★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Good
August 3, 2020 by A lover of books
At first I found all the chapters talking about the three characters early yrs kind of redundant, but in the end it explained why the murders happened.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Weird ending
April 3, 2020 by JimF
Very unusual story with a weird ending. I have not decided whether I liked it or not. You need to read it yourself and decide.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
OK
December 11, 2019 by Werner Bacher
Good read
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Actually 3 1/2 Stars
November 19, 2019 Amazon Customer
The story line was interesting about the relationship of 2 brothers & a childhood friend (all brought up Catholic) as they find their way in life. One brother becomes a priest, the other brother a businessman turned politician & the friend , a police detective. The story centers around the murders of the politician's wife and 3 children. The detective is placed in charge of the investigation. It's a good story that explores not only the murder case, but issues of faith. I found some of the writing a bit stiff at times, but ie was an overall good read.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
August 14, 2019 by keengary
Slow start and somewhat predictable ending
The background story made for a slow start to the story. The ending was somewhat predictable as it was set up by the slow winding through the back story leading up to the present day.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Anticlimax
August 5, 2019 by Diane
Reviewed in Australia
There was so much explaining and detail the story was tedious. I ended up skipping paragraphs just to get through to the end. Having guessed who was the person responsible for the murders was, the ending was disappointing.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Abandoned
June 25, 2019 Keith Trullinger
This was one of the few books that I abandoned part-way through it. The author seemed to have political axes to grind at the expense of the story. Life is too short to waste my time on this.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
June 28, 2019 Rizello
I wanted to like this book. It starts out with a great premise. Then the first 3/4 of the book is spend providing detailed historical background. It read more like a history lesson of LA than a book.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Head trip
June 9, 2019 by tommytrojan
I expected a cop story whodunnit. This is a Psych 101 text. Very disappointed. Never again will I read this author.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
May 30, 2019 by Gene Pingle
Good book to a point. Every major city and state having major problem with drugs, the homeless, are run by the Democrats. They also have more millionaires than Republicans, are given to lie, mislead as in the phony charges against Trump, a total lie just like what happened in Florida all through the years ago. It was the Democrats who control those counties that the problem was in. It was the Democrats who owned slaves in the South. Maybe the real truth needs to be told
I read the book it becomes very clear that the Democrats are full of themselves. Look around—every major city and state run by the Democrats, are out of control, major crime is up, shooting way up, the homeless are increasingly growing at alarming rate, drugs never ending. Worse is the lack of moral foundation. They were the slave owners and now they are becoming the slave owners by the laws they pass. They are the millionaires who control the working class. It's not the Republicans who cause the problem, it's the Democrats. My dad's family came from a country like what the Democrats want here. What's coming is all on the Democrats and the handwriting is on the wall. Not in this pony cartoon character you have in the book, but the self-righteous characters who think they have all the right answers. All three of them are phony as a three dollar bill. The guys have lost this country and you're helping it along by fake portrayal of the Republicans and misusing facts to fit yourself. I've learned the one who calls the other out like the Democrats did to Trump for the last two years are liars and phony people who should not be in office as any other bad office holder.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Good story line didn't appreciate the stab at Republicans
April 11, 2019 by jrjanczy
Author very good at background/character development. Story line flowed well. Couldn't overlook the blatant stabs at Republican Party—this could have been left out as well as the support for Democrats. It would be nice not to have to deal with that. When I read, I want to get away from all of the mess of the world. Story would have flowed quite well without. Not sure if I will continue series if he continues.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely slow to get to the story
April 4, 2019 by Amy L. Dues
Starts with a bang then takes more than half the book to give detailed background stories to try to set the stage. Throw in some Republican & Catholic bashing for good measure.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Rabbit Trails
March 31, 2019 by Suz
A good story but filled with many rabbit trails that were very distracting! Way too much unnecessary details. Could have been a great short story!
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Lost ambition
March 18, 2019 by Linda Farris
The book was quite detailed in reference to the Catholic religion and its values. The details of police work and procedures is enlightening.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
I was
March 14, 2019 by Kindle Customer
Disappointed in the author's use of The Lord's name in vain. Then I read the author review and learned he was a priest!!! Really???? I finished the book but I find I related to some of the other reviewers saying there was way too much background into the main characters' lives. I kept asking when the action was going to start!
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Long….
March 11, 2019 by Sharon
This was a bit of struggle to get through…seemed like there was a lot of background information that made it hard to stay focused on the book. Ending was better.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Thought-provoking
March 10, 2019 by Kindle customer
The author's characterizations were so detailed I began to wonder if they were real people. There was a good deal of political information that I had either forgotten over the years or never knew. I'll have to read the next book to see if there is any justice.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Daunting task
March 8, 2019 by Wendy
Not what I expected. I thought this would be a murder mystery/crime drama not a psychological "thriller." As such, I struggled through the first half thinking it was character development and never ending back story. Overall I found it well written but not an overly engaging story.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Tough
March 5, 2019 by Amazon Customer
The main character seems tough. However, it was one of the toughest books I have read in a long time. It is well written and weaves a tale of friendship and evil.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Mystery
December 6, 2018 by Kindle customer
This story was a little too philosophical for my liking. I think they went into too much detail and background on each person. I did like the twist at the end.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Plodding narrative back and forth in time
March 19, 2018 by J Earl
I read Shattered Triangle by William Messenger some time ago and forgot to post a review so this will be my recollection combined with a minimal amount of notes I took. While I gave a middle of the road rating it could easily, for me, have been lower.
I generally don't mind background in a story, I am not one of those who must always have action and violence the entire way through a novel. This, however, even considering the background serves as the background for a series (trilogy?), was too detailed. The information given could have been given far more efficiently and effectively.
Once the procedural started it still did not compel me to make time to read it. If how a book stays in your memory serves as a good indication, and it usually does, I remember just wanting to get through it. No more and no less. Unless a novel is just terrible, which this one was not, I want to give the book a chance all the way to the end. I will stop short of saying I regret finishing it, there were moments of interest, but between questionable characterization, some implausible events, and what appeared to have been social/political statements from the author disguised as opinions of the characters I was so happy to able to never have to open it again. Needless to say I won't be reading the other volumes.
I usually have some idea of what types of people would like a book but I can't seem to think of any easily definable group. Not readers of a specific genre or author, not readers who like character-driven novels (I am one of those and this was too much fluff for me). There will be plenty who like this book but I simply can't recommend it to any particular group or sub-group. If you like games of chance then you might want to take a chance on this one. I did and was disappointed.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Political Views
February 6, 2018 by Vickie Aliff
I received a copy of this novel from ReadingDeals.com. I found rather difficult to continue reading the book at times. I thought there was too much building up to the storyline. Half of the novel dealt with character background. Political views of the author were seen quite often. Both of these items caused me to find this novel mediocre at best.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Bad Ending
January 25, 2018 by J.P. Schultes
Illogical pursuit of a dream scenario that does not stand up under logic. This can be witnessed by the ending. Unfulfilling!
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
January 22, 2018 by Bookzilla
Interesting. This stand-alone ends with the criminal confessing and the cop not being able to do anything about it.
There is a tremendous amount of research and descriptive writing in this story. The characters are believable and the dialogue is thought-provoking.
"Fear is not only rooted in ignorance. It is channeled by whoever frames the exchange of ideas."
"To a person they rejected the idea of the common good, but held firmly to what they, themselves, had in common; namely, money. And the desire to keep it for themselves."
No desire to re-read this story.
Remember this is my personal opinion and does not reflect on the author.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you
March, 2017 by Annie F.
Enjoyed it. Will purchase copies for family and friends.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written, Detailed characters, Stark message
February 12, 2017 by Don Kidwell
Finished this book in short order as was engrossing for me. After the introduction of the horrible murder scene, the first half of book is largely devoted to an in-depth study of three terribly flawed characters and background of LA's police force (from Darryl Gates to SWAT, DARE, 1992 riots, etc). Becomes more of a police procedural in the back half, my not realizing there was a sequel at around 3/4 ways in I had the feeling resolution was not going to be to my liking so glad to know now there is more to the story. With the characters fully flushed out I am expecting an even better read with "Beleaguered Truth" and looking forward to reading that book next.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Eventually turns interesting!
September 9, 2016 by Frank Gonzalez
Book 1 of the trilogy, Shattered Triangle, was a difficult read for me. I personally know the author, and can appreciate the circumstances of his growing up, many of which I shared by virtue of living within the same time frame and similar schooling, which are infused throughout this book and included as part of the plot. Many of the (fictional) characters mentioned, and historical events, are familiar to me.
My problem with the book is that it was very slow (e.g. dragged) in many parts. There were too many long, drawn-out background explanations. Finally, towards the middle of the book, the pace picked up, but it was obvious to me who was the culprit. What remained was to see how the culprit would be caught (sorry, no spoilers here from me.)
To his credit, the author ended his book poised for a continuation into the second book of the Trilogy, Beleaguered Truth.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Finally…It Got Better!
August 16, 2016 by G.R.M.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review. First off, I must say that I started reading the book and considered stopping more than once. For several chapters, I thought that there was too much writing, too many words. For a long time, I wondered, "Where does this end?" and "What purpose does all of 'this' serve?" Finally - and I mean finally, there was some action and twists in plot which made me pay attention and finish reading the book. The content was boring in the beginning and showed a lot of research on the author's part. I think that the book would have been better with less research included and if the writer had gotten to the story line quicker. Looking back, the author provided too much information which took away from a unique story progression.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
These characters that draw you in…
September 22, 2015 by Nicholas Santillan
I first read SHATTERED TRIANGLE when the first edition came out a couple of years ago. It is an easily consumed, yet compelling murder mystery by a local Los Angeles author, William Messenger. The prose tends to be overly concerned with descriptions and the minute historical details of Los Angeles, which oftentimes overshadows what is happening in the story. However, the plot is less about whodunit than it is about the intricate characters, their backstories, and well thought out motivations. In addition, all the attention to detail creates a real sense of place that the characters inhabit. In the end, it's these characters that draw you in.
SHATTERED TRIANGLE is a good first novel and a good read. I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with the characters in the recently released sequel BELEAGUERED TRUTH.
Good
August 3, 2020 by A lover of books
At first I found all the chapters talking about the three characters early yrs kind of redundant, but in the end it explained why the murders happened.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Weird ending
April 3, 2020 by JimF
Very unusual story with a weird ending. I have not decided whether I liked it or not. You need to read it yourself and decide.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
OK
December 11, 2019 by Werner Bacher
Good read
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Actually 3 1/2 Stars
November 19, 2019 Amazon Customer
The story line was interesting about the relationship of 2 brothers & a childhood friend (all brought up Catholic) as they find their way in life. One brother becomes a priest, the other brother a businessman turned politician & the friend , a police detective. The story centers around the murders of the politician's wife and 3 children. The detective is placed in charge of the investigation. It's a good story that explores not only the murder case, but issues of faith. I found some of the writing a bit stiff at times, but ie was an overall good read.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
August 14, 2019 by keengary
Slow start and somewhat predictable ending
The background story made for a slow start to the story. The ending was somewhat predictable as it was set up by the slow winding through the back story leading up to the present day.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Anticlimax
August 5, 2019 by Diane
Reviewed in Australia
There was so much explaining and detail the story was tedious. I ended up skipping paragraphs just to get through to the end. Having guessed who was the person responsible for the murders was, the ending was disappointing.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Abandoned
June 25, 2019 Keith Trullinger
This was one of the few books that I abandoned part-way through it. The author seemed to have political axes to grind at the expense of the story. Life is too short to waste my time on this.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
June 28, 2019 Rizello
I wanted to like this book. It starts out with a great premise. Then the first 3/4 of the book is spend providing detailed historical background. It read more like a history lesson of LA than a book.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Head trip
June 9, 2019 by tommytrojan
I expected a cop story whodunnit. This is a Psych 101 text. Very disappointed. Never again will I read this author.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
May 30, 2019 by Gene Pingle
Good book to a point. Every major city and state having major problem with drugs, the homeless, are run by the Democrats. They also have more millionaires than Republicans, are given to lie, mislead as in the phony charges against Trump, a total lie just like what happened in Florida all through the years ago. It was the Democrats who control those counties that the problem was in. It was the Democrats who owned slaves in the South. Maybe the real truth needs to be told
I read the book it becomes very clear that the Democrats are full of themselves. Look around—every major city and state run by the Democrats, are out of control, major crime is up, shooting way up, the homeless are increasingly growing at alarming rate, drugs never ending. Worse is the lack of moral foundation. They were the slave owners and now they are becoming the slave owners by the laws they pass. They are the millionaires who control the working class. It's not the Republicans who cause the problem, it's the Democrats. My dad's family came from a country like what the Democrats want here. What's coming is all on the Democrats and the handwriting is on the wall. Not in this pony cartoon character you have in the book, but the self-righteous characters who think they have all the right answers. All three of them are phony as a three dollar bill. The guys have lost this country and you're helping it along by fake portrayal of the Republicans and misusing facts to fit yourself. I've learned the one who calls the other out like the Democrats did to Trump for the last two years are liars and phony people who should not be in office as any other bad office holder.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Good story line didn't appreciate the stab at Republicans
April 11, 2019 by jrjanczy
Author very good at background/character development. Story line flowed well. Couldn't overlook the blatant stabs at Republican Party—this could have been left out as well as the support for Democrats. It would be nice not to have to deal with that. When I read, I want to get away from all of the mess of the world. Story would have flowed quite well without. Not sure if I will continue series if he continues.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely slow to get to the story
April 4, 2019 by Amy L. Dues
Starts with a bang then takes more than half the book to give detailed background stories to try to set the stage. Throw in some Republican & Catholic bashing for good measure.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Rabbit Trails
March 31, 2019 by Suz
A good story but filled with many rabbit trails that were very distracting! Way too much unnecessary details. Could have been a great short story!
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Lost ambition
March 18, 2019 by Linda Farris
The book was quite detailed in reference to the Catholic religion and its values. The details of police work and procedures is enlightening.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
I was
March 14, 2019 by Kindle Customer
Disappointed in the author's use of The Lord's name in vain. Then I read the author review and learned he was a priest!!! Really???? I finished the book but I find I related to some of the other reviewers saying there was way too much background into the main characters' lives. I kept asking when the action was going to start!
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Long….
March 11, 2019 by Sharon
This was a bit of struggle to get through…seemed like there was a lot of background information that made it hard to stay focused on the book. Ending was better.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Thought-provoking
March 10, 2019 by Kindle customer
The author's characterizations were so detailed I began to wonder if they were real people. There was a good deal of political information that I had either forgotten over the years or never knew. I'll have to read the next book to see if there is any justice.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Daunting task
March 8, 2019 by Wendy
Not what I expected. I thought this would be a murder mystery/crime drama not a psychological "thriller." As such, I struggled through the first half thinking it was character development and never ending back story. Overall I found it well written but not an overly engaging story.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Tough
March 5, 2019 by Amazon Customer
The main character seems tough. However, it was one of the toughest books I have read in a long time. It is well written and weaves a tale of friendship and evil.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Mystery
December 6, 2018 by Kindle customer
This story was a little too philosophical for my liking. I think they went into too much detail and background on each person. I did like the twist at the end.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Plodding narrative back and forth in time
March 19, 2018 by J Earl
I read Shattered Triangle by William Messenger some time ago and forgot to post a review so this will be my recollection combined with a minimal amount of notes I took. While I gave a middle of the road rating it could easily, for me, have been lower.
I generally don't mind background in a story, I am not one of those who must always have action and violence the entire way through a novel. This, however, even considering the background serves as the background for a series (trilogy?), was too detailed. The information given could have been given far more efficiently and effectively.
Once the procedural started it still did not compel me to make time to read it. If how a book stays in your memory serves as a good indication, and it usually does, I remember just wanting to get through it. No more and no less. Unless a novel is just terrible, which this one was not, I want to give the book a chance all the way to the end. I will stop short of saying I regret finishing it, there were moments of interest, but between questionable characterization, some implausible events, and what appeared to have been social/political statements from the author disguised as opinions of the characters I was so happy to able to never have to open it again. Needless to say I won't be reading the other volumes.
I usually have some idea of what types of people would like a book but I can't seem to think of any easily definable group. Not readers of a specific genre or author, not readers who like character-driven novels (I am one of those and this was too much fluff for me). There will be plenty who like this book but I simply can't recommend it to any particular group or sub-group. If you like games of chance then you might want to take a chance on this one. I did and was disappointed.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Political Views
February 6, 2018 by Vickie Aliff
I received a copy of this novel from ReadingDeals.com. I found rather difficult to continue reading the book at times. I thought there was too much building up to the storyline. Half of the novel dealt with character background. Political views of the author were seen quite often. Both of these items caused me to find this novel mediocre at best.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Bad Ending
January 25, 2018 by J.P. Schultes
Illogical pursuit of a dream scenario that does not stand up under logic. This can be witnessed by the ending. Unfulfilling!
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
January 22, 2018 by Bookzilla
Interesting. This stand-alone ends with the criminal confessing and the cop not being able to do anything about it.
There is a tremendous amount of research and descriptive writing in this story. The characters are believable and the dialogue is thought-provoking.
"Fear is not only rooted in ignorance. It is channeled by whoever frames the exchange of ideas."
"To a person they rejected the idea of the common good, but held firmly to what they, themselves, had in common; namely, money. And the desire to keep it for themselves."
No desire to re-read this story.
Remember this is my personal opinion and does not reflect on the author.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you
March, 2017 by Annie F.
Enjoyed it. Will purchase copies for family and friends.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written, Detailed characters, Stark message
February 12, 2017 by Don Kidwell
Finished this book in short order as was engrossing for me. After the introduction of the horrible murder scene, the first half of book is largely devoted to an in-depth study of three terribly flawed characters and background of LA's police force (from Darryl Gates to SWAT, DARE, 1992 riots, etc). Becomes more of a police procedural in the back half, my not realizing there was a sequel at around 3/4 ways in I had the feeling resolution was not going to be to my liking so glad to know now there is more to the story. With the characters fully flushed out I am expecting an even better read with "Beleaguered Truth" and looking forward to reading that book next.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Eventually turns interesting!
September 9, 2016 by Frank Gonzalez
Book 1 of the trilogy, Shattered Triangle, was a difficult read for me. I personally know the author, and can appreciate the circumstances of his growing up, many of which I shared by virtue of living within the same time frame and similar schooling, which are infused throughout this book and included as part of the plot. Many of the (fictional) characters mentioned, and historical events, are familiar to me.
My problem with the book is that it was very slow (e.g. dragged) in many parts. There were too many long, drawn-out background explanations. Finally, towards the middle of the book, the pace picked up, but it was obvious to me who was the culprit. What remained was to see how the culprit would be caught (sorry, no spoilers here from me.)
To his credit, the author ended his book poised for a continuation into the second book of the Trilogy, Beleaguered Truth.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
Finally…It Got Better!
August 16, 2016 by G.R.M.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review. First off, I must say that I started reading the book and considered stopping more than once. For several chapters, I thought that there was too much writing, too many words. For a long time, I wondered, "Where does this end?" and "What purpose does all of 'this' serve?" Finally - and I mean finally, there was some action and twists in plot which made me pay attention and finish reading the book. The content was boring in the beginning and showed a lot of research on the author's part. I think that the book would have been better with less research included and if the writer had gotten to the story line quicker. Looking back, the author provided too much information which took away from a unique story progression.
★★★ 3.0 out of 5 stars
These characters that draw you in…
September 22, 2015 by Nicholas Santillan
I first read SHATTERED TRIANGLE when the first edition came out a couple of years ago. It is an easily consumed, yet compelling murder mystery by a local Los Angeles author, William Messenger. The prose tends to be overly concerned with descriptions and the minute historical details of Los Angeles, which oftentimes overshadows what is happening in the story. However, the plot is less about whodunit than it is about the intricate characters, their backstories, and well thought out motivations. In addition, all the attention to detail creates a real sense of place that the characters inhabit. In the end, it's these characters that draw you in.
SHATTERED TRIANGLE is a good first novel and a good read. I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with the characters in the recently released sequel BELEAGUERED TRUTH.
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