Review of Shattered Lives

[Brenda Creech]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shattered Lives" by Charles R. Young.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Alon Levy was on the first flight out of Israel to Chicago. His son, Nadev, is severely injured after a bombing at a restaurant. Nadev was visiting his sister, Sonya, who was attending college in Chicago. There was the usual friction between Alon and Nadev as he departed. Both constantly disagreed on their different political views. Alon was part of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and Nadev disapproved. But now Nadev is injured, and Alon has to get to him.

On a frigid and windy day in Chicago, while Sonya was in class, Nadev met her friends Denise and Walid at Sid's Delicatessen for lunch. Sid's is a popular Jewish establishment in the region. It was a special day at Sid's because they donated twenty percent of the day's money to the Israeli Peace Fund. Denise was alone at the table when there was a sudden loud explosion as the building exploded, killing Denise instantly. Nadev had excused himself to go to the restroom, where he was found unconscious with severe injuries. Walid had gone to speak to the cashier to ask precisely where the twenty percent of the day's money would go. Walid had sustained minimal injuries. After being treated in an ambulance, Walid was told to stay and be interviewed, but he ran away. Leaving his son's hospital room, two FBI agents approached Alon, asking him to consult on their investigation into the attack. What was that all about? He was determined to figure it out.

Shattered Lives by Charles R. Young is a suspenseful who-done-it that keeps the reader guessing to the end. Young did an exceptional job with character development, especially with Alon Levy. As part of the Israeli secret service, Mossad is the national intelligence agency of Israel, and Alon had the perfect personality for the job. Young was also proficient with keeping the suspense building as the story progressed. The author also incorporated some romance into the story, which I enjoyed. My favorite part was the budding romance between Alon and the female FBI agent, Rebecca. One scene was suggestively sexual but nothing graphic to offend the reader.

My only complaint with the book is the type of profanity used. There is a reasonable amount for the storyline; however, it is the decidedly foul words I felt uncomfortable reading. Some graphically violent scenes may disturb sensitive readers. Despite those issues, this book is an excellent read. It has all the elements to make it stand out as a mystery crime novel.

The editing was near perfect, and the suspense building with each new chapter made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next. Young keeps the reader guessing to the end and then drops a bombshell. Even after reading the last page, I was still stunned by the story's outcome. For these reasons, I am delighted to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I could not find any reason to warrant taking away any stars. This book is most appropriate for mature readers eighteen and older who enjoy mystery and crime novels and don't object to books about terrorism and profanity.

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Shattered Lives
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[FunkyFlowerLady]

A good whodunnit is one that keeps you guessing till the end, and after reading your exceptional review, I think the author executed it perfectly.

[Wren Michaels]

The front cover of this book was intriguing enough but thank you for your well-written review

[Amy Luman]

This is my favorite type of novel. For some reason, terrorist bombings appeal to me. I think it's because I like to see the perpetrators get what's coming to them.

[Michaeleedsy]

I like reading suspense-filled books, and I can tell from this review that I'd love to read this book. The storyline is good, and I'd love to know how the story ended. Thanks for your honest review.

[Brenda Creech]

A good whodunnit is one that keeps you guessing till the end, and after reading your exceptional review, I think the author executed it perfectly.

This one kept me guessing! I would think I knew the perpetrator and then would turn the page and find out I was wrong! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Brenda Creech]

This is my favorite type of novel. For some reason, terrorist bombings appeal to me. I think it's because I like to see the perpetrators get what's coming to them.

This book kept me reading to find out what would happen next, so the author carried out the suspense very well. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Emmy page]

Terrorists and secret agents move hand-in-hand. The events that follow make for a great reading experience especially when the secret agents expose the bad guys. how the writer weaves this cat-mouse games is an interesting read judging from this review.

[Brenda Creech]

Terrorists and secret agents move hand-in-hand. The events that follow make for a great reading experience especially when the secret agents expose the bad guys. how the writer weaves this cat-mouse games is an interesting read judging from this review.

It is definitely an interesting read! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!