I've always been a huge fan of Linwood Barclay. His novels are always fast paced and thrilling with twists and turns... some turns can be seen a mile away yet he always throws in a wild turn that no one sees coming. Broken Promise is no different. This is the story of a big small town, Promise Falls, that has seen better days. From the way this novel turns out, better days aren't on the horizon anytime soon.
David Harwood moves back with his parents after the death of his wife and career with his son Ethan. David hopes this move will get his life back on track to being able to support his small family. While trying to piece together his life, he is thrown into a harrowing situation when his cousin is found with a child she believes to be her own. The only problem is that her child had died months earlier. David attempts to reconcile who this baby's true mother might be but is taken aback when he finds the mother dead.
If that isn't crazy enough, there is a nutso on the loose either raping women, leaving dead squirrels tied up to trees, or mannequins on rides at a bankrupt amusement park. All these instances hold similarities that cause concern for the head detective Barry Duckworth, who is also investigating the brutal death of a young woman and her stolen baby. Suffice it to say, things are getting really strange. really fast for this small town.
Initially I wasn't going to finish this read because the ARC I received was hard to read. After one of my Goodreads friends saying just trudge through it, I became totally absorbed in this small town. There are a lot of characters and we are given glimpses into their lives. Suddenly the strings start to weave together how everyone is connected.
Because Broken Promise seems to be the first in a series I can forgive the thin and caricature-like characters. The lies and deceit make me wonder who in this town isn't a crappy person or involved in some underhanded dealings. Because virtually everything I want to talk about in reference to this book is virtually a plot twist, I'll refrain from going further.
Essentially, fans of Linwood Barclay will find Broken Promise full of a promising tale of town that would like to keep its secret... secret. The constant plot twists or whodunnit scenarios help ensure a thrilling roller coaster ride for readers. I promise fans of Barclay will enjoy this broken thrill ride. ****
Copy provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley
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