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alicekd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Animal death
ausbelle's review against another edition
5.0
I received a review copy of this.
The continuing story of David and his fellow Promise Falls residents. I loved the story, the plot was nicely constructed and the execution well timed.
Nice set-up for the next book as well.
The continuing story of David and his fellow Promise Falls residents. I loved the story, the plot was nicely constructed and the execution well timed.
Nice set-up for the next book as well.
icalyn_13's review against another edition
3.0
Solid 3.5 stars. The story is good - I knew who dunnit seemingly early in the story though, which was something that lowered the rating. I do think the characters that were established and some of the unsanswered questions are intriguing enough for me to want to continue with the series.
billymac1962's review against another edition
4.0
I was very excited to plunge into the Promise Falls trilogy. It was only three books ago that I loved and devoured Trust Your Eyes, and during the next two books I had been reading, all I could think about was getting back to Linwood Barclay again.
A few of his previous novels had already been set in this little town, and there were some references in Broken Promise to some of the characters' pasts from the events in those past novels. Even though I wasn't familiar with what these events were, it didn't detract from the story.
Halfway through the novel though, I checked Barclay's website to see a list of all novels set in Promise Falls.
There were only two previous ones, Never Look Away and Too Close to Home, and embarassingly enough, I had read both of them!
Looking back on the synopses of those novels, the events did start to come back to me, but I had forgotten the names of the characters. So I didn't feel too bad.
Anyways, this was another fine read from our Linwood. Very good characters and dialogue push the story forward once again, and crazy things happen in this little town.
I'm giving this one four stars as this is an incomplete story thus far. I may return and rate the series as a whole once I'm done.
If you're familiar with Linwood Barclay already, you know what you're in for, and as always, the less you know going into his stories, the better.
If you're new to the guy, I highly recommend Trust Your Eyes as a standalone sample of the man at the top of his game.
This is shaping up to be terrific. I'll be back to Promise Falls, soon.
A few of his previous novels had already been set in this little town, and there were some references in Broken Promise to some of the characters' pasts from the events in those past novels. Even though I wasn't familiar with what these events were, it didn't detract from the story.
Halfway through the novel though, I checked Barclay's website to see a list of all novels set in Promise Falls.
There were only two previous ones, Never Look Away and Too Close to Home, and embarassingly enough, I had read both of them!
Looking back on the synopses of those novels, the events did start to come back to me, but I had forgotten the names of the characters. So I didn't feel too bad.
Anyways, this was another fine read from our Linwood. Very good characters and dialogue push the story forward once again, and crazy things happen in this little town.
I'm giving this one four stars as this is an incomplete story thus far. I may return and rate the series as a whole once I'm done.
If you're familiar with Linwood Barclay already, you know what you're in for, and as always, the less you know going into his stories, the better.
If you're new to the guy, I highly recommend Trust Your Eyes as a standalone sample of the man at the top of his game.
This is shaping up to be terrific. I'll be back to Promise Falls, soon.
curiouskettle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tduchscher's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love how he ties so much of his writings together. I knew a lot sounded similar from Too Close to Home. Cannot wait for the next one!
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
F A N T A S T I C!
Top 50 Books of 2015 "Best Cliffhanger Mystery Thriller Suspense Series."
BROKEN PROMISE (Promise Falls #1) is "hands down" Linwood Barclay's finest work! OMG! What a gripping page-turner. Even more exciting, there is a continuation (like Christmas, comes again).
An explosive novel about the disturbing evil secrets of a quiet mysterious small town (turns out, not so quiet). Set in a fictional upstate New York small town outside of Albany, called Promise Falls—a town slowly dying, with a number of the businesses closing, or recently closed, and the younger generation, forced to move on to larger cities with better opportunities.
Since the former mayor, Randall Finley got caught with an underage prostitute, no one since seems to possess his same tenacity in support of the town. Even though he is a snake, he was able to keep the town afloat. He now owns a thriving water business (Finley Springs) and seems to be the only one hiring in town. However, he does want to get back into politics, and working his way back to running for office again. He is also trying to bribe his way back in the right circles, and connections. (looking forward to hearing more from this character).
A multi-layered plot, with an array of intriguing and well-developed characters, and a town of scandalous secrets, lies, conspiracy, murder, possibly revenge, and a list of mysterious events-and the mysterious number, "twenty-three".
As the novel opens, David (main character) is moving back to Promise Falls, the town he hates; moving in with his parents. At the age of forty-one, he never thought he would be moving back to the childhood home he left some twenty years ago, and now with his nine year old son, Ethan. How did he get here?
He really had limited choices. The downfall started five years earlier after his wife, Jan passed away. He was left raising his son alone with a great job at the Boston Globe as an investigative reporter. However, with deadlines and work, he felt he was not devoting enough time to his son. He had gone from reporter to editing desk job. His mom and dad would be a great help, but of course they were not able to travel, to Boston, so he had made the decision to move back to Promise Falls to take a job with the local newspaper, The Standard, where his parents could help out with Ethan.
However, well laid plans, soon turn to disaster. The first day back, the paper announced they were closing the doors with all the other failing business. Just Great – now no job, or any prospects of a job in this miserable town, living with nosy parents, (Don and Arlene), plus his son-- the new kid at school, has no friends and is miserable—with some issues with another boy at school.
With David’s first day out of work, his mom wants him to run an errand for her. Little does he know running this simple errand will land him in the middle of a murder investigation? He is to take some food to his cousin Marla. Simple enough. Marla has been through some traumatic events—an online reviewer, she got pregnant by a younger college student, her mom (David’s aunt) did not care for. The baby was stillborn 10 mos earlier, and Marla has not recovered, and afterwards caught stealing another baby from the hospital. Of course, her mom is the hospital administrator and takes care of covering things, as she is all about control and appearances.
Now, David arrives at his cousin’s house and she has a baby? What gives? Has she stolen another baby? She says an “angel” dropped it off with a stroller. Is she nuts? David notes some blood stains on the stroller. He does not want to panic his cousin, and when she is getting dressed, David sees a flyer in the stroller with an address. David puts Marla and the baby in the stroller and heads to the address. When they arrive, at the home, they find a dead woman, Rosemary Gaynor, brutally murdered, and a frantic husband, Bill.
Did Marla kidnap Matthew and kill the mother? What happened to the nanny? David knows his cousin is a little strange; however, a murderer, he does not think she is capable. Marla also has face blindness. Something is not right, and David begins using his investigative reporting skills to do some digging to get to the bottom of his mystery.
In addition to this murder, Officer Barry Duckworth (obsessed with donuts and trying to lose weight) has his hands full, juggling cases coming at him at once with a sweep of crimes in the area. A murder, a missing Nanny, her boyfriend, a fatal shooting at Thackeray College, rapes, strange things in the night at Five Mountains, a deserted amusement park, with three mannequins on a Ferris Wheel, and twenty-three dead squirrels hanging, mixed with a message "YOU'LL BE SORRY".
Duckworth's homefront is not so simple either, as he has just learned his son, Trevor is now working as a driver for Finley. Finley cannot be trusted—he is dying to find out things going on in the police department, to use for his own purpose.
In the meantime, we meet a few other families, each with their own secrets. David’s dad, Don is hiding something. His mom, Arlene is forgetting things; Jack the doctor has a gambling habit, Marla is struggling with reality, Samantha, the mother of Carl (the boy who was mean to Ethan), with baggage of her own; works at a laundromat, wear tight jeans, hot, and carries a shotgun—possible love connection for David? Marla’s mom is a control freak, with her own secrets, and dad is having an affair. Best of all Finley has offered David a job running his media and campaign (we are in for a treat with this one).
There is also a backstory of Olivia Fisher, a young woman with a bright future, killed years ago in a brutal murder. Her mother died of cancer recently, and the dad remaining - still grieving, and left to control the fiancé, who has turned into a raging alcoholic.
The book ends with a delicious cliffhanger. The main mystery has not been solved, as the killings may be connected to an older case. There is a message someone is trying to send. Is it revenge? Is the killer walking among them, and someone they all know? And oh, more with hidden secrets, yet to come to the surface. I am dying for the next installment! Here is hoping I can land an ARC, as the suspense is killing me.
Loving the array of eccentric characters in the town of Promise Falls, with this new riveting series! How intriguing, and Barclay grabs you from page one and hooks you to the end.
A mix of psychological, crime, cop procedures, forensics, mystery, suspense, wit, and humor----all rolled into one action-packed thriller! Was so engrossed, purchased the audiobook, narrated by Quincy Dunn Baker and Brian O'Neil in addition to the e-book for a suspenseful performance.
YEAH, appears there will be more to come.
Final Assignment (Promise Falls, #1.5) Jan. 12, 2016
Far From True (Promise Falls, #2) Mar. 22, 2016 .
On a personal note: I have made the drive from Albany airport to the Catskills and for some reason, I am thinking about this mysterious fictional town of Promise Falls, similar to the surroundings. Will continue to think about this book each time I return (chilling).
Highly Recommend! Thriller fans will devour this new and exciting series. 5 Stars + (my kind of book).
Meet the Author
Finally, get to experience this awesome author in my own South Florida backyard. Thrilled, I am there for both events!
Barclay will discuss "Broken Promise" at 2 p.m. Aug 4 as part of "Between The Covers," the WXEL Book Club at the WXEL station, Boynton Beach to air Aug. 21. Barclay also will discuss his novel at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Murder on the Beach, Delray Beach. Move over Michael Connelly- The state of Florida and its loyal fans have room for two outstanding crime authors!
A special thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
Top 50 Books of 2015 "Best Cliffhanger Mystery Thriller Suspense Series."
BROKEN PROMISE (Promise Falls #1) is "hands down" Linwood Barclay's finest work! OMG! What a gripping page-turner. Even more exciting, there is a continuation (like Christmas, comes again).
An explosive novel about the disturbing evil secrets of a quiet mysterious small town (turns out, not so quiet). Set in a fictional upstate New York small town outside of Albany, called Promise Falls—a town slowly dying, with a number of the businesses closing, or recently closed, and the younger generation, forced to move on to larger cities with better opportunities.
Since the former mayor, Randall Finley got caught with an underage prostitute, no one since seems to possess his same tenacity in support of the town. Even though he is a snake, he was able to keep the town afloat. He now owns a thriving water business (Finley Springs) and seems to be the only one hiring in town. However, he does want to get back into politics, and working his way back to running for office again. He is also trying to bribe his way back in the right circles, and connections. (looking forward to hearing more from this character).
A multi-layered plot, with an array of intriguing and well-developed characters, and a town of scandalous secrets, lies, conspiracy, murder, possibly revenge, and a list of mysterious events-and the mysterious number, "twenty-three".
As the novel opens, David (main character) is moving back to Promise Falls, the town he hates; moving in with his parents. At the age of forty-one, he never thought he would be moving back to the childhood home he left some twenty years ago, and now with his nine year old son, Ethan. How did he get here?
He really had limited choices. The downfall started five years earlier after his wife, Jan passed away. He was left raising his son alone with a great job at the Boston Globe as an investigative reporter. However, with deadlines and work, he felt he was not devoting enough time to his son. He had gone from reporter to editing desk job. His mom and dad would be a great help, but of course they were not able to travel, to Boston, so he had made the decision to move back to Promise Falls to take a job with the local newspaper, The Standard, where his parents could help out with Ethan.
However, well laid plans, soon turn to disaster. The first day back, the paper announced they were closing the doors with all the other failing business. Just Great – now no job, or any prospects of a job in this miserable town, living with nosy parents, (Don and Arlene), plus his son-- the new kid at school, has no friends and is miserable—with some issues with another boy at school.
With David’s first day out of work, his mom wants him to run an errand for her. Little does he know running this simple errand will land him in the middle of a murder investigation? He is to take some food to his cousin Marla. Simple enough. Marla has been through some traumatic events—an online reviewer, she got pregnant by a younger college student, her mom (David’s aunt) did not care for. The baby was stillborn 10 mos earlier, and Marla has not recovered, and afterwards caught stealing another baby from the hospital. Of course, her mom is the hospital administrator and takes care of covering things, as she is all about control and appearances.
Now, David arrives at his cousin’s house and she has a baby? What gives? Has she stolen another baby? She says an “angel” dropped it off with a stroller. Is she nuts? David notes some blood stains on the stroller. He does not want to panic his cousin, and when she is getting dressed, David sees a flyer in the stroller with an address. David puts Marla and the baby in the stroller and heads to the address. When they arrive, at the home, they find a dead woman, Rosemary Gaynor, brutally murdered, and a frantic husband, Bill.
Did Marla kidnap Matthew and kill the mother? What happened to the nanny? David knows his cousin is a little strange; however, a murderer, he does not think she is capable. Marla also has face blindness. Something is not right, and David begins using his investigative reporting skills to do some digging to get to the bottom of his mystery.
In addition to this murder, Officer Barry Duckworth (obsessed with donuts and trying to lose weight) has his hands full, juggling cases coming at him at once with a sweep of crimes in the area. A murder, a missing Nanny, her boyfriend, a fatal shooting at Thackeray College, rapes, strange things in the night at Five Mountains, a deserted amusement park, with three mannequins on a Ferris Wheel, and twenty-three dead squirrels hanging, mixed with a message "YOU'LL BE SORRY".
Duckworth's homefront is not so simple either, as he has just learned his son, Trevor is now working as a driver for Finley. Finley cannot be trusted—he is dying to find out things going on in the police department, to use for his own purpose.
In the meantime, we meet a few other families, each with their own secrets. David’s dad, Don is hiding something. His mom, Arlene is forgetting things; Jack the doctor has a gambling habit, Marla is struggling with reality, Samantha, the mother of Carl (the boy who was mean to Ethan), with baggage of her own; works at a laundromat, wear tight jeans, hot, and carries a shotgun—possible love connection for David? Marla’s mom is a control freak, with her own secrets, and dad is having an affair. Best of all Finley has offered David a job running his media and campaign (we are in for a treat with this one).
There is also a backstory of Olivia Fisher, a young woman with a bright future, killed years ago in a brutal murder. Her mother died of cancer recently, and the dad remaining - still grieving, and left to control the fiancé, who has turned into a raging alcoholic.
The book ends with a delicious cliffhanger. The main mystery has not been solved, as the killings may be connected to an older case. There is a message someone is trying to send. Is it revenge? Is the killer walking among them, and someone they all know? And oh, more with hidden secrets, yet to come to the surface. I am dying for the next installment! Here is hoping I can land an ARC, as the suspense is killing me.
Loving the array of eccentric characters in the town of Promise Falls, with this new riveting series! How intriguing, and Barclay grabs you from page one and hooks you to the end.
A mix of psychological, crime, cop procedures, forensics, mystery, suspense, wit, and humor----all rolled into one action-packed thriller! Was so engrossed, purchased the audiobook, narrated by Quincy Dunn Baker and Brian O'Neil in addition to the e-book for a suspenseful performance.
YEAH, appears there will be more to come.
Final Assignment (Promise Falls, #1.5) Jan. 12, 2016
Far From True (Promise Falls, #2) Mar. 22, 2016 .
On a personal note: I have made the drive from Albany airport to the Catskills and for some reason, I am thinking about this mysterious fictional town of Promise Falls, similar to the surroundings. Will continue to think about this book each time I return (chilling).
Highly Recommend! Thriller fans will devour this new and exciting series. 5 Stars + (my kind of book).
"Barclay, who lives in Canada, continues his penchant for delving into American small towns, creating believable settings that pack an emotional wallop. Barclay's well-sculpted characters add to the solid plot, from David and his family to a sleazy former mayor trying for a comeback, a hard-edged hospital administrator and a villain who hides in plain sight. Promise Falls isn't the town most of us would want to live in, but we can't wait to revisit. Barclay's "Broken Promise" assures more visits are on the horizon."-- Oline H. Cogdill, SouthFlordia.com
Meet the Author
Finally, get to experience this awesome author in my own South Florida backyard. Thrilled, I am there for both events!
Barclay will discuss "Broken Promise" at 2 p.m. Aug 4 as part of "Between The Covers," the WXEL Book Club at the WXEL station, Boynton Beach to air Aug. 21. Barclay also will discuss his novel at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Murder on the Beach, Delray Beach. Move over Michael Connelly- The state of Florida and its loyal fans have room for two outstanding crime authors!
A special thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
David Harwood is the widowed father of a nine year old son who has moved home to the small town of Promise Falls, New York. Having lost his job as a journalist, he has time on his hands to step in and help when his cousin Marla is accused of murdering a local mother and abducting her baby. He gradually learns that almost everyone in this town has a secret of one kind or another and that his own life may be in danger.
This is a readable enough thriller and it has some killer twists that you don't see coming at ALL, but there are way too many strands and quite a few of them remain frustratingly unresolved. It's clearly set up for there to be a sequel and if you are the kind of person who hated the end of Lee Child's "61 Hours" because we didn't know if Reacher was alive or dead, you will probablyl dislike the end of this book too (although the ending is very different and that is in no way a spoiler). There are a number of little mysteries along the way which we spend a lot of time on and then they are unresolved. It's annoying!
The main plot is quite intriguing and David Harwood is a likeable character. The chapters when he narrates his investigations are the most enjoyable parts of the book. However like many books in this genre, the story gets increasingly unbelievable as the bad guys start acting in ways that are less and less credible. Also, I had to roll my eyes when Marla conveniently had a condition which meant that she was unable to remember people's faces and cars.
A final minor complaint: at over 500 pages, this is a heavy book that is hard to hold. The line spacing and margins are huge - in would have been nice to reduce both slightly and bring the book down to a more manageable size.
This feels like a very whiney review! Overall I didn't mind this book, but nor did I particularly like it. It took a long time to get exciting. The final 100 pages flew past but it was a bit sluggish getting to that point. What saves it is Linwood Barclay's engaging writing style and the strength of his main character. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, there are a couple of excellent twists.
This is a readable enough thriller and it has some killer twists that you don't see coming at ALL, but there are way too many strands and quite a few of them remain frustratingly unresolved. It's clearly set up for there to be a sequel and if you are the kind of person who hated the end of Lee Child's "61 Hours" because we didn't know if Reacher was alive or dead, you will probablyl dislike the end of this book too (although the ending is very different and that is in no way a spoiler). There are a number of little mysteries along the way which we spend a lot of time on and then they are unresolved. It's annoying!
The main plot is quite intriguing and David Harwood is a likeable character. The chapters when he narrates his investigations are the most enjoyable parts of the book. However like many books in this genre, the story gets increasingly unbelievable as the bad guys start acting in ways that are less and less credible. Also, I had to roll my eyes when Marla conveniently had a condition which meant that she was unable to remember people's faces and cars.
A final minor complaint: at over 500 pages, this is a heavy book that is hard to hold. The line spacing and margins are huge - in would have been nice to reduce both slightly and bring the book down to a more manageable size.
This feels like a very whiney review! Overall I didn't mind this book, but nor did I particularly like it. It took a long time to get exciting. The final 100 pages flew past but it was a bit sluggish getting to that point. What saves it is Linwood Barclay's engaging writing style and the strength of his main character. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, there are a couple of excellent twists.
mmc6661's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness !!! Cliffhanger ending ! Got to be a sequel to this one ! Linwood Barclay has become the king of suspense to me and again he delivers.
Broken Promise seems to meander on with several situations from the murder of a young mother and the once accused baby snatcher that ends up with her baby to the curious mystery of 23 dead squirrels and other strange occurrences around town. David an out of work reporter recently returned to his hometown is thrown into the middle and decides to figure out who is responsible while trying to prove his cousin innocent. Full of a variety of characters that I'm sure we haven't heard the end of. Just when it seems to be wrapping up but leaving you with questions still unanswered you turn to the last page.
Bravo Barclay, you got me ! Can't wait to hear more from Promise Valley.
Broken Promise seems to meander on with several situations from the murder of a young mother and the once accused baby snatcher that ends up with her baby to the curious mystery of 23 dead squirrels and other strange occurrences around town. David an out of work reporter recently returned to his hometown is thrown into the middle and decides to figure out who is responsible while trying to prove his cousin innocent. Full of a variety of characters that I'm sure we haven't heard the end of. Just when it seems to be wrapping up but leaving you with questions still unanswered you turn to the last page.
Bravo Barclay, you got me ! Can't wait to hear more from Promise Valley.