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Broken Ground
A dead man. A buried lie. And a sheriff who won’t look away.
When a trusted arborist is killed beneath a falling tree during a violent Colorado windstorm, Sheriff Ray Duke is told it was a tragic accident. Wrong place. Wrong time. Bad luck.
Duke doesn’t buy it.
George Bailey was cautious. Methodical. And lately, he’d been asking questions no one wanted answered—about dying trees, disputed land, and what might be buried beneath the soil of Blue Sky County.
As Duke follows the trail downhill, he uncovers a web of quiet pressure and carefully managed wealthy newcomers protecting their investment, contractors pushed to stay inside the lines, and county approvals designed to keep the past from resurfacing. What began as a suspicious death becomes something far more dangerous—a long-buried environmental crime tied to land everyone assumed was safe.
With the town desperate for closure and powerful forces working to reassign the truth, Duke must decide how far he’s willing to go when justice threatens to cost him his career, his reputation, and the fragile peace of the community he’s sworn to protect.
Because some ground isn’t just broken.
It’s hiding something.
And the land is done keeping quiet.
When a trusted arborist is killed beneath a falling tree during a violent Colorado windstorm, Sheriff Ray Duke is told it was a tragic accident. Wrong place. Wrong time. Bad luck.
Duke doesn’t buy it.
George Bailey was cautious. Methodical. And lately, he’d been asking questions no one wanted answered—about dying trees, disputed land, and what might be buried beneath the soil of Blue Sky County.
As Duke follows the trail downhill, he uncovers a web of quiet pressure and carefully managed wealthy newcomers protecting their investment, contractors pushed to stay inside the lines, and county approvals designed to keep the past from resurfacing. What began as a suspicious death becomes something far more dangerous—a long-buried environmental crime tied to land everyone assumed was safe.
With the town desperate for closure and powerful forces working to reassign the truth, Duke must decide how far he’s willing to go when justice threatens to cost him his career, his reputation, and the fragile peace of the community he’s sworn to protect.
Because some ground isn’t just broken.
It’s hiding something.
And the land is done keeping quiet.
519 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 1, 2026
The book lost me on on the technical and land information. I had trouble finding my place a few times but still love the story line.
August 3, 2026
This installment leans away from typical murder and into more of an “environmental thriller” flavor, though it’s not fast or furious enough to hold the “thriller” title. Still, the story evolves logically, both from a book and series standpoint. The main character doesn’t really grow or change much, but we’re seeing side character arcs and slow evolutions. It kept me reading even through a slow reveal.
The series-long mystery saw little page time or progress, and I’m more invested in that than I was in this particular book. The ending, again, promises progress I hope is fulfilled. I will be reading on, though my patience is waning.
As I read this series, I find my opinions shifting. The slow pace isn’t bothering me as much as it did given the description states this isn’t fast and gritty. So I made peace with it. That said, I expected to see tighter writing as the author learned and grew, but this book sounds like all the others. (Crutch words/phrases, too much telling, little economy.) All told, I guess it’s a wash in that regard.
This is a good story and series, even if it’s a little heavy-handed. Slow burn fans will definitely enjoy it.
The series-long mystery saw little page time or progress, and I’m more invested in that than I was in this particular book. The ending, again, promises progress I hope is fulfilled. I will be reading on, though my patience is waning.
As I read this series, I find my opinions shifting. The slow pace isn’t bothering me as much as it did given the description states this isn’t fast and gritty. So I made peace with it. That said, I expected to see tighter writing as the author learned and grew, but this book sounds like all the others. (Crutch words/phrases, too much telling, little economy.) All told, I guess it’s a wash in that regard.
This is a good story and series, even if it’s a little heavy-handed. Slow burn fans will definitely enjoy it.
June 22, 2026
Best book of the series so far! This book read more like a thriller than a police procedural. I am really enjoying Sheriff Duke's interactions with his deputies and his family. Grace is such a treasure.
March 18, 2026
Great book! Hard to put down!
September 4, 2026
another good book in this series. The plot seemed a bit more complex than previous books. More of the personality of the characters came out in this book.
August 9, 2026
Convoluted & confusing, full of inconsistencies but a fascinating premise. This was interesting enough to not quit on, but wow does this guy need good editing!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews