A Village Shattered (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Village Shattered, Jean Henry Mead, Pat Wilson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Valley Retirement Village is the scene of a serial killer's revenge. Who is alphabetically killing Sew and So Club members, and why? When the newly-elected sheriff botches the investigation, Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty, widows living in the village, decide to solve the murders themselves. Dana, a mystery novel buff, and Sarah, a private investigator's widow, soon make a sobering discovery: they are also on the killer's list. Dana's beautiful daughter Kerrie, a news correspondent, arrives, complicating matters, but she quickly proves her value in the investigation. San Joaquin Valley fog hides the killer as well as hindering the murder case. The plot is sprinkled with romance as well as humor in this first novel of the Logan & Cafferty senior sleuth series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: ePress-online (November 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934258296
• ISBN-13: 978-1934258293
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #985,814 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone's a suspect until they're murdered, January 18, 2009

By	Malcolm R. Campbell "The Sun Singer" (Northeast Georgia) - See all my reviews

When a well-intentioned sheriff appears unlikely to figure out who's killing Valley Retirement Village residents before they're all dead, Dana and Sarah take matters into their own hands. They have nothing to lose, for they're already on the killer's to-do list as he works his way through the members of the village's Sew and So Club in alphabetical order.

Mead begins this novel at flank speed and never slows down. Everyone's wondering about the motives and whereabouts of everyone else, and the only people who aren't suspects are dead. This novel offers humor, romance, a boat load of red herrings, realistic characters, and two determined amateur sleuths who make one demand of sheriff Walter Grayson: if you can't figure it out, stay out of our way. Mead knows how to tell a story that will keep mystery fans up past their bedtimes with their doors and windows locked.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Village Shattered Reviews, December 10, 2008

By	Jean Henry Mead (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Book Reviews Received for A Village Shattered:

Mystery writer Dana Fredsti's book review of A Village Shattered 12/02/08:

This book was a pleasure to read, starts off with a bang and never slows down. The body count rivals that of a season in Cabot Cove, but I found the two protagonists much more realistic than Jessica Fletcher. The supporting characters are equally well fleshed out and quirky, and some of my favorite moments in the book are when the surviving Sew and So's are forced by the seemingly inept Sheriff to pair up and cohabit-ate for their own good. The inevitable clashes of personality and lifestyle occur despite the life or death situation, and Jean Henry Mead does a stellar job of handling this believably and humorously. Definitely a good read, plenty of suspects, and red herrings for any mystery lover!

Ron Berry said in his book review 12/9/08:

A Village Shattered opens dead on. Jean Henry Mead writes a most compelling drama that has more twists and turns than a piece of tangled thread. She takes her readers down this winding path through each dramatic point with the unerring eye of an eagle. A Village Shattered reads like front-page news on every page. Pick up a copy to learn how [the author] ties up all the loose ends of this most twisted string of murders. You won't regret it.

Reviews included in the book:

This book kept me on the edge of my seat! There's mystery, suspense, and, to make things a bit more interesting, some romance thrown in. You don't know who the killer is or why he/she is doing it until the very end. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery."

~Rhapsody Magazine

Readers will love guessing who's killing the residents of the retirement village in this delightfully funny and cleverly plotted mystery. A must read for Sherlock fans but Sherlock himself would be no match for these sassy senior sleuths."

~Sue Owens Wright, mystery novelist

4.0 out of 5 stars A sleuthing story full of mysterious murders and characters; it keeps you guessing, right till the end! BCM, April 6, 2009

By	Bobbie Crawford-McCoy "(Book Reviews By Bobbie)" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A Shattered Village feels like you are sitting down with a reassuring, old friend; it is one of those books that let you relax into it. The story is only mildly suspenseful until about 3/4's of the way through when it ramps right up, but the whole story is packed-full of mysteries that lead you further and further away from the answers to these puzzling and disturbing murders of the members of the seniors Sew and So Club. The Author does a brilliant job of creating moods and settings that enhance the story; she is very skilled at creating entertaining and unique characters as well. With a smoothly-flowing plot and some surprising twists, the Author weaves a mystery that leaves you with more questions then answers, daring you to solve the mystery yourself, before she reveals the killer. I thought I'd figured it all out, several times over, but I was in for quite a surprise. The serial killer is a menacing mixture of deranged self-importance and twisted mania; I would have enjoyed reading more about the killer and hope that perhaps in the next books, more internal dialog from the killers will be included. Throughout the story, romance tries to blossom; but who knows if it can thrive in such a death-laden atmosphere. I enjoyed reading this book, even though mysteries are not one of my favourite genres.
I highly recommend this book to fans of murder mysteries!


© 2008-2009 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy (Book Reviews By Bobbie).
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