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REVIEW: Fractured Mind – Matthew Dante

Fractured Mind - Matthew Dante

Genre: Paranormal

LGBTQ+ Category: Gay

Reviewer: Maryann

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About The Book

People have been disappearing all across the State with no apparent connection to one another. Police are baffled and struggling to determine if the disappearances are connected or are simply isolated incidents. There are no bodies or evidence- only abandoned vehicles and missing persons reports. Meanwhile, Alex Sanders is battling his own demons…

Almost a year after surviving a horrific weekend held captive by his former best friend, Marc, Alex is now a freshman at the University of Tennessee. Desperately trying to start over, he is consumed with depression, anxiety, and guilt for the murder that he helped cover up. Always fearful of being discovered, Alex can’t help but wonder, is Marc still secretly watching him? C

Could Marc’s obsession with him have something to do with the current flood of disappearances across the State? All things seem to lead back to that fateful weekend… the one that started with murder … and ended in betrayal.

Warning: This book contains scenes which may be considered triggering events for some involving extreme violence, murder, kidnapping, and torture.

The Review

Before reading a “Fractured Mind,” I highly recommend reading “Fractured Love” first.  The story will introduce Marc Bodin and Alex Sanders, and how they became friends.

No matter what developed between Marc and Alex, Marc swore to always protect Alex. He’s gone so far as to becoming a stalker, and follows Alex’s every move.

Alex is suffering from panic attacks and guilt. Even though he is seeing a psychologist, he can’t find it in himself to tell or face the entire truth about what happened between him and Marc. Even though some time has passed, Alex still feels uneasy.

Matthew Dante brings back Marc and Alex for another dark-themed, psychological, thriller, with some very gruesome, intense and violent scenes. This story puts the reader in both Alex’s and Marc’s heads. For Alex, it’s a matter of right and wrong, and how far something would have to go to for him to  change his mind. 

Is Marc really a monster for what he did to Alex? Marc doesn’t see himself as a monster.  He had his reasons to do what he did. He sometimes regrets what happened between him and Alex, and still does everything he can to protect and watch over him without Alex knowing.

Under one of the most horrific and violent situations, Marc and Alex reconnect. Can they make amends? Will it drive them to re-examine what occurred between them?  Or will it all be for nothing if they don’t survive the ugly and terrifying ordeal?

The first book, “Fractured Love” had a lot of potential, and with “Fractured Mind” Matthew Dante takes it another step further with the characters through darkness and terror.  I’m curious to see how far Dante is willing to go with the next chapter between Marc and Alex!

The Reviewer

Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California.  Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018.  My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen.  New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.

I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.

My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012.  She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series.  Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book! 

As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.

My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing.  I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.

I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews.  One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group.  Joining her site was such an eye opener.  I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.

But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams. 

 

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