Scan barcode
A review by clairereviews
Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay
4.0
Review: Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay Published by: US - Penguin Group (28th July 2015)
UK - Orion (10th September 2015)
ISBN: 978-1409145943
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5*
Synopsis:
After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent.
Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions. A year after a devastating miscarriage, David’s cousin Marla has continued to struggle. But when David’s mother asks him to check on her, he’s horrified to discover that she’s been secretly raising a child who is not her own—a baby she claims was a gift from an “angel” left on her porch.When the baby’s real mother is found murdered, David can’t help wanting to piece together what happened—even if it means proving his own cousin’s guilt. But as he uncovers each piece of evidence, David realizes that Marla’s mysterious child is just the tip of the iceberg.Other strange things are happening. Animals are found ritually slaughtered. An ominous abandoned Ferris wheel seems to stand as a warning that something dark has infected Promise Falls. And someone has decided that the entire town must pay for the sins of its past…in blood.
Review:
This latest novel from Linwood Barclay is a real page-turner, full of twists and turns, that kept me guessing. Echoing Stephen King at his finest, it is set in a small American town that holds a devastating secret.
I found all the characters complex and believable, David and Marla especially so. They each add something to the story, making it deliciously multi-layered.
Each time I thought I had the facts straight in my head, something happened that threw me off the scent. Very cleverly written in Barclay's inimitable style, Broken Promise is a brilliant mystery, with each clue like a piece of a confusing jigsaw puzzle that is constantly evolving.
UK - Orion (10th September 2015)
ISBN: 978-1409145943
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5*
Synopsis:
After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent.
Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions. A year after a devastating miscarriage, David’s cousin Marla has continued to struggle. But when David’s mother asks him to check on her, he’s horrified to discover that she’s been secretly raising a child who is not her own—a baby she claims was a gift from an “angel” left on her porch.When the baby’s real mother is found murdered, David can’t help wanting to piece together what happened—even if it means proving his own cousin’s guilt. But as he uncovers each piece of evidence, David realizes that Marla’s mysterious child is just the tip of the iceberg.Other strange things are happening. Animals are found ritually slaughtered. An ominous abandoned Ferris wheel seems to stand as a warning that something dark has infected Promise Falls. And someone has decided that the entire town must pay for the sins of its past…in blood.
Review:
This latest novel from Linwood Barclay is a real page-turner, full of twists and turns, that kept me guessing. Echoing Stephen King at his finest, it is set in a small American town that holds a devastating secret.
I found all the characters complex and believable, David and Marla especially so. They each add something to the story, making it deliciously multi-layered.
Each time I thought I had the facts straight in my head, something happened that threw me off the scent. Very cleverly written in Barclay's inimitable style, Broken Promise is a brilliant mystery, with each clue like a piece of a confusing jigsaw puzzle that is constantly evolving.