BROKEN PROMISE

Author:  Linwood Barclay
Genre:  Thriller, Promise Falls Series #1
Published:  2015
Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Brian O'Neill &

Quincy Dunn-Baker

Yearly Count: 54

From NetGalley: 

After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent.

Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions. A year after a devastating miscarriage, David’s cousin Marla has continued to struggle. But when David’s mother asks him to check on her, he’s horrified to discover that she’s been secretly raising a child who is not her own—a baby she claims was a gift from an “angel” left on her porch.

When the baby’s real mother is found murdered, David can’t help wanting to piece together what happened—even if it means proving his own cousin’s guilt. But as he uncovers each piece of evidence, David realizes that Marla’s mysterious child is just the tip of the iceberg.

Other strange things are happening. Animals are found ritually slaughtered. An ominous abandoned Ferris wheel seems to stand as a warning that something dark has infected Promise Falls. And someone has decided that the entire town must pay for the sins of its past…in blood.

When I see a Linwood Barclay book come available, I jump, even though his family oriented thrillers have not received consistent ratings from me.  This one landed in the "just okay" range due to the abundance of storylines.  I realize he was setting it up as a series, but I didn't know what went together and what didn't.  However, just like always, I will be seeking out the next in the series with hopes of it being a bit more focused.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.