Girl ● Mother ● Assassin

I always love a Helen Fields book, no matter whether she's writing her gritty police/crime series, psychological thrillers as H.S. Chandler, or now historical thrillers.

These Lost and Broken Things is very much Sofia's story. As the book begins she's 12 and about to experience something that will change her life forever. We then switch to London in 1905 where she's living as a poor but respectable wife and mother. When her husband dies suddenly she is lured into the life of a gambler initially, but then into something much more disturbing and menacing, as the tagline suggests.

It's an incredibly gripping story. Sofia is quite a woman, determined to survive but also with this darkness inside her that is so unexpected and so brilliantly depicted. There's the grittiness that I've come to expect from this author's books, but there's also a deep-rooted need to survive on Sofia's part. She's a Jekyll and Hyde character, one who is hiding this other, sinister side of herself. Despite all of this, I couldn't help but like her for her gutsiness and her cunning. I think the author used the backdrop of the Suffragette marches and protests to brilliant effect to symbolise the fact that Sofia is just another woman fighting against men who think they own her.

I raced through this book and read it in a day. I just couldn't put it down. Helen Fields is an incredibly versatile author who seems to be able to turn her hand to anything. What will be next? I can't wait to find out. ( )

These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields

Compelling, complicated and rather creepy this book grabbed me and kept me reading without pause. Well, perhaps pauses were made to contemplate just how what happened could come about and how it could, though gruesome and gritty still make almost complete sense when the story was finally told. It made me consider whether a murderer is born or made and what might compel someone to commit murder. I wonder if I, faced with the life that Sofia lived, would have done what she did or if I would have chosen a different course.

What I liked:
• Sofia: strong, intelligent, willing to do what it took to keep her family together - definitely not perfect and with some serious problems to overcome.
• Nora: Sofia’s neighbor who was there for her and her children – had a heart of gold.
• Charlie: the constable neighbor that might have been too good for Sofia – or just what she needed.
• The real feel to the story…I felt I was there making decisions, feeling the grime, smelling the odors, experiencing it all…
• The telling of Sofia’s past in snippets throughout the book. I don’t usually like flashbacks in stories, but they worked well in this book.
• That some of the bad guys were not totally bad even though they did bad things
• The plot, writing and pace of the story.
• Being left with that niggling question that left me wondering what the future might or might not hold for the people I came to care about.

What I did not like:
• Watching one evil man manipulate those around him
• Being reminded of the sorry lot of women before they had rights
• Feeling unsettled – but also kind of liked it
• Kind of wanting an epilogue though I know it is better to leave the reader unsure of what will happen.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Wailing Banshee for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Having enjoyed this author’s Callanach series, I thought I’d give this a try. However, I don’t think I’m the intended audience & it ended up being a simple case of reader-book mismatch.

The story centres around Sofia Logans, a young woman struggling to survive in 1905 London. As she goes from young card sharp to widowed mother, we follow her as she encounters the characters that will alter her fate.

As her life plays out, we’re also treated to the story of London itself. The industrial revolution & suffragette movement are underway as the city moves into the 20th century. But what hasn’t changed is the gap between rich & poor. The author obviously did her homework & includes many period details that lend an atmospheric backdrop to Sofia’s story.

The book is labelled as a thriller but I think historical/women’s fiction may be closer to the mark. If these are your preferred genres, you’ll find much to enjoy here. ( )