"Sweet, scary and sometimes sordid, Little Broken Things is filled with determined women tenacious in their love for a girl whose childhood has been anything but easy."
Little Broken Things
A Novel
Description
“If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll want to crack open this new novel by Nicole Baart.” —Southern Living
“Steeped in menace, Baart’s latest is a race-to-the-finish family drama.” —People
A gripping contemporary suspense novel about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed façade shatters with the sudden arrival of a frightened young girl—and the dangerous secrets she carries, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Amy Hatvany.
I have something for you. When Quinn Cruz receives that cryptic text message from her older sister Nora, she doesn’t think much of it. They haven’t seen each other in nearly a year and thanks to Nora’s fierce aloofness, their relationship consists mostly of infrequent phone calls and an occasional email or text. But when a haunted Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn's house just hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion that will change both of their lives forever.
Nora’s “something” is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering, wide-eyed, and tight-lipped. Nora hands her over to Quinn with instructions to keep her safe, and not to utter a word about the child to anyone, especially not their buttoned-up mother who seems determined to pretend everything is perfect. But before Quinn can ask even one of the million questions swirling around her head, Nora disappears, and Quinn finds herself the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy.
While Quinn struggles to honor her sister’s desperate request and care for the lost, scared Lucy, she fears that Nora may have gotten involved in something way over her head—something that will threaten them all. But Quinn’s worries are nothing compared to the firestorm that Nora is facing. It’s a matter of life and death, of family and freedom, and ultimately, about the lengths a woman will go to protect the ones she loves.
Reviews
"Mesmerizing...an accomplished exploration of the fragile bonds of a family as they attempt to overcome obstacles they never saw coming.
"Baart’s novel of familial ties, betrayals, and longoverdue confrontations ventures into the territory of Paula Hawkins, Mary Kubica, and Kimberly Belle. Baart’s pacing keeps the novel driving forward, while a core group of narrators offers different perspectives on the murky facts of Lucy’s upbringing. Full of twists and turns, this is a great addition to the recent surge in suspenseful domestic fiction."
"Part psychological thriller, part women’s fiction, Baart’s latest novel is wholly compelling. Told from the perspectives of three complex women (a mother and her two adult daughters) over the course of four emotional days...Questions abound and, in true thriller fashion, answers are doled out on a need-to-know basis, keeping the tension high from beginning to end. Baart’s smartly exquisite prose and her setting of a scene, not so much physically as mentally, allows readers to relate personally to these three women and to embrace the little girl in their care. The intricacies of family relationships, love and friendship are all skillfully explored, layered in all the right places and captivating in its entirety."