The Last Broken Girl by Cynthia Rice

The Last Broken Girl

by Cynthia Rice

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Blurb

In THE LAST BROKEN GIRL, a psychologist fights to save her young daughters, her career and possibly even her sanity when the woman who kidnapped and terrorized her as a teen resurfaces, hiding in the shadows, and forcing her to revisit her painful ordeal to survive. 

Excerpt

Erin climbed back under the covers and switched back to the interior cameras. She scanned room by room. Finally, she watched over the girls, asleep in their beds. This had been her routine since they had been born. She leaned back against the headboard and shut her eyes. She breathed in for three seconds, out for four seconds. Over and over. Tonight, the familiar routine didn’t help. She finally gave up, sat forward, and snatched her phone off the nightstand. 

She turned her attention to the on-line News-Journal. It was the lead article, as Lindsey had described. 

“Convicted Kidnapper Stanley Duggan granted parole hearing with possible release after June hearing.” The article went on to summarize the months of captivity which had destroyed her life twenty years ago and haunted her still. He described the question of a female accomplice, seen only by traumatized young Erin, and authorities were not sure she existed. Duggan had denied having an accomplice. Fuck them. She had no doubt Veronica was alive and watching. 

At the bottom of the article, it mentioned “Erin Moore-Jackson still lives in the area with her husband and two young daughters, with a Psychology practice with Meadowview Center in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. She could not be reached for comment.” 

She checked her phone’s call log and saw there were no missed calls. The reporter hadn’t even tried to reach her, and he had no business mentioning her girls and her place of employment.  

After studying each security camera feed again, she threw off the covers, tiptoed down to the kitchen and topped off another glass of red wine. She settled on the living room couch and wrapped a throw around her legs, clutching her glass so tightly she was afraid it would shatter in her hand as the pen had done earlier in the day. She would not be sleeping that night. 

Author Bio

Mystery and suspense author Cynthia Rice is a physician living in the Milwaukee area and a proud member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Her debut novel, The Last Broken Girl, is set in rural Wisconsin where she has strong ties. The novel won the 2023 Claymore Award in the category of suspense. Additionally, she has A short story in the February 2025 released anthology, Gone Fishin’: Crime Takes a Holiday. When she’s not working on her next novel, Cynthia keeps busy reading, traveling, and playing mediocre golf and tennis.