J. D. Barker never fails to deliver a page-flipping read. From the 4MK trilogy to Dracul, and Forsaken, the author has always pulled me into the story, and hasn't let go until the last page. I can't blame him for my addiction to all night reads since it started before The Fourth Monkey. What I can say is that this book, once again, was a story that I wasn't willing to put down, just to sleep.
I don't choose a book based on its length, but if you do try to schedule your reading time, be aware that its a long one, 774 pages. Not one of those pages felt unnecessary as the story covers quite a bit of time, and honestly, I tend to get excited when I see that an author I love has written a big book! Plenty of pages to get immersed in the story!
Jack Thatch lost his parents at a young age and now lives with his Aunt Jo. Every year, they visit the graves on August 8th, and it is here, on this day, that Jack first encounters Stella. A beautiful, mysterious girl who talks down to Jack and owns his heart. Though brief and not guaranteed to repeat every year, a bond is formed between Jack and Stella. One that cannot be broken by the strangeness that is Stella's life, the passage of time, or the heartbreaking tragedies that Jack endures.
Why is Stella followed by people in white coats, and why is an oddly burned body always discovered on August 9th? There is much to learn about Stella, and not all of it is good. And Jack, the boy with a good heart and little money, who death seems to surround, yet never touch. I will be many years before all the puzzle pieces come together, but when they do, you will have read an amazing story about family, friendship, the evil that men do, and the power of love!
In case I didn't mention it, I loved She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be! I will be purchasing a hard copy when this publishes and putting it right next to my Stephen King and Dean Koontz books. This is another author who has made my must-read list! If you haven't read any of his books, might I suggest the 4MK trilogy? All three books were solid 5 star reads for me! I'm also the one who can't stop talking about this book on Instagram, Twitter, GoodReads, and my blog. Amazon will also hear from me on publication day!


I received a DRC from Hampton Creek Press through NetGalley.

She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be is a hell of a good book. Boy meets a girl on a bench in a cemetery. One year later they meet again at the same spot. Is it fate or something else? You will have to decide.

Get ready for a thriller with a twist of love. You will not want to put this book done. I will warn you it is long, but you never get bored. It will take you on a journey expanding years. There will be action, love and heartache.

Even though JDB's book is long, you don't really notice it and the pages fly by. JDB grew the characters in such a way that the reader will feel and come to love the characters. His character development is superb. From children to adults you will live life with them.

Don't plan anything when you start to read. Heck, you shouldn't even be reading my review or anyone elses. Just go grab buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

It's funny how some tales take parts of a person. This one did it for me. I'm undecided whether it's a great story, or just o.k. Barker hits my weird bone! Some may have a funny bone, but that's a nerve ending. I can't tell ya' how Barker works in my head...but, he does! That's really all I care about. Love this author!

I’d not read this author before, but I sucked up this mammoth story like a sponge, there’s not a single page that didn’t hold my attention.
Despite being set over a long time frame, it’s very well-paced making the reader feel they’re literally growing up alongside the main character. The writer crafts well-rounded characters who he isn’t scared of killing off, though he does like to throw us the odd red herring along the way.
The main narrative is set against the sinister backdrop of a mysterious scientific experiment, the reports from which get progressively shorter. Meanwhile, our main character, the extremely likable Jack, is carving his way to adulthood through hard work and with a kind heart.
I love the way the writer makes us like characters that we ultimately didn’t expect to and I adore the glimpses of humour in his conversational descriptions.
This is a beautifully written and edited piece of work and I’m absolutely delighted to have discovered this author.

One thing is for sure with a title such as this book has, one could certainly expect to be in for a surprise. With a book of close to eight hundred pages, this story's length might be one to discourage a reader. However, do yourself a favor and grab a copy for this is one heck of a story brilliantly told.

Jack Thatch is a young boy who is left bereft when his parents die in a car crash. Left to live with his hard working but very poor Aunt Jo, Jack's life look bleak and one where he will find little to be joyful about. One day, August 8th to be exact, while visiting his parents' graves, Jack meets, sitting on a bench, a young girl who is followed by a team of white clad people and cars. How very strange and mysterious! Stella becomes an enigma, a conundrum, a puzzlement to Jack. She will return at intervals on that same August 8th day, to the same bench this journey began on, always with those people in white. The odyssey of Jack and Stella commences.

There is something sinister, something eerie, something otherworldly about Stella, but the attraction Jack feels becomes stronger every year, and his heart becomes involved with a love that is tenacious and vibrant. There is not a day when Jack does not think of Stella for he is convinced she is his destiny. Meanwhile life goes on for Jack. He works with his aunt in a diner and the two of them scrimp and save to try to make ends meets. But mysterious things start happening. Jack receives five hundred dollars monthly, left on his bed, and has no idea where or how this money comes to be. He meets with Stella whenever she appears on August 8th, and they find common ground in the work of Dickens's Great Expectations. Jack becomes Stella's Pip.

There is much about Stella that is shrouded in mystery. Why the wearing of gloves and why is she accompanied to the graveyard by these white clad people with a women tender.......and then there are the bodies that are starting to surface. Bodies that seemed to have been burned and yet not burned. The police get involved. Detectives Fogel and Brier are on the trail especially since there seems to be a pattern of one dead body found on August 9th, the day after Jack and Stella's intermittent meetings.

There is another perplexing character, a boy D, who is locked away, harboring a terrible secret and ability. How he and the others figure into this enigma drives the story forward at a pace that takes one's breath away.

This is a love story, love in its many forms, familial, friendship, but ultimately, it is the love Jack has for Stella that brings this story full circle to a most amazing conclusion.

I totally fell in love with the book. It was one in which hours passed, and one more chapter became two, three or four. It was one where the middle of the night reading became the rule. It was just that good. So, do indeed take a look at this book. It has everything one loves in stories and through its masterful telling is able to weave a tale so intricate, so loving, so scary, so intriguing that the words you can't put this book down takes on new meaning.

Many thanks to J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this fantastic book due out on March 31, 2020.

The classic tale of boy meets girl, girl is cryptic to boy, boy becomes obsessed with girl, girl becomes even more mysterious and supernatural mayhem ensues.

Don’t be misled by my glib synopsis, I thoroughly enjoyed She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be, but I also don’t want to risk giving away too much. I went into SHABTWHHSB knowing nothing about the novel except that I’ve loved Barker’s past work and was hooked from the get go.

Barker has a way of making his characters deep and varied so that, even if you wouldn’t always make their choices, you can still follow them with an understanding and wish the best for them.

For example, the main character in SHABTWHHSB, Jack Thatch, has personal demons that I’ve seen turn less well structured protagonists into unlikeable, unrelatable characters you are still expected to root for and care about. Instead of yawning and checking how many pages were left, I found myself hoping Jack could defeat his demons and looked forward to following him and his motley crew to wherever their journey took them.

SHABTWHHSB’s story is delightful and felt to me like an homage to Stephen King’s Firestarter in many ways. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the references to Great Expectations, but parts of the novel also feel gothic.

At its core, SHABTWHHSB is a love story, but it has enough mystery, supernatural elements and action to keep me interested as someone who doesn’t dig romance novels. I would recommend SHABTWHHSB to anyone who enjoys the way writers like King, Koontz and now Barker can spin love stories beautifully into modern gothic masterpieces.

She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be is the first novel I’ve read from J.D. Barker, in spite of having exchanging with him on Twitter about his 4MK series a while ago (I still have to get to it).

This is a great novel.

August, 8 1984. A boy codenamed « D » is kept in an inescapable room by an unknown organization. He’s constantly under surveillance through monitors on a thirty seconds delay.

August, 8 1984. John Edward Thatch, then 8 years old, visits his parents’ grave with his aunt Jo. On a bench in the cemetery, he meets a girl his age, Stella. She’s reading Great Expectations while being monitored by a woman in white. She leaves with her in a white SUV.

Jack will again see her on August 8 the following year, and then again. She only appears on the bench on this exact day.

August 8, 1987. Detective Faustino Brier investigates the death of a man found in an alley. Burnt, but not burnt, as if everyone of his cells turned to ash. This isn’t the first time he encounters such a case. Similar bodies have turned up every year, on August 8, since 1978.

Reviewing this novel without spoiling anything proved particularly difficult.

At some point, Stella will fail to appear. Jack will embark on a quest to find her. Pittsburgh’s finests (at least their de facto X-Files division) will do the same to try and solve their serial deaths.. We’ll also learn more about an organization reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Shop (antagonists in Firestarter, Golden Years, The Tommyknockers, The Stand...).

When we begin to figure out where J.D. Barker’s story is going, we are proven wrong by a major twist. Many characters embark on a road trip, and a game of cat and mice, across the USA. Cats and mice roles shifting along the way.

This book is a paranormal thriller. But, it is also a story about growing up, friendship, love, obsession, addiction. A story about conspiracy, about good and evil, but also all shades of grey between them.

It is masterfully crafted by J.D. Barker, who has such a way with words that you’re kept hypnotized by his pages. There is humor, subtly weaved in the narration of this real big story. Big not solely by its page count, but foremost big in scope.

She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be should have its place on the shelves where you keep Stephen King and Dean Koontz’ best novels.

Thanks to Hampton Creek Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

Now, please excuse me while I go buy and read everything else J.D. Barker has written. It’s about time.

Oh wow! I REALLY loved this book. An exceptional story interwoven with such detail I didn't want it to ever end.

This is a must read! 700+ pages in 7 hours — good thing I had a completely free (no hubby, no kids, no work) day!! Could NOT put this one down (so happy I didn’t have to). 😊 This one was a bit of everything - horror, mystery, thriller - and completely captivating. Add this to your TBR; preorder if you can. Plan a day to read when you have no other commitments. You won’t be able to stop once you start.

Thank you #netgalley and #hamptonpress for the eARC.

I'll be honest and tell you that I have never read J.D. Barkers 4MK series even though so many of my friends have sung its praises. For whatever reason I was just not sold on the premise. One day I was on NetGalley (I know, shocking!) and She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be was available to "read now". The title piqued my interest, the cover is perfection, and the synopsis intriguing - what does a girl have to lose?

I am so happy to have downloaded this gem of a book because it is nothing short of phenomenal. I truly did get King vibes from this one.

This epic story of nearly 800 pages covers a 30 year span of time which makes this review incredibly difficult to write.

John Tatch lost his parents in a car accident and now lives with his fierce but loving Aunt Jo. Every August 8th, the anniversary of their death, they spend the day at the cemetery by their gravesides. This year is different though. John spots a girl his age sitting on a bench reading a book. He becomes completely mesmerized by her and makes his way to her bench to introduce himself. (This scene is so damn cute!) Her name is Stella and she is reading Great Expectations and she doesn't seem to find John interesting at all and tells him so. Dumbfounded by her honesty he continues to sit in her company until, before he knows it, Stella is being ushered away by the people in white.

John is not deterred and continues to visit the cemetery and the bench they shared day after day and Stella never arrives. He doesn't see her around town or in school. She is a mystery that he becomes obsessed with. Then when August 8th rolls around again, much to his surprise, Stella is sitting on the bench reading her book. The people in white are also nearby. Who is this girl? Where does she come from? Why must she wear gloves? And who are the people in white?

These are all questions you will be asking yourselves.

I loved so many characters in this book: John, Duncan, Stella, Aunt Jo, Gerdy - I loved them all. 💗

Subject "D" - Talk about goosebumps! Very creepy young many in a mask, kept in a cell, and no one and I mean no one should ever listen to him speak. If he doesn't keep you flipping the pages then I don't know what will.

Every single emotion was felt while I read this book and for that - ALL THE STARS!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I mainly read Crime Thrillers. After enjoying JD Barker’s 4MK series I jumped at the chance to read his new novel, She Had A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be.
If it had been from any other author, once I knew the novel was 774 pages long and concerned mutant children I may have passed on it. Glad I didn’t. It is a big story covering decades, yet I couldn’t stop reading this masterpiece in suspense.
Thank you to J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

J.D. Barker's newest novel is fantastic. Although my first, and certainly not my last. This book was well written and the characters were wonderful.

"You have been in every line I have ever read." Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
Many mysterious people in this book. People who are not what you thought them to be.
Spans 30+ years from 1984 to 2020.
Jack lives with his aunt Jo and every year on August 8th, they visit his parents graves. It is there he meets Stella and the obsession starts. They meet every year. Stella is no ordinary girl and neither is Jack.
You won't put this book down until the end!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

Boy meets girl in a cemetery.
The girl is driven away in a white SUV.
The boy sees the same girl in the same cemetery on the same bench one year later...

Kismet? You decide!

The description calls this book "A haunting tale of suspense." but it's more than that. For me, this was also a love story, J.D. Barker Style. There are many kinds of love in this book - love for family, love for friends, romantic love, etc. Family is also a theme. What makes a family? It's not just those we are related to, it is those who are in our community, our friends, those who we have grown up with and have grown with, it can be the lady across the hall of the man who is hard of hearing who flips burgers where you work. Love, family, gunfire, death, burnt bodies, secret labs, obsession, and the search for the truth!

<i> <b>"You have been in every line I have ever read."</b></i> -Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Jack Thatch (John Edward Thatch) a.k.a Pip was visiting his parent's graves with his Aunt Jo, the first time he met Stella, sitting on a bench in the cemetery with her favorite book, Great Expectations. From that moment on, he can't get her out of his mind. Then he sees her again in the same place a year later. Who is this mysterious young Stella? Who are the people with her? What's with all the white clothes and cars?

Detective Brier has been noticing things or shall I say, dead people. Those like the man whose body was found in an alleyway burned but his clothing remains intact, untouched by whatever burned him. It happens every year on August 9th. Soon Detective Fogel is on the case as well.

Then there is Subject "D" a young boy in a mysterious lab, who wears a mask and is not permitted to speak to anyone. He is powerful, and those who have him there, never want him to leave. He is kept alone, growing, thinking, imagining...

All these things and people are connected in intricate and interesting ways. This is a BIG book, there is a lot going on - it's easy to digest but some of it will break your heart. Barker quotes Great Expectations in this book; however while reading one scene from this book I was reminded of a quote from another book": <i>"He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry."</i> - Markus Zusak, Book Thief. Well, he did it. Barker made me cry with that one scene. This book is reminiscent of early King and Koontz. King fans know he is not afraid to kill his darlings....so who will Barker kill in this book? He had me grabbing my tissues.

For those that have read Barker's other books, this one is a little different but just as wonderful. Here he shows us a different side. He also shows us character development, he gives us a glimpse into his character's lives over a span of time. We see them grow, change, make mistakes, get knocked down, get back up, keep on going. In his 4MK series, we see character development throughout his series, in this book, we see it over the span of these character's lives. Besides being a love story, this is also a coming of age story with a sci-fi, suspense/thriller plot.

This book is not as fast-paced as his other books, yet it is just as rewarding. Keep in mind, that even though I am saying it is not as fast-paced, in no way am I saying it is slow - it's not. This book keeps building, just like Jack and Stella, it keeps growing. There are characters to love and characters who are creepy, characters who are bad and those who are a mixture of both good and bad. There are those you will root for, those who you wish would do better, and then there was "D". There is a human factor here, these characters will get under your skin, and their plight will have you feeling all kinds of emotions.

Like his other books, this book was beautifully written and came together brilliantly. Nothing felt rushed or drawn out. I found the pacing to be perfect. I found this book to be compelling and I was riveted to the pages, turning them as fast as my schedule would allow. I loved getting to know these characters and reading where Barker took them. Plus, he has me wanting to read Great Expectations again, and again and again.

Highly Recommend! As long as Barker keeps writing, I’ll keep reading! He’s the real deal and has proven he can and will deliver book after book.

P.S. Don’t overlook the “From the Author” section at the end.

Thank you to J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, it was fantastic! All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Hampton Greek Press for the eARC.
Jack Thatch is a great character, I really liked him. When he is eight years old he meets Stella, a beautiful girl who's also eight, at a cemetery where he was visiting his parents' graves with his aunt Jo who's now looking after him. He is immediately smitten and will never love any other girl. Over the years he meets her once a year at the cemetery, where she's always guarded by white-clothed figures in white vehicles.
The book takes us from 1978 till 2020, with Jack hiding from the mysterious people in white while constantly trying to follow Stella, thoughts of her constantly on his mind. There is so much going on throughout the story that makes you read furiously, holding your breath. So much action, so many questions that you want answers to...I found myself tearing through the book at a furious pace, what a suspenseful book!
Highly recommended.

This book is right up there with the 4MK trilogy, one hell of a literary ride. A wonderfully crafted story with well-developed and compelling characters, it has twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat right to the last page. It was so captivating and exciting that I simply couldn't put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After the loss of his parents, young Jack Thatch first met Stella as a child—this cryptic little girl of eight with dark hair and darker eyes, sitting alone on a bench in the cemetery clutching her favorite book. Gone moments later, the brief encounter would spark an obsession. She'd creep into his thoughts, his every waking moment, until he finally finds her again exactly one year later, sitting upon the same bench, only to disappear again soon after."

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my review. New author to me, loved the cover & the creepy title. It took me a day to digest what I've just read, it's gripping and intense. There's so many twists and turns, quite a page turner!

I have come to the conclusion that Mr J.D. Barker is an absolute genius and he surely has a brilliant mind to write like he does I swear this man could list all the ingredients on a sauce bottle and I would read it !
I was thrilled to get the ARC of this book as I have devoured all previous books by the author and loved every one and this one is no exception it’s an amazing read.
It’s a big book just short of 800 pages but I flew through it and was loathe for it to finish and was so sad when it did as yes it really is that good, well better than good which is a bit of an understatement this book is bloody brilliant and more.
A completely unique read we have here it’s just different to anything your going to read and I assure you once you start you will not want to put the book down. So we have love, weirdness, loads of killings, fantastic characters , exciting plot and all of this spans over 30+ years and in those years we read about you become so connected to the characters you care about them deeply.
It was a book I was gutted to finish, a book I felt I lived in and felt quite lost when it ended and a book I will never forget.
So all I can really say is if you want a book that has everything you have sure got it here so don’t miss out grab a copy and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed it’s got to be one of my favourite reads ever.
Massive thanks to J.D. Barker for another 100% winner of a read that I loved, keep writing I need more please !!
My thanks also to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fantastic book, I loved that it goes from when they are children, it kept me guessing nearly three quarters through to realise what was going on, the back stories of what happened in the past didn't get confusing like some other books, really brilliant, read his other books which I thoroughly enjoyed, this book was totally different but just as riveting, get it, you won't be sorry.

Do not start this book unless you have nothing to do except read and read and read some more. Because from the first sentence you’ll be sucked in, needing to read one more page, and one more after that and after that. This story is unstoppable, and long after it’s finished I can’t stop thinking about the characters, their lives still wanting to know how they are and what they’re doing right now.
Jack is being raised by his Aunt Jo and every August 8th they go to the Pittsburgh cemetery to visit his mom and dad. This particular time he befriends a girl his age sitting on a bench reading Great Expectations. He feels an immediate rapport with Stella, and after she is whisked away, he can’t stop thinking of her. He continues going to the cemetery hoping to see her but it’s not until a year later, August 8th, that she’s once again sitting on the bench. This starts their once a year relationship as he pines for her in between, although his everyday life is very strange too.
Many twists and turn, a stellar plot, great characters, it’s a book I already know I want to read again.

I loved the 4MK series so much, I couldn’t wait to read this one!! Let me tell you It Did Not Disappoint!!!
This book tells the story of a boy and a girl that are destined to be together even if circumstances and time try to keep them apart. There were elements of love, danger and suspense rolled into a book that was so hard to put down! I can’t give any details without giving some of the story away, I can just say it is a must read!!