3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed the thriller/crime aspect as well as the romance. I personally find books in third person more difficult for me to read. I just don't connect with them as much as first person and I find myself reading slower. If written in first person, probably would have been a 4 or 4.5 star read for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A great suspense with a touch of romance!

This story follows investigator Lennon, and FBI Agent Ambrose as they look into a mysterious new drug causing deaths among the homeless.

The plot became unpredictable to me, which I loved and had lots of twists and turns up until the end. I recommend going into this book blind because it will make it that much better! Definitely a little different from Mia Sheridan’s other books, but this was a thriller done well! Loved it!


📘: The Broken Places by Mia Sheridan
🗓️: December 1, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, and Montlake for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Riveting Journey Through a Unique Crime Narrative

Mia’s latest offering is a standout addition to the genre, featuring an exceptionally unique plot that grips the reader from the very first page. The meticulous attention to detail elevates the story beyond a typical detective narrative, creating a richly layered experience that is both engaging and believable.

The author masterfully crafts a world where every element feels grounded in reality, allowing readers to suspend disbelief and imagine the unfolding events as plausible. This authenticity enhances the emotional stakes and keeps the reader invested in the characters’ journeys.

Overall, this book is a testament to Mia’s storytelling prowess, offering a refreshing take on crime fiction that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. Highly recommended for those seeking a captivating read that challenges the conventions of the genre.

This is the second book I've read by this author, and like with the previous book, I felt emotionally drained afterwards. It is not a light read. It is not a quick read. But it is an excellent read. It will make you think about things you'd probably rather not think about, and it definitely gave me an education on homelessness and mental health; I was so disturbed yet riveted by the plot that I even talked about it with my family. I can't even imagine the amount of research that the author put into this story. Make sure you're ready for the deep end when you dive into this one; you won't be sorry you went in. It does move a bit slow in places, but I think that's by design. Stick with it, or skim if you have to, but don't give up. You'll come away knowing that you read something memorable instead of just another book that you'll forget by next week.

One thing I love about this author is you never know what you are going to get in a book plot wise. The concept of this book was very interesting and I’ve never read anything like it, so it is very unique.

But with that being said, it was a little hard for me to get into because of it switching timelines back-and-forth and also in the third person POV. I really did not get totally engrossed in the story until about 80% of the way through and I honestly felt like the female and male main characters had no chemistry or connection like her other books do.

The story starts with murders happening to addicts/homeless that the SFPD is investigating. An FBI agent, Ambrose, is assigned to the female main character who is an inspector with the SFPD and she is curious why the FBI would be on this case unless there’s something not being told to her. You come to find out that the addicts and homeless are being drugged by these hallucinogenic drugs that cause them to relive their traumas. You are basically following Lennon and Ambrose trying to figure out who is doing these murders. There are a lot of darker themes in this book, and people dealing with trauma/PTSD that you hope will overcome.

Read this book if you like dark twisty, thrillers, morally gray solutions on how to help people with PTSD and trauma, and police investigations.

The Broken Places, my review I loved this so much! I realized that for my review I summerize the book, but I won’t this this time. So I say take a chance and go in blind, just reading the blurb should be the teaser and it’s spot on and this did a major a abrupt stop and re-read to see if I read it correctly and I did and holy cow this was good. Loved the suspense and mystery of this story. Great job!

What a story! Fascinating!

Lennon and Ambrose are partnered up to investigate a string of horrific murders involving a new pill. There is a serial killer targeting a certain demographic of society. And wow, the events that follow are intense and eye-opening.

The writing is phenomenal and the story line fantastic. It’s filled with suspense, has great twists, and is packed with emotion.

The Broken Places showcases those who have been victimized and suffered horrific trauma. It’s enlightening and deeply emotional. It’s overcoming trauma and mending those broken places. It’s about compassion, healing, trust, and love. Fantastic romantic thriller.

There isn't much Mia Sheridan writes that I don't like. I love her romance and romantic suspense and thrillers. Ambrose and Lennon's story is not even remotely conventional. The storyline perhaps requires a bit of suspended disbelief (but I will say that I was thinking to myself all along, if only this kind of therapy could really exist - and maybe it does to some extent-just imagine the people whose lives are mired in such emotional pain finding long lasting hope). Did it drag a bit? Yes, at first, I kept putting the book down and walking away but then I'd tell myself "this is Mia Sheridan, let her lead you on this journey". I have absolutely no regrets. Some twists were a surprise, others were not but in the end, what I came away with was hope and pure love.

2,5 ✨

Honestly, I’d never read anything by Mia Sheridan before this book. I did know about her work, though, so I thought I would enjoy this. I’ll admit that thrillers aren’t usually my favorite genre, and as someone who leans more toward Romantasy, I had trouble getting into the story.

I expected a certain level of realism in this story. After all, it takes place in a real setting, but it was so hard to get into! The unrealistic plot twists, for example, felt completely off. Once you read the summary, you’ll understand how unbelievable the miracle cures sound here.

Until around 85%, the mystery was gripping and kept me hooked—I did want to know where these characters would take me, and there was even a bit of romance, which I appreciated. Plus, Mia is a good writer, and if you’re less of a realist than I am, you’ll probably enjoy it more. Overall, it’s well-written and has a solid mystery, but for me, some parts were just too hard to fully believe in.

Did I like it? I'm unsure. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but the plot and the writing weren't bad.

Lastly, the themes are heavy; if you’re thinking about reading this, I’d recommend checking the trigger warnings first.

The Broken Places pleasantly surprised me with the level of suspense that was in it. Mia Sheridan has for sure done it again with her well written and well expressed mind.

Decent mystery with some surprising twists. Mia Sheridan is best at writing characters you can connect to and honestly care about what happens to them and this book was no different. While the central mystery was a little farfetched I was still interested in seeing how it was solved and what would happen to the two main characters. Sheridan will continue to be an auto-read author for me. I want to thank NetGalley and Montlake for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Mia Sheridan for this digital ARC!

Mia Sheridan has been on my TBR list for so long, and I was excited to finally dive into one of her books. However, it took me a bit longer to get into this story than I expected, likely because I’m not used to reading mystery/thriller romances.

If you want to read this book I highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings first. There are some explicit scenes that might not be suitable for everyone, so be prepare for some dark topics.

The Broken Places is a romantic suspense writting by Mia Sheridan and if you're reading this review, you absolutley should not over look this book! While Archer's Voice is probably what lead you to wanting to read Mia Sheridan, you will want to stick around for Mia Sheridan's other books because they are all worth a read because each one is different, offering a different take on something you never thought you'd want to read. The Broken Places is filled with mystery and twists you would have never expected, but it also has some of that romance you come to expect from Mia Sheridan's writing. 4.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy of The Broken Places by Mia Sheridan in exchange for my honest review.

When other officers in San Francisco start to transfer to other cities or the small town, inspector Lennon Gray stays and still does her job diligently, even though that makes her hurl everything she ate before visiting the crime scene, but a special occurrence caught her attention—a strange suicide scene that wasn't normal in any sense of the word. Ambrose Mars, the new partner of Inspector Lennon, acts suspicious; he seems different than other officers or agents, but that doesn't make him less attractive, especially when he helps Lennon state her theory about each crime and gives a different perspective to help her. Things got heated when Ambrose saved Lennon from a near-death situation, but Ambrose was hiding something, and that was the start of the mystery.
Being a police officer isn't only managing traffic lights or only calling them to arrest the thieves in your house; the visual Mia Sheridan gave was a roller coaster yet a masterpiece. I loved that the details were arranged so perfectly. Everyone knows about people dealing with their own lives, troubles, or problems; some people want to free themselves, some don't care anymore, and some want to find a way to either succeed or fail. It's so detailed that you could emphasize with them, and you're not drug addicted or selling body, but you have a clear view of their perspective. That alone is a masterpiece of the mentality of different people.
The book has so many strong points: the connection between trauma and the incidents that happened, which results in their current state, how they deal with them, some details that may be ignored but in fact have a massive influence on your life and the decision you make, and the importance of solving those trauma. I especially liked that there is reality. In the sea of people dealing with those issues, some try to save themselves, but some don't want to, or want to but don't have the courage to, like they think it's too late, but deep down they wish they could do something about it. The vivid image of the people in the book is a masterpiece that not many authors could visualize.
I rate the book 5 and the mystery a solid 5. There is not every day that I enjoy something unexpected; I feel all Ambrose and Lennon emotions without knowing who they are. There is this part of the book where I see someone, anonymous, go through the healing process, and I can say I also walk without knowing who they are. There is this part of the book where I see someone, anonymous, go through the healing process, and I can say I also walk with him. The book shows me that even though I live with my memory of something long ago, that doesn't make me always happy, and sometimes I should embrace them, and by embrace I really mean to give a hug to my younger self and tell them it's okay. I say it's not important which genre you prefer to read; all people should read this.

The premise of this book sounded so interesting, and the story sucked me in within the first chapter. However, from there I struggled to connect with the characters which lacked depth, although they were quite likeable. From there, it’s hard to really feel their romantic connection. I felt the pacing for the other plot line was a bit off as well. I appreciate Mia’s willingness to tackle really difficult and complex subjects, but this one just didn’t work for me.

I struggled with this one so had to DNF. I’m so sorry.

The book had some really heavy topics which I just did not expect so it was an unpleasant shock.

As well as this, I had a bit of an issue connecting to the story, even though the mystery was somewhat intriguing.

I love Mia Sheridan and typically she keeps me on my toes and I usually love her books but this one not so much. Not only did i have a hard connecting with this one, but the pace was very slow.

The Broken Places follows investigator Lennon and an
FBI agent Ambrose as they look into a mysterious new drug that is causing deaths among the homeless
.
As they delve into the case, their attraction to each other and personal secrets complicate their working relationship. Lennon must take control of her limits before it starts to get to her on a personal level.

I really struggled connecting with the characters in this one and with the slower pace it just wasn't for me.
The book also deals with steeper and dark themes so definitely read those TW.

This doesn't feel like a typical Sheridan book but that's not to say it's not good. I tried to get invested but something (maybe the characters, maybe the plot) just didn't connect for me. It's an engaging story but wouldn't be my top read from Sheridan.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 • 𝗠𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻
★★★★

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Crime/romance/mystery
- Detective meets FBI agent with secrets
- Hunting a serial killer
- Exploration of mental health

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
There were two things that struck me the most about The Broken Places. Firstly, I noticed that the pacing felt off. I found the romance to move quickly whilst the crime subplot moved much more slowly. This meant that I found it quite difficult to enjoy the romance however its soon revealed why it was written that way.

But mostly, this book has an incredible insight into mental health, particularly trauma and its correlation to substance use disorder. The hybrid genre meant that this book served a bit of everything: crime, mystery, romance, and thriller. But it’s fascinating and well researched foray into mental health is where this book shines. I loved it. The minds response to trauma is so multifaceted and complex and this really comes across in this novel.

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰, 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴.”
—𝘌𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘸𝘢𝘺

The Broken Places is about Lennon, a San Fransisco police inspector who is trying to solve a crime plaguing the vulnerable populations from the Tenderloin District. A mystery drug is being discovered at each murder scene, and while the victims all seemingly come from traumatic, roughened pasts, Lennon works to find the key missing link that connects these murders.

Enter Ambrose Mars -- an FBI agent that is sent to work with her to uncover this murder mystery. Something is different about this agent. Lennon can't help pull feel a connection to him as they struggle through the details of these serial murders. If these murders weren't already mysterious, her draw to Ambrose would be cause for investigation on its own.

----

The premise for this novel really appealed to me when I applied to read this ARC. A murder mystery, with suspense and a sprinkle of romance? AND written by storyteller Mia Sheridan?? Cool cool, sign me up!!!

I really appreciated the unique concept of this story -- tons of potential. And I think the subject matter was deep and hard hitting... The topics of trauma, emotional damage, psychology, healing, intergenerational trauma. The politics of support and mental health care, community, and love -- all things I believe need to be destigmatized and more commonplace in mainstream life/media/content. But for some reason, I just could not get myself invested in this story. Something was missing and I simply cannot put my finger on what. For subjects so heavy and emotional, I just felt so disconnected?

The entire first 30-40% I felt the crime solving to be very slow, and the character building to be lacking in the beginning. This made it hard to immediately get into. I will note that eventually this picks up, and pieces DO fall together... but only after a long while where I felt like the story just wasn't moving anywhere fast enough.

The two MCs are supposed to be connecting and obviously "falling in love", but I just didn't feel the actual story between them to drive this love. The romance parts conversely felt rushed or unnecessary, and honestly I wonder if the book would've been better without them. I was able to get into the book better by the halfway point, but still not as deeply as I had hoped. I found myself missing the drive to keep turning pages for a good chunk of the book.

Despite that, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the inner monologues, the chapters of the podcasts, and the different character perspectives throughout. The scientific content was really cool, and I loved Dr. Sweetons discussions of psychology, trauma, and the art /science behind it. Super interesting perspectives were brought up throughout the book, and I found myself really enjoying some of the points made regarding trauma, innate responses and healing. I finished this book wanting to be a better person for others, and I think it's a great thing when a book can evoke that in people.

Overall, this was an alright read. The subjects and general concept were the big winners here, but the progression of the crime & mystery fell short for me. If it didn't pertain to the romance or directly to details that solved the crime, I really wasn't in it. The last 30% or so really carried the novel, and that portion alone is what left me finishing this book with a final "Good" rating.

In sum: I'm not sure I would recommend this book to a friend off the top of my head... but I don't think I would discourage anyone from reading it either! It added a bit of variety to my romance-heavy bookshelf, so I'm glad I read it :)