Broken is my first book by John Rector. It was a fast read, not overly complex. The premise is pretty common, and it's pretty predictable. I enjoyed it, but it's particularly memorable.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review !

Broken
by John Rector

This was an intriguing mystery/thriller that involves physical abuse, murder, a sociopath and a touch of the supernatural.

Main character Maggie heads to the small town of Beaumont Cove to identify the body of her twin sister Lilly. Lilly's partner Mike has been arrested for her murder and from past experiences, Maggie feels that he is definitely guilty of the crime.

The vivid description of the seashore town of Beaumont Cove reminded me of Asbury Park, NJ in the 1980's. A bit dark and seedy with an ocean full of hidden secrets. Maggie, along with former chief of police Clay and Ava, a boardwalk psychic, assist Maggie in finding the truth behind her sister's murder.

Lilly was murdered in an apartment complex that was maintained by a custodian named Thomas who has a very troubled past and his own dark secrets.

Broken is a great mystery/thriller with a strong female protagonist and enough twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge of their seats.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the book was told from the different perspectives of the sisters and it worked backwards.

I liked this one. It was a very quick read, more like a novella, particularly in the somewhat shallow character development and presentation. Almost from the beginning, you know who the good and bad guys are. There are no red herrings or twists - which is almost a twist in and of itself these days. The plot wasn't very complicated, the characters were straightforward and fairly predictable in their behaviors and responses to the events as they unfolded.

And yet despite all that, I enjoyed reading it.

I can't really put my finger on why, which tells me it must have something to do with the writing - which suited the story very well in all its inexplicable straightforward glory. I'd definitely read Rector again. He tells an unvarnished tale, and that's a rare thing in this day and age. And all the more enjoyable for it, I say...

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend

3.5/5 stars

Broken by John Rector is a new crime thriller by author John Rector. The story of Maggie who is facing the death of her twin sister Lilly. What seems like the result of abuse gone to far turns out to be more than what it seems. Lilly tries to piece together what happened to her sister and finds herself in a disturbed individuals sights.

I devoured this book, It was easy to picture the off season boardwalk of Beaumont Cove and it gave off some creepy vibes. It switches from the heroine Maggie's prospective and that of our villain. Maggie was smart, realistic, very relatable and easily imagined. Our villain was more than slightly disturbed, and we get to watch as he looses grip on reality. My only dislike of the book was that we know who his name and who is from the very beginning. But it was still interesting to watch his mental deterioration and Maggie piecing everything together and trusting her gut instincts.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

This is an OK read, which is quite slow-going, until eventually clues start mounting up towards an investigative conclusion. Additionally I couldn't find any depth to, nor much interest in any of the main characters - it all seemed a little superficial.

Maggie (Magnolia) James and her twin sister Lilly have been estranged since their parents' deaths and because Lilly refused to leave her abusive husband Mike. Now, Maggie arrives in Beaumont Cove - a dilapidated seaside town - to identify her sister's body. Mike is in custody charged with her murder but maintains his innocence.
When receiving Lilly's possessions she notices that a silver key necklace she unwaveringly wore was missing, Maggie's thoughts turn to the whereabouts of a box of items which belonged to their mother, some of which may be valuable. Inevitably her thoughts turn to them being disposed of to provide money to Mike.
A walk along the deserted boardwalk leads to a chance meeting with a seaside psychic who knows more about Maggie than she should do and is guided in the direction of a local private investigator to help in recovering her mother's items.
Lilly and Mike were living at the Orion Motor Lodge in an extended-stay apartment. The lodge is owned by Thomas, inherited from his parents. However, Thomas has a secretive past involving sealed juvenile records and mandatory counselling sessions.
With the help of Sheriff Parks and the private investigator Maggie unravels the mystery of how Lilly came to die.

Had to DNF. Just felt like it had no point to it. I didn't feel like it was building up to anything and I got Hal way through it. If you can’t get to anything by that point then what is even the point?

The cover of this book totally drew me in and the description sounded really good as well. However, it was super predictable and wasn’t a “keep you on the edge of your seat” thriller like I was hoping to find. It wasn’t an awful read, just a quick, predictable mystery that could have benefited greatly from some additional development on the characters’ stories.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Somewhat confusing with the switching back and forth between the lives of the twin sisters. The two women and the other characters lack depth and do not generate any sympathy with readers. With the confusion also comes with a plot that just does not interest me. Definitely not a page turner.

Broken is the story about two twins. Maggie (Magnolia) comes to Beaumont Cove when her twin is murdered. Suspect of the murder is her sisters husband who is known for his loose hands and explosive temper.

But there is more than meets the eye in this quaint seaside community and slowly Maggie discovers what happened to her sister during her last days with some help from the local retired Sheriff and his Carnival Psychic wife. Her search for the truth almost becomes fatal for Magnolia too.

Very interesting and suspenseful book in which the atmosphere of the out of season boardwalk town plays a big role.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

This was an amazing read! It was straight to the point and didn't spend a lot of time where it didn't need to be. Really enjoyed a book that got right into the character development for where it needed to get to and not draw anything out longer than it needed to be. A page turner of a book that had me hooked right from the start and I didn't want to put it down. Really enjoyed the character point of view chapters and how they flowed good with the story.

A really well written and fast paced thriller.
I hadn’t previously read any other books by this author but I will definitely be purchasing more now!
A good read, worthy of 3.5 stars 🌟

The story of two sisters. Twins, who though have a tremendous love for each other have decided to follow different life paths. Maggie and lilly are estranged. When Lilly is murdered Maggie goes to the little town to identify her body and gets caught up in circumstances beyond her control. She has help from a boardwalk psychic, a retired private investigator and the town sheriff. Things aren't exactly as they seem and Maggie knows it. Broken by John Rector is a story of twisted love, jealously and mental illness. Untruths and a choice about her brother-in-law that Maggie will have to live with for the rest of her life and a decision that will alter the rest of her life with a new beginning.

The book was a quick read because it was so simple and with no depth. I didn't have any feelings for the characters. The writing/dialogue was simple. There was no rooting for any of the characters because you only got to know them on the surface. Mystery was solved early on so there was nothing to look forward too.
Overall, I felt this one was more like a kid's night story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Broken by John Rector is a great read! A real engrossing page-turner and worth the time of a read!!!

Broken starts with a heartfelt letter written by Lilly who hopes to reconcile with the sister she left behind. Lilly's
sorrow and loneliness is palpable. Next we see Maggie who has come to identify the body of her twin sister Lilly. The story takes off like an explosion when Thomas is introduced. The writing is so good it's easy to see that Thomas is trouble for anyone who interferes with his twisted fantasy life. His craziness took the story to extremes that were unpredictable. I love a story that surprises me over and over again and Broken did just that. This is a great story with skillfully crafted characters and a perfect ending.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#Broken #NetGalley

Received the book from Net Gallery based on giving an honest review.

Book was easy reading but not what I’d class as a page turner. Enjoyable but not put-down-able.

Great Story and will grip you from the beginning. I really like the characters and how the story was told it all fit very nicely in the end. I look forward to read more books from this author.

At first, I was disappointed to have the two perspectives--the sister trying to figure out what happened to her twin, and the creepy guy who took her life-- but despite knowing the whodunnit, the novel plays out beautifully for a fully satisfying ending.