All the Broken Things

Lynn's Story #2

by Elli P. Hunt

All the Broken Things
Freed from captivity, but not from the haunting horror …


A year ago, Abi Coltrane's life shattered when she was abducted from home. A psychopath on a killing spree seized Abi. The odds of survival stood against her. Tortured near death, her spirit broken. Abi fought for her life and the one within her. A team of local authorities led by FBI agents finally rescued her and the infant girl. Abi ached to be reunited with her family, soon she was. After a recovery period in the hospital, she was, but the horror followed her home.


At home, tension grew between them; Abi had asked Jesse to be the legal father of her daughter. Jesse would do anything for Abi, but he didn't expect this. Could he love the baby of a serial killer, or was it more than he could manage? Abi began to suffer from a precarious state of a misunderstood emotional condition. Domestic trauma in the early '70s was a field that remained unexplored. Social norms laid a heavy burden of guilt upon the weaker of the sexes. Rape seldom discussed. Pregnancies that resulted were viewed as scandalous. Abi had a cloud of guilt hanging over her. Had she escaped one monster only to face another capable of inflicting even greater pain? Would Abi have to face this one alone, or would Jesse finally have a chance at redemption?



There was a ruthless killer filled with rage on the loose. His sights were fixed on Abi and her family. An expert in stealth with a growing record of murders, that worried local chief of police, Reed Walters. Walters could not afford to let him slip away into the night. If he could just find him, or make sense out of what little he did have? It was a problem with no trail to follow or any sign of his whereabouts. Reed Walters didn't like someone jerking his strings, nor was he one to be fooled with.


Things spiked when an assault on Jesse left him near death. That was followed shortly by an FBI agent forced into a violent auto crash. Reed knew he was running out of time, and there wasn't much to go on. The urgency of capturing this killer became a driving force. Pushing Walters into the mode of his former expertise as a Delta Force operative in Vietnam. He had his own set of finely honed skills. Reed had never failed on any mission and he wasn't about to start now.

410 pages, ebook

First published June 14, 2020

About the author

Elli is known for storytelling, which began at the early age of four, entertaining her family with fanciful tales of vivid characters and wild imagination. This talent was recognized in secondary education with several short-stories she wrote in her literature and creative writing course where she earned high marks. During her undergraduate studies, she continued to draw attention to her writings that covered a broad scope of topics. Her poems and short stories were published in a school journal, she joined the university student newspaper as a reporter, and was hired by the Technical Education department to write, direct, and acted in a series of videos for instructional purposes. She earned a BS in Education, at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, with Maga Cum Laude honors, and became a certified and licensed teacher.
After an extended time, teaching, Elli took a break to work on an MS degree followed by studies in an advanced graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. In these degree programs, she studied human behavior and psychology, human relationships, and interpersonal skills, which have been useful in the development of characters and story plots.
After retiring from teaching, her love of storytelling, especially fiction, never waned, continuing to write fictional stories in hopes of having them published soon.
Elli resides in Menomonie, Wisconsin, a small college town located in the northwest region of Wisconsin, where she enjoys the abundance of forests and natural resources. She enjoys hiking and biking on the many trails in the area and camping in the Great North Woods.
You may find Elli on the following sites:
Elli's webpage, https://elli981763040.wordpress.com
Elli's Amazon Author Page
https://books2read.com/u/mY7K7M

Reviews

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW, what a read! The plot was intense, powerful and thrilling and held me captive all the way through! The characters fairly leaped off the page, and the tension was palpable. If you are looking for a book that you just CAN’T put down, then this is DEFINITELY the book for you!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the crime-kidnap-stalker-investigation portion of the story. For me, the family story took up too much of the book.

I know that it is #2 in the series and so it is reasonable to transition the characters. The family stuff was well-written but I wanted more of the crime element.

I liked the characters and each person's behaviour seemed appropriate.

I had some issues with the editing but it was a really good book.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Very suspenseful & kept me on the edge of my seat. I fell in love with the characters. This book is part of a series, but did not end with a cliffhanger. Still, I’m very interested in continuing along, as well as picking up the first book in the series.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review

[Justen Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was pack with emotions, danger, and a happily ever after. I wish there was an extra ending to see where they branch for here. Also I would love to read the first book in the series but I think for context then anything. Great writing.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I liked the general premise of it. Abi is home from the hospital and dealing with her injuries and her return from captivity. She has flashbacks and fears for her marriage. I didn't like the way the story was presented. The reader knows what is going on in everyone's mind and this causes some unnecessary repetition. Overall the story is good. I received this book for free and I am voluntarily leaving this review.