Broken Places

Rachel Goddard Mystery #3

by Sandra Parshall

Murder. Blackmail. Old secrets that refuse to stay buried. Summer is deadly in the mountain community of Mason County, Virginia.

Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger and veterinarian Rachel Goddard are caught in a maelstrom of lies that stretch far into the past and suspicions that threaten the future.

Cam and Meredith Taylor, who run the county’s failing newspaper, are murdered within hours of one another, and Rachel is dragged into the case because she heard—but didn’t see—Cam’s murder. The Taylors arrived in Mason County as volunteers in the 1960s War on Poverty, and they stayed on, making both loyal friends and bitter enemies with their outspoken activism. By rescuing the small, bankrupt newspaper, they gained the wary respect of the local establishment, but when it started going under Cam proved he would go to any lengths, including blackmail, to save it. Did his pressure tactics backfire and get him and his wife killed?

The victims’ daughter is Tom’s former girlfriend, Lindsay. She returns home to see justice done—and to win Tom back by pushing Rachel out of his life. To further complicate the situation, the prime suspect is a newcomer, cartoonist Ben Hern, the son of another 1960s activist with dubious ties to the victims, and a childhood friend of Rachel’s. She wants to believe Ben is innocent, but when she learns a disturbing secret about him she wonders what else her old friend is hiding. At the same time, Rachel frantically tries to hide her own secrets from Lindsay’s probing.

Torn apart by divided loyalties, with the killer targeting Rachel and the community clamoring for an arrest, both Tom and Rachel must decide who they can trust before it’s too late.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, Suspense, Ebooks

312 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2010

About the author

Sandra Parshall is the author of the Rachel Goddard Mysteries: The Heat of the Moon, which won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2006; Disturbing the Dead; Broken Places; Under the Dog Star; and Bleeding Through (Sept 2012). A former reporter on newspapers in her home state of South Carolina as well as West Virginia and Baltimore, MD, she now lives in the Washington, DC, area with her journalist husband and two cats.

Reviews

[Paris (kerbytejas) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book with twists and turns. Happy with the HEA (so far) for Tom and Rachael.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a mystery that can be read as a stand-alone and many times when a novel can be read as a stand-alone, readers do not go back and read the earlier novels or continue with the series. As a frequent writer of reviews I have often shared when a novel can be freely read with absolute pleasure as a stand-alone. I can't say that about Sandra Parshall's Rachel Goddard Mystery series. Why? Let me count the ways!

Sandra Parshall's writing is not to be missed. She knows how to captivate with a mystery series that is more psychological thriller as the series begins. Each novel builds on Rachel's character, her work as a veterinarian, and all of the characters with which she interacts.

I love trying to solve a mystery. With twists and turns, I haven't guessed correctly yet. Love that! It's the type of writing that one can't wait to breeze through and yet the closer that one gets to the end, wishing it all wouldn't end just yet.

[Carl Brookins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishers Weekly got it right, “a suspenseful tale.” Third in this author’s Rachel Goddard series, set in the rural mountain region of southern Virginia. The novel is rich with atmosphere, clean and incisive writing, and a well-thought-out plot. Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger receives a report of the death by gunshot of the owner of the county’s failing and only newspaper. Cam Taylor arrived in town as one of a small group of VISTA volunteers in the early nineteen-sixties. Taylor, a prickly activist, has lost none of his aggressive attitudes.

A wealthy cartoonist named Ben Hern—or Benicio Hernandez, a volatile Cuban-American with anger management issues of his own is targeted by Taylor in Taylor’s attempts to raise sufficient funds to keep the newspaper going. Their confrontation leads to the shooting of Taylor—but by whom? As Bridger, in love with veterinarian Goddard, tries to solve the murder and protect his lover, sets out to find Hern and question him, he learns of a fire consuming the Taylor residence. The body of a woman, is discovered in the ashes along with evidence of arson. Enter Bridger’s former girlfriend, a pushy, forensic scientist from the state crime lab who is Cam and Meredith’s daughter, Lindsey and the mix of interesting characters and unusual situations that often beset law enforcement in small intimate communities grows more complex.

The number and variation of present conflicts, the revelation of long-festering wounds, results in a complex novel of many layers and several surprising developments. And, if some of the conflicts are resolved with less than stellar resolution, overall, this is a fine, fine novel. This author has real insight into many variables of the human psyche. A most satisfying novel.

[Debbie Oxier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Goddard is a veterinarian, involved with local sheriff's deputy, Tom Bridger. She pulls into her friend Ben's driveway and is nearly involved in an accident with newspaper editor, Cam Taylor. Shaken, she manages to get her car back on track and makes her way to the house. Ben is furious to learn what happened. Cam was there begging for money to save the paper. When Cam returns a few minutes later to apologize to Rachel, he and Ben get in a terrible argument. Both of them take off in separate cars. Later, when Rachel finds Cam' s car abandoned on the side of the road and his body in the woods where he'd been shot in the heart, she can't help but recall the man's argument with Ben.

Tom begins his investigation by going to Cam' s to inform the man's wife he's dead. When he gets there the house is ablaze and firefighters discover a body inside. Why was the couple killed? How was Ben involved? A witness places him at the scene of the crime but there's no real proof he was there. And where is Ben's mother, who seems to have disappeared and was well acquainted with both victims? To complicate matters, the Taylor's' daughter, Lindsay, used to be Tom's girlfriend and she's made no secret of the fact she wants him back, even if it means using her wiles to drive a wedge between Rachel and Tom.

Very good suspense, kept me guessing until the end. Big twist I never saw coming. An enjoyable read, can't wait to experience more of the author's work.

[Kait Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Parshall's two earlier books several years ago. I recently decided to pick up the balance of the set. I read Under the Dog Star before this one, but I have to tell you. I'm binge reading these. I simply won't stop until I've read all of her books. She is fantastic. Broken Places tells the story of a group of idealistic youth who met in Mason County while they were VISTA volunteers. I'm not sure if the book puts a date on it, but it would have been the 1970s if my history recollection is correct. Fast forward to contemporary times. Events from the VISTA days come back to haunt all grown up and much more mature (no, the two don't always go together) VISTA volunteers and their children. When Rachel happens upon a murder, so recent that she checks the deceased for pulse, she has no idea that she is seeing the fruit of seeds sown in the past. These murders, and her growing relationship with Tom, pull out secrets of Rachel's own past that force a resolution of her relationship with Tom. A wonderful addition to the series, and very readable as a stand alone. Highly recommended.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book while browsing the library and after reading the back cover, just had to read it! I didn't realize this is the 3rd book in the Rachel Goddard Mystery series featuring Rachel, a veternarian in Mason County, VA. Fast paced, lots of drama & definietly keeps the reader guessing until the end.
In my opinion, although this is part of a series, one can read it & not feel as though they are lost. Will look for more of this series!!

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

rather boring.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broken Places by Sandra Parshall is the 3rd book of the Rachel Goddard mystery series set in contemporary rural Virginia. Rachel Goddard is the veterinarian in Mason County, Holly her assistant. Tom Bridger is a homicide detective, in love with Rachel. Cam Taylor is the local newspaper owner/editor, making a pest of himself begging for funds to support his newspaper. He and his wife Meredith arrived in Mason County decades ago as volunteers in a national War on Poverty program, and never left.

The latest newcomer to Mason County is Ben Hern, a longtime friend of Rachel's, famous for his Furballs comic strip. When Rachel and Holly go to visit Ben and check on his animals, they are run off the road by Cam Taylor. He is pestering Ben for money to support the paper, so desperate he has resorted to blackmail.

After leaving Ben's, Rachel partially witnesses a shooting in the woods. She heard the shot, saw Cam's blue shirt, but did not see the shooter. However, the shooter assumes Rachel was a witness, and begins attacks on her. A delightfully clever plot device is the parrot who squawks 'Help Me!' 'Save Me' to greet visitors. In the middle of the night Rachel is awakened by the parrot's distinctive greeting squawks, alerting her that someone must have entered the house.

Shortly after Cam was shot in the woods, Cam and Meredith's house burns down. Tom notifies their daughter Lindsay that both her parents are dead. She immediately comes to Mason County, and chooses to stay with Joanna, on the same farm where Rachel and Holly live. Very awkward for all, since Lindsay is Tom's former girlfriend, and she wants him back. Lindsay begins a series of tricks to alienate Tom from Rachel. Rachel is saddened that Tom might get back together with Lindsay. Rachel is also worried that Tom might be focused on Ben as primary suspect, and not search for the truth.

Tom is very busy, very distracted by the case; notices Rachel distancing herself, is frustrated by the tension between Rachel and Lindsay. He does not get a chance to explore all the evidence in case right away; by the time he knows the facts and gets authorization to act, Rachel is fighting for her life in a secluded abandoned house.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Rachel hears the shot that kills Cam Taylor everyone thinks she saw the murderer. Then a few hours later, Deputy Tom Bridger, who is dating Rachel, finds the Taylor house on fire and a dead woman is found in the home. When Tom informs the Taylor's daughter Lindsay, who he used to date, that her parents are dead she returns to Mason County. Lindsay tries her best to break up Rachel and Tom which makes Rachel wonder about her life in Mason County. Cam and Meredith Taylor came to Mason County in the 1960s as part of the VISTA project and stayed on. Now their newspaper is failing and Cam tries to convince the newest resident of Mason County, Ben Hern, the cartoonist, to help them keep the newspaper afloat. How Tom discovers the read murderer and the whole story makes for an enthralling read. I am really enjoying this series. Great characters, Great editing and exciting story.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I disliked the petty jealousy that existed between Lindsey and Rachel. Lindsey's obsession with Tom was glossed over and written in sloppily. It did nothing to really help the book. I think it was meant to add another later of intrigue but, for me, it was off the mark. Maybe if she had been involved in the conspiracy with her mother, then it would have women in a little better.

[Carole Gene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book that will keep the reader guessing from beginning to end. It is the author’s third book in a series of four. Although this book works fine as a “stand alone” I believe readers will enjoy BROKEN PLACES even more after reading THE HEAT OF THE MOON, and DISTURBING THE DEAD. The fourth book in the series is UNDER THE DOG STAR.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author for me and I liked this book very much. Now i am going to look for the others in this series.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very suspenseful with several twists and turns.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A suspenseful and interesting story in this series.

[Tizmehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

[Denise Zendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Carson, the veterinarian for Mason County, Virginia, is pulled into a murder case when Cam and Meredith Taylor, the couple who runs the local newspaper, are killed within hours of each other. She didn’t see anything, but she did hear gunshots and then discovered Cam’s body.

The Taylors came to Mason County in the 1960s with the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program, making friends and enemies with their activism. No one expected them to stay once their one-year commitment was up, but stay they did, eventually buying the local newspaper. Cam irritated people anyway, but his aggressive desire to keep the failing paper afloat earned him a lead lunch, and may have led to his wife’s death. Stumbling over Cam’s body puts Rachel and her young assistant, Holly, in danger, because everyone in town thinks they can identify the killer.

Rachel and Sheriff Tom Bridger’s fledgling relationship is tested by the return of Lindsay, the Taylor’s scheming daughter and Tom’s previous girlfriend. Maybe Lindsay is there to bury her parents, maybe she’s there to monkey wrench in Rachel and Tom’s relationship. Rachel’s childhood friend, Ben Hern (aka Benicio Hernandez), the son of one of the other VISTA volunteers, is the prime suspect in the murders. Ben is hiding things, Rachel is hiding things, Lindsay’s trying to make it look like the Sheriff is hiding things ...

I’m generally a cozy reader, but I got hooked on this suspenseful mystery series from the very first book. The books tackle complicated issues (death, race relations, family, poverty, animal care) in a very readable way, no preaching, just good story-telling. The characters are well-developed, the dialogue interesting, and Rachel’s backstory keeps me coming back for more. I figured out who dunnit in this book 3 at about the same time as Rachel did, and I enjoy that. I like to be carried along by the story and the interaction of the characters, rather than being hit over the head early on by who the evildoer is. I highly recommend this series. Note: They are best read in order, because each one builds on the previous one.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the peace, tranquility, and pastoral setting of a rural community. But in the case of rural Mason County in Virginia, that pastoral peace is deceptive indeed. The county's newspaper owner and his wife have been murdered, and their daughter, Lindsay, has come home to ensure that justice is done. Veterinarian Rachel Goddard is involved because she heard one of the murders committed. She joins her boyfriend, Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger, in the quest to find the killer. There's no limit to the number of suspects, and one of them is Rachel's childhood friend, cartoonist Ben Hern.

The reason for the murders could stretch back into the 1960s when the couple who are now dead first came to the county as volunteers to fight the War on Poverty. There is a book-length manuscript in the safe deposit box of the murdered wife of the newspaper owner that may hold clues to the deaths. It's a race against time, and pressure in the community is building for a resolution to the crimes. Worse still is the fact that the daughter of the murdered couple is probing into Rachel's life in an attempt to discredit Rachel and win back the love of Tom Bridger.

This really is an excellent series. I'll be saddened when I finish the last book. Parshall does a great job of giving you scores of reasons to cheer for Rachel Goddard. You can't help but enjoy the evolution she experiences as she recovers from a troubled childhood. The county itself is a character that will keep you reading.

I'd be grossly remiss if I didn't praise the narration of Tavia Gilbert. There's nothing cartoonish or over the top about her performance. She seems to become the characters she reads about. Her portrayal of Rachel's assistant, young Holly Turner, is top flight, well-honed Virginia accent and all.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Places by Sandra Parshall received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and also from the Library Journal. That’s impressive. Parshall won the 2007 Agatha Award for Best First Novel and this is the third in her veterinarian Rachel Goddard series.

It was the first one I had read. As I read the first chapter of Broken Places, I thought, man, there are a lot of characters to remember. It took me a couple of chapters to sort them out. Once who’s who began to stick in my head, I got caught up in the plot, the connections between the characters and the complexities of their relationships.

The main characters are connected in the present and the past. The protagonist, Rachel Goddard, has secrets that even her love, Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger, doesn’t know. The secrets and lies of various characters cause problems, mistrust and pain. Parshall pulls all the threads together in the end, but that doesn’t mean every character goes away happy.

Although Rachel Goddard’s profession of veterinarian didn’t play a huge role in the book, it was interesting to have a protagonist with that job. It not only gave Rachel a softer side, but reason to be places she shouldn’t have been.

There are several possible suspects and Parshall keeps you guessing throughout the book. Parshall also sets up Rachel Goddard as a complex character with secrets she’d rather keep hidden. Unfortunately, Lindsay, former girlfriend of Rachel’s love interest, and big-time nosey snoop keeps getting in the way. The question becomes how many more will die before Rachel can solve the mystery.

I’m giving it a Hel-Yeah.

[Kathleen Hagen]

Broken Places, by Sandra Parshall, B-plus, narrated by Tavia Gilbert, produced by Blackstone Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

I think this is probably one of a series, the protagonist is Dr. Rachel Godard, a veterinarian in a rural county in Virginia. She is the girl friend of Deputy Tom Bridger. One morning, Rachel is forced to stop because a car is in the road in her path. She gets out and ultimately hears a gunshot but does not see what happens. She finds Cam Taylor’s body. A little later that same morning, Tam’s house is burned down with his wife, Meridith in the house. Their daughter, Lindsay, Tom’s former girl friend, comes back to settle things and to try to get Tom back. The rumor goes around that Rachel witnessed the murder which leads to her being in danger of being killed. Another witness, a next door neighbor, is murdered. It is up to Tom to figure out who killed everyone and why. It’s a good book, on the cozy side, and I’ll enjoy reading others by this author.

[Viccy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Rachel Goddard series. Rachel has settled down in her new town, she has a new boyfriend and her vet practice is going well. One morning, she heads over to visit a friend who draws a popular cartoon. While administering acupuncture to his elder dog, Rachel overhears a tense argument between her friend Ben and the town's newspaper editor and owner. On the way home, she hears a shot and discovers the body of Cam Taylor, the newspaper editor. Rachel fears Ben Hern, her friend has killed him. Then Taylor's house burns down, with his wife inside. Who wanted to kill the Taylors? Why has Ben's mother disappeared? Does this trail date back forty years to the Taylors' service in VISTA in the sixties? Meanwhile, Lindsay Taylor returns to Mason County to bury her parents. She is fixated on taking up with Sheriff Tom Bridger, her old boyfriend again, except Tom is now in love with Rachel. The web is large and complicated.

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book. I think this is a self-published book through Poisoned Pen Press, and author Parshall did a good job. The setting is very interesting, Mason County, and she depicts the humidity, overgrowth of foliage, and the diverse people from uneducated conservative whites, to Latinos to African American-Indian people. Also the plotting is good, there is a surprise ending of the whodunit. The main protagonist is Rachel the vet, who is a bit goody good, but pretty strong. Her friend from childhood, Ben, good looking Latino, and now famous cartoonist about what else, a cat (get the animal theme?) comes back to town. There is a love triangle tension between Rachel, Ben and Tom the police captain. The plot revolves around a group of aging former Vista volunteers, and something that happened in the past that is manifesting now. There are three murders, and lots of confusion. I’ll read another.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this kind of murder mystery..suspenseful plot.. twists and turns...lies, suspicions, surprising revelations .. and a love story or two woven in to make it a page turner.. not really scary but enough tension to make it very interesting.
Our heroine, town newcomer Rachel, is a small town veterinarian, in love with the home town boy Deputy Sheriff, Tom. Secrets from the 1960's, a failing newspaper, a returning ex-girlfriend and Rachel's mysterious background (which this story does not reveal to us) come together to make this a good read.
This is the third book by this author and I am now going to search out the other two.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cam and Meredith have lived in Mason county since they arrived as VISTA volunteers many years ago. When the two are murdered, however, it means drastic changes in the lives of many. Veterinarian Rachel's old friend Ben is an immediate suspect. Cam and Meredith's daughter Lindsay, who has a long history with deputy sheriff Tom, returns home from Roanoke, planning to do the best--or worst--she can to break up the growing relationship between Rachel and Tom. And, worst, Rachel must decide whether she can share the burden of her past with Tom.

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veterinarian Rachel Goddard hears a gunshot, which turns out to be murder. Her friend Ben Hern is a suspect, and it surprises Rachel to find out that Ben has secrets he doesn’t want to get out. Local newspaper owner Cam Taylor and his wife Meredith are killed in a fire. Their daughter Lindsay, who is Sheriff Tom Bridger’s ex-girlfriend, returns to Mason County to arrange her parents funeral and to pursue a reconciliation with Tom. Page turning suspense—Parshall’s books are always a wonderful treat. Fans of Nevada Barr and C. J. Box might want to give this series a try. Third in the series.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the series featuring veterinarian Rachel Goddard, Broken Places finds her caught between loyalties to her new almost-boyfriend, Sheriff's deputy Tom Bridger, and an old friend, a famous cartoonist, who has bought a place in the mountains and becomes a murder suspect. Another excellent outing by Sandra Parshall; I'm only sorry I've now read all her books and need to wait for her to write another.

[Denny]

Started it; was boring and too "explain-y"; too much tell and no show and too cliched. I could (should?) have given it more than the first 5 pages I did, but since I'd read one of hers before and it was nothing great, I decided to skip this one.

[Leslie Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5--a nice nasty character, good plot,and tension. characters left over from VISTA days in rural Virginia getting themselves killed. End is not clear unless you've read the first two books, which I have.

[Mary Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel is a veterinarian in present day Virginia where VISTA volunteers came to fight poverty in the '70s & some stayed. Her honey is the police chief; & he & Rachel get involved in murders that seem to be rooted in the past.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series that I've read. I didn't feel as though I was lost or anything. I would like to go back and read Rachel's story to find out about her past that was only hinted at in this book. It was a good suspenseful novel with an ending I didn't see coming.

[Jovdb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started to listen to this audio book and realized that I read it sometime last year. The audio book is terrible. That "young" southern girl voice was so annoying!!! Sometimes your own interpretation of the voices is so much better!