I have read books with Lucy Kincaid and enjoyed them immensely. This time Lucy is working with Max Revere, a reporter specializing in cold cases. I really enjoyed this fast paced and intriguing mystery. Lucy and Max make a great team even though neither thought it was going to work out in the beginning. Highly recommend!

Excellent addition to the Brennan series, the mystery writing is imaginative and has many twists and turns. The author has a gift for unique plots that keep the reader guessing.

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Shattered. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

My two favorite characters from Allison Brennan's books, investigative reporter Maxine Revere and FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid, have come together to solve a series of cold cases that span 20 years. During her investigation of a case involving her old friend, Max discovers other cases that are remarkably similar. Needing someone in law enforcement to help, Lucy is the logical choice because one of the victims was her nephew. Skating on thin ice with her new boss already, will Lucy sabotage her career in return for the truth? Will Max's distrust of law enforcement hinder the investigation or will she discover the benefits to having many branches of law enforcement as allies?

Shattered has a strong premise and well developed characters, as well as a fast moving plot. The painstaking process of investigating is well represented, with the end result being an interesting book about the complexities of solving crimes that have gone cold. Both Lucy and Max are determined, strong women, and their intensity helps to propel the book forward. Although this book is part of a larger whole, readers who are new to the series will still be able to enjoy Shattered. I liked how well the women worked together and I hope that author Allison Brennan will revisit their temporary partnership in subsequent books.

Allison is one of my top 3 favorite authors has been for years.

Max Revere Series is GREAT, but Lucky will also be my favorite

Murder, Mayhem, Twists, Turns, Thrills, what more could you want???

Lucy and Max work for me!!!!

I love Lucy. She a great character. When I think of Lucy it’s with a glad heart she is to me a person that is true to herself. She is a person with flaws but she does her best to over come, and accomplish the goal. This book is part of her journey. I can’t wait for the next one.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Over a span of twenty years, four boys have been kidnapped from their bedrooms, suffocated, and buried nearby in a shallow grave. Serial killer or coincidence?
That’s the question investigative reporter Maxine Revere sets out to answer when an old friend begs her to help exonerate his wife, who has been charged with their son’s recent murder. But Max can do little to help because the police and D.A. won’t talk to her—they think they have the right woman. Instead, Max turns her attention to three similar cold cases. If she can solve them, she might be able to help her friend.
Justin Stanton was killed twenty years ago, and his father wants closure—so he is willing to help Max with her investigation on one condition: that she work with his former sister-in-law— Justin’s aunt, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid. Trouble is, Max works alone, and she’s livid that her only access to the case files, lead detective and witnesses depends on her partnering with a federal agent on vacation. She wants the career-making story almost as much as the truth—but if she gets this wrong, she could lose everything.
Haunted by Justin’s death for years, Lucy yearns to give her family—and herself—the closure they need. More important, she wants to catch a killer. Lucy finds Max’s theory on all three cases compelling—with Max's research added to Lucy’s training and experience, Lucy believes they can find the killer so justice can finally be served. But the very private Lucy doesn’t trust the reporter any more than Max trusts her.
Max and Lucy must find a way to work together to untangle lies, misinformation, and evidence to develop a profile of the killer. But the biggest question is: why were these boys targeted? As they team up to find out what really happened the night Justin was killed, they make a shocking discovery: Justin’s killer is still out there … stalking another victim … and they already may be too late.

A little while ago, I read the second book in this series, Compulsion, and was impressed with a number of things: the tightness of the writing, the pacing, character development, and the overall plot. I remember thinking Max was one of the better characters I had read in thrillers for a while so I was keen to get my hands on another in the series to see if that high standard had continued...

Another cracking thriller that brings together Max and Lucy Kincaid, the FBI agent from Brennan's other series of novels, on the trail of a 20-year old cold case. Max begrudgingly works with Lucy as they unravel not just one cold case, but investigate three. The similarities are striking and the two women work together to bring this story to a satisfying conclusion.

I am not often a fan of authors bringing the characters of two separate series together but in this book it works perfectly. They both bring their respective skills to the table and I do hope there are more of this partnership down the track.

The story is tight, tense and thrilling. The character development of Max continues well and her drive and motivations come to the fore in this story. Her personality can be abrasive, but she has a mind for justice only - and she will do what she needs to do to get to the truth.

If you are a fan of well-written, well-plotted thriller novels with excellent female leads, then this series continues to be the one you need to read. Highly recommended!


Paul
ARH

I always loved Allison Brennan, so when I saw I get to write a review for one of her books I was so thrilled. And was I not disappointed. A great book with thrilling twists and awesome characters. The plot was also fantastic. Amazing job, really. Again. Where is the next? )

The synopsis for this novel instantly intrigued me – not only do I love crime/detective novels, but I really like it when they include a journalist’s investigation, as they don’t have to stick to the procedures and red tape that the police do. When there’s more than one case which may be linked? Love it! And when some of them are cold cases? This book seems right up my street!

I wasn’t sure if the fact that I hadn’t read any of the others in this series, which centers on investigative reporter Max Revere, would matter but it doesn’t seem to at all. I got the hang of who’s who pretty quickly and although I didn’t know all the background of the characters (such as what exactly went wrong between Max and her boyfriend, Nick, and also her ‘friend’ David?), I still picked it all up well enough to not dampen my enjoyment.

From reading other reviews I can also see that apparently this is a book that feature a character from another of Allison Brennan’s series – FBI agent Lucy Kincaid. I enjoyed reading about both characters and the way they interacted, as well as other people involved in the investigation too – though it felt like the Kincaid family was absolutely huge as more characters were introduced. I’ve no doubt that’s partly because I haven’t read previous books in that series, though, but I did have to stop a few times and try to figure out who was related/ associated with who!

Still, Shattered is definitely an enthralling read which kept me wanting to read on to find out whether the cases were all linked, and if so who did it?! I loved reading about the different personalities, methods and attitudes Lucy and Max brought to the case, and following them as they piece the clues together.

Allison Brennan’s writing is skillful and keeps the tension up throughout. There are some twists and turns, as well as some darker parts which really make you think. Definitely worth giving a go!

You want the truth. I understand that drive. I really do. I am always seeking the truth-but more than that, I am looking for answers. I am driven by a much darker force than truth. I need justice, I need to know that killers will be caught, that they will be punished.

Max Revere is on a case for a her show that solves cold cases. It is the most compelling as it deals with human behavior and finding the truth. Her old college friend has called for help. His wife is on trial for the murder of their little boy that was taken and then found several miles from his home. Is this senseless murder connected to a cold case from twenty years ago? Where a killer buried the victims in a place where they played. Three cases that have similarities in the span of 20 years.

Max knows she needs to start with the first victim of Justin Stanton and they only way she can get answers is to have Lucy Kincaid FBI agent partner alongside her. Lucy is also related to the victim and specializes in profiling the serial killers. Where there is tension, character development is prevalent and it is between Lucy and Max. They both want the truth but they need each other to get to the killer. A killer that has methodically killed little boys and left families shattered.

This is the best one that I have read of these series. I loved how the relationship between Lucy and Max became one of respect where there was caution. These two characters were different in many aspects but their strength and weakness brought them together to solve the crime. It also dealt with what makes a mind want to kill children. The why of the crime is what made this such a compelling thriller. I loved it.

A Special Thank You to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review

I received an ARC in Exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley, McMillan publishing, and Allison Brennan. The author has combined her to female heroes in this one book. Maxine revere is the journalist, determined, crass, arrogant but tender. Lucy Kincaid is the FBI agent, smart, caring, brave but strong. These two together make for a perfect team to solve cold cases and present day one. Definitely recommend to fans of either heroine books of Ms Brennan's .
I've written my review also in Goodreads,and have linked to FB, Twitter and Amazon

Long with a bit of redundant info but a good story. Read books 1-3 first

Reporter Maxine Revere is chasing the story about kidnapped boys who have been murdered and found in shallow graves. These kidnappings span 20 years and have everyone questioning whether it is a serial killer or mere coincidence.

I didn't realize when I requested this title that it was part of a series. I don't normally pick up a series in the middle, but by the time I discovered there were previous books I was already invested in the story and didn't want to stop. It can definitely be read on it's own, but you get the feeling you would know more about the characters if you had read the previous books. That said, I thought the writing was great. The story moved along well and I really enjoyed it.

I am shocked this is the first Max Revere book I've read, since I have loved the other Allison Brennan series. I love that Max is a hard nosed, reporter that keeps her promises. In this story an ex-boyfriend reaches out to her when his wife is accused of murdering their son. Her case is familiar to that of three other boys.

This sets max on the chase to solve the cold cases in order to help him. One of the victims is another of Brennan's characters Lucy Kincaid. Lucy is an FBI agent and the cousin to one of the victims, so this one is personal. She decides to help but only if she is involved in investigating.

So much goes into solving the crime, learning to trust each other, chasing down leads even when it could hurt the family, always in search of the truth. I loved how their friendship grew and hope to have more cross-over stories in the future.

Stayed up past 10pm to read this book. I had never read Allison Brennan before, and am now hooked. I have reserved all the first books in all her different series. These are good, easy reads. The characters are well written, the story lines move quickly and the landscape richly drawn - I could often find myself running along the characters. .

I haven't read any of the previous "Lucy Kincaid" or "Max Revere" books - - and I see I've been missing out! These were two very strong women characters who were totally different - and yet they complemented each other beautifully. The story was interesting (and heartbreaking) and though the narrative dragged a bit for me in the middle, by the end it was 'hang on to your seat, here we go!" time!

Very entertaining mystery. I look forward to future books with these characters.

Allison Brennan really knows how to weave a tight story. In Shattered, FBI rookie Lucy Kincaid and Investigative reporter Max Revere team up for a wild ride. What really sticks out to me is the depth and reality of these two characters throughout the book. Their pasts, personalities, and the internal motivations that drive them is truly remarkable. The investigation, plot were just as good in this thriller. My first Allison Brennan book, but definitely not my last.

This is a very well written mystery thriller.

Max is a woman on a mission. She is driven to solving cold cases, and fortunately, is independently wealthy and has the resources to accomplish much that law enforcement agencies cannot. She is a loner, and none too thrilled when she is obligated to team up with an FBI agent on one of her cases. She is also a reporter, with her own TV show about the cases she is solving, so the feeling is mutual, as law enforcement and reporters don't trust each other much, or mix well.

A friend asks her to investigate the murder of his young son. His wife is the accused and is standing trial. He notices striking similarities between this crime and some older cold cases, some from many years ago. He thinks it may be the same killer and that this evidence could set his wife free. The story is about Max and the FBI agent, Lucy, investigating these murders and coming up with surprising results. In the process, they develop respect and admiration for one another, and even the beginnings of a friendship.

One of the main things I enjoyed about this book was the well developed main characters. Both Max and Lucy are so well fleshed out that I almost feel that I know them. I actually miss them. I'm already hoping for more from this author about these two.
The plot is complex but easy to follow. The investigations and the solution are clever and credible. Of course there are surprises in store for the reader, but I want to avoid spoilers so I won't even hint at them. The organization and pacing are excellent until the very end where it seems as though there is an extra part tacked on. This doesn't detract from the plot but seems curious.
I think you will be thoroughly satisfied with this book. It is a mystery thriller done right. It would be great fun for a summer read, but it would also be perfect for a snowed-in afternoon in the depths of winter. My plan is to take one or two of this author's books the next time I have a long flight in coach class, where escape is almost a necessity. Wherever and whenever you read this, I don't believe you'll be disappointed.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars
WOW! This book was so disturbing yet I couldn’t put it down!
This is the latest book in Max Revere series by Allison Brennan and WOW it will have your glued to your kindle. Max is still the same tough as nails investigative journalist and Lucy is still the troubled but extremely amazing FBI agent. Max and Lucy are working together on a 20 year old cold case that will haunt your dreams!
Allison’s writing is amazing as expected. Her development of characters is also on point. Add those two with an twisted tale that will break your heart, having you sitting on the edge of your chair and will leave your breathless. Shattered is the fourth book but can be read as a standalone…..but why would you want to miss out read them all!

This book is the 4th book in the Maxine Rivera series. Max, a reporter, has a reputation for solving cold murder cases. Because of this, she’s called upon by an ex, John, whose wife is accused of killing their son. He suspects his son is another victim in a string of unsolved killings, so he wants her to link the similarity of this case to other dead cases in order to prove his wife’s innocence. Max knows in order to effectively investigate the case, she needs to work alongside FBI agent Lucy, (from the Lucy Kincaid series) without bumping heads. They are both used to calling the shots. This book is full of suspense and is good right down to the last drop! I recommend it with high commendations!