Irretrievably Broken

Sasha McCandless #3

by Melissa F. Miller

Attorney Sasha McCandless is back in Irretrievable Broken!

The venerable law firm of Prescott & Talbott is reeling from the murder of partner Ellen Mortenson -- purportedly at the hands of her estranged husband -- when a photograph of the dead woman arrives, her face Xed out and "ONE DOWN" scrawled across the bottom. Within days, a second partner is murdered, her husband also accused.

Sasha doesn't practice criminal defense, so she’s suspicious when her former firm asks her to represent Ellen’s husband. Owing Prescott a favor, she takes the case and soon finds herself representing not one, but both, of the so-called Lady Lawyer Killers. The long hours jeopardize her relationship with Leo Connelly when he needs her most.

That’s the least of Sasha’s troubles, though, because what she doesn’t know is that the real killer is waging a vendetta for a past case gone wrong. And there's one more lawyer on his list.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Legal Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Legal, Suspense

417 pages, ebook

First published June 28, 2012

About the author

Melissa F. Miller is a multi-time USA Today bestselling author of mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance novels. Formerly a complex commercial litigator, Melissa graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in medieval literature and creative writing poetry and earned her JD, cum laude, from the Duquesne University School of Law, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review.


After fifteen years, Melissa traded the practice of law for the art of storytelling, drawing on her legal background and love of research to craft fast-paced, twisty books for readers who believe light drives out darkness, love is brave, and kind is strong. She writes strong, resilient characters who tackle serious (and sometimes dark) issues and themes with heart.


She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Novelists, Inc. When she’s not writing, you can find her tending her garden, doing yoga, or drinking coffee. Melissa currently lives outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with her family and their rescues—a cat and a beagle. The cat’s in charge.

Reviews

[TXGAL1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great legal thriller series led by Sasha McCandless (all 5 ft., 99 lbs. of her). Looking forward to Book 4 in the series! 📚😉

[Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something distinctly slick and brand-like about the Sasha McCandless novels - for a start, all titles start with the letter ‘I’. Irreparable Harm, Inadvertent Disclosure and now Irretrievably Broken. The titles themselves make a considerable impact: they instantly appeal to the fans of the legal thriller genre, who will recognise the jargon, and grab the attention of the casual browser, who might be intrigued by the similar sounding headings. The ‘brand’ feel, of course, goes way beyond the titles: Irretrievably Broken is only Melissa F Miller’s third novel, but it already feels part of a firmly established series, and one that is destined to gain a bigger and bigger readership with every volume.

Readers new to the Sasha McCandless series would probably benefit from reading the previous two instalments in order, as they set a lot of the scene and introduce recurring characters; however, this is not strictly necessary - Miller expertly feeds enough background information throughout the story, so that all readers can follow the main plot, but without giving her existing readers the impression that content is being unnecessarily repeated. It’s a very tricky balance to achieve, and even very well-known writers often get it wrong; take the example of Jean M Auel - the author of the Earth’s Children series. Her last novel - The Land of Painted Caves - was plagued by continuous, mind numbing repetition of character traits and events that, by the seventh book in the series, most readers would have been be very familiar with. In this respect, Auel could certainly learn a things or two from Melissa Miller.

The ingredients of the ’Sasha novels’ have, by book 3, become essential staples that, I am sure, all her loyal readers have come to expect: a tight plot combining action and legal exposition; snappy but still realistic dialogue, and brilliantly flawed characters. This is the time for us readers to look at Sasha through a lens in order to really understand her relationship with Connelly and with her own family, her dedication to her work, her severe caffeine habit. As a result, Sasha as a heroine is not infallible - a trait that makes a fictional character instantly sympathetic.


Flawed characters demand a carefully balanced flawed world, and as we know,a lawyer’s life is not always hunky-dory; if Irreparable Harm set the scene and Inadvertent Disclosure expanded it, we could say that Irretrievably Broken signals a time for break-ups; not only by its reference to matrimonial law, but also by introducing a rift between Sasha and Connelly - which prevents the characters’ dynamics from becoming stale. Even Sasha’s invincibility is questioned, as she struggles to find her way in the unfamiliar territory of criminal law. Without giving away any spoilers, by the end of the book, her own infallibility as a lawyer will be seriously tested.

After having consumed my third ‘legal’ fix in the space of a year, I am once again left craving for more. I envy future readers of the series, because they will be able to binge read, while I have to wait patiently until the next instalment is published. Thankfully, Miller is a very prolific writer, and is already at work to keep us topped up with more coffee-fuelled Sasha goodness; until then, I might have to follow a friend’s example and just read the first three again, and hope that the megadose will tie me over until number four.

Check out my Q&A with the author, Melissa F. Miller, on my blog.

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this book much more had I not been told the identity of the killer before page 50. My personal preference is to figure these things out myself. So, this book is more of a "thriller" than a mystery, although there are several unknowns left for the reader to guess at. The writing is good and I liked the characters.

[Jeff Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a real page turner. I agree with other reviewers that the perpetrator was fairly obvious early on but the suspense still built. I am not sure that I like the ending very much. I think I would have liked an epilog. I guess I will have to read the next one in the series.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exciting installment in this legal thriller series.

This third book has Sasha McCandless keeping busy in her solo practice. She’s recently lured a former legal assistant from her former employer, so she has a little help around the office. It does come as a surprise, however, when that firm asks her to represent the husband of one of their partners — Ellen Mortenson — when he is accused of killing her. Now, Sasha has never had a criminal defense case, but that doesn’t seem to matter. In a crazy twist, she soon finds herself with another client after yet another female partner in the firm has been murdered. Dubbed the Lady Lawyer Killers, both men proclaim their innocence and Sasha is determined to find out the truth.

Again, this was fast-paced with a good story line that keeps the reader guessing even though we have some inside information. Sasha always has just the right connections to find people who can help her do what needs to be done. I really enjoy all the legal details and descriptions as well. The characters are all a little flawed which makes them relatable and interesting. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent legal thriller

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The disappointing twist ending ruined it for me. Obtained a box set of three books for free from Amazon on October 15, 2021.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these stories. It's a great series. The only downside is waiting for the next one. She always leaves you wanting more and wondering what's next.

[TM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall
I love book series that keep getting better and better. Irretrievably Broken is by far the best in the series.
Sasha is back, and this time she is once again thrust into an area of law she’s not fully familiar with. While the reason she’s chosen to represent her client suspiciously sound like those from the previous book, the premise is so different, you won’t notice.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Miller writes the best romance. Sasha and Leo’s relationship comes across as organic. Even as their relationship starts taking center stage, it is very much organic.

They were worried, deeply worried, about something. That much was clear from the cloud of fear that had hung over the conference room. As far as she could tell, Will didn’t seem to know their real motivation, and the others would never tell her.
In the end, it didn’t matter. She’d been retained to represent Greg, regardless of why Prescott & Talbott wanted her. They’d gotten her. Now what?
Did she have an innocent client? Did it even matter? She didn’t know.

Sasha
I think we see more of Sasha the person, and not only Sasha the badass lawyer in Irretrievably Broken. She is clearly going through stuff, especially where Leo is concerned. For the first time, we get to see how she sees herself, and her attitude towards people. The scene with her brothers was a peek into her social dynamics. It goes without saying, her brother is a jerk.
I believe in my review of the previous volume, I pointed out the ridiculousness of Leo not appearing to have any other work except being Sasha’s bodyguard. Turns out I was right. Working with her was affecting his career. Again, their work in law enforcement coming between their relationship is another perfect example of a realistic romance.

The Bad
My complaints are minor, but I do have them. Two things are not made clear by the end of the book.
First, there is no connection between the firm wanting to help the accused, and them hiding something from the public. In fact, we don’t get any indication the law firm takes a hit by the end of the novel.
Second, something doesn’t add up about the death of the second victim. I won’t say much to avoid spoilers, but the timing and placement doesn’t make sense.


Favourite Irretrievably Broken Quotes

Sasha ignored the question. Instead, she said, “Both Mr. Lang and Mr. Costopolous are victims here, Seth. These men lost their wives. They didn’t just lose them; they had them torn violently from their lives. What they want and deserve is the opportunity to grieve in private. As you likely know, Ellen Mortenson and Clarissa Costopolous were my former colleagues. I mourn their passing, too. But I think they’d both appreciate knowing their husbands’ rights are being protected.”

He’d told himself at the beginning of his plan that he wouldn’t involve any children. He’d promised himself in his father’s name that he wouldn’t.
But if he didn’t come up with something else soon, he wasn’t going to have a choice; he’d have to get to them through one of their kids. It had been one thing to let the Landry piece of the plan proceed at a slower pace; it had lacked the elegance that all three women receiving their pictures on the same day would have delivered, but the plan had still been doable. Now, though, time was running out. Especially because Nick had gotten that attorney involved.

Rating: ****

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes reading challenges get you reading books that you would never otherwise pick up, and this is one of them. I “needed” to read a book with something broken on the cover, and this fit the bill. I have never read anything by this author, but from what I can tell she has written a number of books, including more about Sasha McCandless, the hero of this book.

When two successful female attorneys are murdered from one of Pittsburgh’s major law firms, their deaths make news, especially when their husbands are each charged with their murders. Both women had just filed for divorce from their husbands, murder weapons were found, each belonging to the husband, and it seems as though it is an open and shut case. However Prescott & Talbot hire Sasha McCandless to represent the first husband of their associate, but she doesn’t want to take the case at first. She is not a criminal attorney and she has worked for the firm before, but she is convinced to take it as long as they will not micromanage her work.

You are told before the book is halfway over who the killer is, but you don’t know why, not to mention things keep happening to keep you turning the pages. Unfortunately the ending left a couple of things hanging and I don’t know whether this will be addressed in an upcoming book or not. Still I would read another book in this series and perhaps another one by the author as well.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha McCandless, the "tiny little girl" lawyer working in her own newly formed legal practice in Pennsylvania is hired by her former employers, Prescott & Talbott, to help defend Greg Lang who is accused of murdering his wife, Ellen, a partner at the firm.
And we, the readers, know something right from the start that Sasha doesn't. It's a promise that Ellen is only the first of 'The Terrific Trio' who will be killed. Prescott & Talbott know but they ain't sharing!
At more or less the same time, her live-in boyfriend, the ever affable Joe Connolly, delivers a bombshell, he's been offered a job in Washington. “It’s only D.C. We can see each other on weekends, right?” he said. And then he produces a ring ...
For Sasha, who has only ever admitted to loving him while talking in her sleep, it's a shocker. While she tackles work head on, she is a past master at not confronting her private life - it looks like, for once, she has no choice!
"Irretrievably Broken" is the best book in the series so far - a strong and rational central plot, a twist ending that I really didn't see coming, and Sasha's gradual emotional development, all combine to make a fine read.

[Jerry B · Rating 4 out of 5]

From our reading of the first two novels in what is now the 12-book Sasha McCandless set, we had already attested to our enjoyment of Miller’s writing style, her protagonist, and her engaging plots. Were it not for the horrible ending of “Broken”, supposedly to be resolved in a later novella, we would have been far more satisfied with this her third outing. While there was not much suspense about the perpetrator of the murders of two female partners in Sasha’s old law firm, the fact that Sasha reluctantly took on the defense cases of the two husbands, considered by the police as virtual “open and shut” resolutions to the crimes, led to an intriguing tale.

Sasha’s serious relationship with Air Marshal Connelly undergoes big trouble herein – we’ll all have to wait for future developments with that. And while we’re not particularly enamored of Sasha’s hand-to-hand combat in these stories, apparently some sort of required action in Miller’s mind, we surely like this protagonist well enough to continue to pursue her ongoing adventures. {3.5}

[Scot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone is murdering female lawyers at Sasha's former firm in Pittsburgh, the highly prestigious Prescott & Talbott. Husbands they have divorced are getting implicated and arrested. Sasha is asked to help. She is not clear what is going on, but her need to help find justice guides her forward.

You can expect competence and reliable page turning in this legal procedure series with action and well rounded secondary supporting characters. The identity of the killer is revealed to readers fairly early in the book, but I enjoyed the opportunity to follow events and developments occasionally from that character's perspective. We learn (with Sasha) more about the criminal procedure process and murderr charges in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania's system.

Melissa F. Miller also gets commended for using adverbs effectively in her thematic series titles.

[Stillgrowing · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I’ve just finished the first three books in this series. Book #3 is the best so far in my opinion. The first two books had punctuation errors which I have no patience for. There were little things that irritated me too like how she was in an apartment with a dead person and was told to wipe the door and counter she touched to leave no trace however she wasn’t told to wipe off the light switch. I also found it extremely annoying when the author would switch between the love interest’s first name and last name with no reason. Anyway, all of that aside, book #3 didn’t seem to have those issues so it was much more enjoyable for me.
Interesting story, no weird punctuation. Likeable main character.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story and characters, not great. I had some problem with the ending. While new evidence was introduced in the final pages, it was circumstantial and regarding means. There was no mention of contradictory evidence previously mentioned regarding opportunity, which this opportunity would appear to be a quite unlikely set of events, although the events were presented in a vague way. Also, there was a hint that the accused may have had possession of his weapon, while another similar weapon remained at the scene. The timing of this hint was left unclear, but presented as after the incident. What I am saying is the ending left too many questions about plausibility.

[Brad Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in the series and just getting going!

Having read the first two books in the series, I wondered if there was going to be a let down in the third...NOPE. The recurring characters are developed even more making me even more eager to read more about them. From a plot standpoint, it is obvious that Miller does her research and digs down deep for detail. I appreciate that from an author and she does not disappoint.

[Louise Pledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Melissa Miller a few days ago and, despite the cost of another book, knew I had to read more while the characters were still fresh in my mind. Well, now I have but am still not satisfied. 😀 In fact, I have to read on to see what happens with Sasha's relationship. There was the requisite ending twist, which I had already predicted, but it was still a good one. And, according to the author's notes, it will be explained two books later.

[Edward Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another highly entertaining book in the Sasha McCandless series. Sasha finds herself in yet another murder investigation struggling to straddle her responsibility to the law and her clients and trying to find justice for the murdered parties. Two trust that are not always convenient nor compatible. All the while trying to manage a faltering personal relationship with her beau, Leo Connolly and trying to keep her practice afloat.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG...this book was the best so far in my opinion.
I totally felt so sorry and sad for one of the bad guy’s thinking he was a good guy...I was fooled right up to it being revealed, I honestly didn’t see it coming...Awesome....what a twist.
I still like Sasha and giving her opinions straight is so refreshing...no BS.
I’m happy she is missing Leo and hope she puts on the red ring.
I’m starting to love this series.

[M.R. Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irretrievably Broken is an excellent addition to the Sasha McCandless series, even if it read as a bit shorter than the first two books. Enjoyable characters, a good introduction to Sasha's family life - so many small children I got lost as to who was who, lol - and another cracking case for Sasha to solve. I'm looking forward to reading more of her adventures. This is a great series and one I can see as a perfect set of TV movies.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the series. I enjoy listening to them on audio so much I have purchased the box sets through book 7. My only regret is that they are not audio versions.

The author takes the reader through numerous twists, turns and mis-directions. I just loved it.
Looking forward to learning more about Leo, Sasha and the other recurring characters.

The rollercoaster was a fantastic ride.

[Flossie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was book #3 in the series. I got hooked on #1 and immediately got books 2 and 3. Now I'm reading #4. These are well written, fast paced and just enough mystery. I like these as much as any book I have read. Including Grisham. She makes you care about the law and how it works. These are delightful books and I'm so happy I have found another favorite author.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author herself recognises the flawed ending to the story.

No secrets will be uncovered in this review. The author herself must have received criticism of the book's conclusion, because she promised to clear things up in a novella which will appear following the next legal thriller in the series. I cannot wait to read it.

[Barbara McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q

Great novel.
I personally enjoyed the story.
I love crime and great thrillers.
But sometimes.
A little novel revealing some romantic plots and good plots are just what
You are looking for.
And this is one of those type of stories.
The conclusion was as you would except.
Boot

[Neva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't as impressed with this book, as the first two in the series. Possibly because I listened to the audiobook and unfortunately, the narrator wasn't my favorite. Not really sure, but if I should decide to proceed with the series... I will definitely read the Kindle version, as opposed to listening.

[Al Menaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third in this series; this time it's a criminal case. Actually, two: both murders. You have to accept that a civil lawyer who has never handled a criminal case before would accept being hired to handle murder cases. This is in the category of lawyer solves crime. Not much courtroom action. Again, the plot is totally incredible.

[Carol Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give 5 stars to a thriller/mystery book. However, realizing after I just finished this 3rd book in the Sasha McCandless series; I am instantly purchasing #4; a five star has been earned.
However, I'm still only giving stars to books I've read and skipping the reviews. Too much like homework.
Thanks to all of you on Goodreads who write detailed reviews.

[Tory · Rating 2 out of 5]

lots of mentions that Sasha is broken, but Connelly, the boyfriend, I don't think is any better - he has an easier time saying I love you and I want to marry you, yes. But he also takes a job in another State, doesn't explain why and doesn't involve her in the process or decision. They have no business getting married - they both need to evolve.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love her. Petite Sasha McCandless, lawyer extraordinaire, Krav Maga practitioner, takes on criminal defense duties for two men accused of murdering their lawyer wives who worked at the law firm Sasha used to. And the firm is paying the lawyer fees. Something's up that the law firm is hiding. It all comes out eventually.
Sasha's boyfriend Leo has been offered a job in DC. Sucker punch.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook - 3.5 stars. I enjoy mystery/thriller/investigative books that reveal the killer early on so you can get their perspective. So kudos to Melissa for going that route on this third book of the series. Anyway I'm hoping off the Sasha train. I enjoyed it well enough but I'm getting a bit bored.