I am delighted to be sharing my review today for a fantastic book. Never Be Broken By Sarah Hilary is the 6th book in the DI Marnie Rome series. Though I have not read the previous books, I have to say this is bloody brilliant and has left me wanting to read the previous ones. My huge thanks to Anne Cater for aloowing me a spot on the Blog Tour and for organising me a copy of Never Be Broken.

The compulsive, gripping and twisty new London crime novel featuring DI Marnie Rome, from award-wining novelist Sarah Hilary

Children are dying on London’s streets. Frankie Reece, stabbed through the heart, outside a corner shop. Others recruited from care homes, picked up and exploited; passed like gifts between gangs. They are London’s lost.

Then Raphaela Belsham is killed. She’s thirteen years old, her father is a man of influence, from a smart part of town. And she’s white. Suddenly, the establishment is taking notice.

DS Noah Jake is determined to handle Raphaela’s case and Frankie’s too. But he’s facing his own turmoil, and it’s becoming an obsession. DI Marnie Rome is worried, and she needs Noah on side. Because more children are disappearing, more are being killed by the day and the swelling tide of violence needs to be stemmed before it’s too late.

NEVER BE BROKEN is a stunning, intelligent and gripping novel which explores how the act of witness alters us and reveals what lies beneath the veneer of a glittering city.

Now I have not yet read any of the previous books in this series, please notice the word YET! After reading Never Be Broken I will definitely be going back to the beginning. Because I have not read the others it means I can say that it does work well as a stand-alone, BUT I would advise reading these in order if you have not yet done so. While this is a brilliant book, I got little snapshots of past stories. These intrigued me a huge amount and made me wish I had read in order…

This is the 6th in the DI Marnie Rome series, though Marnie is obviously the main character for the series, Never Be Broken focuses more on DS Noah Jake. It has such a dramatic start that immediately grabbed my attention. From that point on I was hooked and eager to know everything. The two main characters of Marnie and Noah are wonderful, I was able to pick up the chemistry between these two colleagues that comes with a series. As I got to know more about Noah my heart really went out to him, I got invested in his character and cared about what was going on with him.

Marnie and Noah are working a case in the Muswell Hill area of London and it leads them to a notorious estate. A residential tower block known for its drugs, crime and gangs. But in amongst this is a small community of those who care. Now as much as this story is about the investigation and also Noah, there is also a very topical point being made. It is about knife crime. A very poignant acknowledgement is made at the end of the book.

Don’t think that this book is all about knife crime, it is about Noah dealing with so much in his personal life. About Marnie being a supportive boss and friend, Noah’s home life and the investigation as well. There is quite a lot going on in this book and all these things were woven together so well. I found that I worried about what could possibly happen next as my mind worked overtime.

Marnie and Jake are such good characters to read. I loved the care and compassion from Marnie and the way that Noah thinks he can cope. His conversations are moving and also heartbreaking… I am not telling who these conversations are with though!

This is a hard-hitting book for so many reasons. As well as the murders and investigations, the author has also included social and economic aspects for the residents, knife crime, racism, grief and anger. I realise I make this book sound very bleak and in some ways it is, but the author has absolutely nailed this by making a convincing, real feeling and addictive read. She has for me written an absolute cracker of a read and this is why I will be buying and reading the previous 5 books in the series. And also why it gets a Highly Recommended from Me!

Sarah Hilary’s debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year 2015 and was a World Book Night selection for 2016. The Observer’s Book of the Month (‘superbly disturbing’) and a Richard & Judy Book Club bestseller, it has been published worldwide. No Other Darkness, the second in the series was shortlisted for a Barry Award in the US. Her DI Marnie Rome series continued with Tastes Like Fear, Quieter Than Killing and Come And Find Me. Follow her on twitter @sarah_hilary.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx