I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held my interest and was not completely predictable. It was a nice mix of past and present, with out confusion. Many suspense/supernatural novels are accompanied by an unrealistic plot. This novel had a believable story line and mixed in a little historical fiction with the mystery and supernatural elements. I would definitely read stories published by this author in the future. "The Broken Girls" was a little mature for students in my library, I will highly recommend it to the high school and public libraries!

Simone St. James has written a page turner. All the essential elements for a good mystery read with some elements of the paranormal thrown in for extra good measure. The plot develops at a great pace. The characters are well drawn and the reader comes to care about them as the story progresses.

A private girls' boarding school is the scene of the crime in current days and in the past, both fairly recent and decades prior to the start of the story. The main character is looking for closure after the murder of her adored sister and becomes involved in the past mysteries surrounding the boarding school. Her relationship with a local police detective could have been a run of the mill addition to the plot but in this case adds to the tension and plot arc. Well done.

For those who enjoy a bit of the supernatural, The Broken Girls has something for you, too. Legends of ghostly presences abound at the school both in the past and present times. The eventual connection of events past and present makes a satisfying read. Without giving away the ending it is safe to say that the manner in with St. James wraps up all the disparate pieces of the story are quite satisfying.

I read this in two evenings as I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this novel.

An interesting Ravensbruch tie-in but predictable overall.

A chilling story of lives in the past, being investigated in the near present day. Twists and turns, with real characters and ghosts. This was a "nope, gotta finish it by tonight" book. I highly recommend this totle.

LR Edit: Parallel narratives, one set in Vermont 1950 and the other in Vermont 2014, are woven together in this intricate mystery. Timely themes of violence toward women and abuses of power resonate throughout. A well-crafted and unsettling tale for fans of Gothic horror and female centered thrillers. (as written by a copy editor).

This is a very intricate mystery that kept me guessing throughout the narrative. We shift in time between two different decades, the early 1950s and the 2010s, and both time periods kind of reinforce the point that some things never change. The themes of feminism and oppression of/ violence towards women are, sadly, timely topics, and St. James shows the varying abuses of power through the ages. While I always kind of shy away from using Nazi Germany as a plot point, I thought that it was handled better in this book than other narratives I've seen. I think that I was more interested in the modern aspects of the book, following Fiona and the hunt to find out what happened to her sister, though the 1950s timeline at Idlewood also kept me intrigued. St. James did a good job of bringing it all together. Finally, the supernatural parts involving a ghost haunting the school grounds was a welcome plot point. Part of me worried that it would feel overwrought to bring this in, but I think that it just brought in more of the theme of women being mistreated and suffering because of their gender.

Overall, I think "The Broken Girls" was a well done and unsettling tale, and I can see myself recommending it towards fans of both gothic horror and female centered thrillers.

Barrons, Vermont, a small town whose only claim to fame is being the home of Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for girls - girls with problems, girls whose families have given up on them.

In 1950, Sonia Gallipeau, a french refugee from WWII, disappears from Idlewild Hall, leaving only her suitcase behind. In 1994, Deb Sheridan, a twenty year old college student, is found murdered on the deserted grounds of Idlewild Hall. Even though her boyfriend is convicted of her murder, her younger sister Fiona has never gotten over it. When a wealthy woman from out of town buys Idlewild Hall with plans to restore and reopen it, Fiona can't leave it alone. Now a freelance reporter, Fiona begins to research the school and its history with an eye to writing a story. But the more she learns, the more she wonders if the police really found the right guy twenty years ago. And, what happened to Sonia 64 years ago? Are the two in any way connected? They say that Idlewild Hall is haunted by the Ghost of Mary Hand but no one will talk about what they've seen. Who was May Hand and what, if anything, does she have to do with all of this? Did Tim really kill Deb or is there still a killer on the loose?

Flashing back between 2014 and 1950, this book had me hooked from the first page! Both the 1950s and the 2014 story lines are compelling and the characters come to life on the page. You feel what they feel and want what they want. As the story unfolds what began as completely unrelated events begin to come together in a way that will keep the reader guessing. There were even a few twists that I did not see coming (always enjoyable!). Highly recommended for fans of Gothic mysteries.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James will keep you reading late into the night.

I have only read one other book by this author a few years ago and enjoyed it so when is saw this title and the premise, I thought, why not! With that being said, I really enjoyed this book, I found it hard to put down. I enjoyed the modern day chapters as well as the historical chapters and now they intertwined. I also enjoyed the ghost aspect of the novel.

An intriguing ghost story and murder mystery all wrapped up in one. The opening chapter grabs you and the enfolding story keeps you engaged throughout. The weaving together of time lines truly demonstrated the difference in culture and attitude that occurred between the 1940's and the present. That difference allowed a tragedy to go unremarked by those in charge and made for a fascinating mystery in the present.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book for review - all thoughts and comments are my own.

This book was INCREDIBLE - I love a good mystery, although I haven't found many mysteries out there that can incorporate a ghost story in such a completely thrilling, terrifying and believable way. This book managed to do all of that, while keeping me entirely absorbed in what was coming next.

The Broken Girls moves brilliantly back and forth between two narratives - 1950 when Idlewild Hall was a boarding school for unwanted girls and 2014 when Idlewild has been long since abandoned.

In the 1950's following four girls who become roommates and best friends, sharing secrets and creating a family that is unbreakable, until one of them goes missing. Idlewild is not without it's own secrets, and the ghost of a dead girl casting unbearable fear to all those forced to live within its walls.

2014, and Fiona Sheridan cannot move past the murder of her sister 20 years prior - a sister whose body was dumped on the abandoned Idlewild school grounds. It is the mysterious purchase of the school, with plans for renovation that lead to the discovery of a second body on the grounds, causing Fiona to start digging into secrets that were never meant to be uncovered.

I was sucked into this story from the start - this was such a wonderfully fast paced read, that kept me on the edge of my seat, and had me desperate for just one more chapter. Simone St James did an incredible job of creating characters who I fell in love with, and whose backstories were so wonderfully complex.

I also found myself completely absorbed by the ghost story, which was perfectly intertwined between the past and present mysteries of the dead girls. This particular ghost story was haunting in the very best way, and kept me up well into the night - its rare for a book to give me actual chills down my spine.

If you are a reader who loves a good mystery, a good crime thriller, or a good ghost story, then this book should be on the top of your to-read pile this spring. Keep an eye out, as this will be hitting bookstores everywhere March 20th!

From the very first page, I just could not put 'The Broken Girls' down. It is the kind of book that makes you want to want to stay up all night reading. It had so many wonderful elements: a creepy, gothic setting; memorable, flawed characters; a creepy ghost; a mystery and two unsolved deaths. The chapters alternating between past and present, and between different characters, worked very well. The reader is given a little more information, and a different perspective, in each chapter.

This book was very well done. I haven't read any books by this author before, but after finishing 'The Broken Girls' I immediately went looking for other books she has written.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good mystery or ghost story.

First off, I enjoyed reading The Haunting of Maddy Clare, and thus decided I had to read this as well.

This book is told from 2 different times. One from 1950 and the other 2014. Each chapter goes back and forth between the two, and it's very easy to follow.

Our main character Fiona (from the current time) has been battling with the murder of her older sister for 20 odd years. She is a writer for a local magazine and decides that she needs to uncover the truth. She uncovers that and a whole lot more.

The other group of characters are the girls that attend Idlewild Hall in the 50s. (Idlewild is where Fiona's sister's body was discovered.) Idlewild is basically a school for wayward girls, and is the last stop for a lot of them. They too, are soon trying to figure out what happened to one of their own.

The two stories come together at the end and all crimes are solved. I really hate to give out too much as I don't want to spoil the plot twists that are in the story. The two stories are well told and really well woven together in ways I wasn't expecting. And yes, there is a ghost.

Overall I strongly recommend this book if you like mysteries with a bit of a ghost tale in the mix.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is a story about Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for troubled and unwanted girls, the ghost that haunts the place and a couple of mysteries. These mysteries involve past times, past disappearances, brutal attacks and murders. The author's storyline is well-developed and ends up answering all questions and solves the mysteries.

I was interested in reading about this methodical investigation by journalist Fiona Sheridan. I appreciated her dedication, determination and hard work. She didn't give up even when things got tough. This is a well-written story. The pace is a little slow at times but I believe that couldn't be helped because so much background needed to be established. The intricate background detail added much to the story.

This wasn't bad but also wasn't really what I was expecting and kind of left me cold. This has all the right elements to make a great story: the dual mystery, the paranormal bent, the investigative journalist with a personal connection to the case. But by the end, these elements feel more like events happening next to one another rather than a well-plotted, cohesive story. I loved the idea of the boarding school for rejected girls which is what made me request this in the first place, but the story didn't spend as much there as I'd hoped and I didn't find the writing all that engaging. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but definitely not a new favorite.

The Broken Girls is an instantly intriguing tale that will inspire readers to crawl under the covers with a flashlight (after ensuring the doors and windows are locked) and keep reading all night. Alternating between events that took place in 1950 and 2014 at a girls' reformatory in Vermont, The Broken Girls is a mash-up of themes and genres that surprisingly works on every level. Part ghost story, part murder mystery, it is an engrossing, deftly constructed examination of other-worldly beings and two lost girls -- one missing and never accounted for and one murdered on the grounds of the abandoned school. Fiona Sheridan is a local freelance journalist who relives the circumstances surrounding her older sister's murder twenty years ago. Her body was dumped in the overgrown fields near the abandoned school, Idlewild Hall, and her boyfriend convicted and imprisoned. Case closed. But Fiona has always suspected there is more to the story. Now that Idlewild Hall is being restored and the new owner plans to reopen the school, Fiona convinces her editor to let her write the story. Her investigation broadens when a disturbing discovery on grounds as renovations commence. Fiona's unrelenting curiosity is the catalyst that lead to revelations about family, friendship, and murder. With its paranormal overtones, The Broken Girls also examines life after life, haunting, and communication with the departed. The fast paced action that accelerates to a terrifying conclusion makes The Broken Girls a compelling, satisfying, and thought-provoking read.
(Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy of the book!)

This is a review of The Broken Girls by Simone St. James. I was able to read this book as a digital ARC from Netgalley.

This suspense novel takes place in Barrons, Vermont in two different times.

The main plot occurs with Fiona in 2014. Fiona is a 37-year-old freelance journalist who has never gotten over the murder of her sister. After twenty years, she is still trying to find out everything she can about the night her sister died. Along the way, she is consumed by the history of the private boarding school, Idlewild. Fiona's sister's body was found on Idlewild's athletic field, which makes the history of Idlewild all the more interesting. Idlewild's property has recently been purchased, and is rumored to reopen as a new boarding school for girls. However, there is reason why the land has been unsuccessful in selling.

Katie, Sonia, Roberta, and Cece all are students of Idlewild in 1950. Each girl is sent to Idlewild due to the hardships they were dealt with from their home life. Idlewild is the place where "difficult" girls are sent. The boarding school also holds its secrets with a haunting figure that torments the girls. Each girl is able to withstand the hardships due to their loving friendship. Their friendship is also what makes Idlewild feel like home.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the suspense of figuring out what happened to Sonia, as well as, the spookiness of Marry Hand. This story shows that from 1950 to 2014, some towns are set in their old ways. The fact that the girls decide to take their futures into their own hands was empowering.

I loved the way the author chose to go back and forth between the past and present. It made for a more exciting book trying to uncover how the different stories were linked.

Idlewild Hall, a long abandoned school for girls that are a "problem" for someone, is being renovated. Fiona, a reporter covering the renovation, has a particular interest in Idlewild. Twenty years earlier, her sister was murdered on the grounds, and the sister's boyfriend was convicted of the crime. As Fiona begins her interviews for the story, she happens to be on the property when long-dead human remains are uncovered. As she digs into the past, the point of view shifts to the 1950's, and a group of girls who lived at Idlewild. Woven throughout both narratives is the legend of Mary Hand, a creepy ghost that haunts the property.

Several different mysteries going on at once made this a compelling pageturner. Ultimately, I found the resolution a bit anticlimactic after such a well-written and dramatic build up, and the romance between Fiona and a local cop seemed extraneous. But the characters are well drawn, and the supernatural element was different from lots of books in this genre in its simplicity.

Up pas ten reading this wonderfully haunting novel. I felt as though I was in a wave, drifting back and forth between the two stories, immersed in both. I really look forward to reading more from this author!

This was just okay for me. I typically don’t read ghost stories, but once I started I decided to finish it, since the storyline sounded so good.
I just didn’t love it.

This was just the thing I needed. I’ve been struggling with starting books that just don’t seem to hold my interest, but The Broken Girls was a different story! It sucked me in and kept pulling me back.The story went back and forth from 1950 to 2014 with strong female characters of both eras. Oftentimes when a story goes back and forth in this manner, it feels like one place in time and it’s characters are just there as supporting roles for the ‘real story’ in the other time. That was not the case in this instance. Both lines of the story held their own and peaked my interest up until the point where they were beautifully intertwined, and revealed their unpredictable surprises. Highly recommended, The Broken Girls is hitting my Top Picks for 2018!