SPLINTERED

Eden’s debut novel is a taut psychological thriller about a man unraveling in the wake of a tragedy.

Oliver Pierce seems to have a good life. He loves his wife, Becky, and his young son, William. He has a good job and is working his way up the ladder. But from the instant we meet him, there is something way off. He is watching William in the park, and as the boy dashes toward an ice cream truck, he gets knocked down by a teenager on a bike. Oliver runs to his defense and beats the teenager to a bloody pulp. A moment later, we learn that was all in his head, except he did grab the teenager and threaten him. From that point on, it’s hard to distinguish reality from Oliver’s dark and violent fantasies. He has a jealous mind and suspects Becky of infidelity. That starts him on a trail of bad decisions, starting with flirting with a co-worker and ending with an affair with a stranger named Yasmine whom he meets at a bar. Tension builds at home after a tragic accident that, it’s revealed later, Oliver had more involvement in than previously thought. Oliver becomes estranged from Becky, jealous of Yasmine, and starts a downward slide that will eventually land him in trouble with the law—all while rationalizing that his life is improving. Eden cleverly doles out information, keeping readers guessing as they delve deeper into Oliver’s psychological problems. The audience sees how each bad decision is made and feels his disintegration (“The only benefit of having such a shit day was that it made my decision to go to the bar after work a hell of a lot easier”). The ending isn’t impossible to predict, but Eden does his best not to show all his cards.

An original, quick read and a good find for thriller fans.