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A review by nietzschesghost
Broken by John Rector
3.0
In Rector's latest standalone thriller he delivers realism, a plethora of quirky small-town characters and raises awareness of domestic abuse issues, especially in relation to women. When first arriving in Beaumont Cove, Lilly and her husband, Mike, feel as though it is the perfect place to settle in close proximity to the seaside and the move to the village resort looks to be paying off. She hopes the move will mark a fresh start to their tumultuous relationship but that is little more than optimism on her part. With many an hour spent watching the waves lapping at the shoreline from the safety of the Starlight Pier, Lilly seemed to enjoy her time in Beaumont. Now it's a year down the line and Lilly's identical twin sister, Magnolia, aka Maggie, has arrived to identify and claim her estranged 23-year-old sister's battered and asphyxiated body. When she comes upon the once-bustling tourist destination filled with crumbling buildings, neglected infrastructure with an all-around dilapidated feel to it she wonders what her sister fell in love with about the place.
The sisters grew up close-knit but Maggie began to cut ties when Lilly refused to leave her abusive marriage unable to bear the upset after her sister was repeatedly beaten to a pulp by her drunken husband. She believes Mike, who has been arrested for Lilly’s murder, is responsible and decides to confront him before she leaves to head back home to Manitou Springs and her job as a private investigator. But after talking to Mike and seeing her sister's body she suspects there's more to this than meets the eye. Told in dual timelines with a combination of protagonist Maggie's first-person perspective and third-person flashbacks, we know from the beginning who the perpetrator is although there are plenty of interesting developments throughout. It's a quick, easy, entertaining and graphically violent read but ultimately ends up being rather forgettable. Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.
The sisters grew up close-knit but Maggie began to cut ties when Lilly refused to leave her abusive marriage unable to bear the upset after her sister was repeatedly beaten to a pulp by her drunken husband. She believes Mike, who has been arrested for Lilly’s murder, is responsible and decides to confront him before she leaves to head back home to Manitou Springs and her job as a private investigator. But after talking to Mike and seeing her sister's body she suspects there's more to this than meets the eye. Told in dual timelines with a combination of protagonist Maggie's first-person perspective and third-person flashbacks, we know from the beginning who the perpetrator is although there are plenty of interesting developments throughout. It's a quick, easy, entertaining and graphically violent read but ultimately ends up being rather forgettable. Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.