Destroy Me (Shatter Me Book 1)

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This was a fast read! I was eager to learn what the outcome would be. Catherine (Cat) is watching the evening news and finds herself staring at her own face as a suspect in a murder case. The murder occurred close to her house AND she knew the victim. But Cat is innocent! After being questioned by the police and feeling that they just aren't doing enough to find the real killer, she begins to dig into the murder. But maybe things should have been left alone. Cat and the murder victim share a dark secret. Does Cat really want to open up the past?

Catherine Bayntun is a soon-to-be divorced mother of 5 years old Dylan. Separated from her husband when he cheated on her with another woman, she is just getting past her anxiety and body issues. Suddenly, one day she gets the news that her childhood best friend has been murdered, and she is the prime suspect. Looks like someone is out there to frame her... Is her past finally coming to catch on with her? Or is this something else? There were so many instances where our MC acted rashly, and her actions did not make much sense...but I can get past that given her mental state at that time. Few instances felt quite convenient ...like Cat trying to reach Charlie's husband knowing that her face is plastered all over the media, and she is a big suspect for murder. And he did not recognise her as the main suspect from the media. Cat's mom and her views on her daughter's marriage really infuriated me... I know this is somewhat a reality in many places, still it was tough to read about. And Poor Delilah!(her dog)...was that really necessary😰!

User Reviews:

The same can be said of Find Me. It contains both Shadow Me and Reveal Me (also listed separately above), the two later novellas. Is Shatter Me Spicy? Unlikable MC...she was relatable in few instances, but as we got to know more about her and some of her actions, it was difficult to feel bad for her. The short answer is Yes! You can skip the novellas. They aren’t necessary at all to understand the main story. Yes, I must confess that at this point I really hope for Juliette to choose Warner, and deep down this hope is the one making me want to read the next book. And I know that I might be wrong about all this, that I might get to be disappointed in the ending, but as long as I got to be in Warner’s mind for a just bit, as long as I got to see a different side of him, I will be happy.. Because I was right – he is the most interesting character in this story, and my love for him was not in vain.

As such, the romance in Shatter Me is all very PG-13. There is no smut or explicitly sexual content. In full disclosure, it’s been a really long time since I read the the first batch of Shatter Me books. I loved your beautiful writing in the beginning, but now I love you as an author, because if you can write such different characters with such different voices, then you deserve all the hype and then some more. Now to the plot— it was your average suspense novel with few of your typical mystery thriller tropes like Every Man is a cheater, MC (main character), Cat, dealing other woman in the marriage trope. But apart from that it was quite a unique experience for me, as I have not read that many similar books.I knew she was terrified, horrified, even, but I never thought those feelings were directed toward me. I’d seen her evolve as we spent time together; she seemed more comfortable as the weeks passed. Happier. At ease. I allowed myself to believe she’d seen a future for us; that she wanted to be with me and simply thought it impossible. Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45. The husband of a killed woman works in the apartment in which she was killed in 5 days after the murder. In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of.

I’ve been shot, Delalieu,” I manage to say. I open my eyes. Look into his watery ones. “I haven’t gone deaf.” The good thing about the book is that it was quite short and fast-paced to match. The tension was good and it was believable that the main character could be in real danger.Catherine Bayntun is in a bad place. She's separated from her husband, raising her 5-year-old son while still trying to being amicable with her cheating ex, and dealing with increased anxiety and body issues. As bad as things are for her currently, they're about to get even worse. When she sees the photo of a murder suspect on the news, her life takes an even darker turn. Because the suspect looks exactly like Catherine and the victim is an estranged friend of hers. But her and Charlie haven't spoken in years...not after the dark secrets that tore their friendship apart. As she is questioned by the police and everyone starts turning on her, Catherine starts to also questions herself. Could she really be capable of murder? That's crazy! But the alternative is equally as crazy. If she didn't do it, that means someone is out to frame her and destroy her life. But who would have the motive to do something like this to her? And why was Charlie also targeted? Pacing was good and there was no superfluous waffle or padding so the story got on with itself very well. Characters were, shall we just say, interesting! Spoilers prevent me from saying more about the majority but I did sort of warm to Cat mostly although I did not agree with some of the things she did along the way - she showed herself to be alternately smart and naive - but I guess they were necessary to progress the story.

She can't help but remember how she and Charlie were best friends.. always getting in trouble together. There were also secrets ... secrets that only the two of them knew.. now down to one. Cat starts receiving letters and messages that refer to this deep,dark secret.. now she worries that her secret will be exposed. Destroy Me by Karen Cole is a thrilling tale of a mother trying to return her life to normal, while it seems someone is hellbent on serving her a heaping plate of "karma". Cole does an excellent job of keeping readers intrigued, of crafting the character Catherine to be relatable and understandable while ensure the reader never guesses the actual culprit. In the end, I hadn't guessed who could have been involved so overall the mystery was never broken, though I will advise readers that there can be lulls in interest as the novel tends to slow as the discussion begins to focus on Cat's destroyed love life (which is still interesting, but the pacing feels a bit rushed in their separation and his leap to start a new life).

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My skin is cold and clammy; I’m making a herculean effort to breathe. Torture is roaring through my right arm and making it difficult for me to focus. I have to squeeze my eyes shut, grit my teeth, and force myself to pay attention. Leads,” I demand. I move toward my bathroom and wince against the cold air as it hits my skin; I’m still without a shirt. Trying to remain calm. “Tell me you have not brought me this information without leads.” Catherine Bayntun, a recently separated mother, is horrified to see a police sketch of what looks exactly like her, down to the mole on her cheek, on the evening news. She is being sought after a woman, Charlie, is found murdered. Catherine and Charlie were school friends but she hasn't seen her in over 17 years.