Bunny's Reviews: Fractured Lives Review

Welcome to the tour for another exciting Angela Hardwicke Sci-fi Mystery! This one is called Fractured Lives.

Read on to check out my review of this engaging sci-fi mystery!

Fractured Lives by Russ Colchamiro is the second book in his Angela Hardwicke sci-fi mystery novel. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel which I really appreciate it.

Fractured Lives takes readers deep into this unique sci-fi novel as Angela is brought a case by a woman who is concerned for her daughter. Darla has been enrolled at this interesting college that has some even more interesting rules concerning anything and everything that is created there. You make an amazing piece of art? They get to keep it, sell, it and make a profit off of it. But it doesn't stop there. Things go deeper than they appear on more levels than one.

The mother is sure that something is deeply wrong with her daughter, that she is fractured, but what can Angela really do? Her assistant jumps the gun a bit and agrees to take the case, but Angela was already leaning in that direction so onward they go. This case is going to take them on some serious twists as Angela works to delve deep enough to figure out -- what exactly is the Scarlet Raj? Is it something real and dangerous? Or is it just a myth that the students have made up concerning the college that has such a high dropout rate, but still is in high demand for students to want to get in.

This book isn't your average sci-fi mystery thriller novel. It takes a unique twist that does a good job of keeping me engaged in what happens next. I like that Darla is really giving those around her concern to worry. The drawings are interesting on the one hand and disturbing on the other. The fracturing and then the unique draw to the two specific colored crystals add to the elements of this story. Especially when Angela and Whistler see someone utilizing something that fits the description of those crystals exactly. One that fractures you and then another that will heal the fractures back together making you whole once again. That is something worth delving deeper into and investigating more.

But this book doesn't just focus on the mystery swirling around Darla and her family, because not everything is perfect there either. Something more is happening at home that is impacting the entire family. But they aren't the only ones dealing with personal issues. Angela has her own personal issues coming back to haunt her and it all starts with the innocent return of her lover and father of her son, Caleb.

This book has a lot of interesting elements and twists to it. I appreciate how the author has Angela delving so deeply into this case and into the college itself. While readers are essentially kept in the dark when it comes to the brochure of the school with Angela revealing the details through her investigation honestly makes it so satisfying to receive each piece of information at a time. I can't help wondering just how far the college would go to potentially push out a student who has created something truly inspiring so that they could then turn around and sell it to the highest bidder. Of course, those suspicions are best buried in the dark. Right?

While this book does give readers a nice amount of mystery, I can't help but want more. I wanted the storyline to be more focused on that and give me a bit less of Angela's personal life. I understand how it comes together to play into the overall storyline because there is the meaning behind specific pieces of it, but I wanted more space and mystery. We get tastes here and there of the futuristic world, but I wanted this book to dive a bit deeper with that angle and give me more to really satisfy that craving for true futuristic science fiction.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, and my interest is piqued in reading the first in this series. I look forward to what this author writes next in the future. For this book, I am choosing to rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I'm taking off half a star because I wanted more focus on the science fiction angle and the futuristic element of this book. If it weren't for reminders here and there throughout the novel, this book could have taken place in the modern or not-so-distant future with a hint of imagination. If you enjoy books that are mystery/thrillers with a hint of science fiction then feel free to check this book out. If you have read the previous book in this series then I encourage you to not miss out on this one.

My thanks to the author, Russ Colchamiro, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is currently available on Amazon!

About the Author

Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure, Crossline, the zany SF/F backpacking comedy series Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor of the SF anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two ninjas, and crazy dog Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ has also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, Altered States of the Union, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, They Keep Killing Glenn, Thrilling Adventure Yarns, Camelot 13, and Brave New Girls.

He is now working on the first novel in a new series featuring his hardboiled private eye Angela Hardwicke, and the first of three collaborative novella projects.

Russ Colchamiro| Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Please be sure to come back and check out my fellow bloggers/reviewers as they share their insights on this sci-fi mystery novel.