Joe Clifford’s Broken Ground takes us further into his unconventional hero’s life. An Everyman we can readily relate to, Jay Porter is an estate-clearing handyman with PTSD stemming from his brother's suicide-by-cop. In this fourth book, Jay’s ex-wife (Jennie), her new husband, and Jay's son, Aidan, have moved into a MacMansion closer to him so he can spend more time with his son. Jay has given up alcohol and is working on quitting smoking, as he makes headway into being a better part-time dad. When a high school classmate asks him to locate her sister, Jay is unwillingly drawn into another mystery and again puts himself at risk to do the right thing. Clifford’s clues are subtle enouugh that you quickly realize that if it’s on the page, it’s important. And, as always in the Jay Porter series, the cold climate is a character in itself, wearing on body and soul. I made the mistake of reading this during the cold snap of early January 2018 and nearly froze to death on my couch. My sole complaint is that I turned the page and the book was over—a real cliffhanger—that left me feeling unsatisfied.

I've been a fan of Joe Clifford's "Jay Porter" series, and 'Broken Ground' is a fresh reminder of why. Jay starts out in AA, having given up beer, and he's working the steps, but as I kept on through the story, through Jay's allowing himself to be dragged into a "case" that would bring all of his chickens home to roost, I realized that Jay doesn't need AA for his addiction to beer; he's addicted to being Jay Porter. The Fourth Step of AA is to make a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves, and in a big way, 'Broken Ground' is Jay's fast paced and exciting Fourth Step.

I LOVE this series so much! Book after book, I share Jay's frustration with his day to day life. His struggles with trying to do the right thing, and his obsession to find the truth at all costs leave you on the edge of your seat wanting to scream out loud on his behalf. The poor guy can't get a break, and no one believes in him. This is another excellent chapter in the saga, and of course, I'm already jonesing for the next book!