At the outset, I’d like to thank digitalreadsblogtours.wordpress.com , Shalini and Jay for giving me the opportunity to be part of this blog tour and providing me with both book 1 and book 2 of the series.

To all those who are reading this review, be sure to read till the end. There are loads of prizes to be won!

‘Hiding Cracked Glass’ is the second book in the ‘Perceptions of Glass Series.’ The author, James Cudney provides a quick recap of the first book in the series ‘Watching Glass Shatter,’ in Chapter 1 of this book for the benefit of those who haven’t read the first book. Despite the recap, I personally feel to enjoy the book, it is better that readers read the first book before reading this one. There are quite a few twists and turns which may make it difficult to keep pace with if you have not read book 1 in the series. Also, to appreciate the growth in the characters I recommend reading the books in order.

The author managed to keep me hooked in the sequel just as he did with the first book. As I said in my earlier review Book Review: WATCHING GLASS SHATTER by JAMES CUDNEY , the story could very well be made into a soap opera. So, if drama or as we Indians call it ‘Masala,’ is your thing, then go for this book. You’ll not be disappointed. The story has a family full of strong characters each with a story of their own. The author goes back and forth narrating the past and present of each character and does it dexterously. The story unfolds itself over a span of 12 hours and each chapter is assigned to each character while moving forward. I found it a rather interesting way to arrange the chapters.

Book cover

Perfectly represents the story to come and has the reader intrigued from start.

The story

A mysterious letter is received in the Glass household. The letter is an extortion letter and talks about revealing a secret if a certain amount of money is not paid up. Nobody knows who the letter is for as the address on the envelope is not clear. Each of the members in the family believe the letter is for them because each of them have a secret that they have kept hidden from others in the family. If you’ve read book 1 you would think the secrets ended there but book 2 reveals more – some a result of old secrets and some new ones. In this book too, the author weaves the story around real life issues – drug addiction, gay relationships and adoption. The characters are portrayed realistically with shades of grey. Nobody is perfect and everybody has a weakness.

I liked Teddy’s portrayal in the book – there was a positive change despite all his troubles. He came across as the strongest character in book 2. I felt sorry for Emma and somehow felt there was a change in her character from the way she was depicted in the previous book – a certain weakness which could have been the result of her personal situation. It was sad. I also liked Rowena Hector’s character in the book. It was the most uncomplicated, straight-forward character. Olivia the mother came out stronger here and showed maturity.

What I like about the book?

It is a light, entertaining read. The language is simple. The relationship between the sisters – Olivia and Diane is comforting and the growth in Teddy’s character as he finds a purpose in life and takes charge of the family is refreshing. Kudos to the author for skillfully writing a book with multiple stories rolled into one big story with utmost clarity.

What I feel could have been different?

While the twists and turns kept me hooked, I found them far too many for a book of 350 pages. I found the ending rushed and I found the constant explanation of the past tiresome as I had read book 1only recently. Maybe it is for this reason I preferred book 1 to book 2.

Rating

I give the book 4 stars for keeping the mystery quotient high until the end of the book.

The book can be bought on Amazon as:  Paperback – Hardcover – Ebook

Rewards

Now for the prizes. If you would like to read this book, click on the giveaway link! Who knows you may be the lucky winner of a free book?! 🙂

Have fun and let me know what you think of the book once you read it.

Until next time,

Cheers