Shattered Glass - A Cyberpunk Noir Crime Thriller

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

After a strange, ritualistically desecrated corpse opens the door to a cybernetically augmented cult, Detective Lana Walker’s endurance is tested. The dead leave behind half-truths, liminal spaces, and questions they can no longer answer. Her team fills in the missing pieces in their place. Together they follow the breadcrumbs to the darkest corners of humanity. A fanatical cult leader, a vanished girl, and a serial killer who refuses to let Lana forget all mirror some fragment of herself. In this city, justice doesn’t come cheap. Ugly truths mixed with beautiful lies make the sane waver and the insane flourish. Unwilling to stand idly by, she peers into the darkness because someone has to. As a witness to those who exist on the margins of society, she must now learn to witness herself. Every bullet, loss and longing pushes her to redefine her place in the world and decide whether she's willing to pay the cost her work demands. Shattered Glassis a slow-burn psychological crime thriller about trauma, obsession, and the cost of bearing witness. It is about the stories people tell themselves to survive and what happens when those stories begin to crack. What to expect -A quiet, character-driven crime thriller focused on emotional fallout rather than easy victories -Morally complex characters, including villains who have strong motivations -Intimate, restrained moments of connection between damaged people -Exploration of identity, family, and what it means to be human -A mixed-race protagonist of Asian and Caucasian descent -Three interwoven case arcs that reflect and build on one another - Chapters between 2,000-3,200 words. - Updates every 2-3 weeks.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: Wistful_Willow

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 164
Views: 35,685

Chapters(48 total)

What readers say about Shattered Glass - A Cyberpunk Noir Crime Thriller

“Words of warning, no LitrRPG here (a plus for me, but not for everyone), ne filler with endless grinding of skill for the sake of it... No this story is going straight the gritty noir atmosphere, the rain, the last 2 honest cop in VCPD trying to do their jo…”
superlloydRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“This is an interesting and beautifully presented story. At its core we have a murder investigation, but what sets it apart from many other crime thrillers is that the story is set in a futuristic world where body augmentations are increasingly becoming comm…”
ZareithRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

superlloydRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Words of warning, no LitrRPG here (a plus for me, but not for everyone), ne filler with endless grinding of skill for the sake of it...
No this story is going straight the gritty noir atmosphere, the rain, the last 2 honest cop in VCPD trying to do their job - serious crimes investigation - despite the lack of funding and love from the population.
And boy, do they have a strange murder on their hand!
ZareithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is an interesting and beautifully presented story.
At its core we have a murder investigation, but what sets it apart from many other crime thrillers is that the story is set in a futuristic world where body augmentations are increasingly becoming common, and as with any emerging technology, we have an associated dark side rearing its head in the shadows.
Plot/characters: While the story is still picking up, and I am excited about what the future chapters would build, what I can already say is that the characters are very well-thought-out and likeable. They feel realistic and relatable.
The structuring of the chapters is also well-thought-out.
Rather than jumping straight into action and chaos, the first few chapters gradually build up the mood and set up the story and background of the characters.
The plot is also realistic and extrapolates on the current world problems in a more futuristic context - despite advancements, many core problems like law enforcement being understaffed, youth being misled by resourceful and charismatic figures etc. continue to linger.
Writing style: I love the author's style. The context is slowly introduced interwoven in the story, and the mildly dystopic feel of the environment permeates the narrative.
covicRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
An intelligent and well-written plot, thoroughly revised. The noir style is palpable and easily felt by the reader. The settings harmonize with the characters, enhancing the imagery, action, and emotions, cyberpunk elements inserted into the flow of the story to complement, but without deviating from, the main theme. It's interesting to see how the story progresses as first scene reach the climax. It could easily be adapted into a film.The characters are quintessentially noir, typical of the police thriller genre, and the story follows a traditional path so far, both very well executed. What sets this work apart are the nuances that break away from the commonplace, exploring the interaction of broader elements such as religion and technology with both protagonists (funeral) and antagonists (end of the first arc). Delving into the police thriller style allows the author to unfold the narrative over an extended period, effectively conveying his message. The author's meticulous effort in crafting the story rewards the reader with an engaging and enjoyable experience.I have been reading other shorter, completed stories by the author here on RR (The Last House on Main Street, different theme but similar writing style), and so far, they maintain a high literary standard with excellent character psychology. I am eagerly looking forward to reading more of her work. :-)As constructive criticism, the author could experiment more with the length of each paragraph according to the rhythm of the action. Currently, they are all short, which gives the story an almost cinematic pace, usually cool, but may mix up a bit sometimes. Additionally, I discovered that I have a very unusual cat; she doesn’t usually kill the moths she catches but instead throws them out the window. o.O
matt_kleinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I have always been an avid consumer of the cyberpunk genre, from Blade Runner to 2077, and trust me when I say this: This book hits different.
Character:
The greatest strength of this book lies in its focus on character development. Cyberpunk works tend to focus on the sci-fi technology and overarching plot at the cost of neglecting the development of individual characters. This book, however, focuses on the growth of individual characters.
The MC is very relatable, especially her emotions of grief, fear, trauma, and faint optimism. These emotions are also projected in her interaction with other characters. Not only are we immersed in a world of realistic and human characters, but we also get to witness their change and growth as we journey through the chapters. This book is not just about murder mystery, it’s about life and growth.
Story:
The main plotline follows the detective MC’s investigation of a murder. The narrative arc is robust, and it is evident that the author planned out everything clearly. The investigation flow is incredibly logical, and the MC always relies on methodical deduction instead of luck and arbitrary guesses to reach the answer.
The only critique I have is that the narrative arc is rather linear for a crime mystery. The questions / conflicts come one after another, and the MC progresses through each stage. The intentions of some characters became transparent quickly, and not much guesswork is needed to figure out the identity and agenda of the antagonists. However, seeing how the plot is evolving, I’m sure there will be more complex twists, suspense, and stacked conflicts in the later chapters!
Style:
It has everything I’m looking for in cyberpunk genre. Futuristic tech, action-packed fight scenes, dark vibes, and a general atmosphere of despair. The author puts in an interesting thematic twist, substituting the typical elements of loneliness with friendship and family. This makes the story refreshing while still holding true to cyberpunk i
Eugene L. NowakRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall
This work sits at the crossroads of genres, blending elements of a deeply psychological detective thriller with a cyberpunk backdrop. I appreciate how the classic cyberpunk motifs — social unrest, immunosuppressants, and, of course, Chinese noodle shops — are seamlessly woven into the story. These elements create a vivid setting for the detective narrative, which the author unfolds at a deliberate pace, allowing us to absorb the characters' emotions and histories, and to get acquainted with the world they inhabit.
Narrative Style
Typically, I'm not a fan of first-person narration. It requires special effort from the author to convey a complete picture of the world through the character's observations, actions, memories, and thoughts. However, this work is a pleasant exception. I truly enjoy how this literary technique is implemented here. We essentially step into the heroine's shoes — experiencing her emotions and viewing the world through her eyes, without questioning who she is, what she looks like, or the nature of the world around her.
Plot and Pacing
I’m writing this having only reached chapter seven (as no more has been published yet), but the storyline is well-balanced so far. The murder investigation, while not the most original plot device, serves as a classic and comprehensible hook for the narrative — especially in a detective story. The key lies in how it is executed and what it evolves into as the story progresses. I can't yet predict how the narrative will unfold in the future, but I do like the beginning. We already see numerous intriguing details and dialogues with a variety of societal representatives. The central mystery of a murder case beckons a reader to read further to uncover what truly happened.
Writing Quality
As mentioned, this work is written in excellent language. There are no grammatical, punctuation, or other issues, at least I found none of them. The text fully engages the reader and creates the desired atmosphere.
Characters
T
Fisher00001Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I enjoyed the story. The seasoned detective. This novel portrayed societal issues in a very meaningful and tactful way. The portrayal of grief was done well. I thought the portrayal of substance abuse was done really well done. I had struggles with tramadol dependence during college and nicotine cravings after I got COVID. This author did a good job of portraying the side effects and the effects on families.
Overall, the story is well written, it handles difficult topics with ease, and the story is engaging, like some of the police interviews. They weren't too fast nor too slow. They were just right.
Rowdha Al SolRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's definitely a smooth read in that there's not many mechanical hiccups in the way of the reading experience, and that's certainly always a plus! It makes everything else much easier to focus on.
Well-written, well-structured chapters. No issues at all there. The author clearly knows how to write well with regards to the actual mechanics of language.
It'll probably be a mid-length novel based off the premise, which is sound for the genre it dips into.
STORY (4/5)
I want to start off by saying that this is one of those stories that fits in more with crime thriller than it does cyberpunk, and may even be stronger if it focuses entirely on the crime-thriller aspect and does away with the cyberpunk side of things, unless the chapters after this really do require that to be a core component.
So far, everything is crime-thriller and the soft science fiction aspects, much less the cyberpunk ones, are kept to a bare minimum. This affects my judgement of the story because it fundamentally stunts where I think it's going to lead. Is it going to result in a heavy sci-fi, cyberpsycho ordeal or is it going to be your typical 'man who lurks in the shadows' thriller?
Based off the first few chapters, I'm not sure. We get a lot of set-up and backstory to the main character, which is done in a great, showing way, but we get no real meat from the story. Granted, it is in its early stages and unlikely to show everything at once, but it also makes it difficult to gauge.
The idea of the story is relatively simple. Told from the perspective of a tragic detective struggling with death and identity trying to take her mind off of life's difficulties by doing what she knows best: working. Detective work.
There's not much to say about the true plot of the book just yet, but so far it's fairly simple, and just that. We are simply brought along on her day-to-day. The chapters definitely feel very character-oriented than I think they ought to be.
That's why I can't really give this a full scor
SamiceeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A lot in Shattered Glass is relatable: the political injustices of Volare City are like today's; its people obsess over body modifications as we do with cosmetic surgery; demagogues prey on disillusioned citizens with radical ideology. So far there seems to be a theme of religious extremism brewing.
Lana is the picture of person who, courtesy of a difficult family, withdraws into avoidance. This comes across as believable and sympathetic, and honest about an emotionally avoidant experience. The times where she reflects on life were my favourite parts of Shattered Glass, delivered perfectly and never cringe, as life reflections can become.
STORY
Ongoing. Appears to be a series of separable criminal cases, with Lana's personal life being the consistent thread through them.
STYLE
The city is well described and feels suitable awful for a cyberpunk. The population likewise.
Lana's internal dialogue is Shattered Glass at its greatest. Dialogue between characters, especially dialogue attribution, is my one criticism. It suffices, it's clear, but the other story elements are higher standard.
I won't spoilt the ending of Arc 1 but there's a stylistic flair to it that sets Shattered Glass apart from anything else I've seen on Royal Road.
GRAMMAR
Occasional errors as all writers make. Acceptable and never intrusive.
CHARACTER
This is definitely Lana's story and a deep dive of her thoughts, psychology, and experiences.
The other characters are likeable. The primary villain is a compelling bastard you want to see lose.
Thanks for the read!
TakeoMasaki889Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The novel follows Lana Walker, a young detective following her father's footsteps after his death. As part of a two-person team with her partner Gabe, they are. put onto a gruesome murder of a young man, which might be related to religious rituals. Already in the first part (I read until chapter 5) she comes off as really smart, charismatic and witty, which makes her extremely likeable. Also, the other characters are well written with each having their own character traits. After the first 5 chapters, the story is taking a super interesting turn, with a mixture of Sci-Fi and Cyberpunk elements.
Grammar is excellent, absolutely no complaints.
Characters: I addressed above, very believable and likeable. The author has put in a lot of effort to giving each character their own voice in the story.
Story: I had a couple of minor suggestions for improvement in the comments, but it doesn't take anything from the story away.
Overall, a 5/5 star rating is absolutely deserved, please keep up the good work. I can recommend this book for all lovers of the crime genre, such as myself. The novel is so far exciting and I look forward to continue reading it.
YoruTsubasaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The first time I read Shattered Glass, I had to re-read some paragraphs multiple times. Not because they were terrible, but because they were the complete opposite: Shattered Glass is clean. The prose is so excellent, I had to sit down and admire it. Needless to say, the rest of the novel is just as great.
A few novels on RoyalRoad (which I will not name) have yet to discover the meaning of a character journey. Shattered Glass is not one of them. The author showers us in beautiful scenes that showcase what Lana is dealing with and how her character is affected by everything happening around her. Both physically and mentally (don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything—but it’s good!). The experience of these happenings is only enhanced by the first-person narrative, which is so very easy to get wrong. In all, I think Shattered Glass has some of the best prose and style I’ve read on this website.
However, if I had to name one gripe, the plot would be where I would deduct a point. Sometimes Lana and co. reach a location with relative ease, or the villain achieves a goal too smoothly. For example, without revealing too much, one of the villains (a girl) lures a boy to the location of the main cast’s eventual climactic fight with the villains under the pretence of it being a first date. The location was a religious gathering site. That left me thinking: ‘Who would actually accept such an area as a first date, lol. That boy is dumb.’
Now, whether or not others will think the same as me when they read these plot events is up for debate (most won’t even notice, probably). But what I can say, despite the one negative, is that Shattered Glass is a damned good piece of writing, and you should pick it up if you’re reading this review and are still on the fence. The author knows where the novel is going, so much so that she knows the date she will release her next chapter a month in advance—my hat off to you! This dedication to planning proves that the author has a story to tell and th