Cedar Valley Detective Gemma Monroe takes a break from trick-or-treating on Halloween night with her young daughter Grace and fiance Brody to visit a family friend, former Cedar Valley Judge Caleb Montgomery. Caleb tells Gemma that he's been receiving haunting anonymous threats on his life. As Gemma, Brody, and Grace return to the Halloween festivities, they hear a gigantic explosion. Gemma quickly learns it was Caleb's Mercedes. The well-respected judge is dead. This kicks off a twisted and grueling case for Gemma and her partner, Detective Finn Nowlin, leading them down the dark past of Cedar Valley. There are ties to former serial killer and the more Gemma and Finn dig, the more disturbing things they find. Even worse, it appears as if Caleb's killer might not be finished.

"We had summoned the evil to our town just as surely as if we'd mailed an invitation. We just didn't know it yet, and by the time we did know it, the damage would already be done. People would be killed. Lives would be changed."

This was such a good book, you guys. I've read the first three books in the Gemma Monroe series and really enjoyed them, and this was such an excellent addition to this series. To put it in perspective, I started reading this book about the same time as Michael Connelly's latest. I quickly realized that wouldn't work as they both involved plots with arson, and my small brain was getting addled. Well, I found this book so completely captivating that this was the one I kept with--and I mean, Connelly is my most favorite of authors. I have a cat named Harry Bosch. But there was just something about this one!

Gemma has become one of my favorite detectives. She's so easy to identify with. I love that she's a working mom, and that she can share her perspectives about working and motherhood with the reader. She even admits that she is probably a better mom because she works, but she still struggles being away from young Grace. She's human and fallible. We also see her make some strides in her personal growth in this book. She's awesome and tough, and I really like her.

"Since having my daughter, time seemed to speed up at incredible rates."

The plot in this one is wonderful. It's creepy and builds up suspense. I was completely captivated. I love a book that keeps me guessing, and Shatter The Night definitely did that. There are a lot of suspects, and it was really fun to try to figure out what was going on and who might be our bad "guy(s)." The book weaves in the town's legacy, intertwining the history and its elders, so to speak. So you have a past that features Caleb and his ancestors; the police and their history; even Gemma's family. I don't want to go deeper than that, but Littlejohn weaves it all together flawlessly.

Overall, this was a great read. Interesting story, wonderful characters (the recurring characters are the best--please live forever, Tilly Krinkle), and a strong female lead. What more can you ask for? Maybe it's time to name a cat Gemma Monroe. :) 4.5 stars.

While I'm not writing long reviews for sequels these days, I feel it's fair to mention that this is book #4 in an ongoing series, and the number one reason I've seen stated in early reviews for not enjoying this book is due to the fact they went in expecting this to be a stand alone novel. It's certainly easy to separate each case as singular experiences, but the true joy in picking up the mysteries in this series is getting to revisit the characters that the reader has grown to adore over the past few years. If you're looking for a fast paced thriller that stands out on it's own, I wouldn't recommend jumping in here, but if you're a fan of the series or looking for a new set of books to become immersed in with deep characterization, I highly recommend these books.

Shatter the Night started off strong for me. It was Halloween night and a long time friend of Detective Gemma Monroe was murdered. The detailed description of the entire night was great. I could vividly picture everything that was happening and was really interested in figuring out the killer. A few chapters later, I began losing interest. The storyline seemed to drag on to me to where I could just read a little at a time. I ended up skipping ahead to see the twist and ending. The writing style was great and I think detective novel lovers will enjoy this read, but it was not for me. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy.

Another really good mystery in this series. It kept me guessing til the very end. I really enjoyed the story! Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

The fourth in the Detective Gemma Monroe series opens with a murder on Halloween night. With everyone dressed in costumes, the detectives will have few clues to go with. Dark secrets from long ago, a corrupt Judge and infidelity are some of the things to come alight in this mystery. Quite a few rabbits trails will keep readers invested to the end.

Emily Littlejohn is an excellent author! She must have one complex story board. Again Detective Gemma Monroe is trying to juggle being a mother, getting married, and finding a killer. This was such a great crime drama that it is hard to pick out the best parts. "The past repeats itself" Her team help in tracking down this monster that is terrorizing her small town. New characters are introduced that I hope will be seen again on Littlejohn's pages. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Thanks to Emily Littlejohn, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley, for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. I had not read the previous books in this series, but I found that this novel is easily read as a stand-alone. I very much enjoyed the small town Colorado setting, as well as the timing of Halloween, which added good atmospherics to the novel. Also, I always appreciate a female lead in a mystery series. That said, Shatter the Night did not hold my interest as much as I hoped. Perhaps those who had read the other installments in the series would enjoy it more than I did.

SHATTER THE NIGHT follows Detective Gemma Monroe as she investigates two major murders. The first was a car explosion that killed a family friend of Gemma's and makes her that much more intense about following down the clues. At the same time, we follow her personal life with her fiance, Brody, and baby as she heads toward a wedding and deals with her daughter's unexpected fevers.

I don't want to give too much away, because the journey on this is key. The case takes many twists and turns that I enjoyed following. This is not one where you can really figure anything out. The end was pretty unexpected, and the clues only come together at the end. The writing is poetic in places, striking a pensive and deeper cord.

One of the things I really loved was the portrayal of a working mother and the difficulties faced as such, as well as the work/life balance challenges. Gemma is a great detective and a fantastic character to watch going through this journey. Media that helps to normalize/portray such scenarios is critical.

Overall, this was an intriguing procedural. I could easily see this series lasting for many books. Gemma is a great lead, and the supporting cast is just as interesting. Recommend for people who enjoy mysteries/procedurals.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I had a hard time becoming invested in this book. My attention was never captivated and I had to force myself to read the first few chapters. The storyline never really flowed, characters were lacking, and the writing seemed choppy.
This is my honest review of the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
#netgalley

Gemma Monroe is a police detective in a small town, Colorado and when a longtime friend is murdered on Halloween, minutes after handing over to her a series of threatening letters, things get real person real fast. As Gemma and her colleagues start investigating, secrets start being revealed about actions taken by townspeople generations ago. Are these crimes related to a notorious crime that is decades old? The mystery is complicated (in the best way) and the portrayal of Gemma's work/life "balance" is candid and refreshing. She and her fiancee Brody have a toddler and their own wedding is just weeks away. Gemma has to navigate crimes that need to be solved 24/7 while also rushing her daughter to the emergency room when her fever spikes out of control (and also praying that their nanny doesn't ever leave them). I appreciated some reality of life mixed in with the "reality" of crime and mystery solving. I had not previously read any titles in this series, and had no problem jumping in to Gemma's world. If you like small town murder mysteries and the continuity of a series, check this out!

Such a pleasure to read a well written, engaging mystery. I am a new fan of Gemma. Never read other novels.. seems like this is a sequel. Engaging, fast paced, well drawn characters and a terrific plot, I really liked it. Will certainly look for books by this author elsewhere. The setting in itself was a small mountain town and all the details rang true. Glad you allowed me to download. Well done.

This is the fourth book in the Gemma Monroe series and can be read as a standalone. Elizabeth Littlejohn provides a descript police-procedural with a relatively strong plot line. There is a shroud of mystery woven into the storyline but avid readers of this genre will quickly recognize the twist. While the characters seem to have relatively strong backgrounds, it is not well established in this narrative. The main character, Gemma Monroe handles too much of the exposition of the story line, drawing attention away from the central development of her character. Overall, it was a mediocre read. 3 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC, which I read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Halloween in Cedar Valley is usually a pretty sedate affair. Detective Gemma Monroe has been trick or treating with her family when she decides to take a break to look in on an old friend, Judge Caleb Montgomery. Caleb is in rough shape, he’s terrified and tells Gemma he’s been getting nasty anonymous threats. She promises to look into it, but no sooner has she left his home when an explosion destroys the judge’s office….and the judge. The resulting investigation is murky and confusing, the judge had made plenty of enemies in his years on the bench. But then the investigation takes an unforeseen turn when another man is killed and Gemma finds herself looking at a long line of deaths dating back years.