Shattered Sight

Jackson Davis Mystery, #1

by

Liz Milliron

Excellent character-driven police procedural.

Shattered Sight is the first book in veteran author Liz Milliron’s new Jackson Davis Mystery series and features experienced Niagara Falls police detective Jackson Davis returning to his normal assignment in the homicide division after spending six months on light duty following an on-the-job accident that his partner’s career. Partnered with a brand-new rookie detective, their first case together is the investigation of the death of a successful local businesswoman whose body was found on the bank below the rapids in Niagara Gorge. But as he and his partner work out what happened, they also grope to find a comfortable working relationship with each other, and Jackson struggles through his lingering PTSD from the accident. 

Jackson Davis felt he was past ready to return to his job as a homicide detective but was still unprepared for the rush of emotions and memories that met him when he actually went back to work. The man had suffered a great trauma, one he felt guilty over, and his reactions and feelings to returning to his old routine without his partner, Max, were relatable and heart-wrenching. On top of this, Jackson and his wife, Amy, have a new baby, and life at home is stressful as well. His new partner, Rodney Kirke, has his own private issues, but he’s a go-getter, chomping at the bit to be seen as a fully competent detective from his very first day. Together, they walk a tightrope, with Rodney trying to fit in, not make any mistakes, solve the case, and gain his partner’s acceptance, and Jackson needing to rein in Rodney’s headlong rush to conclusions without quashing his spirit or enthusiasm. It is a realistic scenario, and they are not always successful in dealing with one another. 

The plot is well-paced, and the storyline is compelling as the two detectives set out to cover all the bases, reconstruct the victim’s final days, and develop plausible theories about how and why she ended up in the water of Niagara Gorge. Secrets come to light, and clues are followed with never a slow moment. This book completely kept my interest, and I read for several hours without a break. 

I recommend SHATTERED SIGHT to mystery readers, especially those who enjoy police procedurals and more character-driven police detective murder mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.