I wish I had read the first 2 books in this series before this. Alas, I did not know Broken Dolls was part of a series. This is a large gripe of mine with Netgalley, they don't include "part of a series" in book descriptions. Anyway, that's not the fault of the author or the book, so we'll stick to the relevant opinions on those. Broken Dolls is a hard book to read. Violence against children is always hard to stomach, but that isn't the only sensitive subject matter. This book is not for the faint of heart. I enjoyed most of the story, and may just go back to read the previous installments.
3 stars

Sadly I was unaware that this was part of a series. However, I quickly became engrossed in this harrowing, gritty page turner.  My heart went out to the women characters who were forced into prostitution, abused and took drugs to dull the unbelievable pain they had to endure. This is well written with a great twist which left me wanting more!

When I requested a copy of this book, I unaware it was a series.  It can be read as a stand alone, but I believe you could get a better feel if you read the first 2 installments.  I do recommend this book.  It's thrilling and will have you wanting to turn the pages faster than you can read!

Another great book in this awesome series.
I finally got to this one.


This is cringeworthy in the aspect it’s upsetting.
It looks like a prostitute has given birth and her pimp is disposing of the baby. Horrendous and upsetting. She’s not allowed to see her child and he dumps it in a dumpster.


The Police are called and DC Charlotte is now worried. They need to move fast and find the mother.
I can’t imagine the emotions in finding a dead premature baby. And Charlotte shows her emotions which was real.

There’s violence, trafficking etc in this book that doesn’t make for an easy read, but a compulsive read for sure.

Thrilling story with a plot that kept me turning the pages, really well written with great characters.  Highly recommend to everyone who is a fan of this genre.

I have read previous novels by Sarah Flint and character DC Charlie Stafford is one bad ass character. I love how she fights for what she believes in, is a hard worker, dedicated to her job and will do whatever it takes to find justice. She is a very likable character, and a strong, powerful female.

I enjoyed the edginess in this novel and the twists and turns it took as we explore the daily lives of some of the women in this novel who are living in crack houses. They are victims of abuse, both sexual and physical, as well as emotional and are “broken” and have nowhere or no one to turn to for help. They are true victims and it is heartbreaking to hear their story and how they live from day to day and survive in their world as they know it. I found myself flipping through the pages to uncover more of the story and to see if true justice would be found and what would become of the victims as well as the ones committing these heinous crimes.

A truly gripping novel that will have you hooked until the very end.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I absolutely loved the first 3 books in this series so I was super excited to read this one and while it slowed down after the first couple of chapters, eventually the plot definitely got darker and more intense. As usual the characters are very well written, especially Charlie, who I just love! I also really liked Anna's presence in the story, she certainly had a big impact on another character and it was lovely to read about. 
While at times it seemed like it was telling 2 completely stories as opposed to 1, I found this read to be, overall, a very gripping page-turner that hooked me in with it's intensely violent plot and great police work. 
Can't wait for the next!

Great book, I have read the other books by this author and while Mummy's favourite is exceptionally good this one good as well. I love the character of Charlie and the way she works with her colleagues and interacts with her family. A sad story but very well written and you feel the determination to get justice for the abandoned baby.

This is a sad tale of young women who are forced into prostitution and drugs, usually after being in care and the system has let them down.  

They are absolutely desperate and lonely and my heart went out to them, especially as I have grandchildren of around that age.  It only needs a bit of bad luck to be taken into care and then just dumped when they reach a certain age.  

Poor Caz is one of those unfortunate persons.  The story is all too familiar and, of course, prostitution is one of the oldest professions around the world. 

However, I’m not going to spoil it but the end is something else. 

My thanks to Sarah, the publishers and netgalley for the ARC.  Don’t know where this one went, so I’m a bit late with my review.

Another brilliant installment in the DC Charlotte Stafford series. This time looking at human trafficking and the many ugly faces of drugs and prostitution. I really want this series to get televised, this would make a perfect on screen drama - there is the human value, the suspension, the unknown killer - the series has it all.

It's also great seeing Charlie in her personal life and how her relationship with her own family and the handsome Ben are developing since book one.

I highly recommend this series for any crime book lover. This is a fab series to get you teeth into - now translated into many languages and available in paperback.

I did not realize that this was number four in a series. With that being said, reading the other books in the series might help you understand the characters a bit more, but it won't hinder your reading of this particular story. 

DC Stafford has seen just about everything. Having been on the streets for years, not much surprises her anymore. When a baby is found among the trash though, that changes everything. Now she's in a race against time to find the killer and hopefully the mother alive. 

In between more prostitutes are in danger. There's a John running around abusing them and even causing death in his wake. 

This was truly a great story, with a twist at the end that I never saw coming. Definitely a 5 Star read!

I had no idea thos was pary of a series.. It claoms to be a serial killer book however i did find it quite dull with no packs a punch.

This is my first book by this author.  When requesting it, I guess I missed how this was the 4th book in this series.  I definitely have to go back and read the first 3.  The description was so intriguing i HAD to request it.  I enjoyed that there were 2 cases in this book. It didn't seem to be 'too much' which some authors can go a little overboard.  This book covers some really hard subjects.  I just could not get over the 'raw-ness' of this book, making it so real.

I went into this book a big Sarah Flint fan and this book did not disappoint!
I love the Charlie Stafford series. 
This book had me hooked from the start , right until the last page.....I did not see the end coming.
The author left it at a perfect cliff hanger, the next book is going to be awesome. I can’t wait!

OMG, gripping from the first page!  The opening pages are gruesome, yet immediately hook you into the story.  You will not put this down!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.  Not sure what to say about this book as maybe would have enjoyed and liked the character DC Stafford if I had read the previous 3 books.

If you love detective stories you will love this one. You need to be aware this is part of a series though. The topic the book is written about is very disturbing but in saying that I still really enjoyed reading this book.

Broken Dolls tackles a difficult subject, the seedy underworld of human trafficking and prostitution but does it with compassion and insight. The discovery of a dead preterm baby, abandoned with the rubbish, leads the police on a hunt for her mother which ultimately uncovers the prostitution network responsible for bringing innocent, foreign girls to their tragic fate. 

I was fascinated by the police procedures involved in tracking down the suspects in this case. the advantages of an author being in the police department herself are obviously staggering. I haven’t read any of the other DC Charlie Stanford books but that wasn’t important as the story flowed independently and gave enough backstory to make it unnecessary.

Thanks as always to #NetGalley for making it possible for me to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and Sarah Flint for the chance to read an ARC of this book.

‘A baby lies abandoned amongst the rubbish, her tiny face as white as alabaster, her body as stiff as a miniature doll.

A young prostitute lies beaten, her figure like a mannequin on the frozen concrete, her blood spilt, her life ebbing away.

.....As further lives hang in the balance Charlie must empower the weak to speak out against those who seek to cause harm.

But can a broken doll ever truly be mended; or will the wounds of the past fashion the events of the future?’

This fast paced book was both gripping and heart breaking from the opening page.  The devastating descriptions of the tiny baby’s death and discovery by the police had me in tears. It was the most emotive book opening I can remember reading in a very long time. The book starts out as a tale about the death of a premature baby and sex trafficking and then quickly goes on to include the brutal murder of a local prostitute.   Apart from them being part of the sex trade, it is unclear for most of the book how the two deaths are connected. I spend a lot of time puzzling over this knowing their must be some kind of link but was unable to ascertain it.

The plight of the young women forced into the sex trade is handled in a realistic but compassionate way. You understand their desperation and fear as they make impossible choices to survive in their violent world. 

Obviously when reading a crime novel you expect violence, and I read a lot of crime and true crime, but the descriptions of what is suffered at the hands of The Punter and the things he fantasises about made me recoil. He is one of the most sadistic characters I’ve read in awhile; his love of degradation, humiliation, pain and fear is unsettling. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it. Right up until the reveal I couldn’t figure out who the mystery Punter was.

While this book offers lots of twists, turns and shocks, none compare to the ending. It wasn’t even close to anything I was thinking or expecting. Sarah Flint has delivered one epic bombshell twist and an ominous ending that has me itching for book 5.

4☆ A Gripping Crime Thriller 

Broken Dolls is a crime thriller that left an impression.

Broken Dolls is the 4th book in the series, but my first book.
It was fine reading as a standalone.

The story opens with a young girl who we assume is a prostitute giving birth.
I assume it's her pimp takes the premature baby from her and ties it in a bag like it's rubbish. It made me so angry I was furious to think he disregarded both mother and baby like they was nothing.
The young girl is heartbroken as he refuses to let her see the baby.
He later dumps it behind a dumpster..

DC Charlie Stafford and her team are called to the dumpster where they find the baby.

They now are in a mad rush to find the young mum as they believe she could be in serious danger with her health!

But can they find her before it's too late?

Broken Dolls contains some sensitive subjects such as sex trade, violence, drugs, trafficking, that some readers may find difficult. 
However Flint handles them with the right amount of sensitivity to still make an impact.

This is a hard hitting pacy read that draws the reader in. I really liked the police procedural and think it read as authentic.
The characters are well developed, many I really disliked but they wasn't meant to be likeable.
This is my first meeting with DC Stafford and I thought she was strong, not afraid to show her feelings especially when faced with horrific findings of a premature baby.

There are two story lines running side by side which could get confusing so you need time to read this one to appreciate the links.

I am surprised that I haven't read any of the previous books. So I am definitely going to look into getting them.

If you enjoy crime thrillers that are pacy and gripping, then you will want to give Broken Dolls a read!