Splintered Justice is a quietly competent standalone procedural mystery by Kim Hays. Released 15th April 2025 by Seventh Street Books, it's 368 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.
Although it's the 4th book with these returning characters (detecitves in the urban ingestigative arm of the Swiss Polezei in Bern), the plotting and setting are meticulously written and it's easy to keep the characters straight. It's a multilayered story with several threads entwined which build to a satisfying climax and denouement.
Even though it's a standalone, the ensemble cast of characters do have a shared backstory, and readers should expect very slight spoilers if read out of order. The city itself, its diverse cultural richness and history are as much an integral starring characters as the actual human characters. The author clearly has a deep and abiding familiarity and respect with Bern and it shines through in the book.
Four stars. Well worth a look for fans of modern European police procedurals with a rich dose of cultural history.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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