Scan barcode
A review by lynguy1
She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J.D. Barker
4.0
She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J. D. Barker has been classified as horror, thriller, mystery and fantasy. To me, it was more of a supernatural romantic suspense than a horror suspense story.
Jack Thatch was orphaned as a child and was raised by his Auntie Jo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Every year they visit the cemetery where his parents are buried on August 8. At eight years old, he sees Stella on a bench in the cemetery. They talk briefly and he doesn’t see her again for another year. He thinks about her constantly and she is always accompanied by a woman in white who stands guard.
On August 9, a man’s body is found in an alley. Every inch of the flesh is burned, but the clothing is untouched. This isn’t the first time such a body has been found and Detective Faustino Brier is determined to find the killer.
A small boy listed as Subject “D” is locked in a lab and speaks only to his deaf doctor who reads lips. His power is immense and terrifying. What is it and how did it happen. What will become of the little boy?
The three story lines are intertwined, but how and why? The characters have depth. Their choices aren’t always what we would want them to make, but under the circumstances, made sense to them. Jack’s fascination and instant obsession with Stella seemed a little over-the-top to me as it continued to last over the years.
The book is more than 700 pages long, but it felt like it was half that. The pace, except for the last part, wasn’t fast, but it kept me fully engaged. An overall theme that came through to me was that of family, community, friends, and neighbors. But it was also about secret medical labs and the repercussions of uncontrolled experiments and the obsessions with unsolved police cases.
Overall, the novel was engrossing, emotional, compelling, fascinating, and very original. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I would like to read another by him.
I received a digital copy of this book from Hampton Creek Press and the author in a Goodreads Giveaway. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was March 31, 2020.
Jack Thatch was orphaned as a child and was raised by his Auntie Jo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Every year they visit the cemetery where his parents are buried on August 8. At eight years old, he sees Stella on a bench in the cemetery. They talk briefly and he doesn’t see her again for another year. He thinks about her constantly and she is always accompanied by a woman in white who stands guard.
On August 9, a man’s body is found in an alley. Every inch of the flesh is burned, but the clothing is untouched. This isn’t the first time such a body has been found and Detective Faustino Brier is determined to find the killer.
A small boy listed as Subject “D” is locked in a lab and speaks only to his deaf doctor who reads lips. His power is immense and terrifying. What is it and how did it happen. What will become of the little boy?
The three story lines are intertwined, but how and why? The characters have depth. Their choices aren’t always what we would want them to make, but under the circumstances, made sense to them. Jack’s fascination and instant obsession with Stella seemed a little over-the-top to me as it continued to last over the years.
The book is more than 700 pages long, but it felt like it was half that. The pace, except for the last part, wasn’t fast, but it kept me fully engaged. An overall theme that came through to me was that of family, community, friends, and neighbors. But it was also about secret medical labs and the repercussions of uncontrolled experiments and the obsessions with unsolved police cases.
Overall, the novel was engrossing, emotional, compelling, fascinating, and very original. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I would like to read another by him.
I received a digital copy of this book from Hampton Creek Press and the author in a Goodreads Giveaway. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was March 31, 2020.