'Broken Dolls' is the fourth book in the bestselling DC Charlotte 'Charlie' Stafford crime series, and begins with the discovery of the body of a premature baby who has been cruelly abandoned in a dumpster and sadly is long gone. Running parallel to this storyline is a second murder, this time of a local prostitute who appears to have endured a terrible beating at the hands of a merciless killer before expiring. In time, these two storylines converge and what at first seemed like two separate crimes with nothing in common are shown to be related.

I appreciated the two different storylines as you don't see this too often in crime fiction so kudos to Flint for managing to inject some extra plot without being tempted to go overboard with characters and unnecessarily intricate details, the writing was readable and easy-to-follow, and the pace was judged well. The author explores several sensitive subjects - human trafficking, prostitution, drug-taking, violence and murder - with tact and has you questioning whether there is any truth to the storyline - perhaps Flint witnessed these sorts of events herself having had a 35 year career in the Metropolitan police service where she spent time working in pro-active roles dealing with serious violent crime and the victims and perpetrators of such violence. She has said in the past that her books are based in the areas in which she worked and I feel they are particularly gritty and authentic as a result.

There is always the worry with a series you particularly enjoy that the next book will be a disappointment but I can honestly say that Flint has surpassed my increasingly high expectations as well as the standard of the last book. This can definitely be read as a standalone novel but as with all series, it's more beneficial to start at the beginning as you get to see from the start how the characters develop and evolve over time. I can see many crime buffs thoroughly devouring it!

Many thanks to Aria for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The book was ok. Decent story line, but not a strong story teller. It would have been better with a little more action, but I loved the twist at the end! I didn't suspect it, until I found out the contents of the bag. Definitely made the book a bit more interesting!

I would like to thank the Netgalley website and Aria editions for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted by the summary and the cover: we see a little girl holding a soft toy in her hand walking on a wooden bridge.

Charlie Stafford and his boss, DI Hunter, are investigating the abandonment of a baby in garbage and a young prostitute beaten to death. They will go to the crack houses in Lambeth and what they will discover are people whose lives do not give them gifts.

A thriller almost read in one go with endearing characters, a story that holds water, captivating, moving and filled with suspense and twists.

Sarah Flint’s latest instalment to her Charlie Stafford series is a fascinating crime novel that raises questions about human trafficking and prostitution in the current climate of human misery that is on the increase in London. The story asks a lot of issues within its fictionalised setting and with Flint’s eye for making stories personal and exciting, she rarely drops the ball.

The story starts out with a horrendous murder involving a force delivery but as the novel unfolds we find ourselves involved with two investigations and multiple storylines that follow along the same themes but via different avenues. The characters are three dimensional and the grit and dirt can be felt through the descriptive text.

At times, the story sometimes does get bogged down with a descriptive narrative dealing with the mundane but in fact, this gives it a more realistic approach. It does highlight that detective work is very tedious and Flint does marvel in the aspect of this. As a side note, when I read this, I wasn’t aware that this was part of a series and as I have no point of reference, if this theme follows through, it maybe quite tiresome. As I am new to the series, I rather enjoyed this part of the novel as it gave the struggles and tribulations of detective work a realism that doesn’t seem forced.

The novel is packed with a lot of undesirables which considering the subject matter is not surprising. Flint has taken this and was able to find some rewards when drawing out her characters which are very successful. This can be a difficult for the average author but she raises to the occasion and provides the reader enough human empathy to make us care.

The final third of the novel has an ending that is highly surprising and it does work for the most part. There does seem to be an open ended aspect that could lead to another instalment. It did keep me interested though the mechanics for me, questioned plausibility slightly.

Overall, this is an excellent crime modern crime thriller that deals with a tough subject and the novel does handle the difficult subject matter very well. Well written, in-depth page turner that sparked my interest in the themes found throughout. This is an exciting read that most readers of this genre will thoroughly enjoy.

Sex trafficking, prostitution, drugs, violence, murder. The only thing missing from Broken Dolls by Sarah Flint was Rock & Roll.

The story opens with the body of a preemie found in a dumpster. Heartbreaking and I was hooked. Charlie, the tenacious heroin in this novel, was hooked as well. She made it her mission to find the baby’s mother and the killer and bring him to justice.

Parallel to this storyline is another gruesome murder - Caz’s best friend and fellow prostitute. Told from both Charlie and Caz’s points of view, it delves into the seedy underworld.

I found the plot believable, the characters well developed and the twist at the end quite surprising. All in all, a great read.

Thank you, NetGalley, Aria and Sarah Flint for the ARC of Broken Dolls in exchange for my honest review.

Book 4 in the Charlie Stafford series and it gives a bit more background information and character development. The plot was based around prostitution and sex slavery but handled quite sensitively. Caz left me feeling quite cold by the last page. Several nasty male characters, a cracking plot and a great twist at the end make this an interesting read.Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. Reviews on Goodreads and Facebook with Amazon to follow.

I just finished book 3 in the DC Charlie series, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this next brilliant read by Ms Flint. In this case Charlie is part of the team investigating the death of several prostitutes. This was really a great read, gripping, thrilling and entertaining from beginning to the end. Highly recommended.

DC Charlotte Stafford #4

A baby lies abandoned amongst the rubbish; her tiny face as white as alabaster, her body is a stiff as a miniature doll. A young prostitute lies beaten, her figure lying like a mannequin on the frozen concrete, her blood split, her life ebbing away.

DC Charlie (Charlotte) Staffordand her boss DI Hunter struggle to identify the victim and their hunt takes them to the crack houses of Lambeth. The story is told from two peoples points of view. This first being Charlie's and the second is from Caz, a young prostitute. The are two murders running along side each other as this storyline develops.

The books blurb makes this book look like it's going to be a great read and one that will be hard to put down. Unfortunately it was the exact opposite for me. Don't get me wrong there are parts of the book that are really good, like the ending, I never saw that coming and I did not even come close to guessing who was behind the murders. But the story just seemed to drag on. There are some parts that are dark and gritty but the pace is really slow. Most of the characters are unlikable which is only to be expected. Maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the previous three books and had a bit more of the background to the main characters. It's always best to read a series of the books in order.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Aria and the author Sarah Flint for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF.

I tried, I really did, but I just could not finish this book. I want to be as honest as I can be with my review so that it's fair and I am grateful for the chance to read an advance copy via Net Galley, but I couldn't get past the first 15%.

I struggled with the writing, it felt...basic. Also the description of prostitutes and the violence directed towards them didn't sit right with me.

The blurb of this book gripped me, I was in, I wanted to read it all in one go, but unfortunately actually making my way through the book brought different results.

When crime and murder books are done well, they are magnificent, but they can so easily be cheesy or a cliche, and unfortunately, for me, this one was the latter.

I wish the author well with this though, as there are clearly so many people enjoying this book.

I have recently become hooked on the Charlie Stafford series by Sarah Flint. Broken Dolls is the 4th book in the series and it can be read as a stand-alone without giving anything away but I definitely recommend reading them all in order.

The body of a premature baby is found tossed out with the rubbish. Whilst DC Charlie Stafford and DI Hunter try and work out where she came from and where the mother is, the beaten body of a well-known prostitute, Redz, is found. These cases take the police into the dark world of the sex and drugs trade.

I absolutely adore Charlie and Hunters characters but every character is so well written. The story switches between the points of views of Charlie and Caz, a prostitute who shared a pimp with Redz. There are 2 murders running alongside each other but they work well together and are easy to keep straight.

The story was pretty intense with a lot of detail on sex trafficking and prostitution along with drug use. Bear that in mind if you are triggered by abuse, rape or drug use. It definitely kept me hooked and the ending was not what I expected. I pretty much suspected everyone except the actual person. It was dark and gritty and I need more. I also need more of Charlie and Ben in my life.

It’s slightly slower paced than the other books in the series which is why it isn’t my favourite out of the four. However I still thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for more. If you love Angela Marsons or M.J Arlidge then you need to check out Sarah Flint.

Thank you to Aria and Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review

I found this started of at a fast pace but got a bit stuck then, maybe not my type of storyline, I found it quite slow going and repetitive.

Sarah Flint has been one of my great finds for 2018! What an awesome read, great characters, a brilliant plot. I loved it.

I'm always a sucker for a good serial killer thriller and I was 100% intrigued after reading the blurb of Broken Dolls. What I didn't realize until later though that this story wasn't a stand-alone, but actually book number four in a detective series... And I might have screwed up there. It is what it is though, and thankfully it was quite easy to read Broken Dolls without too many obvious gaps in the background information. And this is definitely not what bothered me about this story either (although it would have been my own fault in the first place). I read a lot of detective thrillers, and as a consequence I cannot help but compare them to each other. It's one of my favorite subgenres and that is a lot to live up to... And somehow I wasn't all that impressed by Broken Dolls. I'm not saying the human trafficking, sex industry and the murder cases on its own aren't intriguing and make for a very twisted, disturbing read that might make you feel uncomfortable. There is nothing boring about this story and there are some shocking reveals included. BUT. I wasn't able to warm up to the writing style or tone at all and this slowed down the pace considerably for me. I didn't think the dialogues were all that natural and I just couldn't get used to the writing style in general, which was really a shame. I liked the idea of undercover civilians and there were quite a few twists and turns to spice things up, although the plot itself is quite intense already. But somehow this intensity didn't get translated well onto paper, or at least I didn't feel myself as invested as I would have expected. And sadly, I don't think I will be continuing this series any time soon. It was interesting to at least see how this case was wrapped up though, as the final reveals were pretty shocking.

Broken Dolls is a dark story set against the backdrop of the seedy side of the sex trade and drug world. Girls are controlled by their pimps who abuse them. Prostitutes are turning up dead, along with an infant. It's up the crime team to figure out what is happening and who is really behind the deaths. One girl, Caz, seems to have the spirit to survive. However, Caz has a dark side to her that is slowly revealed.
The author's depiction of that world is very real, with one exception. It's far fetched to believe that a pimp would allow one of his own to see a psychologist.

I would like to thank Aria and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Broken Dolls’, the fourth in the DC Charlie Stafford series written by Sarah Flint, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
A prostitute gives birth and her pimp places the baby girl in a plastic carrier bag and takes her away to be left with the rubbish. Meanwhile, The Punter is driving around picking up prostitutes and severely injuring them. When the body of one of the girls, Redz, is discovered Charlie, her boss DI Geoffrey Hunter and the team from the Lambeth Community Support Unit step in to discover the identity of The Punter and who was involved in disposing of the baby.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Broken Dolls’ which makes for compelling reading. It has an intricately woven plot delving into the lives of prostitutes and the drugs they’re reliant on, and a number of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I like Charlie who’s strong-minded and won’t stop until she gets the criminal, and I’m pleased that her burgeoning relationship with Ben is touched on. The twist at the end was completely unexpected and the final paragraph so spine-chilling that I was left open-mouthed. I can wholeheartedly recommend this thriller and am looking forward to the next one.

Reading a book by this author has never been disappointing. Her latest creation is as good as Silent Child. From page one I was hooked. Once again this book goes straight for the jugular. It is bloody, gory and the premise is dark.
Child prostitution, human trafficking and murder. Once again I devoured this book in one sitting. The ending was not what I was expecting IT SHOCKED ME.
This author is one of my favourites.
I would like to thank the author Sarah Flint, Aria and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Broken Dolls is the fourth book in the DC Charlie Stafford series . A premature baby is found thrown away in the rubbish . Later the body of a prostitute is found with horrific injuries . Prostitution , trafficking and murder ! A haunting and horror tinged thriller that was masterfully done ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Aria for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review ! #BrokenDolls #Netgalley #Aria

When the body of a premature baby is found in a carrier bag, thrown away with the rubbish, DC Charlie Stafford and her team commence an investigation that will lead them to some of the most vulnerable and exploited women in society. After the body of a young prostitute is found with horrific injuries, the team soon find themselves stretched, dealing with prostitution, crack dens, trafficking and now murder. Are the cases linked or is there more than one killer on their patch? Meeting with obstructions at every turn, the police know that time is running out before more lives are damaged forever.

Broken Dolls is the fourth of Sarah Flint’s Charlie Stafford series and, having read the rest, I think I can safely say that this has definitely been my favourite. Charlie is a great character, a no-nonsense copper, devoted to her job and determined to bring the guilty to justice. Like most lead characters in police procedurals, Charlie has a less-than-perfect past, but I like how this only plays a background role in the story, the author preferring to concentrate on the case instead.

The case itself is a pretty emotional one, dealing with the trafficking of women from Europe and forcing them to work as prostitutes in brothels. It is easy to imagine how these women, desperate to provide for their families, fall into the trap of believing the promises of work and accommodation in a foreign country. I particularly liked how the author gave us the backstories of the women involved in the sex trade, showing how society had failed them and making me feel incredibly angry at how this was allowed to happen.

There are several unlikable characters in Broken Dolls, namely ‘Razor’, ‘Dimitri’ and ‘The Punter’. Each of these men use and abuse women and I was desperate for each of them to get their comeuppance. I found the conclusion of each of these story lines very satisfying and was quite surprised by what I read! The ending was very clever and left the possibility of the story being picked up in a later book.

This is a great series and I look forward to the next installment!

Oh my goodness this book kept me up all night for two nights. The first because I couldn’t put the book down, the second because of story! This book is well written and you can tell the author has some police background, which for me a lover of True Crime makes the book that much better. You may think you have this book figured out but believe me the ending will surprise you! Great job!

This book is another installment in the series of books following Charlie Stafford, who investigates crimes for the Met. I've read most of the others so I had really high hopes for this one.

We open with the death of a premature baby but Charlie and her team are soon investigating again when another body is found. On paper, this may seem like a straight forward detective/crime novel but the themes run a lot deeper than a traditional 'whodunnit'.

The book deals with some very dark issues, namely the sex trade and trafficking of girls from Eastern Europe into it. Drugs are also a prominent theme, with several of the girls also being hooked on them. Some of the scenes are intense and some may find them shocking. Personally they didn't bother me and I felt that they did need to be there to convey the darker sides of the story but I have seen other reviews that imply it wasn't necessary so I suppose it depends on your reading tastes and whether you're okay with reading reasonably explicit and sometimes violent scenes. Given the subjects that this book is dealing with, it's not over the top but I can see how you might be surprised if you didn't realise these subjects were involved.

There was a twist towards the end that I really did not see coming!I thought I had it all sussed out and was quite taken aback at this.

The characters are well developed and believable and the writing style kept me hooked. It was fairly fast paced but not too much. Although it's part of a series, I think it could be read standalone. I didn;t realise initially that it was part of this series, although I was sure I recognised Charlie's name. With that in mind, you don't need to have read any of the previous books to follow this one.