Fraternity of Fractures

Phoenix and Justin Sunder are master cat burglars and best friends until Dylan Panicosky enters their circle of hedonism and crime. Set in the blighted city of St. Louis in the ‘80s, Fraternity of Fractures is a love triangle played out in an urban setting full of nocturnal decadence and danger, with all the players fractured in their own way.

“To call Fraternity of Fractures a 'crime novel' or a 'novel of suspense' would be to do it an injustice. Embracing elements of different genres (mystery, suspense, crime) and yet rising above them all with a sense of purpose and atmosphere that satisfyingly wings its way above and beyond most genre reads, it's an involving and evolved piece that ultimately connects the changing courses of very different lives.
“Not for the mild-mannered reader in search of light entertainment, Fraternity of Fractures not only invites its readers to think - it demands it. The smoky backdrop of 1980s St. Louis in the midst of a crime wave is only one facet of a story about fractures, healing, and change: an exquisite standout in a world of fast and dirty crime scene whodunits that sketch their worlds without truly capturing their complexity.”
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
The novel focuses more on the criminals than the crimes, providing readers with affable lawbreakers with engrossing backstories.
“It’s hard to miss a sense of gloom throughout, but Pannebecker doesn’t let it saturate the novel. The protagonists always cling to hope, earning readers’ sympathy along the way. Depressing at times but an emotionally charged story that animates its characters.”
Kirkus Reviews