Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: Pieces of Jack

AUTHOR: BJ Sheppard

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 75,000 words

BLURB:

…the price of silence just went up.

14 years ago, five friends were bound together in a pact of silence, burying their involvement in the murder of a classmate hell-bent on exposing their darkest secrets. Now, fighting for justice on the Grimm City PD, Detective Meyer Stanton finds himself thrown back into the past, the secrets he vowed to keep, coming back to haunt him. Working below the law, Meyer, his childhood sweetheart, Evan, and an old flame become the targets of a psychotic serial killer, wearing the face of a long-dead enemy. With the help of his partner and ex-lover, Detective Corin West, can Meyer rip the mask off the dark murderer following his every step – before the five estranged childhood friends all fall prey to his murderous rampage – or is Grimm City about to fall under the bloodshed of its deadliest criminal?

Follow the detective down the rabbit hole as he relives the past, fumbles through the present and tries to survive to see the future. From the writer of Wilde City Press’s ‘Always Have, Always Will’ and the comedy series ‘The Rainbow Connection’, BJ Sheppard is back with a thriller so cold it’s sure to give you chills.

REVIEW:

So, I have to say…this book really had me going. I couldn’t believe that this book just transported me into this story and I had a hard time getting out.

The story starts at the beginning of the end for this group of guys. The story starts when 5 young men in high school all go to this gay club to dance and just be themselves. They leave and see the bully of the high school, Jack and of course, he’s going to tell on them and make their lives a living hell. When our guys go to school and find out that Jack has been murdered, these guys scatter like the wind. Friendships are over and lives are led down different paths.

Then the story picks up 14 years later and it seems as if the members of this old group are dying and it’s not pretty. Each death seems to be getting more and more gruesome and it’s taking it’s toll on the surviving members. The ones truly on the line are Evan and Meyer and Meyer’s partner, Westie. These guys are in a fight for survival and it seems as if the killer in 10 steps ahead at all times. Figure out one clue and BAM…the clues don’t pan out like you thought it would.

Meyer is now a detective with the Grimm City Police Dept and he’s carried this horrible burden for 14 years. In his own way…he’s tried to make up for this horrible crime that he did nothing to solve. He was just a kid and yet, his desire to change the present because of his past. Meyer is a good guy. He works really hard to be the voice for those who can’t speak for themselves. Meyer is half out of the closet. He’s gay, however, it’s not something that he flaunts around. He was sleeping with his work partner, Westie and that crashed and burned and now their relationship is in flux.

Evan…I felt for him in the worst way. Here is this guy who was this ballplayer and he got hurt. That cut short his athletic career and now he’s working in the family business that he has no interest in. Evan hides. He hides from everyone. His brother who loves him to pieces, his sister in law and their kiddos. They Love him so much and only want the very best for him and yet, he hides this part of himself away. He is gay and when the urges get to damn strong…he goes out to gay bars and has these one offs that all seem to look like the one man that Evan has always wanted and loved….Meyer.

This book was really a great book. I was hooked. How this serial killer just kept getting away. The clues that were given and even the ones that we didn’t know were clues. I was so into the story that I didn’t even try to figure out who the killer was. I was just swept along and when it was revealed who the killer was….GASP. I was so shocked and like…WFH? I was along on this brutal crime spree and trying to figure out the clues with Meyer and Evan and Westie and still….blindsided when the killer was revealed. Kudos, BJ. Job Well Done!!

The way in which this story just took off and dragged you on this ride….priceless. I couldn’t stop reading and hated the fact that the phone would ring at work and I’d have to take myself out of the story and come back to reality.

This is a great book to sit down and settle into this wonderful story of murder, mystery and intrigue. You won’t be disappointed.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

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