty quickly to undying love. But overall a solid read.

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got my hands on the Alex & CJ series books, and I'm annoyed at myself for not having read this sooner. This was a great start to the series, I didn't see how the relationship between Alex and CJ could possibly work considering their job positions.

Anyway, I'm going to start on the second book now!

Rest in Paradise, Ms. Erica Abbott.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect with this one. Before beginning the book all I really knew was that it involved police officers in some way. And lesbians. Was not even sure if it involved lesbian police officers, just that both should be contained within the book. Oh, and a bit of romance. But I was not sure how it might all get tied together. As in, I've read police books, with lesbians, that were much more focused on the mystery, and other books wherein the inclusion of police was just window dressing, and no real police work and or mystery occurred.

Well, this one had a solid romance, and a solid mystery. At times it edged more one way or another, but mostly balanced. Good characterization on the police side of things. Criminal side had no real attempt to create in depth characterization.

Not sure really, but I think I mostly liked both CJ and Alex, the two main people in the book. POV alternated between them. I knew, once I got the lay of the land so to speak, that having one be the head of Internal Affairs, and the other being the head of Investigations, that the two would clash at some point. Which they did.

Alex is something of a hypocrite at one point. Which I disliked. Strongly - 'rules are rules', 'you need to be a good cop' type of character. Which I have/had no inherent problem with. The problem is that Alex was pissed off and looked down on CJ for investigating the case she was investigating, despite a conflict of interest. In that, she was investigating Alex, and they were in a relationship. Of course, the conflict of interest grew more from Alex 'just needing to touch' CJ, and be near her, and so couldn't stay away when she should have. So . . . it's okay for her to break the rules but not CJ? (CJ had a reason, not an excuse - she seemed to be the only one trying to clear Alex - not with false evidence or anything like that, just investigating with the belief that Alex was being set up.) So. Hypocrite.

I was going to immediately read the sequel, but then I did the stupid thing of looking at reviews. Though on Amazon, not here. Apparently some of the things that I vaguely dislike about Alex, though not enough to actually dislike Alex, get magnified in the next book. Based on reviews. So . . . reluctant to read it. When I had been inches from immediately starting it. Ah well.

A further note on the characters:
Alex is described as being "[m]edium height, very trim, with medium length, almost-black hair . . . lovely eyes, somewhere between blue and gray . . . pale skin" and smells of sandalwood. Alex has one sister. Her father died in the line of duty while Alex was in college. Alex immediately dropped out of college, got a job with the police, and worked to support her sister.

CJ is described as someone who does not look like a cop, but instead a news anchor with "perfectly cut red hair that fell to her shoulders, flawless pale skin, features movie-star pretty but for a straight nose . . . french manicure . . . bright green eyes." She hates her name, hence the use of CJ. She used to be called Bella back when she lived in Georgia. And still talked with her family. Occasionally Jo. But that's her past. Begins the series with a master's degree, and eight years in the Roosevelt Sheriff's Office (including a stint undercover while loaned out to the Federal Government, ATF) before beginning work as the head of Internal Affairs (with the title of Inspector, though she is a Lieutenant). Speaks with a southern accent, shown in the book by the almost constant use of "y'all" (as a reader, it struck me each time it occurred as if it was being used wrong. The author was born and raised in the Midwest, but that doesn't mean she couldn't get it right, so I might have that wrong).

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of fresh air. It didn't seem as formulaic as many other lesfic novels and the characters were well rounded and did not blur into each other. The plot was well structured and kept me turning the pages. It was also quite well written and completely believable. I guess that's what happens when the author is an attorney who has worked with law enforcement as a prosecutor. This book had that edge of realism that made it stand out for me. While the characters had their flaws, they weren't overly dramatised and managed to avoid cliche. Likewise the love making scenes read well and the expression did not make me cringe. I think the thing that made this book stand out was that even though the love story was a main thread of the story, the relationship between the two main characters did not overshadow the murder/investigative story line, as can often happen. I will read more by this author.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start of this series. I liked the main characters very much, the chemistry is palpable and the love scenes steamy. The plot is clever, a good crime story. I'll just pick the second book in this series.

[MD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoy it this book, I started to read it because of Jae's Lesbian Book Bingo challenge but I was pleasantly surprised.
We start with two strong women neither is a kid, both are smart, clever and good at their jobs.
Alex and CJ have very clear what being honest and have ethics means, and I love that about them, they were willing to sacrifice everything for their honor and for doing what is right.
They have good chemistry, I like Alex and I admire her for going for what she wanted, CJ was my favorite and for some reason, I picture her as a version of Elle Woods (the movie version) always well dress with excellent manners, don't need to work but she does it anyway.
The crime part was well managed, I really wanted to know who was behind everything.
To me, this book blends the crime-romance thing very well.
Overall a nice read.

[JWG1973UK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of it and felt bored reading other parts of it.

I am putting it down to me not liking many books that I read at the moment. I just cannot get out of this reading slump that I am in this year. Takes me forever to finish a book (regardless of length).

[Carleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps best classified as Romantic Suspense/Intrigue, Fragmentary Blue keeps the reader at the edge of her seat as the main characters navigate their mutual attraction and their jobs. Since avoiding spoilers is incredibly important when it comes to suspense novels, I don’t want to give anything away – so, I’ve included the summary provided on the book’s back cover:

C.J. St. Clair’s success as a police officer has brought her a new job and a fresh start with Internal Affairs in Colfax, Colorado. It’s a long way from her hometown of Savannah, and among the many welcome sights on her new horizons is Alex Ryan, the head of the Detective Unit.

Captain Ryan loves her department, her detectives and her family. Loving another woman isn’t in the game plan, but C.J.’s southern charms are difficult to ignore.

Romantic possibilities are crushed when a murder and scandal erupt within Alex’s command. The system they have both sworn to uphold makes them enemies separated by mounting evidence – and there’s no honorable way to cross the divide.What I especially enjoyed about this novel is that neither the Romance nor the Suspense were short shrifted. Not only that, they were woven together quite wonderfully. For me, the best part of Romantic Suspense/Intrigue is that moment when the labyrinth labeled “Romance” and the labyrinth labeled “Suspense/Intrigue” start sharing some of the same corridors. Abbott does a really nice job of weaving the developing relationship with the murder case, all the while ensuring that the waters don’t get so muddied that the reader has no idea what’s really going on. It’s a fine line, and Abbott walks it adroitly.

CJ and Alex are likable characters. What’s more important is that they have depth – these are multidimensional women, not carbon copies who are easily interchangeable. They have their demons; they have their secrets. Abbott gives us glimpses into the characters throughout the novel – enough for us to get to know them, but we still don’t know everything. Is Abbott keeping things open for a sequel? If she is, she’s one smart woman. I can certainly see CJ and Alex returning in future novels, and the secrets that have yet to be revealed could certainly come in handy.

One of the first things that grabbed me about this novel is that it is well written. Many may think that is a strange statement. ”Of course it’s well written,” you might say. ”After all, it was published!” (I’m sure we’ve all read enough to know that isn’t always a prerequisite for getting published.) Abbott uses language wonderfully and doesn’t “write down” to her readers. I appreciate that in an author. It seems as though she understands that her readers are astute. Thanks for that, Erica.

I have but two small bones to pick. First is the use of “ya’ll” – which I believe was used a bit excessively. I’m sure that there will be many who find that the spelling (“ya’ll”) is a little disconcerting. We’re so accustomed to “y’all” instead. However, either spelling is actually appropriate. Others might find it equally awkward that CJ uses “ya’ll” when referring to a single person. However, in the South, this is also appropriate. So, while the spelling that is used was a bit jarring for me, I was able to get over it. I just felt that it was used a lot – perhaps, too much.

The other bone to pick has to do with solving the murder case. I felt it was given away a bit. Oh, it wasn’t obvious, but when the reveal was made at the end, it wasn’t overly surprising. I didn’t have that “OMG! I didn’t see that coming” reaction. Fortunately, I was so invested in the developing relationship between CJ and Alex, I wasn’t all that put out by the lacking twist in the plot. Had this been a flat-out mystery – no romance on the horizon – I might have been more bothered by it.

Overall, this is definitely a book worth reading. I have no doubt that Abbott’s future as a novelist will be a bright one. I am really looking forward to her next offering. And I really hope that we’ll see CJ and Alex in the future.Fragmentary Blue

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this book until the author decided to cause some problems between CJ and Alex. ‘Throwing a spanner’ into the relationship wasn’t a problem, but the way it was done was annoying and the way the case was investigated wasn’t a lot better.
To start with I can’t believe a murder suspect would be transported with just one officer in the back of an ordinary squad car. Why wasn’t the possibility of keys and gun already being in the car investigated as soon as they discovered the prisoner had escaped? Wasn’t the car checked before putting in the prisoner, who checked it, was there CCT footage of where the squad car was parked? If this had been done properly then Simon’s sudden attempt to blame it on Alex wouldn’t have been credible.
In the end I had to skip read a few bits before the story got back on track and I started to enjoy it again.
Overall the story wasn’t that bad, but I doubt I would bother with the next book if it wasn’t for CJ and Alex. I will read the next book because I want to see how their relationship develops.

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.J. St. Clair is a character to remember. She is joyful, funny and passionate about her work and Captain Alex Ryan. The story was interesting and held my attention. Some parts of the story were confusing (related to the hairy situation involving Alex) but I continued to read and felt pretty good about the ending. Oh yeah, the ya'll was awesomely used :)

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars really. Nice romance, quite short, wish it was longer so the relationship between the main characters can be developed more fully. The plot is serviceable, but again, a longer book might give us more details and insight. Overall, pretty good for a romance. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Tina Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I do tend to like cop dramas, this one was OK. I guess I'm partial to Gerri Hill and her characters. This book was not bad it just wasn't as good for me as Hill's books. I am still going to read the second book, because I do like CJ and Alex and want to see where there story goes.

[Bib · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise, surprise! I am impressed that this is the author's debutante work.

[Jessica Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's quite a romantic love story between Alex & CJ. I found it amusing and really enjoyed their funny conversations and teasing each other. The storyline is smart and logic enough. One good book.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The love story was so unreal: they met and instantly they're madly in love and can't live without each other.
And the plot was meh.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of romance set in a police procedural

An entertaining, well-written story with intriguing & likeable characters, some hot scenes & an interesting storyline.

It's a good book with a good balance of crime mystery to budding romance in the developing relationship between two police women who weren't looking for real love, but weren't willing to let this opportunity slip through their fingers.

[Rtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cj is such a sexy, alluring character. I'm totally in love with her. The story and pace was good. I'm giving 4 stars because I didn't like the fact they said Alex is average looking but enigmatic. I know it sounds silly. And the author probably wanted to make it more realistic. But when I'm in love, that person becomes the most beautiful woman in the world to me.
No matter what the world thinks.
Anyway. It's a really good book.

[Megan Borth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this book focused a lot on the relationship and less on the investigation. Still a wonderful book and I plan to read the next 3. I was a little off put by the misuse of the word y'all. As a person from the south y'all is a word to mean you all, which is plural. The author uses it in place of you which is singular. Other than that great book, and I can't wait to read the rest!

[Celina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how steady Alex and CJ seem to be going. "Us against the world" love can be cute, dangerous but cute. I have seen this series for a long while and I have finally decided to read it. The start is really good. Mixed POVS not so much, but I liked it so far.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly solid read. More on the romance side than the mystery side honestly. And I will have to agree with other reviewers, the use of y'all instead of you was so distracting and really detracted from any of CJs lines.

[Kathleen O'Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sizzling romance between the 2 main characters of this police procedural! This was a fun (and hot!) read. Ready to order the 2nd one in the series!

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as Alex and CJ start to connect, CJ - as head of IA - must investigate as Alex, a police captain, is accused of murder.

Good mystery, plenty of twists. Fun read.