Review: Splintered by Kelly Miller

Title: Splintered
Author: Kelly Miller
Published: Jan. 26, 2016
Publisher: Kindle Press
Pages: 344
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Review: ebook provided by author
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 

Life turns from barely tolerable to complete hell when Maddy Eastin’s impulsive plan to win back the attention of her absentee father backfires. Word of her scheme spreads through her high school, but when mockery escalates to cyberbullying, Maddy and her failed stunt become headline news. But the worst is yet to come…
A disturbed man is fighting the overwhelming urge to surrender to his true nature—a moral code molded by a sadistic father who taught him that a girl needs proper training to become the perfect subservient woman. As he watches Maddy on the evening news, his already fractured psyche completely splinters. She’s the girl he’s been waiting for.
When Maddy disappears, she’s labeled a runaway even though her mother believes it was foul play. Will the detectives investigating Maddy’s disappearance find her before it’s too late? Or has she already fallen prey to the vicious stranger hunting her?

I received this book to give an honest review.

Wow is what I can saw on this book. I didn't expect it to go the way it honestly did. I am at a lost of words on how to write this review without giving anything away. Which may still happen.

 When I first started the story I was going oh my goodness Maddy was almost abducted and then we get the true story on what happened and I was just shaking my head. You see Maddy doesn't believe her mother really cares for her or why else would her dad leave them. This on top of teenage hormones Maddy doesn't make the right decisions on how to handle things. Now when we get told the reason why her father truly left I was actually very surprised on that and I give Maddy's mom props on how she handled it. She never bad mouthed her soon to be ex husband she took the brunt of the temper that Maddy has. Maddy learns the hard why that her actions will have consequences and some of them are not nice. So what happens when it all comes to be real and her life is truly in danger? Will she be saved in time? Will she survive what her kidnapper has in store for her?

This story is told in five different points of view. Maddy, her mother, Detective Wallace, Emma who is Maddy's godmother and an officer, and Hank. 

Let's talk about the characters right quick. I think the author did a great job with them all. Each one was different and had their own personality.

 I think the one that really stood out for me was Hank. He had a hard life growing up and his father helped mold him into the sadistic person he is today but he hides it well. He takes care of his brother Daniel who has some mental health problems. So for him to just act on these urges he has we can see just how sick Hank truly is. We get to see the flashbacks he has from his childhood and they are not pretty. 

Maddy is normal teenager who tries to fit in at school, deals with her problems by not talking about them but starting to act out. It broke my heart when she was bullied as I believe her so called friends went to far. When all this is said and done we get to see how Maddy handles it all and we see the change that comes about her.

Maddy's mom we learn that she has an addiction and she fights it when the unthinkable happens to her daughter. She tries so hard to be there for Maddy even when she is pushed away. You see how life just has changed the person she use to be. 

Emma she comes back into the Maddy's mom's life when she is called to be told on what is going on with Maddy and we see how Emma will stop at nothing to get Maddy home safe.

The plot was amazing. And I was literally flipping the pages as fast as I could when reading to find out what was going to happen next. This was a excellent book to read and I recommend this book to those who like mysteries and thrillers. 

I hope to read more by this author has she has a way with words and pulling you into the story.

Writing has always been in my blood. Since the age of thirteen when I coauthored a cheesy romance novel in a spiral bound notebook, I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career. But somewhere along the way, I lost my voice. Sure I could craft a witty email or write marketing copy for other authors, as I did in a previous job, but to write that great American novel seemed just out of reach.
As is often happens, life simply got in the way. I got married, had three children, and adopted a black Labrador. As a stay-at-home mom, I was lucky to get an hour a day to myself. And when I found those few precious minutes, they were spent reading a good book. A voracious reader, I've been researching the mystery and suspense genres for more than two decades.
It was in my search for my own identity after staying at home with the kids that ultimately lead me back to my love of writing. I started my journey towards publication in August 2010. The first draft only took four months to write, but was followed by an enormous amount of time rewriting, and an even longer time searching for a publisher. Determination, perseverance, and God's blessing made my publishing dream a reality. I signed a contract with Black Rose Writing on May 18, 2012 and my first mystery novel, "Dead Like Me", debuted in November 2012.

The second installment in the Detective Kate Springer series, "Deadly Fantasies," debuted December 19, 2013. Since that time, the book's rights have reverted back to me and I've gone indie!
My newest mystery novel, "Splintered," debuted in January 2016. In this story, I'm introducing my readers to a whole new set of characters. "Splintered" was chosen as a 2015 Kindle Scout winner and the e-book and audio book will be published by Kindle Press. Check out my website to sign up for my author newsletter so you can keep up-to-date on my writing journey.