Mari Alvarez's mother was murdered in front of her 10 years ago and the murderer was never caught. Now a woman has been murdered on her doorstep in an eerily similar fashion to Mari's mother.

Soon there is another murder. Both murders have clues left at the scene, and one of the clues is a doll. Mari soon realizes that the murderer seems to be leaving messages for her. But what is the connection? Can Mari solve the murders before more people are murdered?

Although there are a lot of strange superstitions in the book that are hard to understand, this was an excellent read and I highly recommend it!

This book was surprising, wasn't sure if I would like it. However, I enjoyed it. Unable to solve her mother's murder, Crime reporter Mari Alvarez is determined to solve the one on her doorstep. It is a cat and mouse game with the killer. I like the supporting character between police and others interactions. It was a good plot for a mystery. There was heavy detail of religion in the book which I personally am not fond of but it does tie into the story background. Overall, I recommend this book. It was good and kept me entertained. I will keep my eye out for this author.

**I received this book free from NetGalley.

All the Broken Girls tells us the story of Mari Alvarez, crime reporter, and single-minded pursuer of the truth. I hesitate to say one can be over-zealous in pursuit of the truth, but if anyone is, it’s Mari. Mari is back from suspension after recklessly accusing a politician of murder. Her employer is being sued by that politician and her supervisor has ordered her off the crime beat. But then there is a particularly lurid murder in her neighborhood and she’s right there, so of course she must stop, heedless of how she risks her camera operator’s job as well.

There she meets the detective working the case, Garcia. Sparks fly and the dose of antagonism surely means he will be the romantic interest. What follows is a serial killer mystery that only Mari, with her deep connection to Santeria and Cuban culture, can solve. In Florida.



All the Broken Girls is full of romantic suspense tropes. Mari and Garcia are a match made in romance publisher heaven with their bickering and instant antagonism masking attraction. Mari is the plucky girl reporter whose headlong search for truth puts her in danger. The arc of their relationship was obvious from the first paragraph.

I thought the mystery was fair. We had all the clues Mari had and any information that would be outside our experience was explained by her. So the connections of the murders to Santeria were made evident as they were recognized by Mari. The murderer, motives, and discovery were fairly well-done.

My problem was with Mari and her voice. There was such heedlessness and disregard for other people on her part that it didn’t make sense that people were so loyal to her. Take her camera operator. She put his life and career at risk, but he remains a loyal friend? Why? What has Mari done to ever earn that loyalty? She’s a bulldozer and that might make a great reporter, but it doesn’t win friends or garner loyalty. Because she is so self-centered, the other characters are flat and one-dimensional and this makes the book fall flat for me.

I received an e-galley of All the Broken Girls from the publisher through NetGalley.

All the Broken Girls at Entangled Publishing
Linda Hurtado Bond author site

All the Broken Girls by Linda Hurtado Bond is a thriller which deals with the concepts childhood trauma and it's effect on a child along with the concepts of forgiveness and Redemption.

Mari Alvarez is a crime reporter for a newspaper, demoted recently due to her articles about a council-member, citing him as a serial killer who is terrorising her city. In spite of being relegated to the features column of the newspaper, Mari finds herself unable to stop investigating the new murders that are taking place in her old neighborhood , with one of them eerily close to her mom murder 12 years back.

Is she able to follow the case despite of the interference from her boss? Does she get any new clues about her mother's murder?

The story follows an Investigative format with Mari trying to solve the strange things happening in her town and in her home. It also contains many references to the Cuban culture, traditions and customs. All these give the readers the impression of having travelled with the principal character and into her world. We, as a reader, are able to feel the pain and uncertainties that plague Mari since her mother's murder.

Mari also starts developing interest towards the police detective Garcia, who heads the investigation into the current cases, and that provided a nice respite from the tense narrative at places. I loved the way their spark blooms and grows.

Despite all these things going for it, the story failed to connect deeply with me. I just felt a bit too far from the characters and their plight most of the time. Otherwise, this is an enjoyable and twisty thriller which is quite a short and entertaining read.

Absolutely loved this book. It kept my attention from beginning to end. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like Mari Alverez but I like her a lot. She was a gutsy person. I enjoyed how the Cuban lifestyle was woven into the book. I say you never can judge a book by its cover and this book was one of them.

I was drawn to the cover of this book!
"When one falls, the others will break, unless she plays the game!"
Synopsis "Crime reporter Mari Alvarez was never able to solve her mother’s murder ten years ago. But when a woman is gunned down on the doorstep of her West Tampa neighborhood, Mari can’t shake the eerie sense of connection

Now there have been two murders in two days. Each crime scene awash with arcane clues—and without a trace of DNA from the killer. And for each victim, a doll. The first is missing an eye. The second is missing a heart. But are these clues leading to the killer…or messages for Mari?

Caught up in a maelstrom of Old-World superstition, secrets, and ties to her own past, Mari has only one option. Put the puzzle together before someone else dies—even if it destroys her career. But there’s no escaping the hungry spider’s web when it’s been made just for you"
Overall, a quick and energizing read!
Thanks netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

The title and of course the book cover instantly drew my attention and telling that this would be a good book. The story of the first crime scene seemed to draw out very slowly. I would have liked to get a more visual descriptive of the crime in it’s self. Or maybe from the criminal perspective. The details of all the police and crime scene officers was great, but if the story told a little of what they contributed to the book.

Very interesting and engrossing novel by LInda Hurtado Bond. This is the first book I've read by this author and I was fascinated not only by the mystery, but how wrapped up I got in the Cuban culture and Santeria that she shared so freely and well. I didn't know much about either of those things, but I learned a lot while reading All the Broken Girls. The best part is that the subjects were engrossing and at no time did I feel like I was being lectured or spoken down to.

The mystery is very good, the settings and characters pulled me in right away, and I had difficulty putting the book aside when real life called. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries and/or thrillers.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

When one falls
Crime reporter Mari Alvarez was never able to solve her mother’s murder ten years ago. But when a woman is gunned down on the doorstep of her West Tampa neighborhood, Mari can’t shake the eerie sense of connection.
The others will break
Now there have been two murders in two days. Each crime scene awash with arcane clues—and without a trace of DNA from the killer. And for each victim, a doll. The first is missing an eye. The second is missing a heart. But are these clues leading to the killer…or messages for Mari?
Unless she plays the game...
Caught up in a maelstrom of Old-World superstition, secrets, and ties to her own past, Mari has only one option. Put the puzzle together before someone else dies—even if it destroys her career. But there’s no escaping the hungry spider’s web when it’s been made just for you…

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

I was captivated by the characters in this book. They were perfectly written. The author's description of West Tampa actually had me longing to take the trip a couple miles north. Besides thoroughly enjoying the twists and turns. I feel like I learned just a little about Santeria and Cuban culture.

3.5 Stars
Linda Hurtado Bond dives deep into serial killings, the Cuban Santeria religion, and the need for our Crime Beat Reporter Mari to follow her instincts no matter the danger to her and others. She is determined to solve this as it runs too close to what happened to her mother many years ago.

This has a strong thread of police work, discoveries from a crime reporter, and the inclusion of mysticism of this Cuban Santeria religion. With the career background of Linda Hurtado Bond all feel authentic.

I just love a good crime fighting quirky reporter/hot cop duo and Mari Alvaraz, a crime beat reporter and Detective Antonio Garcia have great chemistry. Crime readers will be captivated by their charm and the rich superstition laden Cuban Santeria culture.

All The Broken Girls revolves around Crime Beat Reporter Mari who has just returned from suspension for reporting a story about a local politician. Upon returning her boss immediately puts her on all of the fluff pieces about baby sloths and other easy lifestyle stories. Reluctantly on the way to her first story location she comes upon a murder crime scene that feels all too familiar. It strongly resembles her own mother's murder from 10 years prior. Risking her job, she begins investigating the murder and it begins to feel very personal. When there have been 2 murders in 2 days with creepy Broken dolls left at the scene Mari works with Detective Garcia to solve the crime and risks her career, family and own life in the process.

I really loved Mari and how strong-willed and caring she is. She practices the Cuban Santeria religion which is steeped in superstition and has African roots. I loved this aspect of the story and I really want a azabache evil eye bracelet after reading this book as well. Author Linda Hurtado Bond writes from experience as a News Anchor for Fox 13 in Tampa, FL and it shows in her work. Crime readers don't miss out on this great read!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for my complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

All the Broken Girls is suspenseful book about a possible serial killer and their victims. Mari, a news reporter, just off probation is caught up in the murders of a few people that lived in her Cuban neighborhood as there are a few coincidences with her own mother’s murder. To keep her from going too far astray and impede the investigations is Tony Garcia, a police detective that shares initial attraction with her.

Trying to find the clues of the killer, Mari seeks out advice from her Santeria orisha and alter. Similar to saints, orishas are spirits to help guide their humans.

This is where it got a little too much for me. I’m not keen to read anything about any religion and while reading more of the book, I do get turned off by how much religion can be written into books.

I enjoyed reading about the West Tampa Cuban neighborhood. The murders and Mari’s Santeria beliefs were intertwined as the Santeria storyline became more evolved and a deeper part of the story itself.

This is a decent thriller with slightly religious undertones. To be honest, I can’t tell if this will be a new series (and if it is, will Santeria or another religion be just as present. And I’ve had the song “Santeria” by Sublime in my head this entire time. So that has an added bonus to the book.

This book is out now. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangles Publishing for this eARC.

All the Broken Girls is a fairly straight forward and slow burn mystery. It did keep me guessing. I liked the multiple suspects aspect because I ended up just going along for that ride with Mari instead of trying to figure it out myself. It was not obvious as to what was really going on. I enjoyed the main character Mari. While she could be frustrating, I thought she was a smart investigative journalist who wasn't given enough credit. I would like to see where her relationship with Tony goes. The only thing that I didn't like was there were a few times I felt like I was missing back story. Maybe some information could have been introduced sooner in the book. The ending leaves things open for a sequel. I'll probably read it to find out what happens with that storyline. I do recommend this one.

I went into this not sure if I would like it or not. I loved it! It helps that I have just recently gotten into Cuban cooking and eating. Okay, mostly eating. I really loved the Cuban references and issues. Also, the inclusion of Santeria was interesting. I remember watching a horror movie way back in the day that involved Santeria and that was used as the horror aspect, so I enjoyed actually learning some facts. As for the story, Mari is a crime reporter investigating a murder similar to her Mother's from years back. I was not a big fan of hers at first, but as more of her character is revealed, some of her motivations made more sense and I ended up really liking her. The story takes place in Miami and the author did a great job of making me feel as though I was there.

Murder and the ever-present threat of the evil eye create an atmospheric story of danger and dread.

All The Broken Girls was a fantastic thriller of a mystery! Mari, the disgraced reporter, had my complete and immediate sympathy. I admired how she kept her head up when all her coworkers were eyeing her, and her boss blamed her for the lawsuit when she knew she had the goods all along. I loved her relationship with her abuela and was fascinated by the inclusion of her practice of Santeria traditions, rituals, and belief system. I liked that Mari was clever and figured out the clues quicker than her police contacts. I felt her heartbreak as she identified with the two Rodriguez sisters and later discovered the betrayal of family members. I enjoyed the sprinkling of Spanish in her thoughts and dialogue throughout the story.

I also liked the police detective, Antonio ‘Tony’ Garcia, and the tension and eventual chemistry between the two main characters were fabulous. His family was delightful, especially his mother. I loved how she was so in charge of the family and her son. I liked how they and Mari’s family were such an integral part of their neighborhood.

The setting in West Tampa was unique, and I enjoyed the geographical mentions and the tantalizing inclusion of the market and other real places. The descriptions of the Cuban-American community were both colorful and comfortable. The subtle references to traditional foods and dishes teased me to find the nearest Cuban-influenced restaurant quick, fast, and in a hurry.

The action is constant, and I had trouble finding a good stopping point to put the book down. Consequently, I couldn’t leave the story alone for long; it was that absorbing and exciting. There was a sense of urgency to see what happened next. There was that feeling that whoever was behind the murders was watching the heroine, and something terrible would happen. With a creepy stalker dude hanging around somewhere just out of sight, mysterious and puzzling notes cropping up, and the ever-present threat of the evil eye, the story had a continuous atmosphere of danger and dread.

I recommend ALL THE BROKEN GIRLS to readers of mystery and thrillers who like strong female protagonists and those who would enjoy the Cuban-American flavor of its West Tampa setting.

I’m gonna be honest this book was a miss for me. I wish books that talk about elements such as the Santeria would be given in the synopsis. I would not recommend the book since it deals with things I so not deal with in my home.

Linda Hurtado Bond is a new to me author and one whom I would definitely read again. Two things prompted me to pick up All the Broken Girls, the title and the synopsis. I have no regrets. All the Broken Girls delivered a chilling and suspenseful tale set against the background of the Floridian landscape and rich in Cuban culture and religion.

In All the Broken Girls, we meet crime reporter Mari Alvarez. At the beginning of the story Mari returns to work fresh off a suspension. However, instead of covering the crime beat, her boss relegated her to cover soft issues. She accepted her new assignment reluctantly, but what choice does she have? She either accepted it or lose her job permanently and that was not an option. While heading out to cover a human interest story, she received information about a crime scene. Against her boss’s wishes, she turned up at the crime scene. While there, she recognised the scene bore similarities to her mother’s murder, which occurred ten years ago. Despite the risk of losing her job, she knew she needed to learn the truth behind this murder and that of her mother’s. Will she find the answers before the killer strikes again?

This book is every crime fiction reader’s delight. It possessed all the elements to keep the reader flipping the pages. An evenly paced tale filled with suspense, mystery, betrayal, twists and shocking revelations.

I enjoyed getting to know Mari. Her determination and her desire to fight for the victims contributed to her being a top-notch crime reporter. However, there were moments when these traits led to her acting recklessly in her pursuit of finding the truth.

The story had no romance, however, the chemistry between Mari and the Detective Antonio Garcia could not be denied. It would have been nice if they were given the chance to explore their feelings for each other.

I had a fascinating time learning about Santeria, a Cuban religion steeped in African culture. The murders and Mari’s beliefs centered on this religion. Another note of interest was the killer’s motive, revenge and the belief justice was being served. The takeaway from all of this was ‘Does it matter how justice is served if it’s deserved?" It was interesting following the clues and trying to figure out the killer’s identity. This was not an easy one to solve because of the many suspects who all had motive and opportunity.

The manner in which the story ended suggests hints at the possibility of another book. It would be nice to revisit Mari’s world. All the Broken Girls is a must read for fans of crime fiction.

I LOVE THIS COVER! And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t immediately draw me to this book. After reading it, it was enjoyable, not my favorite. I’m not a huge fan of so much backstory because I felt like I wanted to skim and it made the story slow at time. Overall interesting and a pretty complex story that I enjoyed, but didn’t LOVE. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

This novel has all the intrigue, suspense and mystery that kept my attention throughout. Mari is a character that has a lot of depth and you feel what she’s feeling. Her passion to find the connections between her mother’s murder and the new cases keeps her focused even when her employer doesn’t agree. I loved the inclusion of Mari’s culture as a Cuban American set in Tampa, Florida. I’ve spent a lot of time in this area and enjoyed the familiarity of this book’s setting. I recommend this book for all crime fiction lovers as it has a unique storyline.