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katieeliza's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this via Audible.
I enjoyed this novel - the characters were well developed and the plot was as twisty as you'd expect from Barclay. I did begin to suspect the 'twist' with the baby about half way through the novel but I don't feel that ruined it.
I enjoyed this novel - the characters were well developed and the plot was as twisty as you'd expect from Barclay. I did begin to suspect the 'twist' with the baby about half way through the novel but I don't feel that ruined it.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
4.0
Revisiting David Harwood and others from Never Look Away, Linwood centers the story around parental love gone wrong and gambling addiction. He sets the hook quite nicely for the rest of the series. Although the book stands on its own, there's no world building here. You'll need Never Look Away for that.
espressoreader's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
silmarile's review against another edition
4.0
Not going to lie I couldn't put down the book for the last 100 pages though the conclusion became more and more obvious. Very entertaining and efficient story. This book does the job perfectly. The two other volumes of the trilogy are already in my to-read list.
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
Another solid offering from Barclay. Some of his books display his sense of humour, and others are written with a more serious tone; this book falls into the latter category. I'm looking forward to the others in this trilogy.
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
Promise Falls is a town with a lot of secrets!
BROKEN PROMISE, the debut novel in Linwood Barclay’s now well-known PROMISE FALLS trilogy is best described as lying in the center of a triangle bounded by suspense thriller, psychological thriller and horror! Plenty of good old-fashioned murders, extortion, kidnappings and police work, to be sure, but readers will also discover a novel full of cerebral shudders, bone-deep frissons and eye-blinking “What the hell was that all about?” moments!
How about this for a bizarre grouping of plots? Animals are being ritually slaughtered; a young woman with a very tenuous mental grip on reality is found holding a baby that she claims was delivered to her doorstep by an “angel”; the baby’s real mother is murdered; a serial rapist is threatening the local college campus; a former mayor of Promise Falls is looking to return to local politics despite a past conviction for sexual assault of an under-age minor; and (as if all of the rest wasn’t enough) a local amusement park, shut down as no longer financially viable, is broken into and left with a very creepy calling card!
BROKEN PROMISE is a veritable avalanche of sub-plots and storylines but, somehow, Barclay has managed to keep them all intertwined without ever being muddy or confused. What’s even more impressive is that every single story moves forward simultaneously in real-time and the inevitable cliff-hangers as Barclay moves the reader from one perspective to another are never interminable or irritating.
Despite the obvious care and attention that Barclay has obviously taken with that multiplicity of plots, he hasn’t forgotten about character development for even a moment. Detective Barry Duckworth, for example, is one of the people who you should pay attention to from the first time you read the name. As well as being a skilled police officer, he’s an amazingly charming and entirely believable protagonist who is obviously destined to play a part in novels yet to come. His propensity to be overweight, his half-hearted attempts to do something about it and the fact that he is clearly concerned he’s hanging on the edge of a potential heart attack is something I can identify with on a very personal level.
Definitely recommended by a proud Canadian reader! Good job, Mr Barclay.
Paul Weiss
BROKEN PROMISE, the debut novel in Linwood Barclay’s now well-known PROMISE FALLS trilogy is best described as lying in the center of a triangle bounded by suspense thriller, psychological thriller and horror! Plenty of good old-fashioned murders, extortion, kidnappings and police work, to be sure, but readers will also discover a novel full of cerebral shudders, bone-deep frissons and eye-blinking “What the hell was that all about?” moments!
How about this for a bizarre grouping of plots? Animals are being ritually slaughtered; a young woman with a very tenuous mental grip on reality is found holding a baby that she claims was delivered to her doorstep by an “angel”; the baby’s real mother is murdered; a serial rapist is threatening the local college campus; a former mayor of Promise Falls is looking to return to local politics despite a past conviction for sexual assault of an under-age minor; and (as if all of the rest wasn’t enough) a local amusement park, shut down as no longer financially viable, is broken into and left with a very creepy calling card!
BROKEN PROMISE is a veritable avalanche of sub-plots and storylines but, somehow, Barclay has managed to keep them all intertwined without ever being muddy or confused. What’s even more impressive is that every single story moves forward simultaneously in real-time and the inevitable cliff-hangers as Barclay moves the reader from one perspective to another are never interminable or irritating.
Despite the obvious care and attention that Barclay has obviously taken with that multiplicity of plots, he hasn’t forgotten about character development for even a moment. Detective Barry Duckworth, for example, is one of the people who you should pay attention to from the first time you read the name. As well as being a skilled police officer, he’s an amazingly charming and entirely believable protagonist who is obviously destined to play a part in novels yet to come. His propensity to be overweight, his half-hearted attempts to do something about it and the fact that he is clearly concerned he’s hanging on the edge of a potential heart attack is something I can identify with on a very personal level.
Definitely recommended by a proud Canadian reader! Good job, Mr Barclay.
Paul Weiss
nzlisam's review against another edition
4.0
Not a place I’d want to live... too many fatalities.
Promise Falls is a fictional NY town chock full of tragedy – past, present and no doubt future (no. 1 in a 4 book series). The book is quite busy – several seemingly unrelated crimes in the present, as well as unsolved cold cases, and hinted at secrets. Being the first book, a lot of characters are introduced through multiple POV’s, most only narrating one or two chapters. Some even had similar names, ‘Carl’ and ‘Cal’, ‘Mason’ and ‘Marshall’, albeit confusing. Also, the events take place over two days, so there’s a lot happening in a short time span. Think I managed to keep track of everything and everyone, but it’s a book where you need to be paying attention, or you might miss something important. I enjoyed the many POV’s – a great way to get a read on the folks of Promise Falls, and the characters were all interesting and varied.
Even though some of the twists were a tad predictable, and there was enough that wasn’t, and still plenty I’m trying to figure out, as the close of the novel left many unanswered questions as well as a cliff-hanger ending. Looking forward to getting stuck into the next book in the series, 'Far from True'.
Promise Falls is a fictional NY town chock full of tragedy – past, present and no doubt future (no. 1 in a 4 book series). The book is quite busy – several seemingly unrelated crimes in the present, as well as unsolved cold cases, and hinted at secrets. Being the first book, a lot of characters are introduced through multiple POV’s, most only narrating one or two chapters. Some even had similar names, ‘Carl’ and ‘Cal’, ‘Mason’ and ‘Marshall’, albeit confusing. Also, the events take place over two days, so there’s a lot happening in a short time span. Think I managed to keep track of everything and everyone, but it’s a book where you need to be paying attention, or you might miss something important. I enjoyed the many POV’s – a great way to get a read on the folks of Promise Falls, and the characters were all interesting and varied.
Even though some of the twists were a tad predictable, and there was enough that wasn’t, and still plenty I’m trying to figure out, as the close of the novel left many unanswered questions as well as a cliff-hanger ending. Looking forward to getting stuck into the next book in the series, 'Far from True'.
emmanoon1404's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5