I would like to thank Netgalley and Beach Nut Press for an advance copy of Broken, the second novel to feature Sydney based PI Nick Harding.

Nick gets two cases in the one day, a struggle, but ably aided by Davie, his computer guy, he manages to work them both. The first one is to help the dying Lawrence Goulding find and reconcile with his younger son, Gareth. In the second case a financial company asks him to find a conman, who has been systematically defrauding them for years using a variety of fake names and credit histories.

I thoroughly enjoyed Broken, which is a fun read with some great twists and turns. The plot is a bit silly and that seems to be a feature of the series, so not to be taken too seriously, but the misdirection in the way the author turns what the reader assumes to be truth into falsity is clever and very moreish.

The novel runs at a fast pace with regular developments and a certain amount of fisticuffs with Nick often coming off second best. This is a nice touch that makes him more endearing. It is not a long novel, so there isn’t much wasted, especially as the points of view include the bad guys as well as Nick. It’s interesting and a solid reminder not to believe everything you are told.

Much of the fun in the novel comes from Nick and Davie’s interactions. They are so normal and down to earth that most readers will be able to identify with them, whether it’s Davie’s joy at homemade shortbread or Nick’s frustration at the limits of battery life in his electric car. They’re beer and pizza type guys who are more competent than they present.

Broken is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I absolutely loved this superbly written and fast paced book. I hope there’s more stories featuring Private Investigator Nick Harding.

The main character Nick and his hard working side kick Davie, are on top of any investigative work that comes their way.
The complexities woven into the storyline are cleverly revealed but with plenty of intrigue and suspense!
Two cases involving money, greed and family connections will have the reader turning the pages, an extremely clever and fast paced book.
I particularly enjoyed reading the various character interactions, the normality of the situations and real life perspectives from two down to earth investigators! Definitely highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book, I appreciate it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.