The Broken Ones by Ren Richards is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark side of human nature. The story follows Anna, a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder, and her struggle to cope with the trauma of her past and the secrets of her present. The book is well-written, with a fast-paced plot and a twisty ending that will keep you guessing until the last page. The characters are complex and realistic, and the author does a great job of portraying the different personalities of Anna and how they affect her relationships. The book is not for the faint of heart, as it deals with themes of abuse, violence, and mental illness, but it is a captivating and compelling read that will stay with you long after you finish it.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is a enthralling read. The characters are both dark and secretive.
It is filled with twists and turns. A great plot

Very well written novel, good characters and I enjoyed the storyline too. Finished it in two sittings and was engrossed most of the time, really liked it, the twist was good and I didn’t guess it, well I did but guessed wrong 😂 a great book to get lost in. Thanks 😊

Nell and Lindsay have a bond closer than most sisters as they grew up in foster care and when Nell has a daughter as a teen her life becomes extremely difficult. She is sure her daughter hates her and struggles with motherhood. That is until her daughter goes missing and everyone accuses Nell of killing her.

Nell and Lindsay move interstate and change their names to escape the press.

Years later Nell, a writer is researching a book on a woman Easter, who is in prison for murdering her sister. Someone is trying to hurt the sisters and they are unsure if it is connected to the case or someone from their past that they have desperately tried to escape.
#netgalley #RenRichards #thebrokenones

This book alternates between past and present and is told by Nell. I was emotionally connected to the characters. I was hooked from the first page. The plot sounded so interesting and I definately wasnt disappointed.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

Great mix of mystery, murder, thriller. I could not put this down. It definitely had me on edge from beginning to end, with a slower pace narrative exactly where it needed it.

Brilliant book. I loved how it keeps you going until the very end. I was found a certain part quite predictable. But only that one part. I think I would of liked another ending, not to say I didnt like the ending. Thoroughly enjoyed it

‘She would like to take little sips of this morning throughout the rest of her life and remember this feeling, because she knew too well that it wouldn’t last, that everything good in the world must eventually be traded for something sour. That was the bargain.’

29 years ago, Nell was born on the floor of Royal King’s State Penitentiary, just two weeks after her mother was jailed for the attempted murder of her father. Her unique start in life has left her with an almost romantic obsession with criminal mysteries, and inspired her career as a true crime writer. But the one story she won't share is that of her daughter, whose disappearance she's kept a secret for nearly 10 years. But as Nell embarks on her latest project, it seems that her past may be about to catch up with her...

'The Broken Ones' makes use of a dual narrative structure, alternating between 10 years ago, and now. The storyline in the past focuses on Nell's previous life as struggling teenage mother Penelope, and slowly reveals the mystery of what happened the day her daughter disappeared. Flash forward 10 years, and you have our present day chapters, in which Nell is a successful true crime author whose just begun her latest novel (I won't go into too much detail, but this storyline involves conjoined Russian twins and a sinister murder. In short, it's completely bonkers, and absolutely fantastic). Using the dual narrative structure meant you got not one but two mysteries to consider throughout the novel, both of which I found to be equally gripping. That being said, I did particularly look forward to Penelope's chapters, as her portrayal of a young mother struggling with a child she doesn't know if she loves made for especially compulsive reading.

Now, you'll note that I distinguished between Nell and Penelope's chapters as though they are two people, and while they are the same character you do genuinely feel as though you're reading from the POV of two very different individuals. I felt that this showed how strong Richards' writing is, as she exemplifies very clearly how Penelope grew from her experiences and became Nell. It's rare to see such confident depictions of character growth, especially in a debut, and in this sense you can really see how strong and assured of a writer Richards' is.

If you take nothing else from this review, please take this - this is truly a standout read in the rather overcrowded psychological thriller genre. The plot is completely unique, managing to combine two radically different mysteries to create a plot that is genuinely gripping, with characters who feel incredibly realistic and who you really connect with and root for, especially Nell. All in all, I thought that this was an incredible read that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

I honestly don't know whose story kept me turning the pages long into the night but it doesn't really matter. It is enough to say that I absolutely devoured this book,that I read it in one sitting. Why then am I unable to give it 5 stars? It is difficult to explain this without giving away the end of the book. Suffice to say that after such a rollercoaster ride I was left seriously underwhelmed by the ending. It was a total anticlimax.

😊 The Broken Ones is Ren Richards' début psychological thriller and an awesome and exhilarating read. The novel features true crime writer, Nell Way, (aka Penelope Wendall) who is about to interview the subject of her next book, Easter Hamblin, a woman convicted of murdering her twin sister. Nell is all about telling other people's stories through her writing... but Nell has secrets of her own, one in particular that she would prefer remained hidden, whatever the circumstances.

Thrillers are one of my favorite genres and this one was a remarkably entertaining and suspenseful read. Told in chapters that flip back and forth between then and now, the story is voiced from Penelope/Nell's perspectives and this approach worked marvellously. The characters were adeptly constructed and believable in their roles, whether intended to be inherently good or bad. The clarity of Ren Richards' writing made it an easy story-line to follow, and the fast paced, tense, and twisty plot went down a treat as it zigzagged along. The author's writing is of a variety that any thriller fan can appreciate -first class, and she was able to create a tone of desperation that continues until the very last page. The Broken Ones is a mesmerising story of families, siblings, manipulation, deception, mental health and secrets which keeps the reader guessing and completely attached to their e-reader. I loved this brilliant thriller and would have given it far more than five stars if I could. Would I read more from Ren Richards? Yes... the author is obviously a very good writer. My thanks must go to Ren Richards for writing such an awesome book! 😊

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Serpent's Tail / Profile Books / Viper via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Book Review: The Broken Ones by Ren Richards
Read: 1st April 2020
Rating: 5/5

'Murderers are human too. That't the part people forget'

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Then: Penelope Wendall was only 14 when she gave birth to her baby daughter Reina. Having grown up the care system, Penelope wanted to give her child the love she never received from her own parents. But from the moment Reina was born, Penelope found that she didn't love her child like she should. Penelope was convinced there was something wrong, something evil about her daughter. 4 years later Penelope is the #1 murder suspect in Reinas disappearance.

Now: Having changed her name to Nell Way, Penelope is living with her loving boyfriend and is a best selling true crime author. When interviewing a woman for her next book, Nell's past has caught ip to her when asked about her missing daughter.

This story flips back and forth between Nells/Penelope's past and present, and even though they were the same character I felt like I was reading from two different perspectives. Which shows the character growth from a young struggling mother to a grown woman.
I enjoyed reading both timelines, however I did find the backstory of Nell to be more interesting than the crime she was writing her book about.
'You love someone or you don't. Love is an emotion, not a unit of measurement'

I would highly recommend picking this up if you enjoy reading stories of families, siblings, manipulation, deception, mental health and secrets which has some intense danger scenes, keeps the reader guessing and frantically turning the pages.
Thank you net galley, publishers and to the author for letting me read this masterfully written book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing book! Thank you so much Serpent’s Tail for sending me this early copy of The Broken Ones in exchange for my honest, unedited feedback.

Everyone has a past. Some are forever haunted by theirs. This is the case for Nell Way, previously known as Penelope Wendall.

This book has 2 storylines:

1. Then: Nell*s past. Her daughter disappeared 10 years ago and Nell was charged with her murder. What really happened?

2. Now: Nell is a True Crime writer and is working on her latest book. Creepy things start happening. Nell and her sister Lindsay are being threatened. Is this related to the book or to their past?

I was totally hooked on this mystery. Couldn’t rest until I found out what happened all those years ago. This was the first book I’ve read from Ren Richards, and from now on, I’ll keep an eye on her. I read that this is her debut in the mystery/thriller scene and boy was I surprised! I see a bright future for her in this genre. Great style, completely unpretentious and cool. Great character writing: I could relate to the MC, for a change, and the way the author described each character’s traits was incredibly clear. I loved how she wrote Lindsay. Great female characters!

One line I highlighted from straightforward Lindsay: There is no “love him enough”. You love someone or you don’t. Love is an emotion, not a unit of measurement.

I highly recommend this to everyone. You will not be disappointed. I wish I could say more about the plot, but I don’t want to give too much away and ruin your experience.

This will for sure be on my top books of the year.

WoW............The Broken Ones by Ren Richards was Just.............a brilliant but haunting read! Once I downloaded it and started to read it I was Hooked! The characters were very interesting and you learnt about them throughout this book. You read about them in the past and present which brings this book together. As I've said before It was Just brilliant.

I highly recommend this book and definitely check out more from this author in the future.

Big Thank you to Serpent's Tail / Profile Books, Viper and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow!

I could not put this down. it definitely had me on edge from beginning to end, with a slower pace narrative exactly where it needed it. We are transported from the now to the past filling the gaps of the story along the way but still keeping the tension in both timelines, a difficult task that Ren Richards (or otherwise known as Lauren DeStefano) does beautifully well!

I am quite new still to this genre but I have to admit I loved it, it kept me glued to my Kindle and I was not expecting the twists and turns. And to learn that this novel is a debut for the author in this genre makes it very promising if they decide to delve into it with more books. Such a moody, emotional and gripping writing, I am happy this book made me curious to read more of the author which says a lot about the writer's talent! It makes me so happy when that accidentally happens, in the sense that I was only intrigued by the blurb and had no idea about the rest making an unexpected surprise that kept me awake at night (and a bit terrified of mannequins)

‘Murderers are humans too. That’s the part people forget.’
'You just look at me like I'm a bank page in your book and you haven't decided what story you're going to tell me'.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ren Richards and Serpent's Tail for this free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#Netgalley #renrichards #serpentstail

Trigger Warning: descriptive dead baby references

Nell writes True Crime novels and is living with her boyfriend Sebastian. But will she ever be able to tell him the truth about the darkest part of her past in order to have a real relationship with him? Or will telling him mean she looses everything anyway?

When things start turning hairy, is Nells past about to catch up with her or is a violent ex of her sister Lindsay back?

I did enjoy this and I am pleased to say that there were some pretty cool twists I did not see coming. That being said, I feel like the end is incomplete. Perhaps there is a sequal in the works.

On another note there are a lot of editing errors. I did get this book as a pre-release so I can only hope that these have been corrected for the books release tomorrow. Otherwise the absence of capital letters for names and the starts of sentences is going to get very annoying and possibly off-putting for a lot of readers.

Overall, for me this story is a solid 3 stars. I like the story line, the twists, the range of characters and how well developed those characters are. The plot was convincing and well paced , easy to read and compelling. It just needed an extra chapter or two to wrap everything up properly.

This is a really good thriller. There is a lot of action the whole way through and great characters. I read this book in one sitting. It is a really good page turner which kept me hooked right up to the end. There are a lot of twists in the plot which keeps adding to the suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

WOW. I didn’t expect that.

This is a great start for Ren Richards’ dream of breaking into the adult suspense/thriller genre. I’ve not read any of her YA novels.

I read this in 24 hours.... got lots of things to do however I couldn’t put this down. Nell Way and her sister Lindsay are great characters, in fact all of the characters are believable. However, the plot is built around Nell Way and Lindsay.

The first two sentences draw you in straight away.

‘Murderers are human too. That’s the part people forget.’

Born to a mother in jail, who tried to murder her alcoholic father, Nell was brought up by her sister during their time in foster care homes.

Both girls ended up quite wealthy, one through marriage, Lindsay and Nell through being a crime writer. However Nell has a dark secret which you don’t get to find out what happened until the very end.

After getting pregnant at 14 and giving birth to a daughter, Reina, who was a little devil 😈 the father, Ethan and his wealthy family took over her life.

The plot thickens and it takes you from Now to Then, two timelines and explores the lives of the two women. What happened then and what is happening now.

It starts to get personal when Nell takes on a new female criminal who found out about her past which she brought up when Nell interviewed her for her next book.

It makes you think who and why are Nell and Lindsay being targeted? Is it something to do with Lindsay’s past or the new jailbird, Easter, Nell has started to research? Easter is a Russian psychopath, or is she? Ren keeps you guessing until the end.

Sebastian, Nell’s boyfriend, is the stable pin throughout, sounds like my kind of guy, Nell’s rock, however he doesn’t know about her past and is about to learn, does he stay?

Loved this book, easy to read, a poetic style of writing and Ren keeps the suspense going until the end.

Would definitively recommend. 5*

There’s quite a few typos and grammatical errors in my manuscript which will naturally be rectified before it is published.....

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

I wasn't able to put this book down.

"The Broken Ones" begins inconspicuously, introducing Nell Way, a true crime writer who is in a happy relationship, and has a knack for humanising the otherwise infamous in her work. However, as she begins interviewing Easter Hamblin, the murdering half of a formerly conjoined pair of twins, her initially perfect life begins to unravel before the reader's eyes, and we quickly learn that she has a past just as tormented and troubled as that of those whom she interviews. A past that resurfaces and culminates into life threatening.

The aptly titled novel, with its rapid twists and unexpected turns, is one that reflects on our imperfect nature. The protagonist, is in her own way, 'broken', as are some of the other characters (who will remained unnamed for spoiler purposes). Richards' writing is one that any thriller fan will appreciate - fast paced, tense and able to create a mood of desperation that envelopes the reader until the last page. I was torn between sympathising with characters, while disliking them at the same time. The strength of the novel ultimately lies in the moral greyness of its lead : Nell is emotionally scarred, which leads her to make questionable decisions, which are easy to judge as the reader, but at the same time, painfully relevant and relatable.

Recommended to thriller lovers.