The Broken Girls has been out as an e-book since March 2018, and this review coincides with the paperback release (out 29 November 2018). The story surrounds an old boarding school Idlewild Hall. The school closed in 1979 and in 2014 has been bought.
 
The tale flits between two timelines – when the school was still open and functioning in 1950, four friends who share a dorm room. And one of the girls goes missing. And 2014 when a reclusive millionaire has bought the school with plans to bring it back to life, and a local journalist, Fiona Sheridan, who with a hidden agenda wants to find out why?
 
Fiona is fighting her own demons; her sister was murdered and dumped outside Idlewild Hall, and it's not only ghosts from her past who are scaring her. The stories of the haunted school, the missing girl, the dead sister are woven together beautifully. I was fearful, mystified and curious for answers!
 
Such a good book, I hope we see more of Fiona Sheridan.
 
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 

Another brilliant debut!

I found the book a little difficult to get into but by the third chapter or so, I was well and truly in the story. It is told from three perspectives: Ryan's mother, Moira; Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and DI Helen Birch. The subject matter is hard, dark, and thought provoking, as is how the media and social media respond to such a catastrophe. I really enjoyed the conflicting narration, and felt for all the characters in the hopeless and heartbraking situation. Not to mention the finale is devastating.
 
I hope this is the first installment of a DI Birch series.
 
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 

Jess has made a new life in London, putting the tragedy of her youth behind her until her brother calls – their mother has passed away unexpectedly and Jess is forced to confront her past. Ten years earlier, Jess alleged something awful happened to her, which caused a teacher to go to prison.

The story is told from three perspectives: Jess, the teacher's wife Karen Winter, intertwined with transcripts from Jess' counseling sessions.
 
The book should be called Lying to Red Herrings. The twists and turns, together with the breadcrumbs, left you wanting to find out more. It's made up of quite short chapters so it's quick to get through.  The ending felt a little rushed with how the story unfolded. But how it ended was an unexpected surprise.
 
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.

2018 IS THE YEAR FOR DEBUT NOVELISTS!
 
The story starts slap bang in the middle of drama and then you go back to the beginning where there is a very slow build. By the time that Erin and Mark reach their honeymoon it feels like they are family and you know everything you need to know, you are left in a complete (false) sense of security.
 
Erin and Mark find something in the water, which may or may not be illegal, and may or may not be illegal for them to keep. The conundrum is – what should they do? Its very careful and clever plotting keeps you in suspense until the very end.
 
A stupendous debut!
 
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 

Emma is a delicate soul who spends her adult years trying to make sense of a tragedy that happened when she was thirteen years old. When she gets the opportunity to get closure on what happened at Camp Nightingale she takes it. At this point I'm shouting at her to not go back. Of course things go wrong immediately, and Emma has to confront the repercussions of the lies she told.
 
The tension and the plot are riveting and the story is beautifully told.
There are so many lies and assumptions, it's difficult to guess who did 'it' then and now. 
 
It was a complete surprise at the end as the story unfolded.
 
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.