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Skeet Bannion #2
Every Broken Trust: A Mystery
A party to celebrate the arrival of George "Mel" Melvin, a Kansas City politician accompanied by his troubled teenage daughter, wealthy wife, even wealthier backer, and mysterious employee, rapidly turns into disaster when Skeet's best friend, Karen Wise, stumbles on a body in Chouteau University's storage caves and is attacked herself. Skeet gets to Karen in time, but she's still worried by Karen's increasing obsession with the dead man's drunken claim that her husband's accidental death years earlier was actually murder.
Skeet already has her hands full, serving as chief of campus police and also as the guardian of fifteen-year-old Brian. Brian's emotional entanglement with Mel's rebellious daughter, as well as Karen's fixation on who she believes to be her husband's murderer, frustrates Skeet's efforts to keep them both safe and out of trouble. Skeet must struggle against the clock to solve a series of linked murders before she loses Brian forever, and before her best friend winds up in jail―or worse.
Skeet already has her hands full, serving as chief of campus police and also as the guardian of fifteen-year-old Brian. Brian's emotional entanglement with Mel's rebellious daughter, as well as Karen's fixation on who she believes to be her husband's murderer, frustrates Skeet's efforts to keep them both safe and out of trouble. Skeet must struggle against the clock to solve a series of linked murders before she loses Brian forever, and before her best friend winds up in jail―or worse.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2013
4 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Linda Rodriguez
69 books40 followersLinda Rodriguez’s novel, Every Last Secret featuring Skeet Bannion, won the 2011 St. Martin’s Press/Malice Domestic First Novel Competition and will be published by St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books on 4/24/2012. Rodriguez has published two books of poetry, Heart’s Migration (Tia Chucha Press, 2009), winner of the 2010 Thorpe Menn Award for Literary Excellence, and Skin Hunger (Potpourri Publications, 1995, Scapegoat Press, 2007). She received the 2010 Inspiration Award from the KC Arts Fund, the 2009 Elvira Cordero Cisneros Award from the Macondo Foundation, and the 2009 Midwest Voices and Visions Award from the Alliance of Artists Communities and the Joyce Foundation and has been both a Ragdale Fellow and a Macondo Fellow. She is the vice-president of the Latino Writers Collective, a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, The Writers Place, and Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers, and has published poetry and fiction in numerous journals and anthologies. Her poems have been broadcast on The Writers Almanac with Garrison Keillor (NPR) and New Letters on the Air (NPR). She is currently working on a book of poetry based on teachings from her Cherokee grandmother and another novel featuring Skeet Bannion.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 4, 2013
Skeet Banion is chief of the campus police at Chouteau University, having come there from the Kansas City Police Department where she had been a rising star in the homicide division. When one of her best friends, Karen, asks to have a welcome party for a former boss of her late husband at Skeet's house, Skeet reluctantly agrees. At the party a drunk former co-worker of Karen's late husband tells her that her husband did not die of an accidental fall as everyone thought, but was deliberately pushed down the marble stairs at the courthouse where he worked. When Karen goes to meet him to find out more details, he is killed and she was injured, leading credence to the idea that her husband had been murdered. Skeet sets out to try to protect Karen and figure out who among the guests at the party is a murderer.
The characters are well drawn (if occasionally less than likeable)and the plot is intriguing. This is the second in a series, so I'm going back to look for the first one.
The characters are well drawn (if occasionally less than likeable)and the plot is intriguing. This is the second in a series, so I'm going back to look for the first one.
May 15, 2013
Every Broken Trust is a very enjoyable read. Rodriguez uses language effectively to bring her characters and scenes to life. Her debut novel, Every Last Secret, which won the St. Martin's Award was very good, but this one is even better!
March 11, 2021
3.x stars?
I love that Skeet is competent and does what's needed without being stupid or careless. It's refreshing to have a protagonist who isn't self destructive and calls for backup. I also appreciate that she is neither falling into bed with the new possibility, nor taking back her ex-husband. (I wish she'd shut her ex-husband down harder, but I understand why she doesn't have the energy.)
But the minor characters are both plentiful and somewhat indistinguishable. And, unlike the first mystery, I suspected who the villain was very early on. That said, there's enough to like that I'm looking forward to reading the third book.
Content notes for abstract discussion of human trafficking, an offscreen OD, neglect of a teen, multiple scenes in a hospital setting, a parent who refuses to follow medical instructions, and issues with health aides.
I love that Skeet is competent and does what's needed without being stupid or careless. It's refreshing to have a protagonist who isn't self destructive and calls for backup. I also appreciate that she is neither falling into bed with the new possibility, nor taking back her ex-husband. (I wish she'd shut her ex-husband down harder, but I understand why she doesn't have the energy.)
But the minor characters are both plentiful and somewhat indistinguishable. And, unlike the first mystery, I suspected who the villain was very early on. That said, there's enough to like that I'm looking forward to reading the third book.
Content notes for abstract discussion of human trafficking, an offscreen OD, neglect of a teen, multiple scenes in a hospital setting, a parent who refuses to follow medical instructions, and issues with health aides.
July 4, 2021
I enjoyed this mystery set in a small Missouri college town near Kansas City. Plenty of red herrings sprinkle the book, so it keeps readers trying to figure what's going on.
What starts out as a murder on campus gradually appears to be related to an earlier accidental death in Kansas City in the near past. Part of the story line developed here doesn't seem to reach a conclusion by the time our murderer is exposed, so it may be continued in the next volume of the series. I'll have to check that out...
What starts out as a murder on campus gradually appears to be related to an earlier accidental death in Kansas City in the near past. Part of the story line developed here doesn't seem to reach a conclusion by the time our murderer is exposed, so it may be continued in the next volume of the series. I'll have to check that out...
June 15, 2013
“’Just remember. No criminal has the power those with wealth and political clout have. The ultra criminals use politics to thrive unmolested.’” ( Page 231)
If chief of campus police Skeet Bannion liked politics she could have stayed with the Kansas City Police Department where she just might have been their first female police chief. Instead, she bailed out on the politics and more when she left for the calmer setting of nearby Chouteau University. At least that was the plan though things have not really worked out that way. Recent events in Every Last Secret have taught her that there is no running from politics or her ties to Kansas City.
It has been a few months since those events happened as Every Broken Trust begins. As a favor to good friend Karen Wise, Skeet has agreed to open her home for a small party to welcome the new dean of the Chouteau University Law School. George “Mel” Melvin who has ties to Skeet, Karen, and many others is to be the new dean. The guest list created by Karen is getting longer and longer as is the depth of complexity to the party. Despite Karen's assurances that everything is going to be fine, Skeet is getting more and more stressed by the upcoming party as well as some of the people surrounding Mel.
The party turns out to be a disaster, but not in the way Skeet had feared. After an incident with a drunk at the party, Karen calls for help asking Skeet to come to a nearby underground storage area known as “the Caves.” A complex built into the limestone caves that run beneath the university is now is the scene of a murder victim and an injured Karen. Leonard Klameth, one of many attending the party, is now dead and Karen has suffered a serious head injury.
Who did this and why are the first two threads of a puzzle that will cause Skeet Bannion to learn far more than she ever wanted about the personal lives of those she thought of as friends. “Like many things in this case, the truth was worlds apart from appearances. A murder always opened a can or two of worms. Sometimes the worms turned out to be snakes.” (Page 158)
This second novel in the series penned by author Linda Rodriguez lives up to the highly entertaining first book. Having well established the primary character of Skeet Bannion, the focus here character development wise is on the many other characters in her life such as her ward, Brian, her current possible romantic interest, Joe Louzon, her past romantic interest, Sam, and numerous other friends that first appeared in Every Last Secret. Her relationship with every single person in her life will be fundamentally altered in some way by the events that happen in Every Broken Trust. A complex cozy style read this latest book in the series is not only very good, it further establishes the fact that Skeet Bannion is a powerful character in her own right on every level.
Every Broken Trust: A Mystery
Linda Rodriguez
http://www.lindarodriguezwrites.blogs...
Minotaur Books (A Thomas Dunne Book)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com
May 2013
ISBN# 978-1-250-03035-1
Hardback
304 Pages
$25.99
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
If chief of campus police Skeet Bannion liked politics she could have stayed with the Kansas City Police Department where she just might have been their first female police chief. Instead, she bailed out on the politics and more when she left for the calmer setting of nearby Chouteau University. At least that was the plan though things have not really worked out that way. Recent events in Every Last Secret have taught her that there is no running from politics or her ties to Kansas City.
It has been a few months since those events happened as Every Broken Trust begins. As a favor to good friend Karen Wise, Skeet has agreed to open her home for a small party to welcome the new dean of the Chouteau University Law School. George “Mel” Melvin who has ties to Skeet, Karen, and many others is to be the new dean. The guest list created by Karen is getting longer and longer as is the depth of complexity to the party. Despite Karen's assurances that everything is going to be fine, Skeet is getting more and more stressed by the upcoming party as well as some of the people surrounding Mel.
The party turns out to be a disaster, but not in the way Skeet had feared. After an incident with a drunk at the party, Karen calls for help asking Skeet to come to a nearby underground storage area known as “the Caves.” A complex built into the limestone caves that run beneath the university is now is the scene of a murder victim and an injured Karen. Leonard Klameth, one of many attending the party, is now dead and Karen has suffered a serious head injury.
Who did this and why are the first two threads of a puzzle that will cause Skeet Bannion to learn far more than she ever wanted about the personal lives of those she thought of as friends. “Like many things in this case, the truth was worlds apart from appearances. A murder always opened a can or two of worms. Sometimes the worms turned out to be snakes.” (Page 158)
This second novel in the series penned by author Linda Rodriguez lives up to the highly entertaining first book. Having well established the primary character of Skeet Bannion, the focus here character development wise is on the many other characters in her life such as her ward, Brian, her current possible romantic interest, Joe Louzon, her past romantic interest, Sam, and numerous other friends that first appeared in Every Last Secret. Her relationship with every single person in her life will be fundamentally altered in some way by the events that happen in Every Broken Trust. A complex cozy style read this latest book in the series is not only very good, it further establishes the fact that Skeet Bannion is a powerful character in her own right on every level.
Every Broken Trust: A Mystery
Linda Rodriguez
http://www.lindarodriguezwrites.blogs...
Minotaur Books (A Thomas Dunne Book)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com
May 2013
ISBN# 978-1-250-03035-1
Hardback
304 Pages
$25.99
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
August 28, 2016
I really really wanted to like this book. She is a local KC author, and one of the local yarn stores which has a summer book club had selected this book for July. The author is to participate in the discussion and I was wanting to attend.
Unfortantely this is just not for me. I found it kind of difficult warm up to the main character, Skeet, or to get into the story. Maybe it would have helped if I had read the first book. After the first two or three chapters I knew I didn't care to finish it. I decided to go ahead and skim the rest of the book, as I was still hoping to attend the book club meeting. About half-way thru there was a very interesting chapter, which I went ahead and read thru. It introduces the human trafficing angle, but it doesn't seem that really goes anywhere for the rest of the book. Anyway, after that chapter I guessed who the killer was, and why, so I skipped to the final chapter of the book, and read that. Yep, I was right.
There is not much of a knitting angle either to this book. One of the characters owns a yarn store and a sheep farm, but other than a few incidental nuggets, they don't contribute much to the book. I was also kind of disappointed the setting of the book was a fictional town just outside of KC.
There were a couple of good quotes from the book that struck me, and I've added those to the Quotes. Because of that I bumped it up to 2 stars.
Unfortantely this is just not for me. I found it kind of difficult warm up to the main character, Skeet, or to get into the story. Maybe it would have helped if I had read the first book. After the first two or three chapters I knew I didn't care to finish it. I decided to go ahead and skim the rest of the book, as I was still hoping to attend the book club meeting. About half-way thru there was a very interesting chapter, which I went ahead and read thru. It introduces the human trafficing angle, but it doesn't seem that really goes anywhere for the rest of the book. Anyway, after that chapter I guessed who the killer was, and why, so I skipped to the final chapter of the book, and read that. Yep, I was right.
There is not much of a knitting angle either to this book. One of the characters owns a yarn store and a sheep farm, but other than a few incidental nuggets, they don't contribute much to the book. I was also kind of disappointed the setting of the book was a fictional town just outside of KC.
There were a couple of good quotes from the book that struck me, and I've added those to the Quotes. Because of that I bumped it up to 2 stars.
August 22, 2014
Part cozy, part police procedural this is a very good mystery. The MC is chief of police of a college in a small town, a former homicide detective from the nearby city. The victim, a retired prosecutor, is murdered after he reveals that a colleague's death years earlier was murder, not an accident. There are lots of suspects, guests at a party in the police chief's home, a surprising number of whom have licensed firearms.
I had two issues with this story: Sometimes it was confusing to figure out the characters as the story progressed; the author identifies them by first name only with no reference to their connection. Either a character list or a descriptive phrase when the character reappears would have been helpful.
In both books in the series, there's a lot made of the MC's leaving her career inthe big city police dept. to get away from her ex and her father's bad reputation. In this book, the author reveals that she moved to a small town that's only 12 miles and 15 minutes away! She didn't go very far. No wonder both father and ex-husband keep showing up.
The story brings past and present together revealing an unexpected connection between the murders. The identity of the murderer was surprising. People are not who they appear to be. I recommend this read.
I had two issues with this story: Sometimes it was confusing to figure out the characters as the story progressed; the author identifies them by first name only with no reference to their connection. Either a character list or a descriptive phrase when the character reappears would have been helpful.
In both books in the series, there's a lot made of the MC's leaving her career inthe big city police dept. to get away from her ex and her father's bad reputation. In this book, the author reveals that she moved to a small town that's only 12 miles and 15 minutes away! She didn't go very far. No wonder both father and ex-husband keep showing up.
The story brings past and present together revealing an unexpected connection between the murders. The identity of the murderer was surprising. People are not who they appear to be. I recommend this read.
July 7, 2013
Linda Rodriguez' second Skeet Bannion novel accomplished what I had hoped. While I enjoyed the first novel, Every Broken Trust offers greater depth of plot, more satisfying development of the characters, and drew me even more intimately into the story. The city of Brewster grows, along with the characters, and fulfills its own role in the story which is satisfyingly full of plot twists, flawed individuals, and suspense. As a resident in the Kansas City metro, an alumna of a liberal arts college in a KC suburb, and a former college professor, I enjoyed both the geographical and occupational setting of the novel, and appreciate the way Rodriguez connects both the urban and suburban parts of the story. Every Last Secret, the first novel in the series, was well written and enjoyable, but I finished Every Broken Trust feeling a much stronger bond with Skeet, Brian, and their cohorts, a stronger sense of place with Brewster and Chouteau University, and looking forward with greater anticipation to the third novel in the series. I am hopeful that some peripheral, but strong, characters that were introduced - namely the US Attorney heading a human trafficking task force and Skeet's grandmother - will take on more prominent roles in third book.
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November 13, 2014A party to celebrate the arrival of George "Mel" Melvin, a Kansas City politician accompanied by his troubled teenage daughter, wealthy wife, even wealthier backer, and mysterious employee, rapidly turns into disaster when Skeet's best friend, Karen Wise, stumbles on a body in Chouteau University’s storage caves and is attacked herself. Skeet gets to Karen in time, but she's still worried by Karen's increasing obsession with the dead man’s drunken claim that her husband’s accidental death years earlier was actually murder.
Skeet already has her hands full, serving as chief of campus police and also as the guardian of fifteen-year-old Brian. Brian's emotional entanglement with Mel's rebellious daughter, as well as Karen's fixation on who she believes to be her husband's murderer, frustrates Skeet’s efforts to keep them both safe and out of trouble. Skeet must struggle against the clock to solve a series of linked murders before she loses Brian forever, and before her best friend winds up in jail—or worse.
The murderer is Rev Matt, a veteran, who went crazy when he learned his wife, Helen - a former nun, had an affair with Jake, Karen's late husband and Skeet's father figure.
Skeet already has her hands full, serving as chief of campus police and also as the guardian of fifteen-year-old Brian. Brian's emotional entanglement with Mel's rebellious daughter, as well as Karen's fixation on who she believes to be her husband's murderer, frustrates Skeet’s efforts to keep them both safe and out of trouble. Skeet must struggle against the clock to solve a series of linked murders before she loses Brian forever, and before her best friend winds up in jail—or worse.
The murderer is Rev Matt, a veteran, who went crazy when he learned his wife, Helen - a former nun, had an affair with Jake, Karen's late husband and Skeet's father figure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2013
I would have liked to enjoy this book more than I did. I read this for a book club whose monthly selection was this book -- a mystery, crime and police investigation thriller. If you like solving mysteries and investigating crime, perhaps this is the book for you. This is not my typical choice in reading.
It had an over abundance of characters -- too many to give much depth. Plus a lot of referrals to a previous and unsolved crime which seemed to not have been investigated thoroughly. This added to my confusion. I suppose this was a way of keeping the reader from solving the crime/mystery. The last few chapters took off as the plot intensified and as the heroine got closer to solved the mystery.
It had an over abundance of characters -- too many to give much depth. Plus a lot of referrals to a previous and unsolved crime which seemed to not have been investigated thoroughly. This added to my confusion. I suppose this was a way of keeping the reader from solving the crime/mystery. The last few chapters took off as the plot intensified and as the heroine got closer to solved the mystery.
September 10, 2013
I like some light mysteries (Sue Grafton, Diane Mott Davidson, Janet Evanovich) so I had high hopes for this book. I was also curious to see how the issue of human trafficking would be addressed since it was part of the plot. Unfortunately I was greatly disappointed. There were so many characters that I was confused as to who was who, and the characters were barely developed. The issue of human trafficking was barely covered, and then it was all neatly wrapped up in the end.
I probably wouldn't have chosen this book on my own, but it was for this month's book club. I don't think I'll be reading anything by this author again.
I probably wouldn't have chosen this book on my own, but it was for this month's book club. I don't think I'll be reading anything by this author again.
November 21, 2014
There's a lot going on in the book, a lot of characters and references to the previous book in the series, which I didn't read. I've always felt that a book should stand alone without the need of other books by the author. This one needs more tightness, more something, to make it work better than it does to draw in the reader.
Overall it's well written, but the first few chapters introduces at least 20 characters or more and it's a bit hard to follow. It does get better, but it takes until the main character's friend is attacked to do it.
The ending and villain weren't very realistic to me, either. Still, I did like the main character and her ward Brian.
Overall it's well written, but the first few chapters introduces at least 20 characters or more and it's a bit hard to follow. It does get better, but it takes until the main character's friend is attacked to do it.
The ending and villain weren't very realistic to me, either. Still, I did like the main character and her ward Brian.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2013
I really enjoy this author! This is her second book. She has a series going. It is set in the Kansas City area so that gives it a special twist. IN this book, she introduces Human Trafficking which is a serious issue in our world, our country and our community..but one that gets very little publicity or attention. I look forward to her next book where I suspect she will continue to develop that theme. Her format is similar in both books ....when I enjoy.....a good mystery writer!
July 18, 2013
I'm always looking for a new mystery series, but this didn't do it for me. It felt like the author (a competent writer) gathered all of the ingredients, with a dose of creativity for the detective and setting, but something was missing. The "lighter" mysteries don't always grab me. Elizabeth George and Louise Penny's next books can't come soon enough!
August 4, 2013
This is the second of a new series and it's pretty good, though I preferred the first book to this one. Some things seemed a little to contrived, all the connections between people who live and work in two different, though geographically close, communities. Anyway, I enjoyed it and I hope she has a third in the works.
December 27, 2016
Tried to keep reading. Got past page 75, and started skipping. Difficult to follow, cause I get too distracted by the choppy writing and disconnected things the protagonist says or does. Finally, I'm giving up.
Update Dec 2016 - Didn't remember reading this before. Read it all the way through. Keep most of my original review. The writing is just odd.
Update Dec 2016 - Didn't remember reading this before. Read it all the way through. Keep most of my original review. The writing is just odd.
June 17, 2013
This was a did-not-finish for me. I was very disappointed with a lot of the dumb moves so many of the main characters made. I was frustrated with all the anger throughout the book. And I didn't like the ending at all.
January 22, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, not sure if I liked it as well as the first one in the series, Every Last Secret, but I will definitely continue the series when the next one comes out. I enjoy the setting and the characters - really an interesting mix of people.
May 4, 2014
This is the 2nd book in the series and I've grown to really like it. It's light, different and the classic mystery formula that is sometimes so comforting. I enjoy the characters and how they are evolving.
June 16, 2013
While the essence of the plot is acceptable, there are too many leaps of faith one must accept for the ending to be logical, and I guess I'm just not that gullible.
July 2, 2013
I have read this series before and was disappointed--too much "this is what happen before" and too many story threads. Hope the next one is better
July 4, 2013
good characters. It took me a bit to really get into this book but it was due to vacation and worry about getting it back on time.
July 29, 2016
I like that suspense in this series! Another great book by Linda Rodriguez!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews