Book Review: Splintered by S.J.D. Peterson

Title: Splintered
Series: Splintered, Book 1
Author: S.J.D. Peterson
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: October 6, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press

A string of murders targeting effeminate gay men has the GLBTQ community of Chicago on alert, but budget cuts have left many precincts understaffed and overworked. Not to mention, homophobia is alive and well within the law enforcement community and little has been done to solve the mystery. When the FBI calls in Special Agent Todd Hutchinson and his team, the locals are glad to hand the case off. But Hutch finds a bigger mystery than anyone originally realized—seventeen linked murders committed in several different jurisdictions. Hutch’s clues lead him to Noah Walker.

Working on his PhD in forensic psychology, Noah has been obsessed with serial murders since he was a child. But coming to Hutch’s attention as a suspect isn’t a good way to start a relationship. Noah finds himself hunted, striking him off Hutch’s suspect list, but not off his radar. To catch the killer before anyone else falls victim, they’ll have to work together, and quickly, to bring him to justice.

Reviewed By: Crissy

Why I Read This Book: I love a good suspense and I love a good mystery. This book looked to be the best of both worlds. Add in two men with trust issues and I was sure this book would be hotter than hot.

In A Nutshell: A good mystery and heart pounding suspense, but the romance take a backseat to the rest of the story.

What I Liked: I loved the characters in this story. I definitely have a thing for brooding and sulky guys, so Hutch hit all my buttons. I really liked how the author played his character. As an FBI profiler, he gets into the minds of killers, but the line he crosses and the grounds he battles within himself is what makes Hutch such a fascinating specimen. He alone was worth the read.

Add in Noah, the forensic psychiatry grad student, and it’s a true party. Besides being on this side of creepy for his career choice, Noah’s past is what shapes him into the character I love. He lived through something horrible and came out on top in a big way. Not only that, but Noah is one of my favorite breaks of stereotypes. He’s the big-guy bottom. Mind you, as the series progresses, he may not remain a total bottom, but for this book, he was perfect in his role.

What I Also Liked: Two words. Granite and Byte. Okay, yes. That was three words, but only because I had to add “and”. Granite and Byte add so much to this story. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what in the heck I’m talking about. Granite, aka Travis Green, is the geo profiler. And Byte, aka Andrew Caswell, is a hacker. They are Hutch’s team and his best friends. Seriously, these guys make the story so much better. They’re funny and sweet and I almost want to beg the author for Byte’s story, because he’s sure to have one after his big revelation in this book.

What I Didn’t Like: So I had a couple issues with this story. My first is that for a romance, the actual romance storyline takes a backseat to the mystery/suspense plot of the book. So much so that I’d go as far as to say it was overshadowed by the mystery plot. I think Hutch and Noah had a good chance at having something great but they weren’t given the time or effort. The one time they were together ended with a thought from Hutch along the lines that it had been a mistake then suddenly they’re stuck in an intense situation in which they’re bonded. I was disappointed in the inconsistency.

And as for the mystery, I mentioned earlier that the story is impossible to figure out. That’s because it’s literally impossible. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but it was to the point that the killer didn’t make any sense really except when the author spelled out his mental damage. It’s like she just grabbed a random character out of the air and made him the bad guy. I didn’t feel the motive behind his madness and I certainly didn’t feel the connection he thought he had with Hutch. It was so random.

In My Opinion: Splintered is a good story, but I had definite issues with it, which was disappointing. I liked the feel of the book so I’m hoping the author keeps up with the series and maybe strengthens the relationship between Hutch and Noah while upping the game of the mystery/suspense plot.

Crissy’s Rating:

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