Shards: A Dark Mystery [Paperback]

Tom Piccirilli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998

Haunted by a family legacy of abuse and murder and the breakup of a relationship, Nathaniel Follows meets the beautiful, vulnerable, and scarred Susan Hartford.

After sharing a night together, and experiencing her decadent lifestyle, he is drawn into a web of lies. When she commits suicide before his very eyes, he wonders what role he has played in her death, and grows obsessed with finding the answer. Struggling against a heritage of cruelty, Nathaniel becomes wedged between the police and the forces lurking behind Susan's death.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Nathaniel Follows Jr., an emotionally distraught Long Island crime novelist, narrates this affecting look at a mixed-up young woman's suicide. Nathaniel's compulsion to investigate Susan's death may have some connection to his brother's conviction as a serial child killer. Piccirilli marks the plot with bizarre twists, singular images, and dark emotion. Very good prose, memorably detailed. Recommended.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Write Way Pub (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885173415
• ISBN-13: 978-1885173416
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,923,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A creepy, edgy, dark mystery that is top-notch!!, September 21, 1998

By 

P. Legerski (Corona, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shards: A Dark Mystery (Paperback)

SHARDS by Tom Piccirilli

SHARDS starts out with a writer, Nathaniel Follows, going on a binge after the breakup with his girlfriend. He meets with a mysterious, rich girl Susan Hartford. She invites him to her B-day party the next day and that's when the s*** hits the fan. Something surprising happens at the party and Nathaniel must pick up the shards (get it?) of pieces to solve the puzzle. Along the way we follow Nathaniel trying to get at the bottom of it all and when we all realize what's going on, I was shocked, mad and spellbound. High energy, hilarious dialogue and true motivations behind the characters actions. Highly Recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly witty, and a great story, too!, December 26, 1999

By 

Christine Menendez (St. Andreu de Llavaneres, Barcelona Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shards: A Dark Mystery (Hardcover)

Shards is simply a great read. Piccirilli writes wonderfully; he doesn't just tell a great story; he fashions that story with so much style and humor that the reader hesitates to skip even a single sentence for fear of missing something. Shards is like a fusion of Fletch and Lethal Weapon; it's tough and smart and fast paced and spiced by some of the wittiest one-liners I have ever encountered. I liked this book so much that, having finished it, I immediately bought everything available by Picirilli, and have yet to find any book which deserves less than a four or five star rating.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wild, weird, and thrilling mystery, October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Shards: A Dark Mystery (Paperback)

SHARDS is an outstanding novel that has an atmosphere like no other book I've ever read. Like its title, the protagonist of SHARDS has been shattered by trauma as a child and rebuilt himself into a hero. The balance between horror, humor, crime, and humanity works to perfection. Definitely check it out!