I read Fractured by Carol Hall as part of a SOTTB club. The premise hooked me from the start: A couple driving a dark and winding road in a storm are shocked when a man dressed all in black suddenly appears in front of their car. She swerves to miss him but feels the impact as the car strikes the man. Their own car careens off the road, instantly killing her husband.
The police find no body, leaving the FMC confused. As the story progresses, she sees the man again and again as she tries to go on with her life. Is she insane? Or are the appearances of this man a message her brain won’t accept?
I enjoyed the psychological elements involving trauma and memory. However, at times, the dialogue and phrasing felt a little too forced for my taste, which occasionally pulled me out of the story.
The ending unfolded well and brought the unanswered questions full circle. For those who enjoy psychological suspense involving buried memories and unreliable perceptions, you may enjoy this one.
I gave it 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
