‘The Cracked Mirror’ by Chris Brookmyre,is certainly a bit different from your run of the mill police police procedure or amateur sleuth stories.

The dual storylines take us to a Scottish village where Penny Coyne,an octogenarian librarian is known for solving multiple murders,and LA where Johnny Hawke,a maverick homicide detective,stretches the law to get results.

The two main characters seem like an unlikely blend in a narrative that defies conventional tales of criminal investigations,yet captures the imagination from the offset.

An enjoyable,uniquely entertaining,fast moving ,extraordinary novel that successfully combines genres.

This is a really good plot/story full of twists and turns, which i must admit i didn't predict! This is my first time reading a novel by Chris Brookmyre and certainly not my last!
This really kept me on my toes and in suspense and was so cleverly written.
I'll keep this short and sweet as adding any further details would only cause spoilers and i think this is a book best going into without knowledge so you have the full experience! Definitely recommend

Absolutely loved this story within stories. The main narrative takes a while to be established but even then there are twists and turns which add levels and layers. Great writing, great playing with form and genre. Definitely recommended.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the opportunity to review this title.

Delighted to share the Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre. This story revolves around Penny Coyne and Johnny Hawke. Penny, an elderly librarian in a quiet village is about to collide with Johnny, a tough-as-nails LAPD homicide detective in a case that’s as tangled as a runaway ball of yarn.

This is a hybrid genre; think Miss Marple meets Bad Boys. It’s absolutely fantastic. Starting Penny’s story was like settling in with your favourite old school detective. Full of gorgeous language and the prim and proper. The transitions into Johnny’s chapters were very clever, with sharp changes in dialogue and slang. Johnny is the well loved LAPD stereotype, bringing action, adrenaline and bad-assery. I really enjoyed the clashing of the different paces and the discussions between the characters on moral issues. There were some very clever and forward thinking concepts throughout this book. A modern classic cosy crime. I was gutted to say goodbye to these characters!

But you can say hello to them on 18th July 2024 when this book is published! And I strongly recommend you get this pre-ordered so you don’t miss it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this!

I enjoyed this novel very much. I found the book impossible to put down, and I was very antisocial while I was engrossed in it.

For the first few chapters I was slightly bemused, wondering how the cosy crime mystery set in Scotland was going to meld with the faster-paced police procedural/US cop thriller set in LA, but they coincided neatly, and the two plot lines became one very mysterious one whose genre became more and more science fiction than crime/thriller as the plot progressed, with a few oblique hints as to the eventual outcome.

A very clever book which I must reread to spot those hints I missed about the dénouement.

Took me a while to warm to this book, I couldn't adjust to the two different stories. As the story went on however and the two characters started coming together the story also came together for me. Totally didn't see the twist coming and loved it. It made the whole thing make sense.

Brookmyre is a genius!

An interesting one; I struggled a bit with the juxtaposition of Penny Coyne, an elderly lady from Scotland who has solved several murders, against LAPD copy, Johnny Hawke - a strange mash-up of Agatha Christie meets Michael Connelly. Johnny and Penny cross paths at a wedding in Scotland - one that Penny doesn't really understand why she's been invited to. Events unfold and there is a very dramatic shoot-up in the local library and then Johnny and Penny find themselves on a flight to the US, determined to understand what exactly is going on with the two mysterious cases they've both recently encountered (not to mention a murder that Penny is also investigating).

The plot then takes some very strange turns that wouldn't be in the least bit out of place in a science fiction novel.

I really struggled with this at first, but was keen to find out what heppened - but I suspect if it wasn't for the fact that I was given the opportunity to read this in advance, in exchange for a review, I probably wouldn't have finished it. The science fiction element was interesting but does, I feel, mean that you can make the plot as outlanding as you like and the reader will accept how implausible it all is. I did think both of the main characters, Johnny and Penny, were well described and believeable but, as a fan of Christopher Brookmyre, this wasn't what I was expecting and I admit I didn't love it.

Classic mystery meets hardboiled cop story and spins off somewhere else. There are lots of layers. Ideal for fans of quirkiness, who like a close read to spot the clues.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I was interested in this book because of the two vastly different characters, Penny Coyne and Johnny Hawke. I could not imagine how the two of them would end up working together to solve a murder.
The plot was definitely imaginative, and very well written, and the ending did have a twist to it that I was not expecting.. Without including spoilers, I would have to say that this isn't a genre of book I would normally choose, as it wouldn't be my preference, but I can understand a lot of people thoroughly enjoying it.
A very interesting book, but sadly not my taste.

Slow burn but another great read from Brookmyre.

Lots of moving parts that weave together to keep you wanting more.

Interesting characters as always!

Overwhelmingly twisty rollercoaster, perhaps a little too much so!

This was…different, and I came and went a little with my appreciation. Here is a mash up, as the publisher blurb indicates, between a cosy Christie type crime with a Miss Marple character, and a hard-boiled LAPD maverick in another writer’s territory – Michael Connolly, whom I ‘fess I have not read.

The two murder solving sleuths have their own territory of investigations to solve, but, by accident, the hard-boiled one, investigating a high profile not-quite-as-clear-cut-as-it-might-seem suicide within the movie industry, will find himself following a strange lead to Scotland, the home of the elderly librarian of Miss Marple-ish mould.

When I started this, with individual chapters either ‘in the style’ of the elderly sleuth, or in the more brutal, world-weary wisecrack dialogue of the cynical, street wise, sailing close to the edge of legal Hollywood tec, I was almost not sure whether to continue. The third person, but pastiche in style, writing, seemed a little clunky, a little contrived. However, I continued, and later points of view, and chapters, seemed to be better written.

Without delivering too many spoilers, I began to realise that the early ‘clunk’ made far more sense, and something completely different – and hugely confusing – was going on. Yes, I did begin to guess quite a lot of it, though not all. Not only do we have style within a genre mash-ups, we also have entire genre mash-ups

Brookmyre is actually taking quite a lot of risks here, not ALL of which completely work, at least, not for me, because one of the casualties became that I was slightly more invested in ‘what the heck is going on’ than in fully connecting to character. Though, again, there are sound authorial reasons for this, as the ending hove into view.

I’m certainly interested to read more by this author. And happy for my introduction on digital ARC

I appreciate that this is a very clever book but it was far too complex and complicated for my little brain. Sorry, but thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to give it a go!

I enjoyed this book, I thought the plot was interesting and the pacing was good. I did however find that I was getting confused between all the characters as there was slightly too many. When the two storylines were seperate, I did enjoy the police storyline more as I felt that is was more fleshed out then Pennys, but upon reading the ending that did make more sense.

I did find that they seemed to get a lot of information very easily as people just seemed to offer them information, but again this was all explained at the end.
The whole matrix/ video game really threw me at the end and I wasnt sure about it, but then I started to get with it.

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre
I have read very many Chris Brookmyre novels before and this is certainly a very different departure to his usual writing. I wondered how he could meld together an Agatha Christie style novel and a character straight from a Michael Connolly novel but he manages it amazingly well.
The story opens in Scotland in a small village where Penny Coyne an 82 year old woman feels her memories are slipping gradually out of her reach. She is known as the local sleuth solving seemingly unsolvable murders. She is invited to a lavish wedding in a local castle and initially has no idea why she has been invited. Meanwhile there is another storyline which introduces a maverick LA cop called Johnny Hawke. He has the bad habit of losing his partners and the death of his newest partner causes him to flee to Scotland in search of a lead. On the eve of the wedding the bride apparently commits suicide and Johnny teams up with Penny Coyne to solve her possible murder.
I find it fascinating how he has managed to link these two very different characters working together to solve an increasingly confusing series of murders. It is a very well written and gripping story and I found the ending very satisfying and it answered all of the questions which I had been posing all the way through. It is a story within a story etc.
I will definitely be recommending this fascinating book to my various book groups and if you can cope with a large number of different characters you will really enjoy this novel. Many thanks to the author, Net Galley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Found this a really enjoyable read.
Things seem a bit disjointed at the start, with two storylines interspersed, like reading a quiet cosy mystery and 60's noir American cop thriller.
I enjoyed the classic crime nostalgia of this, and the juxtaposition is intentional, with these styles and storylines amalgamating as the characters join forces.

Difficult to say much more without spoilers, for me this was fun, unexpected and a bit of a wild ride.
I would recommend this to both fans of classic crime and people who like quirky mysteries and plots within plots.
I'd also suggest going in without too many expectations and sticking with it if you get put off at the beginning.
I found the ending warm and satisfying, I anticipated several of the twists but some still got me!

Overall I would say this was cleverly plotted, well executed and a homage to classic crime with a quirky twist.

Clever...oh so clever! When I started this novel, I couldn't see the link between an aging Scots woman, Penny Coyne, who assists the police in investigations, a la Miss Marple, and Johnny Hawke, an LAPD detective, who is happy to bend the rules despite the fact that this often leads to the demise of his partners, When they finally meet, their shared purpose is revealed and they find themselves working closely, but uncomfortably, together. Their investigation is going well but all is not as it seems.
I loved the relationship between the two main characters and the well-developed plot which veered off in a totally unexpected direction. ;m off to look for CB's backlist!

I have read many Christopher Brookmyre books over the years, so was excited to get my hands on this. Clever writing, as always, but a rather odd mix of styles, which lacked pace in places. I've reread many of the author's works as I have enjoyed them so much, but don't think I'll be rereading this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

To describe this book in one word, I would say it was slow-paced. Although it started with a face that made it a bit boring initially, it eventually picked up. This was my first time reading this author, and I must say the writing was excellent. However, I was able to predict the twist, so it wasn't a great surprise for me. Although the order of events may seem deceiving, I had been told to expect a massive plot twist that would shock me. In my opinion, many people would enjoy reading it and give it a five-star rating. Unfortunately, it didn't hit the right place for me, and that was the only issue I had with it. The book is excellently written with a well-structured plot and intriguing vocabulary. The ambiance of the story is enjoyable and the multilayered plot demands attention from the reader. The dialogue is a standout feature of the book. However, I am hoping for something different from the author in the future to keep me surprised.

In The Cracked Mirror we follow Penny Coyne, an 80-year-old investigating a murder in Scotland, and LAPD cop Jonny Hawke, who's in trouble after his partners keep dying. Their paths cross unexpectedly, leading to a mix of mystery and science fiction.

At first, the story seems unrelated, but it gets intriguing as Penny and Jonny's worlds collide. However, things take a strange turn in part three, turning into science fiction, which might confuse some readers.

Overall The Cracked Mirror offers a unique blend of mystery and sci-fi, though the sudden shift in the story spoilt it for me. If I had known it was this genre I probably wouldn't have chose it as it made me feel cheated out of a great ending. Up until then I was fascinated with how the two worlds came together and each character adapted to fit in to each others worlds.

Blimey! I need a rest after reading this book. There is a real mix of genres that weld together oddly but well at the same time, and the reason why does become apparent and by then it doesn’t matter, as the book has just gripped me. A gentle, quiet beginning with a friendly tone that lulled me into feeling secure and knowing where I was. That serenity was exploded with a death in LA and the action moved from rural scotland to Hollywood, and then back, and then back. The twists, and lack of coincidences take some getting your head round, but it is worth reading with care and the author hand hold a and signposts along the way. This was a mad read in such a good way and I highly recommend,