"Scatterings" is an exploration of loss, institutional failure, suffering, and the resilience of those whose lives are shattered by inhuman, inexplicable acts of violence. The novel blends the deeper themes of "The Lovely Bones" with the dark quirkiness of "Brick" and the tension of police procedurals like "Wire in the Blood." "Scatterings" interweaves the true events of an active serial killer with the fictional lives of an interesting, diverse cast of psychologically complex characters.