Wow, what a roller coaster of a book. This is my first read from Fiona Cummins. It is vividly written, violent and graphic. Not for the faint hearted but an amazing fast paced read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Woah, what a Prologue! I was literally WTF??!! And then we rewind to the morning the Hardwickes are readying themselves for a trip to Scotland to see the dolphins. A well earned trip after Mr Hardwicke has left the family. We also follow Missy & Fox who are on a killing spree, and then their inevitable meeting with the Hardwickes. DC Saul Anguish and Blue are also chasing the killers down. Fast paced thriller at it's best!

I've only red Fiona's When I was ten before, so didn't realise DC Saul had been in other novels, I certainly didn't feel like I was missing out by dipping straight into this book. The build of tension was on point and I had to take a breather a couple of times.

Thanks Netgalley & Pan Macmillan.

I found this to be an interesting police procedural and overall a 3* Good Read.

Christine Hardwicke is a mother, bringing up her 2 children, Galen and Tom, following the death of her husband. Galen, the daughter has always wanted to see dolphins and so, Christine takes them on holiday to a loch in the Scottish highlands. Unfortunately, for them, at the same time as a couple (Missy and Fox) are on a killing spree.

It's a well written drama that certainly moves at pace and I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to preview.

I am familiar with Fiona’s books Rattle, The Collector and When I Was Ten, so I have no idea how I missed Into the Dark, but I will be rectifying that oversight very soon! Fiona writes her characters so well, Saul Anguish is a case in point – intriguing, dark and capable of deadly deeds himself, but strangely likable at the same time. The book opens with a breath-taking prologue which grabbed me immediately and the many twists and turns held my attention to the very (bloody) end.

The tale is told via three main points of view, Christine, Missy, and Saul. Missy and her partner in crime – Fox have a very Bonnie and Clyde attitude about them, so it should come as no surprise that the book is both violent and shocking in places. I found the portions narrated by Missy to be very disturbing – her compete indifference to her actions is truly horrifying. This is one of the darkest, most disturbing books I’ve read for a while – and I loved it!

All in all, this story is dark, well-paced, well-plotted, and graphic in places. It also has interesting sub-plots and a host of fascinating (if not likable) characters, and I have no hesitate in recommending it.

Fast paced thriller stretching the length of the UK culminating in a breath taking climax and leaving you wishing for more. First book I have read by this author and certainly won't be the last. Away to search for other titles and hope they are every bit as fast paced and entertaining as this one was.

Oh my word, what a gruesome but absolutely addictive book. It’s one of those where your heart is in your mouth throughout, and you can’t stop reading even to make a cuppa because you just have to know what happens next. I was on edge the whole way through and my heart was bleeding for Christine and her children. I felt as if I knew Galen and little Tom so well, and wanted to scoop them up and take them out of the dreadful situation they were in. Actually, the word dreadful doesn’t come anywhere near to covering what they all went through. Trauma at its very worst. Poor, poor Galen. I hated her school ‘friends’ and it brought home to me how vile and cruel children can be – and some adults of course. I had never met Saul or Blue, but it seems they have appeared in previous books from this very talented author and I’ll be looking out for them. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, even though the ending left me heartbroken and in tears. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this absolutely fabulous story.

A modern day Bonnie and Clyde. Full of twists and turns, very violent so not for the faint hearted, and anxiety inducing. If you are a fan of Chris Carter this is the book for you.

I love Fiona Cummins books and this book is as fast paced as others. I will say this is definitely not for the fainthearted but this book has a superb storyline and characters. There are some unexpected twists and oh what an ending! I would highly recommend this book for crime/thriller lovers. Thanks to Netgalley & PanMacmillan for sending me this arc.

“All of Us Are Broken” is a standalone novel by Fiona Cummins and is a powerful and gripping thriller that explores the depths of human darkness and resilience. Set against the backdrop of a long-awaited family holiday, the Hardwicke family are in for a troubled time.

There are multiple storylines that help build the tension and the characters are complex and well-drawn, each trying to deal with their own demons and haunted by their past. DC Saul is investigating a series of killings and he also has his own dark past and demons to cope with making him quite a complex character.

The story is well paced, drip feeding key information throughout which builds the suspense. There are ethical dilemmas faced by the characters and this adds an additional layer of depth to the story. Difficult choices and moral dilemmas are encountered which for me added to the fascination of this novel.

An intricate plot, well-developed characters, and fascinating dilemmas give this novel an emotional charge and excitement.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

All of Us Are Broken is both harrowing and hopeful and takes us on an adventure full of angst that is perfectly paced. The Hardwickes are a family tenderly held together with mum Christine and her two children Tom and Galen as they struggle following a recent incident (not giving anything away here!). Their adversaries come in the shape of Missy and Fox who are on a murder spree across England and Scotland. Cummins has written great characters with an exquisite sensitivity despite the awful events and the trail of destruction that Missy and Fox leave in their wake. Quirky Detective Saul Anguish is back with his own brand of emotional intelligence and determination to prevent further deaths. In a nail-biting showdown, the main characters converge and collide. I think this is Fiona’s best book yet and despite the content, love and resilience prevail. A police procedure like no other.

All Of Us Are Broken is a modern day retelling of Bonnie & Clyde, minus the bank robberies but including a large amount of dead bodies. I did get some personal info about the victims so that it felt even worse that they were dead :-). This novel will certainly provoke heavy feelings with whoever is reading the story which is a positive thing but I forgot how it was to hate a character so much, and I was constantly weighing both of them against each other in an attempt to decide who was the worst and if either of them still had a shred of humanity in them.

The novel opens with a confrontation between Missy and Fox and the Hardwicke family. How could she was my initial reaction. See, Christine is a mother of two who is forced to make a life or death decision that will alter the lives of her and her children forever. She has to pick a child to die and one to save. Can you imagine? How do you choose in three counts? And then I was shocked and baffled by her reaction...

Before I could find out more and see the consequences of that reaction the story circled back to the beginning, with the Hardwickes starting their roadtrip and Melissa (Missy) having a terrible day at the primary school where it all goes wrong for her. Her career over, she has nothing left to lose and she goes after the thing she's always dreamt of, being famous. Dashiel Lloyd or Fox was an evil child by the age of 14 so she's found her perfect match and together they literally go on a killing spree with their only goal to become legends.

I felt that Missy was the dominant partner in all of this and she's just plain evil. Fox was a bit of a follower so I felt he wasn't the same level of evil, until he went after a child. It's just such a big taboo in books isn't it? Children and animals can't be touched in books, well guess what, this author isn't playing by the rules. Suffice to say that the shocks in this novel were plenty and as the novel enters its final setting at the Lodge on the Loch where I knew the confrontation with the family would happen I was very on edge. I knew by then who we were dealing with and that they wouldn't bat an eye killing someone.

All my hope was set on the detective Saul Anguish and his younger partner Alex Talbot who were in pursuit of those two. There's also a forensic linguist 'Blue' involved which was an original angle even though I didn't really see why she needed to be in the field. Personally I was drawn more into the other plotlines.

The final chapters made me fear for everyone alive and staying at the hotel. I did enjoy those very tense moments where I knew things were going to come to a head. The thread about Galen surprised me the most and was brilliantly used in the whole picture.

Overall not a bad novel but I'm not such a fan of shooters (film or book) and I had hoped I'd see some good in Missy and Fox but that proved impossible. Fiona Cummins is the Dark Queen and she certainly honours that title in this novel.

[Review will be posted 30/07 on blog, Twitter, Goodreads & Amazon]

A dark but gripping read. I devoured this book and found myself appalled by Missy and Fox and intrigued by Saul.
I hadn’t realised that this was the second book about him. It didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of this book but there were references to his dark past. Enough was shared to keep this book flowing but I now feel that I want to read the first book to find out more detail of his and Blue’s past history. I liked his character, he may not always toe the line but his heart is in the right place.
I would happily read more books in the series should they be written as I liked the author’s style of writing.

This book is quite brutal so thought it wasn’t for me but as you get into the book you realise why Fox and Missy are so brutal. They want to be Bonnie and Clyde so go on a murderous spree.

Christine and her children Galen and Tom have gone through a traumatic time and Tom wants to see the dolphins she can’t say no to him so off they go on holiday unbeknown to them they are going into a nightmare,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

All of Us Are Broken is a dark and violent thriller that starts slowly and builds to a confrontation in a remote Scottish hotel. This is the second novel featuring DC Saul Anguish and several elements of the first in the series are referred to here.

A number of narrative arcs are established early in the book: a family getting away following the father's death. A primary school teacher looking for much more out of life. A career criminal with noting to prove. From early on it is clear that the novel won't end well, and a trail of carnage ensues.

This isn't one for the fainthearted. But there are reasons for the various characters' behaviours and their backstories are all told. The reader may not sympathise but there element of understanding is achieved.

A fast paced atmospheric crime thriller set in the wonderful Scotland. Some fantastic characters and a great storyline.

Another sublime dark and emotional story for Fiona Cummins about the senselessness of violence and how people will go to feel loved or how far they would go for the one they loved. Fiona Cummins writes deeply flawed and dark characters like no other.

Really enjoyed how all the different strands of the story met towards the climax and how it had me racing to the end. I can't wait for the next DS Saul Anguish's story.

I do love Fiona Cummins' writing. She always manages to deliver a book that is full of dark suspense. A totally absorbing mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Of all of the characters who inhabited her worlds, bringing back Saul Anguish has been nothing short of genius. He is an almost perfect anti-hero. His personality is tinged by the kind of darkness the author specialises in bringing to life in her novels and yet there is an inherent need to do the right thing in his role as Detective, even if his methods are often somewhat suspect. That is definitely the case here where his anger and passion lead him and a colleague into danger, leaving Saul with even more regrets.

This book is real cracker. A modern day Bonnie and Clyde tale. From the very opening chapter you can feel the tension bursting from each page, a sense of dread building as we march swiftly to what seems to be an inevitably unpalatable conclusion ... And from this humdinger of a prologue, Fiona Cummins takes us back in time, showing us just how this situation came to pass. Not only do we get to spend more time with Saul and Blue, whose engagement with Saul seems somewhat subdued compared to their prior case together, but we start to learn more about the victims and the perpetrators. And it it this that makes this such a great book.

Whilst there is no doubt that the bad guys in this book, Missy and Fox, are unapologetically bad, It is not quite as simple as dismissing them as pure evil. Love or loathe their actions (and I'm betting on loathe), there are reasons behind what comes to pass. It will be up to you as reader as to whether you can find any of it justifiable. I can't say that I felt empathy for them, but, to a degree, I understood where their darkness came from. Then we have the family caught up in that all too shocking opening chapter. A mother, Christine, and her two children, Galen and Tom. Whilst we do not know everything about them from the start, the author manages to create that sense of sadness about them, something which drew me to them, feeling sympathy for their position and a kind of protectiveness for their plight, and not just because of what I knew was to come. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was just that overwhelming sense of emotion behind the words that makes the connection between character and reader so visceral.

Saul is one of my favourites, but there is something amiss in his relationship with Blue this time around, at least for a while. We will learn why, another moment in which the book turns away from the light, but in a way that, whilst hard to read, is not played for gratuitous effect. There is a hidden conflict, an unknown antagonist who seems set on tearing down Saul's carefully constructed walls. I liked this part of the book, the way it played into the ambiguity of Saul's character and history, and whilst not directly linked to the case, it informs what happens, the decisions Saul takes.

The book is full of tension and menace. A sense that anything could, and probably will happen. Pacing is fine tuned, the setting just perfect, with the case seeing Saul and Blue chasing the suspects the length and breadth of the country. That high stakes opening leads to a very dramatic and surprisingly emotional showdown, before Fiona Cummins leads us into the dying moments of the book. There is a beautifully calm feeling about these scenes and, whilst they will tug at the heartstrings, it is a totally fitting ending.

If you've loved the author's previous books then you will love this. Perhaps not as dark as The Collector series, it is still good to be back in Saul's somewhat self destructive company. It has that emotionally manipulative edge of When I Was Ten and is completely unpredictable. Fans of Fiona Cummins will love it.

The title is certainly correct. It seems to be difficult to get detective novel where the characters are not corrupt in some way and this lot have multiple issues too. A widow, her daughter and son set off to get away from their grief following the father’s death. They set off for Scotland to visit the late father’s parents but that doesn’t work out well. Then, looking ifor a hotel, they are captured by Missie and Fox, an unlikely couple bent on committing as many murders as the can. As the author acknowledges, ‘this is a violent and brutal book’. Why write something like that? It is the kind of context readers can do without. I am unable to recommend anything about it.

This is well written, but not for me, I’m sorry to say. There is too much violence and ‘grittiness’ for my personal taste, so it’s a a DNF for me. I’m sure it will be much enjoyed by many readers, just not this one.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

I’ve never seen or read anything by Fiona before but when I saw it I was very intrigued, a cover that draws you in and a synopsis that leaves you with questions, plus it looked like a police procedural which I really enjoy

I would say this is more of a straight thriller than a police procedural, you do get the police side trying to suss out what’s happening but you also get a lot of chapters from the killers side and also from the victims point of view. There are a lot of quite emotive scenes in the book and quite a few grim bits so be warned about that but it’s not overly graphic.

The Hardwicke Family seem to have a lot going on and you’re not entirely sure what’s happening as we go, I guessed one of the little twists but not the final twist - that was really powerful, especially the scenes with the three of them together. You can really tell what a strong family they have!

It’s fair to say Missy and Fox are really not nice characters, I think you’re meant to dislike them from the very start and this just gets more powerful as you go. It’s almost like you’re just shocked with some of the things that happen and how casual they seem!

I found myself keep reaching for the book as even though you feel like you know what’s going to happen you still want to know more. And then when the twists start coming and the extra little sub plots kick off it just gets more intriguing. I really enjoyed this book and feel like I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books by Fiona in the future!