This ghost story was a thrilling joyride. I was surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did.

Twenty years ago Fiona Sheridan lost her sister to violence. Her sister’s boyfriend was arrested and put in jail for the murder. Fiona’s family was never the same. As an adult, Fiona still can’t forget the tragedy that struck her family. She’s, also, convinced that there is something wrong with the way this case had been handled. She’s sure that the police did not do their job back then. Fiona is now a journalist and plans to put her skills to good use and investigate.

Fiona’s investigation leads her to a mysterious disappearance from 1950 at an all girls school called Idlewild Hall. The school is now abandoned, but it also happens to be the grounds where her sister’s body was found in 1994. Now, a wealthy family is purchasing the old building with plans to renovate the school. Fiona is desperate to uncover all the secrets involved with the 1950’s disappearance, as well as her own sister’s murder.

Talk about edge-of-your-seat reading. This was that and so much more. Fiona is a strong character who doesn’t back down despite the warnings or danger involved.

The author expertly mixes the past with the present to give us an explosive story. There’s even paranormal tones intertwined with the mystery. It’s suspense meets gothic complete with an old building and a ghost.

The Broken Girls is a fast-paced, riveting story with many twists and turns. It grabs you from the start. This is a new-to-me author that I’ll be looking for in the future.

"Idlewild was an old place, and the fear here was old fear."

"Idlewild was the boarding school of last resort, where parents stashed their embarrassments, their failures, and their recalcitrant girls."
Idlewild is an old, abandoned boarding school in rural Vermont. It opened in 1919 and closed its doors forever in 1979. It was never a happy place. Idlewild was a school where broken girls were sent. You know, the ones who didn't conform to what society thought they should be.

This story is told with dual timelines, sixty-four years apart.
Autumn 1950 - Of the 120 students housed at Idlewild, we come to know four of them very well. Roommates, they are girls who, though very different, form a bond. With no people in their lives that want them, they turn to each other for love and support. All in the same desperate situation, they understand each other. All four girls were damaged in different ways.
Cecelia (CeCe) Frank - the illegitimate daughter of a rich married man and his housekeeper. Her mother, shamed by CeCe's existence, tried to drown her when she was six years old.
Roberta Greene - was rendered mute after she discovered her war veteran uncle with a pistol in his mouth. Roberta was discarded to Idlewild by her unfeeling parents.
Katie Winthrop - smart, bold and fearless, though this was largely a front she put on to protect herself. She had been attacked by a boy. Her parents blamed Katie for bringing shame to their family and ruining 'their' reputation.
Sonia Gallipeau - a French refugee and war orphan. A former inmate of Ravensbrück concentration camp. Small in stature due to being malnourished, Sonia dreamed of working in a library when she grows up. "All Sonia wanted was safety, a place to be. Even if that place was Idlewild, with the misfits and the ghosts."
The reader's heart breaks for these unwanted, discarded girls. Their innocence, their love of books, their loneliness, their longing for family - and for love.
"That was what books did - they turned off your thinking for you, put their thoughts in your head so you wouldn't have your own."
________________________________________
Autumn 2014 - The protagonist of this novel is Fiona Sheridan, a freelance journalist. She is the thirty-seven year old daughter of famous journalist Malcolm Sheridan. There are just the two of them left in their tiny family. Fiona's sister, Deb, was brutally murdered twenty years ago. After their devastating loss, Fiona's parents divorced and her mother died of cancer eight years ago. Her father, always so full of life, lost his will, his verve. Tim Christopher, Deb's boyfriend at the time of her death and the son of the richest and most prominent local family, was convicted of her murder. He has been in prison these last twenty years.
Deb's body had been found on Idlewild's former sports field. Never able to get over what happened to her beloved older sister, Fiona has maintained an unhealthy interest in the place. Now, she learns that Idlewild is to be restored. She convinces her editor to let her write a story about the restoration, and the history of the old school. This is a departure for Fiona as up until now she has only written 'fluff' pieces.
Fiona wonders why the new owner, an elderly widow from New York named Margaret Eden, would want to sink her money into restoring this derelict building.
Fiona is dating a local policeman, Jamie Creel. He is the son of the former police chief, and the grandson of the police chief before that. Younger than Fiona by eight years, he elicits a spark in Fiona like no other man. His family do not approve of their liaison. Police and journalists are natural enemies, they just don't mix.
Fiona's investigative journalism takes her to Idlewild for a tour given by the new owner's son. Whilst there, she comes to believe that the stories that have circulated for years are true. Idlewild is haunted. There was a persistent legend that Mary Hand's baby was buried in the school's garden.
"Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under land.
She'll say she wants to be your friend. Do not let her in again!"
During the restoration work, a body of a young girl is found in the school's disused well. Long dead, she had been in the well for many years. Could this be the body of the 'runaway' student from sixty years ago?
"Idlewild had been the resting site for two murdered girls, decades apart."

Part modern crime thriller, part gothic ghost story, "The Broken Girls" is sure to be on my favorites list for 2018.
A story of past wrongs put right. A story about police corruption, about mourning and grief, about the enduring bond of four broken girls...
Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel, free at my request, from Berkley/Penguin via NetGalley.

I cannot say enough about this book! I think it would appeal to a large variety of patrons. Lovers of historical fiction will grasp on to the Ravensbruck storyline and those interested in gothic/ghost stories will love the Mary Hand and haunted old school house story line. There's a fine balance of intrigue and paranormal with realistic fiction. I loved the development of Fiona and while the end seemed like a lot of loose ends coming together fairly quickly, I still stayed up late turning the pages until the very end.

Barrons, Vermont -- 1950
A young girl who is a student at Idlewild Hall goes missing. Idlewild is a school for wayward girls. The authorities believe she has just run away with some boy, but her friends and roommates know this is the farthest thing from the truth.

Barrons, Vermont -- 1994
Deb Sheridan another young woman is found dead in the field at Idlewild Hall, which has now been closed for many years. Her killer is her boyfriend at the time, Tim Christopher. Why would he leave her at this place?

Barrons, Vermont -- 2014
Someone has bought Idlewild Hall and plans to renovate it. But why? The place is nothing but a money pit. Fiona Sheridan is determined to find out who is buying the property and their motivation behind it. Will she be able to deal with all the secrets this place holds? When a body is found during the renovations, Fiona's attempts go into overdrive? Will she be able to find out who is behind this before she too becomes a subject of Idlewild?

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Going through this book, I was a little skeptical about what was going to happen. I'm not a big fan of books with ghosts, but this one wasn't too bad. I gave the book a rating of 3.5 stars. While the book was interesting, I found myself going for other things to do besides reading this book. The story flowed naturally even switching from the past to modern day.

Mary Hand is a ghost that haunts the grounds of Idlewild. She will show you things that you may not want to see. But is a ghost behind all the strange things that happen at Idlewild Hall or is there another culprit. We know for sure that Deb Sheridan was killed by her boyfriend, but what about the body found during the renovations? In 1950 the school was full of wayward girls. Girls who in those days, parents could not be bothered by and mental health was a taboo issue. So they sent their daughters away to school. Four girls in room 3C became very close friends. Sonia, Katie, CeCe and Roberta. The book tells their story from 1950 leading up to the disappearance of one of them and Fiona's perspective from 2014, trying to find out the history of Idlewild Hall and the new owners.

Overall, for me the book was good, not great. This is the first book I have read by Simone St. James. If her other books deal with ghosts and spirits, I'm not sure if I will read them or not, but I may give them a chance.

If you like ghosts though, I think you should give this book a try, YOU may enjoy it.

A page turning dual time line Gothic mystery that will keep you up reading way best bedtime. A haunted tale that takes place in Vermont at the Idlewild Hall boarding school in 1950 and in 2014.
This mystery novel is one you will not soon forget and will rush through wanting to find out what happens and to whom. If you are fan of thrilling suspense, then this is the book for you.

If you are in the mood for a good old fashioned gothic mystery, you will love The Broken Girls by Simone St. James. What makes it a little unusual is that the story is told in two different time settings - 1950 and 2014. Otherwise it has everything you would want in a good gothic mystery: a spooky old girls school, a ghost named Mary Hand, and of course a murder.

The setting is Idlewild Hall in Barron’s Vermont. In the 1950’s, it is a school for broken girls - girls who have been placed here by their parents for different reasons, usually for being trouble makers. A group of four girls, Katie, CeCe, Sonia and Roberta become friends. When one of the girls mysteriously disappears, the others set about to try and find out what happened to her.

In 2014, the school has set idle for 20 years, but Fiona is shocked to find out that some out of town investors are planning on reopening it as a girls school. Fiona has never forgotten the school because it was the scene of her sister’s murder. She is drawn to the school to try to find out more about it.

I loved the way the story was told in two time settings. I found the girl’s story a bit more intriguing than Fiona’s - only because Fiona seemed a bit one dimensional.

Such a great story, really set the mood. A very nice gothic mystery, I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

I received an ARC of the book.

3.5 stars!

The Broken Girls was a quick, entertaining, fast-paced and atmospheric gothic mystery novel that was an enjoyable and satisfying read. I did enjoy the dual storylines, but I thought that the past timeline was a little more interesting than the present one though.

I do love a good ghost story and the supernatural and I definitely thought the author delivered a spooky read here, but for some reason when I was reading this novel, I wasn't overly impressed with the author's prose though so that really affected my total enjoyment for this novel. I was the only one from the Traveling Sisters that was reading this that had a problem with that though so I still absolutely recommend this novel!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Simone St. James for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

Part ghost story, part suspense novel, part mystery, I found this difficult to put down. Fortunately I read it over a weekend that I didn't have to put it down very often! I would have liked to have delved into the historical elements a bit more, but even so, this was an absorbing read.

My review of *The Broken Girls* is in the April 2018 issue of Gumshoe Review:
http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6040

VERMONT, 1950. THERE’S A PLACE FOR THE GIRLS WHOM NO ONE WANTS—THE TROUBLEMAKERS, THE ILLEGITIMATE, THE TOO SMART FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. IT’S CALLED IDLEWILD HALL. AND IN THE SMALL TOWN WHERE IT’S LOCATED, THERE ARE RUMORS THAT THE BOARDING SCHOOL IS HAUNTED. FOUR ROOMMATES BOND OVER THEIR WHISPERED FEARS, THEIR BUDDING FRIENDSHIP BLOSSOMING—UNTIL ONE OF THEM MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS…
VERMONT, 2014. AS MUCH AS SHE’S TRIED, JOURNALIST FIONA SHERIDAN CANNOT STOP REVISITING THE EVENTS SURROUNDING HER OLDER SISTER’S DEATH. TWENTY YEARS AGO, HER BODY WAS FOUND LYING IN THE OVERGROWN FIELDS NEAR THE RUINS OF IDLEWILD HALL. AND THOUGH HER SISTER’S BOYFRIEND WAS TRIED AND CONVICTED OF MURDER, FIONA CAN’T SHAKE THE SUSPICION THAT SOMETHING WAS NEVER RIGHT ABOUT THE CASE.
WHEN FIONA DISCOVERS THAT IDLEWILD HALL IS BEING RESTORED BY AN ANONYMOUS BENEFACTOR, SHE DECIDES TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT IT. BUT A SHOCKING DISCOVERY DURING THE RENOVATIONS WILL LINK THE LOSS OF HER SISTER TO SECRETS THAT WERE MEANT TO STAY HIDDEN IN THE PAST—AND A VOICE THAT WON’T BE SILENCED…

Fabulously eery, goolishly haunted, historically accurate and bone chillingly good! Corruption at its worst and a journalist determined as ever to get the facts of her sister’s murderer correctly documented was the foundation for this awesome story. Some strange cast of characters that aren’t who they seem, and an intense historical account of an old school, along with how a girl from a German prison camp came to live and die there kept Fiona very interested in tying all the strings together. But Fiona isn’t the only one searching for answers. Someone doesn’t want her to find them and will stop at nothing to ensure she doesn’t! Simone’s story was excellent and very fast paced. Highly recommend! 5 stars!

This is one of the best thrillers I've read this year. Part murder mystery, part ghost story, it's also a story of friendship and redemption that is truly well written and deliciously spooky. I stayed up way too late trying to finish this one and I can't wait to recommend it to patrons!

A slight change of pace and structure from St James's usual post-WWI ghost stories, this is a compelling and suspenseful mystery/thriller with just enough of a flair of the supernatural to whet my appetite. I think this one will snag a lot of new readers to whom I'll definitely recommend her back catalogue :)

This is not my typical read and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this thrilling tale. It was a great read! It had everything needed to make you completely focused and enthralled with the story!

The Broken Girls proved to be a breezy and exciting read in all of the best ways. The hooks were there, pulling me further and further into the story until I became one with it. Until the hours and pages flew by alike and I realized I’d finished it all in one sitting. Who isn’t intrigued by the thought of “throw away” girls from a time long ago? Simone St. James makes her own literary footsteps in shoes she fills well, for The Broken Girls is most definitely Ruth Ware meets Fiona Barton with an American Northeast twist.

If that line wasn’t enough to tell you exactly what to expect here, I’ll elaborate. This novel reminded me of an equal cross between The Lying Game and The Widow from the very start. The writing style is very similar—fluid and paced so that the read flies by breezily, tinged with intrigue. Even the theme of camaraderie among boarding school girls—their mischief, their backstories, their own haunting pasts—investigated in present-day scenes by a character who also has skin in the game, is the same. Here, you can even cozy up to the same scenery: wide open fields ringed with thickets of trees and old dirt gravel roads of the past. These novels were all cut from the same cloth, though they all told their stories in a way of their own.

While so many thrillers suffer from too many ideas in the plot, The Broken Girls weaves together a handful of story lines with just the right recipe. A chase here, a haunt there—a thrilling journey to the end—all brought to a boil and served up heartily leaving me full and satisfied in the end. None of the story lines felt overpowering or underdeveloped; they all fit together hand in hand, seamlessly drawing me back and forth between two periods of time over sixty years apart. Because of this skillful flow, St. James’ Girls read at a quick pace, allowing me to immerse myself in the story without interruption. That’s half the battle with a thriller, right? I was most impressed with the handling of the ghost story here in this novel. It was brilliantly done, haunting me as it haunted those four girls—never overdone or melodramatic, relying on parlor tricks like flashing lights and other theatrics; this ghost was a leading lady all her own and deserving of the space she occupied with those pages.

As is sometimes a danger with thrillers, I will say that there were a few areas that were obviously formulaic, plucked straight out of the “thriller-with-a-villain” motif and those couple of sections in the novel made me cringe enough to warrant shaving off a star. BUT, the rest of St. James’ The Broken Girls was deftly handled and intricately woven in a way that made me want to come back for more. I highly recommend this novel for anyone in need of a cozy thriller and for absolutely anyone who has read and loved Ruth Ware or Fiona Barton, because these Broken Girls served up more twists than I’d expected and more intrigue than so many novels of the same genre, scoring an easy and strong 4 stars. ****

Four girls become roommates and friends in a school for broken/unwanted girls. As they endure the daily struggles in the boarding school with a haunted past their bond grows until one of them disappears. Years later a young woman obsessed with her older sister's murder begins to search for answers she may not want to discover. "The Broken Girls" was an excellent story with mystery, ghosts and the convoluted makeup of a small Vermont town. I was quickly drawn into this story and found it very hard to put down. When I was forced to put it down, I found myself thinking of what happened to Sonia, missing girl, who really killed Deb and carelessly dumped her in a field and many other questions. Well-developed characters, engaging storyline add up to a truly intriguing read that I highly recommend.

Wow! The Broken Girls combines multiple plot lines, strong female characters, flip-flopping timelines, and murder. All centered around a hellish boarding school. Sounds like 2 or 3 books, right? Nope! That is what awaits readers in The Broken Girls.

Built in the 1919 Idlewild Hall housed society's unwanted girls. Set in the small, tight-knit community of Barrons, Vermont, Idlewild also held many secrets. In the 1950's, four young girls, Cece, Katie, Roberta, and Sonia were able to form the family bond with each other, neither had experienced on the outside. So when one of the girls goes missing, her friends know something is terribly wrong. Considered a runaway by some, presumed dead by most, the remaining three girls, fearing a similar fate awaits them, plot their escape.

Fast forward, it's 2014, Idlewild Hall is being renovated and that's just what local reporter Fiona needed to get onto the property and get a good look at where her sister's body was found 20 years ago. Never fully convinced of the boyfriend's guilt, Fiona is determined to dig up the truth and get justice for her sister. She really had no idea what she was getting herself into. (But it's a spine-tingling treat for readers.)

A disturbing, chilling, highly entertaining read - The Broken Girls doesn't fit neatly into any one category or genre. It's also not the "kind of" book I usually read. Proof positive we readers should stretch out of our reading comfort zone. I'm so glad I didn't pass on this one. Yes, it has a supernatural element. The ghost plays "a" part in the story, but the story doesn't depend on the ghost. It would've been a great old creepy boarding school murder mystery without the specter. However, St. James' writing is so entertaining, she melts and stirs the various backstories of the four girls, the current renovation, Fiona's lingering doubts surrounding her sister's murder, and the specter together in such a way it just feels right. It reads right. If that makes sense. St. James builds the old school layer by layer in the reader's imagination. There are no glaring red herrings here, but when the final curtain is lifted and everything comes together I couldn't help but think ...dang, I caught bits and pieces of that, but didn't see it ending like that. Is it a satisfying ending? Yes, I say it is. Is it what we have come to expect? No. And that's awesome!

The Broken Girls is a unique mystery. Readers resist the urge to speed through this one. Take your time and enjoy it-- like a high dollar glass of wine or a fine expensive cigar... This one is meant to be savored.

Happy Reading,

RJ

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free eCopy of Broken Girls. All opinions are my own.

Broken Girls is one dynamic, spooky, and thrilling novel that I highly recommend. It has a lot going on but all of the pieces in this complex puzzle melt together smoothly and beautifully! There is a group of teenage girls stuck at thier less-than-desirable boarding school, Idewild, in 1950’s Vermont. Each girl is a cast off, a girl that no one knew what to do with. Out of sight, out of mind was the 1950s way of thinking. Fast forward to 2014 and to a journalist who is researching the surprise resurrection of the long shut down boarding school. But wait there’s more! That unloved boarding school Idewild? Oh yeah...it’s haunted!

I was really engrossed in this book from start to finish. The chapters alternate between the present day journalist, Fiona, and Idewild when it was still in operation in 1950. In the 1950s chapters, each girl tells a little of her story. I was fascinated learning about different reasons for each girl’s banishment to the school. Fiona’s research for her article also turned up new information about the school, gaining more insight into what might have gone on there....and what still does. Some of the parts with the resident ghost are downright chilling and I had a hard time putting this book down! I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!

This book was intriguing and it kept me reading. Loved the spooky element to it. Reminded me of Jennifer McMahon. I am going to check out the author's other books.

Favorite Quote: She’d always known the monsters were real.

In the 1950’s there was a school for girls in Vermont called Idlewild Hall. It was a place for the troublesome, the illegitimate, the unwanted. Rumored to be haunted, four girls bond over shared fears and secrets, until one of them disappeared.

Fiona Sheridan knows what it is to have lost. Having lost her sister to a murderer, her mother to cancer, and her father to his grief, she still struggles to understand exactly where and when it all went wrong. When she hears Idlewild Hall is being restored by, the place where her sister’s body was discovered, Fiona is determined to find out who they are and why.

Where a shocking discovery is made during the renovations, it links to young women together across time and opens to door to secrets someone will kill to keep hidden.

The Broken Girls is my first time reading Simone St. James but certainly not my last. Her clever prose and strong voice weave a potent atmospheric charm around the reader as she takes us on an adventure brimming with mystery, suspense, a hint of romance, and a bittersweet ghost story. Alternating between the past and present, St.James uses a multitude of voices that speak of love, family, friendship, hope, and a dogged determination to discover the truth. The menacing nature of the school and the stories told by those who lived there only intensifies your feelings of fear and distrust the further you are drawn into the story.

Fiona Sheridan, a freelance journalist, lost her older sister years ago. Supposedly murdered by her boyfriend who was tried and convicted for it, Fiona always felt there was something strange about the whole situation and has never quite let it go. When a local legend-Idlewild Hall-is slated for restoration and possibly reopening, Fiona can’t help but feel this may be what she needs to finally lay her sister to rest. When a young woman’s body is discovered yet again on the grounds, Fiona begins to dig into the school’s background, With the reluctant help of her cop boyfriend and her famous journalistic father, and discovers the history of four girls who lives there; one whose life was tragically cut short.

Fiona is a mystery reader’s dream heroine. Intelligent, honest, straightforward, and determined. Her narrative flows effortlessly and I enjoyed watching her investigational methods as she boldly strides into the unknown, systematically hacking away at the various blockades thrown up in her path while also reestablishing her relationship with her father. Her grief over her sister’s death is an excuse that many use to detour her but Fiona’s determination is a sight to behold, especially once she discovers another young woman whose death is suspicious. I liked that St. James doesn’t attempt to martyr or canonize Fiona. She isn’t perfect and makes mistakes throughout the story. It’s her honesty and passion that compels your sympathy. I found it interesting that it’s death that officially wakes Fiona up to what is happening around her and breathes “life” back into her.

St. James use of alternating chapters to tell us the history of Idlewild Hall through the eyes of those who lived there is a flawless in its application. These girls effortlessly drew me in and I couldn’t help but see the parallels between the #metoo movement and the reasons behind the school’s existence. Four girls, each sent to this boarding school through no fault of their own. Throughout time, women have been made the scapegoat for the crimes of men. Our very existence temps boys and men to do things and we are to blame for their weakness. Kat sent to Idlewild Hall after being sexually assaulted. CeCe is the product of an affair between a married man and his housekeeper. Rebecca had a small nervous breakdown when she witnesses a, and Sophia is the victim of WWII. I loved the strength and determination of these girls-especially Kat. Told is hushed voices, we begin to see a pattern of abuse and neglect from the school, the families of the girls, and the town itself. Interwoven into these stories is a malignant force-a ghost-who seems to punish those at the school for actions unknown.

As we drawn closer to the end, we begin to see the faint lines between the past and present grow brighter and stronger. Clues continue to reveal themselves, helping Fiona and the reader understand exactly what happened…and why. St. James wraps everything up in a stunning finale that I found astonishing in revelation yet perfect overall. Various secondary charters help to soften any rough edges and propel the story along through subplots and action though the story definitely belongs to Fiona and the four girls of Idlewild Hall. My only complaint is it ended. I wanted to spend much more time with Fiona and the girls. I rather hope St. James thinks about making Fiona a recurring character in the future. A sort of cold case/ghost hunting journalist nee detective. *crosses fingers*

Simone St. James is a haunting voice in thrilling supernatural mysteries and well worth reading for all fans of this genre.

Grade: B+