Breaking Birds by H.M. Roberts

Roberts has blazed a new path in pulse-pounding poetry.

“I wonder if a caged bird can still fly, but not enough to set her free.” This is the dark timbe of the eerie poetry-thriller hybrid, Breaking Birds. Macabre and sublime, H.M. Roberts has written a bizarre murder mystery completely in poetic verse. Some lines rhyme, others are more freeform, but each page grants more dark insights into the mind of a murderer. The killer’s shape slowly takes form as a stalker, a perverse benefactor and an overall damaged, sociopathic individual. Told from a deranged perspective, readers are offered an opportunity to come to know a clouded soul dealing with loss, even if self-inflicted.

From the morbid cover to the final breathtaking stanza, Breaking Birds has the unsettling feel of swirling dark clouds in a terrible storm. The structure of the book is clever and manipulative, adding needed symmetry and balance as it ventures deeper into the killer’s psyche. The cast is unembellished, almost vague, with characters simply referred to as her, the girl, and a child. Amazingly, despite knowing the killer’s intentions from the start, the suspense manages to reach a grand crescendo, offering surprises and twists. And it’s just plain creepy, too. Imagine the fate of this poor girl, “It’s so romantic, a trip to the zoo. Just him and you together. And me behind you.” 

I have read countless books through the years across a wide range of genres and topics and I can honestly say I have never read anything as original as this psychological thriller. Roberts has blazed a new path in pulse-pounding poetry and I hope there are many more such novels to follow. The details are purposely vague, typical of poetry, but the plot is tenacious and completely gripping. An innovative new to tell a story, Breaking Birds is page-turning fiction at its best!

Amazon

Amazon