TITLE: Shattered Glass
AUTHOR: Dani Alexander
GENRE: Mystery Romance | LGBT > MM
PUBLISHED: Unabridged - April 4 2014
RATING: N/A
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords
MOBILISM LINK: Read
Description: A male prostitute, a mangy cat, a murder and an obsession that threatens his career, his impending marriage and his life. Nothing is going as planned for Austin Glass.
Austin Glass seems to have it all, a loving fiancee, a future with the FBI and a healthy sized trust fund. At least on the surface. He also has a grin and a wisecrack for every situation. But the smile he presents to the world hides a painful past he’s buried too deeply to remember, and his quips mask bitterness and insecurity. Austin has himself and most of the whole world fooled—until he meets a redhead in a pair of bunny slippers.
As events unfold in the biggest case of his life, Austin’s carefully planned future unravels, and he finds himself pushed into making quick, life-changing decisions. But can he trust himself or anything he feels, when each event seems to be just a series of volatile reactions?
Review: I read this book some years ago and vaguely remember it as quite entertaining. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to do a review for it. Putting my nose between the covers of my eReader I was engrossed in the story at once. The first chapter convinced me, this is a humorous cop romance. Because, really, who the hell wears bunny slippers - furry and long ears and all - while working at a diner? I’d say nobody - but Peter Cotton does, collecting trays and dirty dishes, seemingly oblivious about Austin Glass who stares at him dumbstruck.
FBI agent Glass tries to figure out why exactly the mere view of this young man stuns him to the point of incoherent speech and forgetting why he’s at the diner in the first place: a meeting with an important informant who’s a no-show. Somehow he doesn't conjure up any logical or satisfying answers and leaves the diner in a confused state.
Glass’ world dips upside down after this encounter and a few days - and a lot of thinking - later, he deposits himself in the booth across Peter. Yes, I thought, definitely a humorous story:
“I’m not gay.” That wasn’t what I meant to say. At least not so bluntly. It had just become a mantra as I drove across town. Repeated over and over so many times that, by the time I stood in the diner, confronted once again by this visceral attraction to a perfect stranger, the words tumbled out.
“Congratulations. Would you like a medal?” Bunny Slippers asked.
“I already have a medal. For bravery, not for being gay. I think you made me gay.”
“I made you gay?” He set down the napkin he was holding. “Is that better or worse than the person who made you stupid?”"
“Worse,” I answered automatically. Then I computed what he said. Ouch. “I have a degree.”
The next few chapters made me rethink my first impression. Not really category humor. The more I read on, the more I was confused. Is this a mystery thriller? Or rather a Mafia story? Classic coming-out? An erotic romance perhaps since Peter and Glass end up in Austin’s bedroom after a rather awkward conversation in the car?
I ignored my confusion about categorizing and went with Austin on a chase of a subject, running fast down the street. A few hours after a successful arrest, Glass is angry as his quarry Alvarado is released. Tailing the guy, Austin and his detective-partner Luis end up back at the diner and they observe their target mingling with Peter.
Again I chase with Austin down another street, over fences, around corners in pursue of the young man with the bunny slippers. Only, this time he's wearing sneakers and gives Glass a hard time catching him. Breathless and after a fight Austin discovers, Peter actually is his no-show informant and that fast he is on the brink of making bad decisions. Obsession forms, not only with those ridiculous bunny slippers but also with the wearer. The begin of a love story?
Glass has deep ingrained issues with his father and he behaves on purpose contrary to his father's expectations. A trauma, almost forgotten, wracks havoc with Austin’s life even he doesn’t understand any of it. Peter, unknowingly, pulls the memories to the surface and Glass can’t help but question the young man’s intentions all the time. It is not in Peter’s favor he had been a whore in his teenage years and his very own issues render him distant, suspicious but his affectionate, true nature causes him to reach out to Austin.
Coming to terms with his attraction to Peter forces Glass to acknowledge his impending wedding as what it is: a ruse. Regardless, he does love Angelica, his fiancee and best friend of many years, and in his very own way Austin works himself up to be honest to her.
“Why do half my conversations with you end up about my father?” I sighed and set the bottle down on the coffee table, moving off the couch and into the kitchen. She didn’t follow me.
“Maybe because half of what you do is about your father.”
“Not anymore. I gave up trying to be a son when I realized he only wanted one in name.” I peered into the frying pan. “Is this Chinese food?”
“Austin, is this something to do with that?” Or another woman was the unspoken question. Given my history it wasn’t a huge leap. Angelica sounded more resigned than angry. There was an inaudible sigh somewhere in her breathing. “Is that why you’ve been incommunicado?”
The food was boiling so I switched the stove off and took a deep breath. “I think I’m gay. Did you reheat this? Because I’m not ready to try your cooking just yet.”
“It’s from Wang’s, and, yes, it’s reheated. I did make the rice.” She finally followed me into the kitchen and lifted the lid to the rice cooker.
My hands dropped to the counter, and I leaned against it, pressing my eyes shut. “I think I’m gay.”
“Microwaved eggrolls make me queasy. They’re still lukewarm though. I think we can—”
“I think I’m gay, Angel.”
“I heard you!” Something slammed against the counter. “Stop saying it.”
The wedding is off. Their friendship, too?
Chasing Peter - whose nickname's Rabbit for obvious reasons - Glass stumbles deeper and deeper into a romance that develops slowly, goes back and forth only to pick up speed between new revelations as of who Peter really is - and who his little brother Cai is - putting them into the center of the mystery. Cai and Peter are now prime subjects and layer upon layer of secrets and lies unravel until the whole story is laid out, and Glass has passed the point of return. Until he doesn’t know anymore who to trust, what is real and the case he’s working on has intertwined with his personal life to the point Austin can’t separate anymore professional interest from his feelings.
Dani Alexander’s writing style is fluid but unrushed and humorous. The author describes erotic scenes like a tasteful movie that engages the viewer fully, alternating with bits of heavy memories, adding some dangerous turns, topping with light and fun scenes, and fast-paced ones in between.
My tie flapped behind me. My dress shirt soaked with sweat under my suit jacket. “Suspect heading north on Josephine, crossing 19th. Over,” I huffed into the radio. Blood pounded in my ears while I panted each breath. My shoes lifted off the sidewalk as I twisted, dodging pedestrians and hopping over parked cars.
I was gaining ground, pushing myself to go faster when Prisc Alvarado stumbled into the intersection ahead of me. The toes of my shoes nearly collided with his sneakered heels before I leaped onto his back, both of us falling in a heap.
Alvarado’s elbow smashed into my ribcage as he threw his head back. I jerked away just in time to stop him from smashing my nose into my brain. “Fucking,” I panted, “stay,” huff, “still, asshole.”[…]
[…]I jumped off my suspect once he was cuffed and did a small victory dance, still panting merrily.
Like a Mamushka doll Dani Alexander combines different genres into one package, and always Austin Glass is in the middle of it, emphasized by the consequent use of first person. The voice, this invisible undercurrent of what a book really is about, remains largely unclear even Dani Alexander keeps focus on the plot.
The author draws his characters in a consistent and straightforward way, reveals insecurities and conflicts believably. Alexander uses stereotypes only to crush them entirely, like he does with Daryl - a friend of Peter’s - who looks like the imprint of a graceful, submissive, delicate boned, blond fairy with a liking for the color pink. Daryl’s actually the bouncer at the bar he works for, hard and strong as steel…
The rating of this title stays open for every reader to decide for themselves. Shattered Glass is a book I'd give to a friend, saying, start reading and you might can’t stop because it’s that good. But at the same time I’m actually unable to tell you exactly why, except my downright very personal opinion - it's a good read!
