Shattered: The Final Act.
Available now - Book 4 in the Shattered Series.
Leaving a lover and trouble behind in Paris, Jo has settled into an easy life in New Zealand with a different name. She’s even learning to make pottery. One morning, while returning a book to the library where a new friend works, she discovers the librarian is trying to hide her tears. When pressed for details, Jo discovers the woman’s sister is missing. Along with her boyfriend, who, like Jo is a Canadian. Jo does her best to not get involved but relents with a promise to help locate the missing girl and that’s all.
The trail will lead Jo to one of Diamond Harbour’s richest inhabitants, regardless of being warned away. She hears rumours of stolen cash, trading in body parts and ruthless gangsters. She’s in too deep to turn her head. The young man, the boyfriend, is being kept alive because a rich man’s daughter is on her deathbed and needs his kidneys. Both of them.
Jo won’t be alone. There’s a vigilante looking for the teenager too.
A recent review from Author A-M Mawhiney of Ontario, Canada.
If you have read the the previous Shattered books by Allan Hudson you know you will be turning pages well into the night. Striking the perfect balance between pace and plot the story zings us through one twist after another. Also, I met a character that leads me to another series that I have not yet begun.
All in all very satisfying. I am just sorry this one Shattered adventure is over.
Buy it HERE or HERE.
Please scroll down to read about the other Shattered stories.
Thank you.
Book one.
Synopsis:
Detective Josephine Naylor receives an email telling her where to find the last body. The messenger tells her "only you can stop this madness". Discovering a shattered figurine on the corpse, she's overwhelmed by the possibility it might be the one she sold in a yard sale. If so, she knows who the killer could be. She prays that she's wrong.
Excerpt from Chapter 1.
Josephine
Naylor, shoulders slumped, stares down at the frozen corpse. Even though rime
disguises the otherwise naked body, the Detective knows it is the missing
teenager. The remains are female, about five feet, maybe a hundred pounds
without the frost. And the body has been left in the same position as the two
previous victims: face up, ankles and hands neatly tucked together, bound with
duct tape. The same parts are missing.
This
regrettable murder left no doubt in Jo’s mind that the killer is the same person,
based on the method of execution. Forensics had confirmed as much with the
second body. That murder had brought forth the criminal psychologists to create
a profile that would tell them what type of individual might commit such a
crime. The scene before her is, therefore, extremely important, so she stands
well away. She is still able to discern an unusual shape upon the victim’s
forehead, which, once uncovered from its icy envelope, will likely prove to be
a piece of broken crystal similar to those found in the same spot on the pale
dead skin of the two other bodies.
Review for Shattered Figurine by James Fisher - Editor-in-Chief of the Miramichi Reader.
"Allan Hudson's eBook The Shattered Figurine shows that a good mystery-thriller can be written in the short fiction format. Of course, the timeline is condensed to move the story along quickly, but all the action is here, and action is what Mr. Hudson excels at. Detective Jo Naylor and her partner Detective Constable Adam Thorpe are given the green light to go rogue and find a trio of killers who are out to kill them as well. Can't buy a better thrill for the price of a coffee and a donut!"
Buy it HERE.
Book Two
February 02, 2021
Shattered Lives.
Jo Naylor is on the run. Wanted back in Canada for questioning regarding her father’s suicide. She has no intention of returning. With a new identity, she takes up temporary residence in a foreign country.
She may not be a detective any longer but once a cop, always a cop. A distraught woman pleads with Naylor to find her daughter. Should she help? She doesn’t know anyone in Thailand, doesn’t know the geography but that doesn’t stop Naylor from sticking her nose where it shouldn’t be.
Naylor and her new sidekick, an orphaned girl, join up with a local PI. There’s more than a missing child at stake.
A 5 star review from MJ LaBeff, author of the Cold Case Series.
Former detective Jo Naylor is on the run and finds a whole lot of trouble in paradise when she saves a young girl from the clutches of a predator. She becomes a temporary guardian to the orphaned girl and a special bond between the two is easily formed. When another girl is taken her mother pleads to Jo for help- who can’t say no despite the limitations she faces. Jo enlists the help of a PI who like her isn’t a woman to be underestimated. Together they uncover a crime ring that runs deeper than either could anticipate and puts both of them in danger.
Jo’s take no prisoners attitude, relentless pursuit of justice, and fearless fight against the men she encounters is an action-packed adventure. The author’s snappy writing and spot-on pacing makes this mystery a perfect page-turner.
Available at Amazon, Apple, Kobo and Barnes & Noble.
Book Three
Jo Naylor has to leave the sunny skies and beaches of Thailand. It’s too dangerous for her to remain. A return home to Canada isn't an option. Stepping off the plane in Paris, she’s greeted by freezing rain and a new adventure. Befriended by an older man, Jo is introduced to the glamourous city and unforgettable characters. Brandy Williams is an Australian expat who dreams of reporting for Le Figaro, one of Paris’ leading dailies. The lead she uncovers of forced prostitution may be her last.
When Brandy disappears, Jo is not one to turn away from trouble. She wonders who she can trust with her own secret. She doesn’t know the city well enough to search on her own. Bertrand Poitras, a small time bookie and man about town offers to help. Having been a cop for so many years has made Jo leery of his type. Handsome, tough and with the right connections, she decides to give him a chance.
September 2022
The latest 5 Star review from Author Mark Piper Scott.
I previously enjoyed Allan Hudson’s short story collection, A Box of Memories, and I wanted to try another of his works. I chose the third release in the Jo Naylor Adventure series, Shattered Dreams. The cover art and the idea of a tough woman protagonist were intriguing. I was not disappointed.
Jo Naylor is attractive, an ex-cop, and a highly skilled combatant. She arrives in Paris to try to stay under the radar, but she’s soon involved in confronting a human trafficking ring. She’s the instigator of the plan to find and stop the bad guys. Jo meets an intriguing, unconventional group of friends—Max, Aurora, Brandy, and eventually Bertrand—all likable and relatable characters who’ll live long in the memories of readers. The criminals, on the other hand, are pure evil, cruel, and dangerous, although they stop short of becoming mere stereotypes.
Although she takes charge and jumps into the fray with enthusiasm and skill, we learn that Jo Naylor is more than just a tough combatant who’s bent on stopping evildoers—even though that might be enough in this genre. As her relationship with Bertrand develops, we find that Jo has a softer side.
The ending wasn’t what I expected, probably because I haven’t yet read the first two books in the series, but Jo’s decision at the close of the narrative fits her personality perfectly. The plot is fast-moving and action-packed. I read Shattered Dreams in a day. Yes, it’s a short piece, but I was racing to the end before I remembered I meant to be doing other things. That’s the mark of a well-written, compelling novel.
I highly recommend Allan Hudson and Shattered Dreams. Find out for yourself. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for the interest in my stories.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.