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There are currently 27 member reviews
for Broken Promise
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Lynn R. (Dixon, IL)
good summer read
Thank you for sending me the advance copy of Linwood Barclay's new book, Broken Promise. This will be a great, fast summer read on the beach or on a plane. It is suspenseful enough to keep turning the pages but the story line is fairly simple. I don't want to be a spoiler for those reading this review so I will just say that I figured it out about half way through but still enjoyed it to the last page. The characters are not highly developed or believable especially in the case of Sarita and Dr. Sturgess but it's still a good read.
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Carol G. (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)
Broken Promise
I have read 9 of Linwood Barclay's previous novels and have always enjoyed reading them. This one doesn't disappoint but I did feel there were too many characters and subplots. This book is an easy read if that's what you are looking for. However, I solved the mystery early into the book except for the cliffhanger ending. This is still an enjoyable book and I will read the next 2 books in this series.
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Donna W. (Lansing, NY)
Somewhat gripping, however.....
While embracing this genre of "who-done-its", this one left me lukewarm. Although I'll always persevere to the end, it's more a matter of the quest, and in this case this rings true.
Too many characters and too many distractions for its own good, making it a trifle tedious and way too long.
I really wanted to like this book, since I've never read any others by this author, however it didn't really even seem very well written.
Sorry to be so critical, but of course, this is just my opinion.
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Judy K. (Conroe, TX)
What happened?
I was reading right along, enjoying this book, when BAM! It ended. I love mysteries and, like everyone else who reads the genre, try to figure things out as I go along. If I'm surprised or can't figure it out, I consider that a good book when all is revealed at the end. This was definitely a surprise because very little was revealed. The book just ended. I'm assuming it's a lead-in for Mr. Barclay's next book and maybe then the mysterious questions will be answered? Or not. I felt cheated and a bit angry. I don't like to be left twisting in the wind.
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Nanette S
A Broken Promise
When an author discovers a "voice", the writer and the reader both profit because that character becomes both a friend and confidant to each. That relationship can last decades such as Sanford's Lucas Davenport, Connelly's Harry Bosch, and Burke's Dave Robicheau have to many. David Harwood, the protagonist in this novel, showed promise as a "voice" but, in Barclay's case, we are required to devote three book reads to get to know him since this book is Part 1 of a trilogy. Other authors create stories that begin and end in one volume while Barclay does not. While David Harwood and his family are the main focus of the ongoing story, the reader is introduced to over 50 characters in this book all of which show interest if developed fully- the police chief, the former mayor, the Thackery College staff, etc. All of the characters seem to either have significant character flaws or a "to be revealed" secret as their hometown, Broken Falls, New York falls into decline creating an environment where misfits and evil deeds seem to prevail. The plot was a "page turner" and the characters were all interesting (if somewhat predictable). My disappointment with the novel stems from the fact that I did not know that it was Part 1/3 and there were too many threads left open for the next installment. I recommend the book with the warning that there will be more to follow.
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Jane N. (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)
So So
This book has all the makings of a really good tale but for me, it really never worked. There are so many parts of the book that I liked, but there were too many parts that didn't work. Every author has the ability to define his characters through their descriptive prose. Too many of the characters in this book were written as stereotypes. Because of this, I found myself not only disliking them but also caring about them. I cannot recommend this book. I read this book twice to try and find a way to recommend it but could not.
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