Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart / Review by Laura Hartman
Little Broken Things
By Nicole Baart
Atria Books
$16.99
ISBN 978-1501133602
Publish Date: November 21, 2017
Book of the Day
Little Broken Things is the latest suspense novel from Nicole Baart. It is expertly crafted and full of all of the elements that make for a great read - a solid story with plenty of mystery and tension, characters that feel very real, good pacing, and a satisfying conclusion. Baart will surely be a new favorite for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins.
Quinn Cruz's life is upended when her sister, Nora Sandford, with no explanation or information whatsoever, drops a little girl on her doorstep with the imperative that Quinn must keep her safe and let no one know the child is there. How do you keep a secret like this from coming out? Quinn lives with her husband and her mother lives just across the lake. Even in a family practiced in keeping secrets, it is not long before Lucy is discovered.
While seemingly placid, life on Key Lake has never been perfect. Much is hidden beneath the surface. Through the different viewpoints of Quinn, Nora, and their mother, the fractured pieces of the past are put into place to reveal the present dangers. The sharp edges of those pieces can still cut deeply - can they cut the bond between a mother and her child? Is blood thicker than water? How far would you go to help a friend? How far would you go to protect your family?
I really enjoyed Little Broken Things. It is smart, suspenseful, heartbreaking and written so well I was holding my breath praying for the safety of the little girl at the heart of the mystery. When an author can make me care that much for the characters she has created I know she will deeply touch the hearts of all of her readers. This is the first book I have read by Nicole Baart, but it will not be the last.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, Killer Nashville and Atria Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.