Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

David Harwood is a former Boston Globe city editor and widower who returned home to Promise Falls so he could spend more quality time with his nine-year old son (better hours). He was to be a reporter for the local newspaper but it closed on his first day and now he’s living with his parents until he finds something new. When he stops by to check on his cousin, Marla, whose baby was stillborn some months ago and she’s still pretty fragile, David finds her with a baby boy she says was delivered to her by an “angel.” He knows something’s wrong and discovers information that leads him to an address where he finds a murdered woman he suspects is the baby’s real mother. This discovery is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

I opted to listen to this book and that was a great decision. The two narrators were so good and made the book even more interesting. I also chose not to read the synopsis and had no idea where the story would lead. That also served me well as this tale meanders into several directions that eventually connect, some loosely and others more concretely. David is one of the two narrators, Detective Barry Duckworth who’s investigating this case is the other. Their perspectives couldn’t be more diverse, which adds another element of interest. There’s a strange phenomena occurring at the town’s theme park and a crisis at the local college. And, the connections between David and his family with others in the town provide more murky situations.

There are a host of surprises, small and major, to keep everything moving at a satisfying pace. There are also a lot of characters to track, which isn’t an issue for me as I maintain lists for all the series I follow. But be forewarned that it will be important to remember them and the audio performers help in how they distinguish them. While I figured out early on the biggest mystery, there are still other open threads that weren’t completely resolved…no cliffhangers, just a continuing story arc that’s very compelling. I really enjoyed the story, am glad I chose audio and am anxious to continue.

Book Info

• Release Date: July 28, 2015
• Series: Promise Falls #1
• Narrators: Quincy Dunn-Baker & Brian O’Neil
• Audio Length: 13 hours, 3 minutes

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(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)