Monday 31 August 2015

Broken Promise (Promise Falls #1) - Linwood Barclay



The morning it all started, newspaper reporter David Harwood had plenty to worry about. A single parent with no job, forced to return with his young son to the small town of Promise Falls to live with his parents, the future wasn't looking too rosy. So when his mother asked him to look in on his cousin Marla, who was still not quite right after losing her baby, it was almost a relief to put the disaster his own life had become to one side.

The relief wouldn't last long.

When he gets to Marla's house he's disturbed to find a smear of blood on the front door. He's even more disturbed to find Marla nursing a baby, a baby she claims was delivered to her 'by an angel.' And when, soon after, a woman's body is discovered across town, stabbed to death, with her own baby missing, it looks as if Marla has done something truly terrible.

But while the evidence seems overwhelming, David just can't believe that his cousin is a murderer. In which case, who did kill Rosemary Gaynor? And why did they then take her baby and give it to Marla? With the police convinced they have an open and shut case, it's up to David to find out what really happened, but he soon discovers that the truth could be even more disturbing...

What did I think?

This was exactly what I would have expected from a Linwood Barclay novel - a fast paced, page turning, twisty thriller.  I was really enjoying it until I got to the end and emitted a loud "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH".  I'm all for books being part of a series but there were so many loose ends in this one that I felt a bit cheated and I'll probably have to read it again when the next one in the series is published.

There are an awful lot of characters in the book and I did get a teeny bit confused a few times.  I think the book tried to do too much in one go - it would have been better concentrating on the Marla story and introducing a few characters relevant to the story.  Having said that, the story of the Pickens' and Harwoods was riveting and I did literally gasp out loud when I found out who was pulling the strings.

I've given this book 5 stars as I did really enjoy it as evidenced by my huge disappointment that it had ended!  I hope the next one in the series comes out shortly so I can visit the weird little town of Promise Falls again and satisfy my piqued curiosity.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:




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