Billed as a chilling suspense book and it was!!!!
At times found it slightly diffiuclt to follow but it did keep me interested and had twists and turns

A ghostly story of a reporter trying to get to the bottom of the murder of her sister 20 years before. As she uncovers the layers of deceit that have hidden the truth, she becomes more and more involved in the characters that in habited a boarding school for "difficult" girls. The girls and their secrets are gradually revealed and the small town is rocked by the revelations.
A very good read that kept me interested throughout. I loved it, it had characters that were believable and a plot that was well thought out.
Loved it!

This is a very atmospheric thriller. It took me a wee while to get into because of the different timelines and characters but I stuck with it. Fiona's sister Deb was murdered twenty years ago and her body left in a field at Idlewood Hall. Fiona is now a journalist and has never got over her sister's death. Another body is found near to where Deb's was left. So Fiona starts to investigate the mysterious derelict boarding school which stands on the Idlewood land. Read on.

This novel blended past and present beautifully. I found both the plot lines to be engaging and the novel as a whole is a stunning achievement.

An Absolutely brilliant and fantastic read, I was hooked from the first page, I honestly couldn't put it down. Broken Girls is Set In 2 timelines, one from the 1950's, and the other in 2014. It has a Supernatural element to it that gave it that extra thrill, and a mystery that will have you gripped till the very end.

Plot: Idlewild is a school in New England for “broken girls” – those who have nowhere else to go because they’ve been expelled from previous schools, have some form of behavioral issues, or other flawed access to their personalities. In 1950, one of these gets off a bus and leaves the safety of the road in favour of the woods, but feels a presence behind her.
In 2014, Fiona is a journalist tasked with finding out more about the old school while it’s being renovated and reopened, but a discovery throws that story into disarray. And what does that discovery have to do with Fiona’s sister whose body was found on the premises years before?

“Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under land…
Faster, faster. Don’t let her catch you.
She’ll say she wants to be your friend…
Do not let her in again!”

My thoughts: The Vermont setting and promises of a creepy suspense story in a mysterious boarding school had me hooked right from the description on this book, and it didn’t disappoint. The dual timeline is one that I always enjoy, allowing mysteries to be uncovered in both the past and present without giving anything away too quickly. I also enjoyed the hints of the supernatural that could sometimes be explained, sometimes couldn’t, leaving you wondering whether it was real or not.
It was definitely a well told story that had excellent creepy vibes and enough gothic suspense to keep me intrigued. It’s one I’d recommend, although there were sections in the middle I wished I could just get to the fun parts!

I’ve tried a few times to read this novel and struggled to get into it. I have got to 40% and still not with it. Sadly it’s a not for me. But am sure others will love it.

I’m striffling to pin point why I couldn’t get into it, and I think it’s the present and past. The story jumps between the two and it’s just not working for me.
Sorry

A brilliant, believable, supernatural crime story set in three different time periods which are linked by a girls school that in the present is empty and derelict. It was never a happy place and it tended to cater for girls with a past, girls no one really cared for or wanted. This led to some of the girls forming friendships and secrets that would span many decades. In my opinion the supernatural element is not the most prominent part of the book until the last few chapters but it is definitely worth waiting for, the build up is chilling gripping and superbly written.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book absolutely spellbinding. I enjoyed reading about the four girls friendship in the 1950’s and the current story of Fiona and her partner, Jamie.
The writing was mesmerising and the stories involving the woman very intriguing, especially Mary Hands’ story.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of The broken Girls to review.

This book had a bit of everything, part thriller, part ghost story, part historical fiction but it worked well.
Two separate murders, two separate timelines. The book flits between the Idlewild Boarding School in the 1950's to modern day where Fiona is trying to piece together the identity of and what happened to the girl found in the well at Idlewild whilst discovering secrets kept in the small town. Secrets not only about this murder but the murder of her sister.
I liked the author's style of writing and how she combined both the past and present aspects of the story. An enjoyable read.

The broken girls by Simone St James.
In 1950 Idlewild Hall is a boarding school for tearaway girls. There is 4 to a room and Katie, Cece, Roberta and Sonia share a room. Until one goes missing. Now I  2014 Fiona Sheridan is going to do a piece on it as it is being reopened and done up. But as work goes under way a body is discovered. Who could it be? An absolutely fantastic read. I loved the story and the characters.  Especially Fiona as she wouldn't give up. Very spooky in places. Loved the ending too.  5*.

This is the story of Idlewild Hall School and four of the pupils. How they looked after each other.
Who is the lady in black seen in the woods late at night?
What really happened to one of the girls?
Bad things keep happening WHY? Who is Mary Hand and what does she want?
This book is a great read, it was haunting, the stories of the four girls were harrowing and they brought me to tears.
I would like to thank the author Simone St James, Headline Wildfire and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

“Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under land…
Faster, faster. Don’t let her catch you.
She’ll say she wants to be your friend…
Do not let her in again!”

There’s something sinister going on at Ildewild Hall in Barrons, Vermont. Ghosts have allegedly been seen, a body has been discovered, and long buried secrets are about to be unearthed in Simone St. James’ The Broken Girls.

In 1950 Ce-Ce, Katie, Roberta and Sonia are pupils and roommates at Ildewild Hall, a boarding school for “troubled” girls, who’ve become close friends having bonded over their painful life stories. But their world’s about to be rocked when one of the quartet disappears without a trace. The school believes that the girl’s run away; the remaining three friends are convinced she was murdered. But by whom, and why?

In 2014, Fiona’s plagued with unanswered questions about her sister’s murder. Twenty years previously, Deb’s body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Ildewild Hall. Deb’s boyfriend was convicted of killing her and is serving a life sentence, but he’s always proclaimed his innocence. Could he be telling the truth?

Now a freelance journalist, when Fiona hears that Ildewild Hall is to be restored, she decides to write a story about it. During the renovations, however, Fiona stumbles across a link to secrets that were meant to have stayed buried in the past and the more she uncovers, the more danger she finds herself in. What really happened in 1950, and is the right person in jail for her sister’s murder? Fiona is determined to find out.

The Broken Girls is a well-written, atmospheric read that kept me turning the pages. Simone St. James’ characters are nicely developed, each with their own back stories that are equally compelling, and while I’m not usually a fan of paranormal elements creeping in to mystery novels, Mary Hand’s presence worked well in this title. The dual timeline worked well, too, and the author has done a wonderful job of tying the two stories together in a way that is entirely plausible.

This was the first title I’ve read by this author and I’m sure it won’t be my last.

Note: Many thanks to the author, Headline and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Broken Girls - the pace builds slowly but surely and I was utterly gripped by this thriller with a dash of the paranormal. In 1950, at Idlewild School for girls, four roommates bond over secrets and ghostly experiences, but then one of them goes missing. In 2014 journalist Fiona can't get over the death of her sister and when another body is found in the grounds of the decrepit Idlewild school, she investigates further.

Atmospheric, and creepy, lyrical prose and a fascinating mystery involving the second world war, this is definitely worth a read. One to curl up with in an armchair and a hot chocolate!

Absolutely brilliant, loved it from page one. I was drawn into the story line straight away and I just wanted to keep reading. It is a very dark and unsettling book with many twists and turns in the storyline, which is exactly what I loved about it. I liked how the story moves from past to present and how everything that happens links in together well. Another thing that I liked about this book is that I didn’t manage to guess the ending. Unlike in other books where I can usually guess how it will end before I even get to the end.

I felt that the book was well written and definitely looking forward to reading more books by Simone St. James. Definitely a must read.

This book tells the story of Fiona, a journalist who cannot let go of he sister’s murder some years before. Her sister was found dumped in the grounds of Idlewood Hall - an abandoned boarding house for girls, The house is being rebuilt and Fiona decides to investigate further. Alongside Fiona’s story is the story of four troubled girls from the 1950s, all sent to Idewood Hall, who bond together against the awful House and its ghost - Mary Hand, When the body of one of the girls is found in the well in the present day, the stories become intertwined. The ghost and the house seem very real and frightening throughout the story and I was really gripped by each girl’s story. I read this in one afternoon and would highly recommend I’d.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this book. I really cant put into words how much I really enjoyed this book. It was an absolutely enthralling, wonderfully gripping and eerily moving story. All of the main characters of Fiona , "The Girls" , Jamie and Malcolm are so easily likeable. I was willing Fiona on at every step and there is one sentence in the book that had me crying but I will not say which as I don't wish to spoil it for anyone. This book has everything you would want for an excellent read. If you read no other book , give this a go , you will not be disappointed. This book will stay with me for a long time. Amazing.

This book had me hooked from the very start. Loved the dual time line which was done very well. A well written & atmospheric read

There is something strange going on in a small town in Vermont. No one likes to go near the slowly decaying girls' boarding school. For decades, the school, which was intended for “troubled” girls, closed. It is said that there is a ghost. For the journalist Fiona, the place has particularly bad memories. 20 years ago her sister's body was found there. She was beaten to death by her boyfriend and left there. He's been in custody since then but Fiona does not let it go. Her family never recovered from the tragedy. Something gnaws at her and does not let her rest. Now the school has been sold and the new owner wants to reopen it. The corpse of a young girl who has been there for more than 60 years is found on the property. Fiona is fascinated by the strange coincidence that a murder has been committed on the property where her sister was found dead. She begins to investigate the story.

In the beginning I had a little trouble warming to Fiona. As much as I can understand her and her grief, I saw her problematic fixation on murder. It seemed to me she did not want to get over it. This murder defines her life and relationship with other people. The perpetrator was convicted and his guilt was never seriously debated. But even this fact did not help her to continue with her life reasonably. In the course of the story, I slowly warmed up for her. And that's because of the writing talent of the author. The story is complex and does not involve confusion at any point. At a second time level, we get to know 4 young girls who lived in the boarding school. One of them is later murdered and she is the corpse found many years later.

The book is a mixture of ghost story, thriller, historical novel and family drama. It keeps the balance surprisingly good and none of the storylines falls flat. Many themes are interwoven into a complex story. The book is never boring and I could hardly put it down. In fact, it is a very sad story. "The Broken Girls" is an atmospheric, very well-written book that confidently trades its various levels of action. Thank you, Simone St. James, this was a high-class entertainment.

Although this book started it quite slow I’m glad I kept with it as it turned into an intrieging read twisting and turning between 1950 and 2014. This story winds starts as a murder mystery but ends up being so much more.