Tom Moran and the Lozano brothers, Giuseppe and Giovanni, grew up together in a modest Pasadena, California neighborhood in the 1960’s. As they grew older, their personalities began to reveal the divergent roads they would take as adults. Tom became a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, Giovanni became a Catholic priest, and Giuseppe became a politician, ultimately with the hope of someday reaching the White House.

The men stayed in touch over the years, especially Tom and Giovanni. Then, tragedy struck. Giuseppe was in a tight U.S. Senate race when his wife and three children were murdered in their home. Not only did their deaths affect Giuseppe, but Giovanni and Tom as well.

While Giovanni tried to support his brother in his grief, Tom fought to lead the investigation in the horrendous murders. The killers were professional and the clues almost non-existent. It appeared to be a hit with possible ties to the close Senate race.

Tom was in a battle with other investigators as his deep grief drove him to find the killers by any means necessary. Others thought he was too close to the victims and should take a backseat in this case. Driven to find the murderers, Tom almost lost his job as he butted heads with top brass and went out of his way to solve the crime.

Shattered Triangle was the debut novel written by William P. Messenger. The author took a detailed look at the lives of three men, their interaction with one another as children and later as adults, the decisions they made during the course of their lives and, eventually, how they reacted when tragedy struck.

Shattered Triangle is one of the most powerful and gripping stories I've ever read. Even now, several days after finishing the book, I'm haunted by the events that took place and how each man chose to deal with the circumstances.

The author went into great detail to bring the complex characters to life for the readers. We get to know each one, how they think, why they make the decisions they do, and how those decisions effect their life and the lives of those around them.

Messenger takes his time setting up what ultimately becomes a breathtaking look at how power and greed can change people, and how you never really know someone no matter how close you are or how many years they have been a part of your life.

The unexpected ending could leave readers a bit shaken. After some reflection, they will look back upon the whole book with a realization of how incredibly talented the author is.

A special thank you goes to William Messenger for giving us the opportunity to review Shattered Triangle. If you are interested in reading this book, it is available on Amazon.com.