Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Broken Promise
    Broken Promise
    Broken Promise
    Audiobook13 hours

    Broken Promise

    Written by Linwood Barclay

    Narrated by Brian O'Neil and Quincy Dunn-Baker

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the New York Times bestselling author of No Safe House comes an explosive novel about the disturbing secrets of a quiet small town.. 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 28, 2015
    ISBN9781490684161
    Broken Promise
    Author

    Linwood Barclay

    Linwood Barclay is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous previous novels and two thrillers for children. His books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He wrote the screenplay adaptation for his novel Never Saw it Coming and his book The Accident has been made into a TV series in France. His novel No Time for Goodbye was a global bestseller. A native of Connecticut, he now lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha.

    More audiobooks from Linwood Barclay

    Related to Broken Promise

    Titles in the series (3)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Suspense For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Karin Slaughter

      Jul 2, 2020

      This American crime author has sold more than 35 million copies of her books globally. This month she’s celebrating the release of her 20th novel in as many years. It’s also the 10th book in special agent Will Trent’s series. “It feels really great a

      1 min read

    • Article

      TV Pieces Of Her

      Mar 24, 2022

      TV Pieces Of Her
      1 min read

    • Article

      Deep Impact

      May 31, 2020

      Deep Impact
      9 min read

    • Article

      LeTteR Bocks

      Aug 4, 2022

      ◻PLEASE find attached this trademark from a box of eggs, which appears to show a chicken lifting its leg to crack off an eggy one. Susan Butcher, Australia ◻FORMER Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticised for meeting an ex-KGB agent without h

      13 min read

    • Article

      What A Menace

      May 14, 2020

      What A Menace
      2 min read

    • Article

      Letterbocks

      Apr 14, 2022

      letters@viz.co.uk □ “OUR HOUSE, in the middle of the street,” sang popular North London ska band Madness in the eighties. But I can’t imagine they were particularly popular with local residents if they had a house blocking the middle of the road. If

      9 min read

    • Article

      Michael Caine On Brexit, Boris Johnson And Big Breaks: ‘I’ve Done 150 Movies. I Think That’s Enough’

      Oct 18, 2021

      Michael Caine is 88 and walks with a stick. He has a gammy leg and a dodgy spine and reckons the only time he leaves the house these days is when his wife has the time to take him out for a drive. The other week he was sent a screenplay that had his

      8 min read

    • Article

      Family Man

      Jul 15, 2020

      Family Man
      10 min read

    • Article

      Family Man

      Jul 15, 2020

      Family Man
      10 min read

    • Article

      'Wow, No Thank You': Samantha Irby Returns With An Antidote To Your Coronavirus Funk. You're Welcome.

      Apr 22, 2020

      CHICAGO - I should've written this Q&A with Samantha Irby about "Wow, No Thank You" - her latest incisive and brilliantly ribald essay collection - days ago. But, like many during this coronavirus moment, I couldn't focus. Instead, I found respite in

      5 min read

    • Article

      My Funny, Angry Dad

      Mar 19, 2022

      My Funny, Angry Dad
      6 min read

    • Article

      Tony Hillerman's Daughter Anne On Keeping Her Father's Mysteries Alive

      May 29, 2018

      With new focus on a female character, Anne Hillerman is successfully reviving her dad's immensely popular novels.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Monica Ali

      Feb 7, 2022

      Monica Ali
      5 min read

    • Article

      Unbroken Angel: Happy Birthday, Absent Brother Juan Francisco Urrea

      Mar 1, 2018

      Carnal, today is your birthday.  I don’t know where you are now.  But I know you’re somewhere. Many of our intellectual friends would argue that if you’re dead, you are nowhere.  I know you well enough to know you are busy wherever

      4 min read

    • Article

      Hop Along

      Dec 15, 2018

      Hop Along
      3 min read

    • Article

      Take a Writer Like Him: My Complicated Love Affair with Kingsley Amis

      Aug 24, 2018

      1. As much as I may rack my brain, there are 15 minutes or so in the dark that I can’t account for and that I’ll never get back—15 minutes during which, I have to think, that creep’s hands were touching my body. It’s a weird thing to think about all

      12 min read

    • Article

      Why 50 Is The New 40

      Mar 9, 2021

      On the night of my 40th birthday, I thought I had it sussed. Getting dressed for my party in a poppy-print Joseph dress and purple patent Chloé Mary Janes, I reflected on my good fortune. I had just landed a job as the editor of a parenting magazine.

      3 min read

    • Article

      David Harewood

      Mar 20, 2023

      David Harewood
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Broken Promise

    4/5

    185 ratings26 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I got this book on the Giveaway. Many thanks to author and publisher for that!
      It's a pretty good story and it keeps you wanting to continue until the end.
      Intriguing with all the side stories/murders/crimes that are left unresolved and will be explored in the next book without doubt.
    • 1/5
      I usually love anything by this author but this one did not grab me at all.
    • 4/5
      David left his job as a reporter in Boston to come home to Promise Falls with his son. He took a job with the local paper, only to lose it on his first day when the paper shuts down. When he goes to visit his cousin, Marla, he finds her with a baby… that’s not hers! A number of months back, Marla had lost a baby and later tried to take another one from the hospital – this was hushed up by her mother. Marla tells David that an “angel” dropped off the baby to her. He finds some info that gives him a clue to where the baby might belong and manages to convince Marla to go with him and they bring the baby. When they arrive, they find the mother murdered on the floor in the house! I really enjoyed this. There were a couple of other storylines, as well, but the others weren’t wrapped up by the end. I did know this was a series, so I expect those will be finished up in further books. Barclay’s books are told from different points of view, but we are told at the start of each chapter whose POV we are following (or most chapters, anyway). As usual, there are twists in the book.
    • 4/5
      As you would expect from Linwood Barclay some excellent plotting and a book that moves along at a pace, with some unexpected twists thrown in. Certainly could not have guessed the eventual outcome of this book. Took a bit longer than usual to get going for his books but that may be because it is the first book in a trilogy. I want to see where Linwood Barclay takes this, so straight onto book 2. If you like good mysteries I would recommend this.
    • 5/5
      I have had this book for awhile and kept putting off reading it, now I wish I had read it right away. I was riveted and once I got into it, I could not put it down. This is the first book in a trilogy and all the books have been published, so I will definitely get into the next one. This is a suspense/mystery that will keep you guessing most of the way, but not necessarily about the crime you are thinking.

      David Harwood, a single dad, leaves a job at the paper in Boston because he spends no time with his son. He moves back to Promise Falls to take a job with the local paper, which closes its doors his first day on the job. He and his son Ethan are now living with his parents until he can find a new job and get back on his feet. His mother asks him to take some food to his cousin Marla, who is having some mental health issues and when he gets there she has a baby that she says an "angel" brought her. Marla lost her baby in childbirth 10 months earlier. Using information on the stroller, David goes to the house where he believes the baby lives and they find the mother's body, dead in the kitchen. The story takes off from there.

      There are many storylines going on at the same time in this book. The story starts with the discovery of 23 dead squirrels, all hanging by their necks on a fence. There are several attempted rapes at the local college, a physician with a gambling problem who is being threatened, a local police detective who wants to know what's happening to his town, an ex-mayor who was outed after he was found 'associating' with underage prostitutes, but wants to make a comeback, a local town-worker whose daughter was murdered several years earlier and whose wife has recently died of cancer, and then some naked mannequins found in a carnival ride at a local amusement park that has closed down and is being sold off in the car numbered 23. This number comes up several times in the police investigations. What is its significance? All these seemingly disconnected stories are easy to follow, yet the story is easy to follow. They are not all solved at the end of this book, in fact, there are more unanswered questions, but it works and I can't wait to get to the next book. This is a character driven story and the characters are well drawn. I can't help but like many of them and hope that things work out for them. A great book for those who like mysteries and suspense. Pick it up and give it a go, I don't think you will regret it. I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway and I am glad I did.
    • 3/5
      David Harwood is down on his luck — an unemployed widower with a young son currently living with his parents back in Promise Falls. He used to be a reporter. A good one. So he knows how to ask questions, how to dig into a story. When his gently disturbed cousin, Marla, gets fingered as an infant abductor and possibly also a murderer, David is called upon to ask the questions that will prove she didn’t do it. There’s also a police detective with a wayward son, a doctor with gambling debts, a disgraced politician looking for a way back into the limelight, a single mom with an itch that needs scratching, coeds, nurses, hospital administrators, and a toy train set. This being the first in a series, some of those are more and some are less relevant to the David/Marla main story line.I’m not the target audience for this book. But there is one. And for those readers, I’m guessing that this book hits all the right notes. It’s not overly saucy, and there are just enough murders over the course of 500 pages in order to keep those pages turning. There are plenty of red herrings, at least with respect to the main storyline, but enough hints that, like me, you may guess the ultimate big reveal long before it shows up on paper. That’s just part of the fun though.Not for me, but gently recommended for those who like their thrillers a bit on the tame side.
    • 2/5
      This is an enjoyable, light, frivolous summer read, somewhere between the Keystone Cops and Twin Peaks. David Harwood is back in Promise Falls, a quirky little small town on the east coast of America somewhere south of Boston. There are some very odd inhabitants in PF as David encounters when he visits his cousin Marla. She is overjoyed to see him and takes great pleasure in introducing him to her new baby, little Mathew. Is Mathew really the child of a somewhat disturbed Marla? Is there a connection between her baby and the murder of Rosemary Gaynor together with the disappearance of Rosemary's newborn child? This is all the reader really needs to know as the absurd story develops he will be introduced to a bizarre and motley crew of local residents each with their own hidden agenda.Linwood Barclay writes books of great enjoyment and he is loved and read worldwide. Most of his output is idle entertainment and instantly forgettable and having said that I expected no more or less from "Broken Promise" and I was certainly not disappointed. The chapters in the book are short (thankfully!) very easy to read the 484 page count easily consumed in two sittings. There is the odd quirky throw away phrase...."Sturgess looked at the high-tech chair in its elevated position. On the small table next to it, a remote, a book of crossword puzzles, an open box of chocolates, a Denielle Steel novel. That was her whole world there, a command center, sitting in front of the television."... There are two further books in the Promise Falls trilogy and followers of this internationally renowned author will devour with elation, I shall not be amongst them as one visit to this odd little township is possibly one visit too many.
    • 4/5
      This is the first in the series of Linwood Barclay's Promise falls novels so there are lots of answered questions that should set us up nicely for the next book.In this instalment David Harwood recently widowed moves back to his home town with his young son he moves in with his parents, looks for a job and also helps out his cousin Marla who lost a baby the year before but now has in her procession a young son. David wants to return the baby boy to his parents, this is were the mystery starts and sets us up for an epic journey.I enjoyed this book and I will look for the second novel in this series soon.
    • 5/5
      THIS IS THE FIRST OF A TRILOGY AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING THE REMAINING TWO. I WAITED UNTIL ALL THREE WERE AVAILABLE TO READ THEM BACK TO BACK.
    • 5/5
      Band 1 der Promise Falls Trilogie ist endlich auch auf Deutsch erhältlich, und was hat sich Linwood Barclay da ausgedacht. Nachdem seine letzten Bücher (u.a. Schweig für immer) nicht vollends überzeugen konnten, strotzt Lügennest nur so vor Vielschichtigkeit, knackigen Charakteren und Spannung.Wir schlüpfen zunächst in die Rolle des alleinerziehenden Vaters David Harwood, der mit seinem Sohn Ethan von Boston in die fiktive Kleinstadt Promise Falls zu seinen Eltern zieht. Eigentlich tat er dies, um mehr Zeit mit seinem Sohn zu verbringen, aber dann kommt alles ganz anders. Neben David lernt man eine Fülle an Charakteren kennen, unter anderem seine Cousine Marla, den Detective Duckworth und den zwielichtigen Ex-Bürgermeister Finley. Man lernt all diese Figuren aber nicht nur so nebenbei kennen, man begleitet jede auch ein gutes Stückchen, was dem Buch eine immense Tiefe verleiht, ohne allerdings langatmig zu werden.Denn das ist das nächste Asset des Buches: es wird keine Sekunde langweilig – so kennen wir Barclay eigentlich auch bzw. so haben wir ihn kennengelernt, denn vor allem in der jüngeren Vergangenheit war das nicht immer so. Man hat einfach das Gefühl, dass Barclay diese Trilogie schon lange schreiben und – vor allem – unter die Leute bringen wollte, es passiert einfach dermaßen viel in dieser Kleinstadt und jeder soll es mitbekommen.Tatsächlich gibt es neben dem Mord und dem entführten Baby noch sehr seltsame Dinge, die in Promise Falls geschehen und die alle mit einer bestimmten Ziffer zusammenhängen, so dass Detective Duckworth, der neben Harwood wohl die größte Rolle in der Geschichte spielt, alle Hände voll zu tun hat. Generell dürfte Lügennest eines der ersten, wenn nicht sogar das erste Buch von Barclay sein, in dem der Polizeiarbeit sehr viel Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt wird. Der Fokus lag bei früheren Büchern eher bei den Opfern.Kritikpunkte sind, wenn überhaupt, dann nur marginal. Die Geschichte bietet alles, was eine gute Geschichte benötigt. Das Ende ist natürlich offen, denn es folgen ja noch zwei Teile – dennoch wird einiges bereits jetzt aufgeklärt. Das Negativste sind die das/dass-Kenntnisse der Übersetzerin Silvia Visintini, die schlicht nicht vorhanden sind – denn nach einem Komma kommt nicht automatisch ein „dass“.Fazit: Es ist nicht einfach nur Mord, nicht einfach nur ein entführtes Baby; es ist wesentlich mehr, wesentlich größer – Linwood Barclay bietet uns eine Kleinstadt, in der großes passiert. Und ich freue mich schon richtig darauf, die Fortsetzung zu lesen.
    • 5/5
      This book read like my eyes were on fire. I completed in an afternoon. Non-stop action and twists and turns of plot dominate here. A baby-napping in the past leads to a revelation of mental illness, cover-ups and crimes. This one is a winner and the movie should be already in the works. A 5-star thriller from a best selling author. My thanks to the Penguin First to Read program and the author for a complimentary copy.
    • 4/5
      Many plot threads, some left on hold for the next book in the series. David Harwood has moved back home after working as a reporter in Boston, and on his first day back at the newspaper in Promise Falls NY, where he was hired to work, it goes belly up. Yet he knows his craft and tries to use those skills to help his cousin, Marla, a trouble girl since losing an infant at childbirth, stay clear of murder charges. So much more than that to the tale but Linwood Barclay really knows how to weave the threads together. And the ones left hanging will hook the reader enough that you'll want to read the next tale.
    • 4/5
      Having been a fan of Linwood Barclay for a while, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read "Broken promise". David moves back to his hometown "Promise falls" with his young son for a job opportunity at the local newspaper. When that almost immediately falls through, he is forced to live with his parents until something else comes up. As a favour to his mother, he goes to check on his cousin Marla whose mental balance has been delicate since her daughter's stillbirth. He finds her confused but elated and in possession of a baby that "an angel" brought her. When the baby's mother is discovered to have been bludgeoned to death in her kitchen, suspicion for the kidnapping and murder points in her direction. This book is a fast paced read. It took me a little while to get all the characters straight, there are about four different storylines going on. But then the book took off and I couldn't read the pages fast enough. I did find all the storylines a little confusing, there was a lot of jumping around and things weren't flowing well and I kept waiting for a connection that didn't come, but as this was only the first on a series, I believe some of those unanswered questions will be focused on in later books.Linwood Barclay keeps you anxiously reading as the chapters are ended on a "have to know what comes next" note as the reader gets more pieces of the puzzle and closer and closer to the truth. I did find it a little frustrating to get to the end of a chapter, wanting to know what happened right away only to find the next chapter was a different storyline. However it did keep me flying through as I needed the answers to the main piece of the story. I did guess the truth early enough on but it still was a good ride getting there. The whole book takes place in a couple of days and those couple of days are action packed. Linwood barclay's books are a treat to read, this also is a great thriller that a reader find hard to put down. Thanks to penguin group and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book free in exchange for an honest review.
    • 2/5
      Well I hung in there waiting for the “moment” ("HOLY HANNAH I CAN'T PUT THIS DOWN EVERYONE GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE I MUST FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!") and sadly it did not happen. :( Not much suspense, no thrills and chills, too many subplots, and too many characters. Just not what I have come to expect from a Linwood Barclay book. Whenever I put the book down it did not scream out: “HEY YOU GET BACK HERE AND READ ME!” Which is the primary reason for my rating of 2 stars along with being deprived of my "moment." Also, the ending which was not really an ending was another reason. Some of the events were not wrapped up. That was unexpected because I did not realize this book was part of a series until I finished it. WHAT??!! I want answers! I guess the answers might be in the upcoming book (but not until March 2016). Will I read it? Probably not. But I remain a fan because Barclay has given me page turning suspense, thrills and chills, and that “moment” in past reads. I will wait until he gets this “Promise” series out of his system and hope the Barclay I love will come back. Please note: I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Also not what I expected. It was an uncorrected manuscript proof with all kinds of numbers either before or after each sentence which was distracting and annoying.
    • 3/5
      It was okay.I've read a lot better from Linwood Barclay so maybe it was just a case of high expectations...
    • 5/5
      've been eagerly awaiting the release of Linwood Barclay's new book - Broken Promise. I didn't read any synopses - I knew I would love it, (as I have all his other books) and wanted to be completely surprised.Well, wasn't I surprised to find many characters I already knew and enjoyed living in the pages of this new book....Newspaper reporter David Harwood (Never Look Away) moves back to his hometown to provide a better life for his young son. But he loses his job shortly after returning and is forced to move back in with his parents. He's on an errand for his mom when he stops in at his cousin Marla's house and discovers her with a baby that 'an angel dropped off.' Marla's baby died at birth - so whose baby is this?Promise Falls Detective Barry Duckworth (a favourite character of mine who was in Too Close to Home, Never Look Away and Trust Your Eyes) has his hands full. In addition to the baby case, someone has ritualistically slaughtered and displayed 23 squirrels, a ride at the defunct amusement park in town is up and running - with mannequins in seat 23, and a rapist is on the prowl at the local college.Uh huh, lots going on.....I wondered how is Barclay going to tie all of this together?I find Barclay's storytelling so engaging. We are introduced to many of the residents of Promise Falls. Backgrounds and personal storylines are detailed - some more than others. The reader is never sure who is going to play a part - and how large and in what capacity. I loved the detail and the ensemble cast - it somewhat reminded me of Stephen King's narrative style. (King calls Barclay "A suspense master.")But are these the only crimes in Broken Promise? Or just the only ones we know about? There's lots of hinting at events in the past that may paint a larger picture - snippets and tendrils tease the reader. Clues to many of the current crimes are quietly inserted at the end of some chapters, slowly building the answers to whodunit. I did figure out one of the crimes before the end, but I was happy to discover that I was not completely right. And that there's more to the story of Promise Falls.Now, I've read that a few readers feel cheated at the ending as not every loose end was tied up. This reader? I loved it - especially now that I know there will be two more novels in the 'Promise' series! The next book, Far From True, is due out in March 2016. A must read for me!
    • 3/5
      I've been a long time fan of Linwood Barclay. In "Broken Promise" he leads the reader up to a grand finale but the conclusion of the story leaves the reader disappointed.David Harwood is a widowed father, raising his nine-year-old son, Ethan, on his own. He was working for a newspaper in Boston but felt he'd have more quality of life by moving back to Promise Falls, where his parents were living.When he arrives in Promise Falls, he learns that the newspaper that promised him a job has folded. With no job in the near future, his mother asks him to look in on his cousin, Marla. Marla has been having a rough time since she gave birth to a still-born child a number of months ago.When David reaches Marla's home, She's caring for a nine-month-old baby. She tells David that an angel delivered baby Matthew to her. Incredulous, David sees an address on the baby stroller and when he goes to that address, he sees that the woman living there has been murdered.The story is told from David's perspective with alternating chapters from the point of view of other characters. This works well in making the reader appreciate the characters and caring for them.Through the remainder of the novel, David attempts to find answers to the murder. A subplot involves the number 23. Twenty-three animals are killed and left in an obvious place to be discovered. There is action at a closed theme park with three mannequins on carriage twenty-three and note stating You'll Be Sorry.There is also a man though to be a rapist at a local college with an associated number.23.The writing is polished and the characters well described. The evidence points in one direction but the reader wonders who else might be involved and what would be there motive.The smooth action continues until the conclusion. It's almost as if Barclay was writing for a sequel and pens "stay tuned for the next book to learn what happens." There are a number of unanswered questions around the number 23, and a woman David met who claims he set her up.What did the officials mean when they state in concluding moments..."Our guy's come back...or maybe he never left."
    • 5/5
      A special thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. F A N T A S T I C! BROKEN PROMISE (Promise Falls #1) is "hands down" Linwood Barclay's finest work! Has been added to my Top Books of 2015. OMG! What a gripping page-turner. Even more exciting, there is a continuation (like Christmas, comes again). An explosive novel about the disturbing evil secrets of a quiet mysterious small town (turns out, not so quiet). Set in a fictional upstate New York small town outside of Albany, called Promise Falls—a town slowly dying, with a number of the businesses closing, or recently closed, and the younger generation, forced to move on to larger cities with better opportunities. Since the former mayor, Randall Finley got caught with an underage prostitute, no one since seems to possess his same tenacity in support of the town. Even though he is a snake, he was able to keep the town afloat. He now owns a thriving water business (Finley Springs) and seems to be the only one hiring in town. However, he does want to get back into politics, and working his way back to running for office again. He is also trying to bribe his way back in the right circles, and connections. (looking forward to hearing more from this character). A multi-layered plot, with an array of intriguing and well-developed characters, and a town of scandalous secrets, lies, conspiracy, murder, possibly revenge, and a list of mysterious events-and the mysterious number, "twenty-three".As the novel opens, David (main character) is moving back to Promise Falls, the town he hates; moving in with his parents. At the age of forty-one, he never thought he would be moving back to the childhood home he left some twenty years ago, and now with his nine year old son, Ethan. How did he get here?He really had limited choices. The downfall started five years earlier after his wife, Jan passed away. He was left raising his son alone with a great job at the Boston Globe as an investigative reporter. However, with deadlines and work, he felt he was not devoting enough time to his son. He had gone from reporter to editing desk job. His mom and dad would be a great help, but of course they were not able to travel, to Boston, so he had made the decision to move back to Promise Falls to take a job with the local newspaper, The Standard, where his parents could help out with Ethan. However, well laid plans, soon turn to disaster. The first day back, the paper announced they were closing the doors with all the other failing business. Just Great – now no job, or any prospects of a job in this miserable town, living with nosy parents, (Don and Arlene), plus his son-- the new kid at school, has no friends and is miserable—with some issues with another boy at school.With David’s first day out of work, his mom wants him to run an errand for her. Little does he know running this simple errand will land him in the middle of a murder investigation? He is to take some food to his cousin Marla. Simple enough. Marla has been through some traumatic events—an online reviewer, she got pregnant by a younger college student, her mom (David’s aunt) did not care for. The baby was born dead and Marla has not recovered, and afterwards caught stealing another baby from the hospital. Of course, her mom is the hospital administrator and takes care of covering things, as she is all about control and appearances.Now, David arrives at his cousin’s house and she has a baby? What gives? Has she stolen another baby? She says an “angel” dropped it off with a stroller. Is she nuts? David notes some blood stains on the stroller. He does not want to panic his cousin, and when she is getting dressed, David sees a flyer in the stroller with an address. David puts Marla and the baby in the stroller and heads to the address. When they arrive, at the home, they find a dead woman, Rosemary Gaynor, brutally murdered, and a frantic husband, Bill.Did Marla kidnap Matthew and kill the mother? What happened to the nanny? David knows his cousin is a little strange; however, a murderer, he does not think she is capable. Marla also has face blindness. Something is not right, and David begins using his investigative reporting skills to do some digging to get to the bottom of his mystery. In addition to this murder, Officer Barry Duckworth (obsessed with donuts and trying to lose weight) has his hands full, juggling cases coming at him at once with a sweep of crimes in the area. A murder, a missing Nanny, her boyfriend, a fatal shooting at Thackeray College, rapes, strange things in the night at Five Mountains, a deserted amusement park, with three mannequins on a Ferris Wheel, and twenty-three dead squirrels hanging, mixed with a message "YOU'LL BE SORRY". Duckworth's homefront is not so simple either, as he has just learned his son, Trevor is now working as a driver for Finley. Finley cannot be trusted—he is dying to find out things going on in the police department, to use for his own purpose. In the meantime, we meet a few other families, each with their own secrets. David’s dad, Don is hiding something. His mom, Arlene is forgetting things; Jack the doctor has a gambling habit, Marla is struggling with reality, Samantha, the mother of Carl (the boy who was mean to Ethan), with baggage of her own; works at a laundromat, wear tight jeans, hot, and carries a shotgun—possible love connection for David? Marla’s mom is a control freak, with her own secrets, and dad is having an affair. Best of all Finley has offered David a job running his media and campaign (we are in for a treat with this one). There is also a backstory of Olivia Fisher, a young woman with a bright future, killed years ago in a brutal murder. Her mother died of cancer recently, and the dad remaining - still grieving, and left to control the fiancé, who has turned into a raging alcoholic. The book ends with a delicious cliffhanger. The main mystery has not been solved, as the killings may be connected to an older case. There is a message someone is trying to send. Is it revenge? Is the killer walking among them, and someone they all know? And oh, more with hidden secrets, yet to come to the surface. I am dying for the next installment! Here is hoping I can land an ARC, as the suspense is killing me.Loving the array of eccentric characters in the town of Promise Falls, with this new riveting series! How intriguing, and Barclay grabs you from page one and hooks you to the end.A mix of psychological, crime, cop procedures, forensics, mystery, suspense, wit, and humor----all rolled into one action-packed thriller! Was so engrossed, purchased the audiobook in addition to the e-book. YEAH, appears there will be more to come. Final Assignment (Promise Falls, #1.5) Jan. 12, 2016 and Far From True (Promise Falls, #2) Mar. 22, 2016 . On a personal note: I have made the drive from Albany airport to the Catskills and for some reason, I am thinking about this mysterious fictional town of Promise Falls, similar to the surroundings. Will continue to think about this book each time I return (chilling). Highly Recommend! Thriller fans will devour this new and exciting series. 5 Stars + (my kind of book).Meet the Author Finally, get to experience this awesome author in my own South Florida backyard. Thrilled, I am there for both events! Barclay will discuss "Broken Promise" at 2 p.m. Aug 4 as part of "Between The Covers," the WXEL Book Club at the WXEL station, Boynton Beach to air Aug. 21. Barclay also will discuss his novel at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Murder on the Beach, 273 Pineapple Grove Way, Delray Beach. Move over Michael Connelly- The state of Florida and its loyal fans have room for two outstanding crime authors!
    • 4/5
      I liked this book. I have to admit that I was able to guess a few of the big twists but I found enough surprises along the way to keep my interest. This book is the first in a new series set in the small town of Promise Falls. I had no idea that this book was part of a series and had assumed it was a stand alone novel. I was kind of surprised to find that this story left a few loose ends that I am sure will be picked up in future installments.This book is told from multiple point of view. David's point of view is the primary source of narration which accounts for about half of the story. The rest of the story is told from a variety of characters including Detective Duckworth, Agnes, David's father, and a man who has just lost his wife to name a few. I think that each character was very well done with a distinct voice and each point of view added to the overall story. It really took all of these characters to see what was truly happening.The pacing of the story was fantastic and there were not any dull moments. There is quite a bit going on this novel. The main mystery deals with the murder of the mother of an infant son but there is more going on in this little town including incidents at the local amusement park, the local college, and even a case involving squirrels. Is everything connected and if so how?I did guess some of the major twists which was a bit of a disappointment because I really like to be surprised. There were enough twists that I didn't predict to keep the story interesting for me. I do wish that all of my questions had been answered. As it stands, I feel like I only received answers to some of my questions. I wouldn't say that the ending was cliffhanger because the main focus of the story was resolved even though a lot of questions do remain.I would recommend this book to fans of mystery thrillers. This is a fast paced novel with a lot of action and twists and turns to keep things interesting. I have read quite a few novels by Linwood Barclay and I think that this book lives up to what I have come to expect from this author. I can't wait to see what happens next in Promise Falls.I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Group NAL via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
    • 2/5
      ***Review Copy***This story remained stagnant for the most part. It picked up some towards the end but not enough to make up for dragging out the book the way it was. The ending did not even bring closure to many questions that popped up during the novel. Overall I'd say it lacked focus and creativity.
    • 5/5
      This is a nice solid contribution to Linwood Barclay's list of publications but I was surprised to find that I had solved part of the mystery about half way through the novel, and was just left to work out the finer details. So, from that point of view, this is not one of Barclay's best. It does explore the motives people have for their actions, and there is a cast of interesting characters.The setting is modern, identifiable by the economic effects of the downturn of the newspaper industry, which is what has forced David Harwood to live with his parents. He has returned to the small rural town where he first began his career, a town where everyone knows everyone else, but seemingly do not always know the reasons why they do things.Very readable.
    • 4/5
      I received access to this galley for free through the First to Read program. I was intrigued by the premise and the author was one I have always wanted to read.David Harwood, the protagonist and narrator of the story, is forced to move back to his hometown of Promise Falls following the death of his wife and loss of his job. He and his young son move in with his parents, not the most ideal situation but the most practical one. David's mother asks him to check on his cousin Marla, her sister's daughter. Marla has yet to recover from a miscarriage she suffered a year ago. Upon arrival at his cousin's place, he is shocked to see her with a baby she claims an "angel" gave her. The plot thickens when David's reporter instincts kick in and he sets out to investigate. There are sub-plots, twists, and a multitude of characters. I really enjoyed the writing style. Although David is the primary narrator, secondary characters' perspectives are also interspersed throughout. The chapters are short and often end in cliffhangers. Although the language and dialogue is realistic and suits the characters, I would have preferred less profanity. Despite the seriousness of the storyline, Barclay injects some humor. Overall, I enjoyed the book. However, I wish I had known beforehand that there was a previous book, Never Look Away. It would have helped when it came to background and details. I also wasn't aware that this book was part of a series, which would have explained the inconclusive ending. Still, I look forward to reading the sequels and more from this author. It took some doing to finish reading this(due to a frustrating loss of access a few chapters in, just when I was getting into the story) but it was worth the time and effort.
    • 5/5
      I have found a new author to follow. This is the first book of Linwood Barclay that I have read and I am hooked. I was hooked in the first chapter of this book. I could not put it down. It was full of action and suspense. I look forward to the next installment. I received an ebook copy from firsttoread for a fair and honest opinion.
    • 5/5
      I received an ARC of this book from the Book Reporter sneak peek giveaway.This book follows the main character, David and his son, Ethan. David has recently lost his job and his wife has passed away so he is put into a situation where he has to move back home to his parents house in Promise Falls, NY. One morning, David's mother asks him to take over some food to his cousin, Marla, who has not been doing too well since the loss of her baby. She lost her child due to complications during childbirth. Little did David know that when he showed up at Marla's home, there would be an infant child in her arms. Marla claims that the baby was brought to her by angel. This book follows the story of how the child ended up with Marla and what happened to the child's mother. I thought that this book was absolutely amazing. It was very well plotted out and the characters were well developed. Speaking of characters, there are A LOT of them so I would suggest paying close attention to what's going on while you're reading this book. If you don't pay attention, you might get lost in the mix of all of the chaos that's going on in this book. Linwood Barclay seems to have a tendency to hint at things throughout the book that you may think are significant but you really aren't sure whether to pay attention to them or not. I love that about his writing style. He always keeps you guessing and when you think you've got it figured out, you are very, very wrong. This book was unpredictable and it's unpredictability made it just that much more enjoyable. Linwood Barclay likes to build this web of characters and then bring them all together at the end of the book, which I find to be very intense and fast-paced. He has a way of telling a story that makes you not want to put the book down.Linwood Barclay is my all time favorite author, so I will say to anyone that is interested in suspense/thriller novels, give Linwood a chance! His writing will blow you away and leave you completely stunned. I am so excited that this book is going to lead to two other books that take place in the same town of Promise Falls, NY and I cannot wait to get my hands on them!
    • 5/5
      Broken Promise (A Thriller)By: Linwood BarclayPublisher: NAL Pages.488Copy Courtesy of Penguin First to ReadReviewed By: tkA miracle or a tragic nightmare…A woman in white with a small child only months old in a stroller, leaves a bloody handprint on the door frame. When she knocks on the door, a young woman answers. This is a dream come true for her. An angel delivers a small package, a baby to Marla. It must be a miracle…or is it a horrible mistake. David Harwood, Marla’s cousin has returned to town to start a new life for his son and himself. Asked to do a favor for his mother, David goes to Marla’s to deliver a care package. On the porch he sees the hand print that must be dirt on the door frame. No one answers the door. Upon entering David discovers Marla and what she claims is her baby…but Marla’s baby died almost a year ago. David becomes involved in a wild ride of discovery that will tear his family apart, or kill them all.A breathless thriller. A story of betrayal, dark secrets, and murder. Extreme characters, intense story line, and breathtaking plot twists will keep you riveted till the outstanding conclusion. Linwood Barclay has created another fabulous thriller. A must have for any library! 5/5
    • 5/5
      I received as a "sneak peak arc". The author grabs your attention from the very beginning of the book until the end. It's a murder suspense. There are several suspects, and hard to put the book down when reading. I started one evening and finished up the next day.I give it the highest rating and would recommend to others. The book is 483 pages, but well worth reading. Even after some very horrible murders, find it refreshing that some good also happens.