Shatter the Night

An enthralling, atmospheric new novel from the author of acclaimed debut Inherit the Bones, featuring Colorado police officer Gemma Monroe.

It’s Halloween night in Cedar Valley. During the town’s annual festival, Detective Gemma Monroe takes a break from trick or treating with her family to visit an old family friend, retired Judge Caleb Montgomery, at his law office. To Gemma’s surprise, Caleb seems worried―haunted, even―and confides in her that he’s been receiving anonymous threats. Shortly after, as Gemma strolls back to her car, an explosion at Caleb’s office shatters the night.

Reeling from the shock, Gemma and her team begin eliminating suspects and motives, but more keep appearing in their place, and soon another man is killed. Her investigation takes her from a chilling encounter with a convicted murderer at the Belle Vista Penitentiary, to the gilded rooms of the renovated Shotgun Playhouse, where Shakespeare’s cursed play Macbeth is set to open in a few weeks.

Yet most disturbing of all is when Gemma realizes that similar murders have happened before. There is a copycat killer at play, and if Gemma can’t stop him, he’ll carry out his final, deadly act.

'Narrator Harper Landry delivers an exciting ride in Littlejohn's fourth Detective Gemma Monroe mystery. Hoping to avoid the craziness of Halloween night in Cedar Valley, Colorado, Gemma visits with an old family friend, retired Judge Caleb Montgomery. Caleb expresses his distress at having received a series of threatening letters. Shortly after Gemma leaves, Caleb's car explodes, killing him instantly. As Gemma and her team investigate, Landry makes the most of the town's pervading sense of evil, turning Littlejohn's police procedural with its numerous suspects, convoluted plot twists, and red herrings into a highly engaging whodunit. Add a local production of MACBETH, Gemma's impending marriage, and a town filled with secrets to Landry's intelligent reading, and you have just the right mix for excellent listening.'
– S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]