Shattered Glass

By: Dani Alexander

Narrated by: Joseph Northton

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

A male prostitute, a mangy cat, a murder, and an obsession that threatens his career, his impending marriage and his life...nothing is going as planned for Austin Glass.

Austin Glass seems to have it all: a loving fiancée, a future with the FBI, and a healthy-sized trust fund. At least on the surface. He also has a grin and a wisecrack for every situation. But the smile he presents to the world hides a painful past he’s buried too deeply to remember, and his quips mask bitterness and insecurity. Austin has himself and most of the whole world fooled - until he meets a redhead in a pair of bunny slippers.

As events unfold in the biggest case of his life, Austin’s carefully planned future unravels, and he finds himself pushed into making quick, life-changing decisions. But can he trust himself or anything he feels, when each event seems to be just a series of volatile reactions?

©2012 Dani Alexander (P)2014 Dani Alexander

More than I ever expected

What did you love best about Shattered Glass?

Austin's inner dialog.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shattered Glass?

Rescuing the cat.

Have you listened to any of Joseph Northton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not. He's very good. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to another performance.

Who was the most memorable character of Shattered Glass and why?

Peter. So broken yet so wise; jaded yet still romantic.

Any additional comments?

I'd never heard of Dani Alexander. I was sure this was some female mf romance writer crossing over to take advantage of the hot mm romance genre. Wow, I couldn't have been more wrong. Firstly, Dani Alexander is a man. Secondly, I think he wrote one the funniest, most complex, most original romances I've ever read...or in this case, listened to. Joseph Northton was a very good narrator. I laughed, I cried, I was devastated, I was elated. It was a rollercoaster ride. In the end, I was completely satisfied. And set up for the next in the series, Not So Innocent, which focuses on Cai and Riley. I'm chomping at the bit!

Captivating!

Shattered Glass is an exceptional listen. Though the chapters come off disjointed, the story and characters more than make up for it. The ending is a bit open ended to me, so possibly a sequel? The narration was excellent. I enjoyed both Peter and Austin's narrative in the story and found them very anti-hero, which I loved. Definitely worth the credit!!

A Must Read or Listen To Book

A funny and engaging mystery. Superior charter development and fast passed presentation. You can’t go wrong with this book!

An interesting point...

When Austin is watching Peter in the beginning, Peter approaches him to turn a trick but, Peter is the informant who Austin had waited 2 hours for, before he began lusting for "bunny slippers ". I think Peter approached him as an informant and, not as a prostitute when Austin was in the initial phase of his infatuation. Perhaps Peter realized this when he solicited himself to Austin, instead of informing....??? Goes to show how superficial Austin really is at the start of the relationship, but their dynamic became awesome when they started to communicate honestly. I loved this book!

Perfect!

There are days when I need a serious book, days when I need to read something relaxing, and days when I need to be shaken to my very core. There are books that are appropriate for each of those days, but only one I can think of that’s appropriate for all of them. From a reader’s point of view, Shattered Glass is a dream come true.

Austin Glass is a vice detective, a trust fund baby and an aspiring FBI agent. He is young, successful, competent, instantly likeable and engaged to a gorgeous, intelligent woman. But there’s one thing Austin Glass isn’t – he most certainly is not gay. So then why can’t he stop obsessing about a gorgeous busboy in bunny slippers? Why can’t he get those darn bunny slippers out of his head? If only he could buy the man some shoes, something safe and unattractive like loafers – all his problems would surely disappear.

“I'm not gay.” That wasn't what I meant to say.
“Congratulations. Would you like a medal?” Bunny Slippers asked.
“I already have a medal. For bravery, not for being gay. I think you made me gay.”
“I made you gay?” He set down the napkin he was holding. “Is that better or worse than the person who made you stupid?”

Peter, or Bunny Slippers if you prefer, is a study in contradictions. He is rude, but has an obvious vulnerable side. He is a (former) prostitute, but he has very high standards. He gave up on his education, but he is astonishingly smart. He used to sell drugs, but he cares for his younger brothers with everything he has. Needless to say, Austin is enchanted. Gay or not, staying away from Peter becomes impossible overnight. Dating a former male prostitute isn’t the smartest thing you can do when you’re a vice detective, but Austin will give it his best nevertheless. Turning his life upside down is a small price to pay to get Bunny Slippers in his bed. And when it turns out that Bunny Slippers comes with a whole lot of baggage – baggage that shoots to kill more often than not – Austin still chooses to go ahead with it. He just laughs it off and marches bravely ahead. Peter is not so easy to convince. While Austin jumps in without regard for his life or career, Peter is far too careful to trust a spoiled rich boy. But Austin’s charm is impossible to resist for too long and pretty soon their lives, and Austin’s investigation, become a huge tangled mess.

"Is he my competition?"
“Everyone is your competition.” Peter lifted his hand to his eyes and began lowering it incrementally. “It goes normal human beings, crazies, republicans, my hand, imaginary characters, corpses and then, in a moment of lustful psychosis, you.”By the time he was done, his hand was below the table.
Ouch. “A little over the top, don’t you think?”
“No.”

If it isn’t clear from the previous two quotes, here is it: Shattered Glass is hilarious. With chapter titles like Dear God, I’ll Take That Lobotomy Now. Thanks, Austin. and How to Win Friends and Alienate Albanian Table-lovers , I promise you you’ll laugh until you drop. What makes the book truly stand out, however, is Austin’s voice. He is one of the most honest, refreshing characters I’ve ever stumbled upon. Upon meeting Peter, his life is turned upside down. Although he does things that aren’t exactly honorable, he is always wonderfully upfront and honest about them. So honest, in fact, that even his (ex) fiancè can’t stay mad for too long.

The mystery part of this story requires some suspension of disbelief, but trust me when I tell you, you won’t care one bit. You’ll fall in love with Austin on page two and fall head over heels for Peter not long after. Once you meet Cai, it’s pretty much a done deal – you’ll want to stay with this gang forever.

Finally, let me say this. I’ve read this book first, and enjoyed it on audio just a few months later. As far as I’m concerned, audio is by far the best way to go. From what I can tell, this is the only book Joseph Northton has narrated so far, which is undoubtedly a tragedy. Austin’s voice is delightful and hilarious all on its own, but Northton added an extra layer of humor with his spectacular narration, turning this into a book I couldn’t listen to while driving because I was laughing too darn hard. You try driving while constantly laughing to tears. If you’re an audioobok fan, definitely go with that, but any format works. Not reading this, however, is simply not an option.

If I had to compare Austin with another character, I’d say he’s the male Charley Davidson, minus the paranormal element. He is just so incredibly funny and honest, he reminded me of Charley right from the start. So if you like Charley, read this. And if you don’t, read it anyway. Really. Preferably now.

Unlikely, but plausible coming out story

Loved this book. On the face of it, the story of a 27 yo straight cop suddenly going gay, seems a bit far fetched. But Dani Alexander finesses Glass' experience with such class and feeling, you're let completely accepting the premise.
A really human story that sparkles with lighting sharp barbs of humour. I really hope another is in works.

Love love love it

A absolutely love totally love this book.
Mysteries and plots and villains and traitors, and lots of very good and and snarky characters. So good.
Very enjoyable narrator

Insufferable characters in a good plot.

The writer made a really good story. I think it was well done with lots of twists and turns. The back story had good depth and made the case seem full of life.
The characters, I found were that stereotype of extremes. Austin Glass, the main, was so over the top and unrealistic it was frustrating. Similarly to Peter but in the opposite direction.
The performance was ok. I thought some of the voices were a little off but overall a decent job there.
As far as gay themed lit, it was pretty good. Had more depth and complexity that some stories are missing. If the author has improved upon the character development in the following books, then the series will be worth it.

Great!

I enjoyed the whole ride. There weren't any bad spots that you want to fast forward through or stab the author. Fun, intriguing, sexy, and rewarding.

Loved everything about it

The story is engaging. The characters are well developed and fascinating and there is a sense of anticipation throughout the story. Dani Alexander is a good author and this is a pretty solid work. The plot is farfetched in some instances but honestly if Dani had made one of the characters fly at some point I would have bought into it because of the way he tells the story and develops the plot. I loved all the characters; fell in love with Peter and laughed out loud at most of Austin comments and jokes. This is one of the few audio books I go back to and listen to again and again. Although there is some dark stuff in the story, it's a joy to listen to. It's witty, hilarious, poignant at times, and just plain fun. Joseph Northton did a pretty good job at the narration too. I'd definitely listen to other performances by him.