Hello and welcome!! Today, I’m behind the eight-ball as I was supposed to post this yesterday (Wednesday, October 7th), but I’m at least still getting it up!! Today I am THRILLED to be presenting a review on Hiding Cracked Glass by James J. Cudney, one of my favorite authors! This is the 2nd in the Perceptions of Glass series and an absolute joy to read! To completely understand what’s happening, it’s best to read book 1, Watching Glass Shatter first. You don’t have to, but it will make more things make sense.

About the Book

Hiding Cracked Glass
Family Drama
2nd in series (Perceptions of Glass Series)
https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Cracked-Glass-Perceptions-Book-ebook/dp/B08F3YWTYX
286 pages

Synopsis

A blackmail letter arrives at an inopportune moment, and the recipient’s name is blurred out. Who is the ruthless missive meant for?

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands, her sons try to figure out who’s seeking revenge on them.

Across the span of eight hours, members of the Glass family contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets, or find a way to bury them forever. Some didn’t learn an important lesson last time, and as each hour ticks by, the family has to come to terms with what happened in the previous months.

Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, and this time the stakes are even higher.

Review – 5 out of 5 stars

I personally think this is the best book Jay’s written to date. I absolutely adored it. I’ve been bugging him to write more about the Glass family for a while now and was thrilled when this book was written!

It was wonderful to revisit the Glass family, Olivia, Diane, Teddy, Matthew, Caleb, Zach, and Ethan and all their families. Even though Ethan is no longer with us, he and his family play a pivotal role in our story.

The characters are wonderful. They have depth and are well-written. There’s great character development through out the book. The plot is well thought out and flows from one thing to another in a fluid manner.

This book is just so great! I loved every minute of reading it! It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was hard to put down! I just can’t give an impartial review on this one. I love it. Every word, every paragraph, every page!

Read it, it’ll be one of the best things you read this year!

About the Author

Background

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.

Author

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.

Reader & Reviewer

Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.

Blogger & Thinker

I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.

Genealogist & Researcher

I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.