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manasakannan's review against another edition
4.0
4.6/5
This book was a big roller coater ride. I had a lot of 'what the hell is happening' moments which made me turn page after page to find out the mystery. It definitely proves to be under the genre thriller. Yes, it is a page turner. . It is gripping, mysterious and has a lot of characters falling into the plot. There are multiple pov's which is not that confusing to keep up with tbh. If you love to solve a homicidal case along with a detective then this book is just for you.
This book was a big roller coater ride. I had a lot of 'what the hell is happening' moments which made me turn page after page to find out the mystery. It definitely proves to be under the genre thriller. Yes, it is a page turner. . It is gripping, mysterious and has a lot of characters falling into the plot. There are multiple pov's which is not that confusing to keep up with tbh. If you love to solve a homicidal case along with a detective then this book is just for you.
a_wondrous_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
David Harwood is a widowed father who moves back to his hometown of Promise Falls, NY with his young son Ethan. Life is at its low for David, he loses his job at a local newspaper shortly after moving back and now he has to live with his parents. When David's mother asks him to take some food to a nearby cousin, he finds out that his cousin Marla is raising a baby. The problem is that Marla does not have a child. David starts to snoop around to try to get to the bottom of the story, and hopefully find the actual mother of the baby. When he learns that the mother of the baby has been murdered, he starts his own investigations, leaning on his experience as a reporter, to find out what happened and what role--if any, his cousin played in the crime.
Linwood Barclay is indeed a master of suspense. Broken Promise was a delight to read. A real page turner. I love the way Barclay developed his characters! The plot was very well written, full of twists and unexpected events. A fantastic thriller! My only complaint was the fact that although the ending was really good, there were a few loose ends that were not explained. I'm hoping there will be a sequel. Overall, it is a great read for fans of this genre.
I received an early copy of this book for free from Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review. This book is scheduled to be published on July 28, 2015.
Linwood Barclay is indeed a master of suspense. Broken Promise was a delight to read. A real page turner. I love the way Barclay developed his characters! The plot was very well written, full of twists and unexpected events. A fantastic thriller! My only complaint was the fact that although the ending was really good, there were a few loose ends that were not explained. I'm hoping there will be a sequel. Overall, it is a great read for fans of this genre.
I received an early copy of this book for free from Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review. This book is scheduled to be published on July 28, 2015.
dom1976's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant. At one point I thought I knew what was going to happen but I was wrong. There`s a suprise at the end of every chapter. Suspensful until the then. can`t wait to read the next one.
middleditch's review against another edition
3.0
Fun murder mystery. Easy read with just enough intrigue to keep you interested. Sometimes predictable. 3 1/2 stars. First in a 3 book series so not all plot lines were tied up in this one.
writtenbysime's review against another edition
3.0
BROKEN PROMISE hits the ground running and the pace rarely lets up. Jam-packed with characters from Barclay’s extensive backlist, his latest thriller is slick and twist-laden, and pulsates with ratcheting tension. Readers can safely file BROKEN PROMISE under ‘page-turner’ and ‘unputdownable.’
Former newspaper reporter David Harwood (Never Look Away) has returned to his hometown of Promise Falls to rebuild his shattered life. Unemployed, and a single father following his wife’s death, Harwood is back living under his parents’ roof. With a daily routine that consists of job applications acting as a taxi for his son, Hardwood’s easily roped into undertaking a chore for his mother: in this case, dropping off some leftovers at his cousin Maria’s nearby home. He’s not exactly looking forward to it – Maria has been struggling ever since she lost her baby, and his problems are pale in comparison. So when Harwood arrives at his cousin’s home and finds her nursing a mysterious baby – supposedly delivered by an ‘angel’ – he fears the worst; has Maria finally snapped? Could she possibly be responsible for the murder of the baby’s mother? The police investigative team – lead by Barry Duckworth (Never Look Away, Trust Your Eyes, Too Close to Home – are convinced of her guilt. It’s up to Harwood to prove otherwise, and so he embarks on a journey into the town’s seedy underbelly.
The plot of BROKEN PROMISE is intricate, but neatly unveiled. Promise Falls would make a fine locale for a soap opera. Its residents have connected histories and convoluted relationships, and everyone possess a secret they don’t want disclosed. And while many of these dangling narrative threads are tied, several are left hanging, suggesting a sequel is in the works, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, this isn’t Barclay’s first foray into Promise Falls. Still, in this instance, the lack of closure on a particular plot point meant the novel’s ending lacked the gravitas all its build-up deserved.
Fans of Harlan Coben will find the transition to Linwood Barclay’s novels seamless. Both authors are proven masters of exploring the ordinary lives of middle-class citizens and throwing them into extraordinary situations. BROKEN PROMISE isn’t revolutionary, but it’s a rip-roaring ride.
Former newspaper reporter David Harwood (Never Look Away) has returned to his hometown of Promise Falls to rebuild his shattered life. Unemployed, and a single father following his wife’s death, Harwood is back living under his parents’ roof. With a daily routine that consists of job applications acting as a taxi for his son, Hardwood’s easily roped into undertaking a chore for his mother: in this case, dropping off some leftovers at his cousin Maria’s nearby home. He’s not exactly looking forward to it – Maria has been struggling ever since she lost her baby, and his problems are pale in comparison. So when Harwood arrives at his cousin’s home and finds her nursing a mysterious baby – supposedly delivered by an ‘angel’ – he fears the worst; has Maria finally snapped? Could she possibly be responsible for the murder of the baby’s mother? The police investigative team – lead by Barry Duckworth (Never Look Away, Trust Your Eyes, Too Close to Home – are convinced of her guilt. It’s up to Harwood to prove otherwise, and so he embarks on a journey into the town’s seedy underbelly.
The plot of BROKEN PROMISE is intricate, but neatly unveiled. Promise Falls would make a fine locale for a soap opera. Its residents have connected histories and convoluted relationships, and everyone possess a secret they don’t want disclosed. And while many of these dangling narrative threads are tied, several are left hanging, suggesting a sequel is in the works, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, this isn’t Barclay’s first foray into Promise Falls. Still, in this instance, the lack of closure on a particular plot point meant the novel’s ending lacked the gravitas all its build-up deserved.
Fans of Harlan Coben will find the transition to Linwood Barclay’s novels seamless. Both authors are proven masters of exploring the ordinary lives of middle-class citizens and throwing them into extraordinary situations. BROKEN PROMISE isn’t revolutionary, but it’s a rip-roaring ride.
vera_ann's review against another edition
3.0
I got a copy free from goodreads first reads giveaway.
This is the first book by this author I have read. I liked it and will likely read more. It was a bit vulgar, but didn't feel overly so.
It jumped around quite a bit, different points of view, but not done in a confusing way. While it was interesting enough to keep me wanting to read to the end, I feel like I could've put the book down at any point and not really felt the need to have to pick it back up and finish. Which is the biggest reason for a 3 star instead of higher. I did debate on possibly a 4 star because I did like it and would read on.
There are a lot of characters, that are done very well, and situations to sort through. It was written well in that I didn't feel overloaded with information, and it didn't seem like a lot of "fluff".
While I am not jumping up and down for the next book (even with some cliffhanger ending and unanswered questions) I will be happy to read the next and even other books or series by this author.
A well written thriller about a stolen baby, a murder, and other strange happenings around town.
This is the first book by this author I have read. I liked it and will likely read more. It was a bit vulgar, but didn't feel overly so.
It jumped around quite a bit, different points of view, but not done in a confusing way. While it was interesting enough to keep me wanting to read to the end, I feel like I could've put the book down at any point and not really felt the need to have to pick it back up and finish. Which is the biggest reason for a 3 star instead of higher. I did debate on possibly a 4 star because I did like it and would read on.
There are a lot of characters, that are done very well, and situations to sort through. It was written well in that I didn't feel overloaded with information, and it didn't seem like a lot of "fluff".
While I am not jumping up and down for the next book (even with some cliffhanger ending and unanswered questions) I will be happy to read the next and even other books or series by this author.
A well written thriller about a stolen baby, a murder, and other strange happenings around town.
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
5.0
I was upset when I was 100 pages in to Broken Promise and realized that there was a book before this one. Yes, you could read this one without having read Never Look Away. But I would never be able to read that one after knowing what happened in Broken Promise. I really don't like when publishers don't tell you about previous books.
However, that is an issue with the publisher and not the author or actual story.........which I loved! Characters and plot lines are amazingly well thought out, deep, and intertwiney. I think that is a word. I was surprised when all the storylines did not get wrapped up by the end; especially since I believe I know something about one that was not finished. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and hope it is noted as a sequel and not a stand alone so that others aren't tricked in to reading them out of order!
I received an advance copy of this book from First to Read in exchange for an objective review.
However, that is an issue with the publisher and not the author or actual story.........which I loved! Characters and plot lines are amazingly well thought out, deep, and intertwiney. I think that is a word. I was surprised when all the storylines did not get wrapped up by the end; especially since I believe I know something about one that was not finished. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and hope it is noted as a sequel and not a stand alone so that others aren't tricked in to reading them out of order!
I received an advance copy of this book from First to Read in exchange for an objective review.
glendale1743's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
leona_omahony's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book quite a while back but due to the bad printing I abandoned it for a while. Started it again yesterday and just finished it now.
Being a massive Linwood Barclay fan and having read all his other books unfortunately I found this one a little disappointing. Yes there were one or two unexpected twists ok but it wasn't a book I couldn't put down. A few years back I read ' never look back' which is the prequel to this book and was absolutely brilliant.
I received an arc of this book from the publisher via netgalley in return for an honest review.
Being a massive Linwood Barclay fan and having read all his other books unfortunately I found this one a little disappointing. Yes there were one or two unexpected twists ok but it wasn't a book I couldn't put down. A few years back I read ' never look back' which is the prequel to this book and was absolutely brilliant.
I received an arc of this book from the publisher via netgalley in return for an honest review.