Very unique concept to mix a cosy Agatha Christie style plot with a much more noir style. Wasn't sure if it would work but it does surprisingly well.

Chris Brookmyre really knows how to mix things up! He brings a fresh, sci-fi twist to a cozy crime drama that's a solid 4 star rating.
He took everything you love about a cozy mystery nd added a dash of futuristic.
This book is a real page-turner, you won't be able to put it down. Totally worth a read if you're into both genres!

Johnny Hawke a lieutenant for the LAPD, a guy who doesn’t always abides by the rules, finds himself suspended during a high profile case in Hollywood. Following enquiries, they take him to Scotland wanting to solve the case and avenge his partners death.

Penny Coyne an elderly Miss Marple type character, a librarian, a love of books but also known locally for solving many local murders murders and hailed as local hero of Glen Cluthur, Scotland.

2 similar suicides in both LA and Scotland, 2 sets of suspicious circumstances brings the worlds of Johnny and penny together.

As they join forces and try to infiltrate wealthy families, and various industries they bring their skills together to try and close the cases which are seemingly entwined.

Not everything is as it seems, their worlds not only collide but are turned upside and are confronted with truths they wish they hadn’t uncovered.

My first Chris Brookmyre book, and it won’t be my last.
This is not your typical whodunnit, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the big twist, but I grew to appreciate how cleverly it was brought together and to a close.
There were a few clichés and few cringy sayings, but overall I was hooked.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in return for an honest review

The idea of linking a cosy crime, with a noir cop drama is funny, and the voice works very well in each point of view. Then there's a big twist and it all goes sci-fi!

Thank you Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK | Abacus and Chris Brookmyre for the e Arc of The Cracked Mirror

The Cracked Mirror is a duel POV ( first person ) mystery thriller involving two very different main characters. Penny Coyne , a little old lady who is as sharp as a razor, solving crimes in a local sleepy ( or not so ) village and an LAPD detective Inspector Johnny Hawke who gets things done. These two make an unlikely couple in solving a local murder. but it works so very well! I loved the dynamics between these 2 likeable characters who walk a fine line of working both in and out of the law. There is a slight overlap when the POV swaps from Penny to Johnny, which makes the narrative more insightful.

The pacing of the book builds from slow to medium, building the character development and the places that both characters are investigating, then meet and then carry onto solving this mystery together. I'll definitely be reading more of Chris Brookmyre's books in the future.

I also Listened to the audio version of this book which was narrated by Sarah Barron and Russ Bain who did a brilliant job in making sure the characters still popped out of the page and into your ears.

4.5 stars for story graph, 4 stars for other review sites.

I loved this story, loved the original plot, the mix of genre, and the fleshed out characters. An entertaining and original story and I would be glad to read other stories featuring these characters
Well done
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

INCREDIBLE. truly truly great. Such a good plot with things i never expected, great characters (if at times a bit hard to keep track of but that is most definitely just a me issue!!!) The blurb did not lie about it being nothing like any crime novel i’ve read before

I am late reviewing this but I received this as an ARC.

This is different from other Chris Brookmyre books I have read. I actually think I have read all of Brookmyre's books and whilst this is different it is just as engaging as his other books. It is not your standard crime novel.

I found it slower than I'd like and the sheer number of characters mean you have to be paying attention when reading this.

If you enjoy a good mystery then definitely give this a go.

Wasn't sure as I went on, it got a little bit beyond belief, a bit silly, but once you get towards the end, lots falls into place and it is really clever. It's well written, some great comic asides.

Chris Brookmyre’s The Cracked Mirror masterfully blends the cozy charm of Midsomer Murders with the mind-bending tech-infused twists of Black Mirror. The result is a gripping, multi-layered mystery that keeps you guessing until the final page.

The story begins with a series of chilling murders, all eerily following the same plot. Enter Johnny Hawke and Penny Coyne, two compelling protagonists whose unlikely partnership drives the narrative forward. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a world where nothing is as it seems.

The cast of characters is both brilliantly crafted and deeply likable. While the sheer number of personalities introduced at the start can feel a bit overwhelming, Brookmyre’s deft character development ensures that, as the story unfolds, each becomes distinct and memorable. By the end, I felt like I wanted to step into their world and spend time with them—an impressive feat for a murder mystery.

The plot itself is an intricately woven web of twists and turns. Brookmyre expertly balances suspense, intrigue, and moments of wry humor. Just when you think you’ve cracked the case, another layer of the story is revealed, leaving you in awe of its complexity. It’s rare to find a mystery so intelligently constructed, and this one is truly a standout in the genre.

That said, it did take me some time to fully immerse myself in the story. It wasn’t until around 40% of the way through that I felt fully hooked. However, once the pieces started to fall into place, I was utterly captivated.

Overall, The Cracked Mirror is a mystery masterpiece that combines sharp writing, an engrossing plot, and unforgettable characters. Despite a slightly slow start, it’s an absolute must-read for fans of innovative and thought-provoking crime fiction. I give it 4.5 stars for its sheer brilliance and ingenuity.

Twisty-turny thriller that confused me for a while. Always felt a little outside reality - which is ironic - or intentional? Spotted the twist coming which turned the plot from nonsensical to far more logical - but still a strange mix of hard man action and “cosy” old lady mystery.

A great two-part mystery that seamlessly bridges the charm of an Scottish village whodunit with the tension of a Los Angeles crime thriller. With distinct narrative styles and settings, the book offers readers the best of both worlds before pulling them into a twist that ties everything together brilliantly.

The twist left me gobsmacked and I had to go back and rethink what I'd read to fully process it.

Enjoyable and different!

I didn't get on with this book at all.
There were too many characters and it felt impossible for me to remember who was who and what was what.
Sometimes this is exactly what you want in a book - but it just didn't work me me this time.

My strongest sense after finishing this book, was, my brain is fried. There were so many details to keep track of, two stories merging and then the story arc took a futuristic turn that I found hard to wrap my mind around. I think people will love this book. It's wildly unusual, smart and will make you think. However I found it difficult to become immersed in as I was having to go back all the time to figure things out. That might say more about my brain than the book itself, but I just didn't really connect with it.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and look forward to reading more. I liked the clever concept of two separate investigative stories running parallel and eventually merging in to one in the middle. I loved the character Penny and she added to my enjoyment of the book. Lots of twists and turns along the way.

Miss Marple meets Philip Marlowe in a complex and at times bewildering thriller.

This starts out with two separate narratives, entertaining enough in themselves, until our two protagonists, in the most unlikely of scenarios, join forces.

Multiple plot twists, a whole gamut of characters and the occasional intrusion of another separate and apparently unconnected narrative lead to confusion and frustration rather than intrigue and entertainment.

Throughout, there are hints at what this complicated plot might entail and the suspicion that we are heading into Inception territory nagged and annoyed.

The conclusion was entertaining but not enough to escape the feeling of being manipulated by an author entertaining himself more than his readers.

This is an extremely clever blend of 2 parallel stories, one featuring Peeny Coyne who is investigating a murder in Scotland and the other featuring Johnny Hawke an LAPD detective. Eventually, it seems that their respective murder investigations are linked so when Johhny comes to Scotland they pull their resources to solve the murders,, each using their own unique approach. This novel is a nod to Agatha Christie and is early gripping. Never read anything quite like this before and looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

I couldn't put this book down. The storyline is very clever, and the ending very unexpected. I would thoroughly recommend this book.

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre and narrated by Russ Bain and Sarah Barron was an excellent audiobook especially this is the first book/audiobook I have read by this author and wont be my last. This book is a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly and worked great together,
I found The Cracked Mirror was the most imaginative audiobook/book and a rollercoaster ride with so many twists and turns throughout that had me gripped and I found it hard to turn the audiobook off.

The narrator's Russ Bain and Sarah Barron were excellent.

When a book is described as "a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly" I am all in. Two of my favourite authors. I had never read anything by Chris Brookmyre before this but I'll definitely seek some more out. I assume this title is a nod to The Mirror Crack'd by Agatha Christie, a Marple book.

It's a hard book to review fully without giving things away. I really enjoyed this, the ending was definitely not what I expected.

In this story you will meet Penny Coyne in Scotland, an old lady who has solved multiple murders in her sleepy village (a la Marple) and Johnny Hawke, LAPD homicide detective, often in trouble, always seeking the truth whatever it takes. Their worlds collide with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation.

A clever, imaginative and entertaining book, that's a kind of crime novel but also not really. I enjoyed it, loved it for most, the ending threw me a bit, so that took a star off my rating.