Review:Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

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

Review of A Tap On the Window by Linwood Barclay

I have finished A Tap On the Window by Linwood Barclay and I must say each book I read by him is better than the last. Barclay is definitely the go to when you're in need of fast paced suspense thriller that is full of twists, turns, and genuine "wtf" moments.

Cal Weaver is sitting in a parking lot trying to avoid the girl who's attempting to hitch a ride. He's successful in this attempt up until the point when she taps on the window of his car and mentions his recently deceased son Scott. Still leary of giving her a ride, he complies and that's when things get strange. After news surfaces that the teenaged girl he's given the ride to is now missing, Cal is on a mission to find her. Using his expertise as an ex-cop turned PI Cal closes in on the truth of what's really been going on in this small town.

I want to first acknowledge that I'm happy that Barclay used a man who has background in law enforcement to headline this novel. The throwing an "everyman" into situations where they are constantly at a disadvantage is tiring. Cal is no Rambo but he knows how to get the job done. His voice narrates most of the novel. Barclay does a great job at bringing him to life and making the reader really feel the pain he feels of having lost his only child.

A Tap On the Window seemingly goes in one direction then does a complete 180. It's easy to assume that maybe Cal is going to be accused of God knows what after giving the girl a ride but thankfully Barclay stayed away from that overdone story. One moment it seems that the rogue coppers are the cause of all the problems, the next it could be the old lady up the street. This novel is fun that way. I remained guessing until the end what could be next for our hero. FYI the end is something I never saw coming (heartbreaking).

In case it's not obvious I'm a fan of Linwood Barclay. I think his books get better and better. Barclay's writing will appeal to fans of Harlan Coben. A Tap On the Window is a thrilling suspense story that will keep readers invested until the end.****

A Tap On The Window... Knock at the Door

I begin this short week with a novel I've been putting off reading for a while although I was given an advance readers copy almost 2 months ago. The need to meet deadlines and shorten the list of titles I must review placed this book on the shelf for a better time. I feel I have a little breathing room now so I will dive into A Tap on The Window by Linwood Barclay. For many who aren't privy to Barclay's work he is masterful at creating suspense. He seems to take an everyman and place his world upside down with the occurance of one bizarre event. His formula seems to be consistant but his twists and turns keep readers hooked. Barclay and Harlan Coben are similar in this respect. I can't wait to dive into this tome that I know I will breeze through in no time.

Synopsis: It’s been two months since private investigator Cal Weaver’s teenage son Scott died in a tragic accident. Ever since, he and his wife have drifted apart, fracturing a once normal life. Cal is mired in grief, a grief he can’t move past. And maybe his grief has clouded his judgment. Because driving home one night, he makes his first big mistake.


A girl drenched in rain taps on his car window and asks for a ride as he sits at a stoplight. Even though he knows a fortysomething man picking up a teenage hitchhiker is a fool, he lets her in. She’s the same age as Scott, and maybe she can help Cal find the dealer who sold his son the drugs that killed him. After a brief stop at a roadside diner, Cal senses that something’s not right with the girl or the situation. But it’s too late. He’s already involved.

Now Cal is drawn into a nightmare of pain and suspicion. Something is horribly wrong in the small town of Griffon in upstate New York. There are too many secrets there, too many lies and cover-ups. And Cal has decided to expose those secrets one by one.

That’s his second big mistake.