Shattered Lives by Sarah Stuart is a DCI Gerald Croft thriller filled with murder, deception, and other surprising twists that are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. DCI Croft is investigating the gruesome murder of a local woman. Still, there is no evidence to point to the usual suspects. The puzzle becomes even more mysterious when another nearby woman and her father are also found murdered in the same manner. As more women become victims, Croft knows that it must be the work of a serial killer. Unfortunately, the killer is clever. The evidence is still completely absent, and the investigators can’t even find a clear connection between the murders. The case continues to become more complicated, and signs indicate that the subsequent murder might just be a little too close to home.

Sarah Stuart has created a complex and realistic world in which multiple stories merge into one as we not only follow DCI Croft but also a defending lawyer, the killer’s intended victim, and the killer himself. While the killer’s identity is not a secret to us, the complex way all of the stories intertwine makes for an elaborate web of intriguing narratives. I especially enjoyed how the characters’ personal and professional lives blended together – sometimes unknowingly to the characters themselves – making for a believable yet terrifying experience. With some of the most shocking and heinous crimes, Shattered Lives is undoubtedly one of the most memorable thrillers I have ever read.

Shattered Lives by Sarah Stuart is A DCI Gerald Croft Thriller. Ralph Thyme believes the world owes him a living. His parents rejected him, but when they die in an avalanche, he finally feels free. He waits anxiously for his grandmother to die, believing himself to be the only heir to her vast fortune. The discovery of an older sister is a disaster for him. What if she finds out who she is and claims the inheritance? No, Olivia Sophia must die. Learning that his sister was sold to another family by his grandfather, Ralph decides to take matters into his own hands. When bodies begin to crop up, those of women raped and murdered, DCI Croft realizes a serial killer is at work, and it’s his job to find and stop him before it's too late. But how do you stop a psychopathic killer hell-bent on eliminating anyone who stands between him and his inheritance? Olivia Sophia must be found before Thyme gets to her and destroys her life forever.

Shattered Lives by Sarah Stuart is a fascinating thriller that delves deep into two storylines: the mind of a psychopath and that of a sexual abuse survivor who must save another from the same fate to heal herself. It isn’t a story for younger readers or the faint-hearted: child sexual abuse, necrophilia, and graphic violence are just part of the substantial subject matter. This story delves into how a psychopath functions and what makes them tick, leading you down some dark paths through a truly twisted mind. It also guides you on a journey of discovery through the eyes of a child sex abuse survivor, more dark paths that eventually lead to the light. Shattered Lives is a gripping tale that will hold your heart in a vise while you read it, and it will have you turning the pages deep into the night.

Wow, what a roller coaster that was! DCI Croft is thrown into the middle of a murderous and perverted killing spree as bodies of young women are found raped and strangled.
He doesn’t know Ralph Thyme is determined to eliminate any claim on the inheritance he believes is rightfully his. And like Olivia Sophia, he has no idea she was sold at birth to the father who sexually abused her. But what is the connection? Can Croft put together the pieces of the puzzle before Thyme finds and eliminates his ‘final’ victim.
This isn’t a story for the faint-hearted; the scenes are graphic, the struggles real, but it’s a story of victims and survivors and their determination to forge a future in very different ways, whatever the cost. Yes, even the awful Thyme is a victim as well as a murderer.
The courage Sophia shows in order to save the daughter of a stranger from the same abuse she suffered is extraordinary and compelling. Could you or I have done what she did? I doubt it.
The writing is superb, evocative, tender, thrilling, revolting, chilling… all these things and more. I have read and enjoyed both Ms Stuart’s steamy and cosy romance series, and she has taken a brave step into a new genre for which she is to be commended – a difficult subject handled extremely well. I look forward to reading many more DCI Croft books.

I loved the way the first murder happened right at the start, though it’s scary being inside the mind of a psychopath. Shattered Lives has a complex plot, and knowing who the killer was, and his real target, made it truly enthralling.

Be warned this book is not for the weak. With a serial rapist and murderer, the crimes he commits are horrendous. The story's exciting as DCI Croft must find and stop him. Two tales blend together as on the flip side a woman who was abused as a child meets a stranger and connects with him in order to save his children from the same abuse at the hands of their new step-dad. What is the relationships between her and the killer? Read it to find out.

If you like gripping immersive detective novels with strong characters and engaging plot-lines "Shattered Lives" is for you. Ralph’s journey from greedy, immature layabout to serial killer is traced in vivid detail and the relentless progress of the investigation and the impact of work on family and family on work set against it. There is a strong theme of how exploitation of the vulnerable damages people throughout their life and repeats itself from generation to generation. Readers should be aware that the novel contains repeated graphic scenes of violent, sadistic rape and paedophilia.

The theme that gripped me most in this is the simultaneous vulnerability and strength of the female characters, damaged by parents and husbands, but fighting back successfully and confronting the devils within themselves. Fast-moving and set in a realistic London with a well-sketched background and convincing procedure this is a detective novel that delivers everything it promises.

Fast-paced new author!

I enjoyed this, and was pleasantly surprised. I found the book moved along quite rapidly and the story interesting.

“Shattered Lives: A DCI Croft Thriller” by acclaimed author Sarah Stuart is exactly that; a thriller from start to finish.

Unlike many though, we as readers are privy to who the killer is from the start. We know his motives and his purposeful selection of victims. Intelligent, this first time killer leaves few clues for our protagonist DCI Croft, who must assume the standard police protocols when dealing with a homicide. That the new born killer has gotten a taste for the kill quickly ups the body count.

See, the killer has a target but it proves to be elusive. He knows a name, but not much else. He, like the police inspector, must employ detective methods to track down his quarry. It becomes a race between the two! DCI Croft having not only to find the intended victim before it is too late but the killer as well!

Sarah Stuart pulls no punches in this harrowing take of greed, pedophilia, and murder. Some readers may have to stop at times to process what transpires. This is all credit to Ms. Stuarts writing style. She creates a world and locks you into it. To say this is a page turner would be cliché, but 100% accurate.

In addition, the book is filled with marvelously developed characters who make up the lives of the detective and the killer. Each has their own tale to tell woven expertly into the bigger picture.

Seeing “A DCI Croft Thriller” is part of the title leads me to believe we will see this compelling character in future books by Sarah Stuart!

This is one whopping tangle of a tale. Nor does it begin where you think it does. The greedy, ready to do anything to further his agenda vile twit didn't start the ball rolling. No, the first generation set the stage for the horror to come. I must admit to having times when I wanted to tell DCI Croft to get rid of his tunnel vision. But for the most part he is a person with feelings which sometimes get in the way. Be prepared to spend time reading this one.

This is a twisting, turning labyrinth of a thriller. Step inside the mind of a murderer who becomes addicted to the kill and his twisted games of cat and mouse. What starts as an act of greed soon becomes a dark obsession. The characters are all deep and complex, struggling with their own issues and past horrors. The story is fast-paced, intense and wrought with a twisting plot. If you enjoy deep, disturbing story lines as I do, this one is not to be missed.

A well-constructed thriller which illustrates the scenes of violent misdeeds from both the killer’s point of view and that of the detective tasked with solving the crimes. The author has succeeded in achieving a balance which ought to appeal to most readers which is important if multiple viewpoints are to be attempted in this genre.
Sarah Stuart, better known for her romance novels, has created the story by detailing a number of relationships. including the domestic background of the murderer, and the detective. I don’t believe that the intention was to shock, although apart from murder, the topics covered include abuse, and rape—one of the worst manifestations of violence.
This is a credible first appearance for DCI Gerald Croft and provides the author with a realistic and fallible character to be kept busy by attempting to solve many more crimes.

This first book in the DCI Croft series by multi-award winning author, Sarah Stuart, is a stunner. I should mention that the story revolves around explicit sexual themes and may not appeal to everyone, but it is an excellent detective story. This is a fast-paced book, with DCI Croft racing to catch a possible serial murderer before any more women are killed. With multiple side-stories and great characters, it is a real page-turner.

I have no doubt that the next book in the series will be eagerly awaited

If you are looking for a mystery, this book isn’t for you. The reader knows who the killer is and what his motives are from the moment he’s introduced. Unfortunately for his victims and their families, the police don’t. SHATTERED LIVES is a thoughtfully constructed story. Stuart is careful in her use of point of view, and, while it shifts from person to person almost every chapter, there is never any doubt about who is speaking or thinking. Parts of SHATTERED LIVES, such as the descriptions of the murders as they happen, can be disturbing, but are needed for the story to work. DCI Croft, the police officer in charge of the investigation, makes all the mistakes a competent, but not brilliant, policeman would. His greatest strength is his willingness to admit it when he’s wrong and change what he’s doing to keep the investigation going, eventually in the right direction. The primary villain starts out with a sick but understandable motive but quickly degenerates into a serial killer. The other major characters, good and bad, are well written and believable. If you enjoy well-done novels about crime, the damage it can cause not only to the victims but to those around them, and solid police work to bring down a serial killer, SHATTERED LIVES by Sarah Stuart is a book you should read.

This book gripped me from the beginning! There is a very nasty serial killer and a believable detective tasked with catching whoever is responsible for a killing spree. The plot is quite intricate and there is more to the killer's agenda than just sexual gratification. I liked that the book moved at a fast pace from the beginning and there are some surprising twists. The author describes the murders in some detail but only to highlight the killer's evilness. I didn't think it was overly gratuitous. I look forward to reading more of DCI Croft's adventures.

Sarah Stuart has written another cracking DCI Croft thriller. I couldn't put it down. She keeps on keeping you turning the pages.