https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1576511850?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I recevied this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest reveiw.

This has a good plot once you figured it out - a bit confusing at times. I did not like any of the characters, seemed like they were having a cat fight and was drama filled. Totally predictable at the end.

For me not as good a read as her last book; the characters didn't quite gel. But still an enjoyable read.

This book was a quick, entertaining read. The story-line had a few interesting twists and turns.

This thriller is set in a housing complex in Cincinnati Ohio and is told through the narrative of two couples who are the main characters in this storyline. The couple are neighbors and when a friendship between the man an woman turns into a flirtation it leads to jealousy and tragedy and shows how one moment can leave your life fractured. My only complaint about this book is that it flashed back and forth in time and with all the narratives it got to be confusing at times but the engaging writing made it worthwhile.

Enjoyable contemporary novel, about a an author who has moved across the country with her husband and kids to get away from a stalker, but encounters a variety of problems both big and small in her new neighborhood as well. It's not really a thriller but does a great job at setting up an atmosphere of suspense, and has interesting and good flawed but relatable characters. Would definitely make a good book club choice.

Absolutely fantastic! What a page turner!! I will definitely be recommending this to all of my reading friends! Oh, and I wouldn't last 2 weeks on that street!

A real page turner! I love a book that keeps me guessing. That gives me characters to love and hate. The neighborhood dynamic was crazy but totally believable and relatable. I liked how the story was told from two different perspectives and how a male and female can see and feel very differently, even though they are experiencing the same situation. My only fault, with this book, was that I felt the stalker's character came to a really weird and abrupt spot at the end of the book. It felt like when all was said and done, the author didn't know what to do with her.

I thought the serious topic was handled sensitively with realistic characters. This added to the suspense.

I really enjoy psychological thrillers, and this new-to-me author Catherine McKenzie did not disappoint with her new novel, Fractured. Set in Cincinnati, Ohio, this book features a lawyer turned novelist, Julie Apple, who moves with her family from the Northwest after being stalked by a former acquaintance once her debut novel blows up big. Julie, her husband, and her young twins are looking for a fresh start, and they’re sure they’ve found it in the picturesque part of Cincinnati that they’ve chosen to buy a home in. But once they move in and find a welcome basket full of goodies along with a list of rules for living in the neighborhood left by a self-appointed president of the blocks, Julie’s not so sure that living here is going to be so easy–especially after a few disastrous neighborhood dinners hosted at rotating houses.

She meets John Dunbar from across the street and the share an instant connection, becoming fast friends. Julie’s husband is glad that she now has someone to run with in the early mornings, and John’s wife grows suspicious and spiteful that a woman who wrote a book called “The Murder Game” is hanging around with her husband–especially when he seems to be so engrossed in everything Julie does. Soon the neighborhood president gets involved with Julie’s life, making it harder for them to enjoy the lovely neighborhood, and strange things start to happen–leaving Julie to wonder if her stalker has found her even though they’d moved across the country, or if she has made enemies out of someone closer to home. Then an accident occurs, taking the life of one of the people who live in the neighborhood, and everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else. Who died and who’s ultimately to blame?

Told in both Julie and John’s points of view as well as in chapters from the present (the day of the Grand Jury meeting to decide to indict or not) and from the past (from when Julie and her family move in leading up to the accident). I really enjoyed the back and forth of the timelines and the slow release of information. It wasn’t annoying and everything was well-paced and plotted. The mystery and suspense of who died and who was involved in the accident had me turning the pages anxiously throughout the book.

I give Fractured a 4.5 out of 5. I could definitely relate to Julie’s anxiety of living in a community where someone was trying to force rules for living there when they had no real authority, except for the blind following of those other neighbors that would rather do as she says than go against her. Living somewhere that has a Homeowner’s Association is just like that, but official. This is a story of how people can turn against others–even those they claim to love–while trying to hold onto a thread of their control. Fractured was my first Catherine McKenzie book, but I’ll definitely be on the look out for more by this author.

Book Review: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

I would say that I couldn’t put this book down but I read it on my Kindle app. I guess I could say that I couldn’t stop swiping the page.

Julie Prentice moves her family to Cincinnati to get away from her stalker and for them all to start fresh. She’s the author of a best selling novel and it brought out the crazy in one of her former friends. All she wants is some piece and quiet and to be able to get her second book written. She thinks Pine Street will be able to provide everything she needs.

She soon discovers that this quiet street is full of nosey, overly friendly people. Cindy, the self appointed president of the neighborhood, is a meddling control freak. After a few mishaps it seems like Cindy sees Julie and her family as blights on her perfect community. Cindy starts going out of her way to make Julie’s life miserable.

The book is also told from the point of view of John. John is Julie’s neighbor across the street. He soon becomes her running buddy and friend and confidant. When it verges on becoming more than platonic, things start going awry.

All through the book, the author builds these complex characters that keep you guessing. Who is behind the pranks at Julie’s house? Is it her stalker or someone from the neighborhood? Is Julie losing her mind and doing things to try to gain sympathy or is there a true threat out there? The author also alludes to an accident, which is explained later in the book, and it makes the story compelling. You just want to keep turning the page to find out what happened. The twists and turns were well written and towards the end, when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was happily proven wrong.

As an aspiring author, I really connected with Julie. Her worries about meeting a deadline (I wish!) and her daily word count were something that interested me. It also shows that for many authors the words don’t just drop out on to the page. It’s real work.

This book was suspenseful and enjoyable. I highly recommend it. If you have cleaning to do, a chapter to write, a kid or pet to feed…wait to read this until you are finished with all that because once you start this book you won’t be able to stop reading until you get to the end.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much! It was a privilege to read this!

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