She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be is the first novel I’ve read from J.D. Barker, in spite of having exchanging with him on Twitter about his 4MK series a while ago (I still have to get to it).

This is a great novel.

August, 8 1984. A boy codenamed « D » is kept in an inescapable room by an unknown organization. He’s constantly under surveillance through monitors on a thirty seconds delay.

August, 8 1984. John Edward Thatch, then 8 years old, visits his parents’ grave with his aunt Jo. On a bench in the cemetery, he meets a girl his age, Stella. She’s reading Great Expectations while being monitored by a woman in white. She leaves with her in a white SUV.

Jack will again see her on August 8 the following year, and then again. She only appears on the bench on this exact day.

August 8, 1987. Detective Faustino Brier investigates the death of a man found in an alley. Burnt, but not burnt, as if everyone of his cells turned to ash. This isn’t the first time he encounters such a case. Similar bodies have turned up every year, on August 8, since 1978.

Reviewing this novel without spoiling anything proved particularly difficult.

At some point, Stella will fail to appear. Jack will embark on a quest to find her. Pittsburgh’s finests (at least their de facto X-Files division) will do the same to try and solve their serial deaths.. We’ll also learn more about an organization reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Shop (antagonists in Firestarter, Golden Years, The Tommyknockers, The Stand...).

When we begin to figure out where J.D. Barker’s story is going, we are proven wrong by a major twist. Many characters embark on a road trip, and a game of cat and mice, across the USA. Cats and mice roles shifting along the way.

This book is a paranormal thriller. But, it is also a story about growing up, friendship, love, obsession, addiction. A story about conspiracy, about good and evil, but also all shades of grey between them.

It is masterfully crafted by J.D. Barker, who has such a way with words that you’re kept hypnotized by his pages. There is humor, subtly weaved in the narration of this real big story. Big not solely by its page count, but foremost big in scope.

She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be should have its place on the shelves where you keep Stephen King and Dean Koontz’ best novels.

Thanks to Hampton Creek Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

Now, please excuse me while I go buy and read everything else J.D. Barker has written. It’s about time.

Oh wow! I REALLY loved this book. An exceptional story interwoven with such detail I didn't want it to ever end.

This is a must read! 700+ pages in 7 hours — good thing I had a completely free (no hubby, no kids, no work) day!! Could NOT put this one down (so happy I didn’t have to). 😊 This one was a bit of everything - horror, mystery, thriller - and completely captivating. Add this to your TBR; preorder if you can. Plan a day to read when you have no other commitments. You won’t be able to stop once you start.

Thank you #netgalley and #hamptonpress for the eARC.

I'll be honest and tell you that I have never read J.D. Barkers 4MK series even though so many of my friends have sung its praises. For whatever reason I was just not sold on the premise. One day I was on NetGalley (I know, shocking!) and She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be was available to "read now". The title piqued my interest, the cover is perfection, and the synopsis intriguing - what does a girl have to lose?

I am so happy to have downloaded this gem of a book because it is nothing short of phenomenal. I truly did get King vibes from this one.

This epic story of nearly 800 pages covers a 30 year span of time which makes this review incredibly difficult to write.

John Tatch lost his parents in a car accident and now lives with his fierce but loving Aunt Jo. Every August 8th, the anniversary of their death, they spend the day at the cemetery by their gravesides. This year is different though. John spots a girl his age sitting on a bench reading a book. He becomes completely mesmerized by her and makes his way to her bench to introduce himself. (This scene is so damn cute!) Her name is Stella and she is reading Great Expectations and she doesn't seem to find John interesting at all and tells him so. Dumbfounded by her honesty he continues to sit in her company until, before he knows it, Stella is being ushered away by the people in white.

John is not deterred and continues to visit the cemetery and the bench they shared day after day and Stella never arrives. He doesn't see her around town or in school. She is a mystery that he becomes obsessed with. Then when August 8th rolls around again, much to his surprise, Stella is sitting on the bench reading her book. The people in white are also nearby. Who is this girl? Where does she come from? Why must she wear gloves? And who are the people in white?

These are all questions you will be asking yourselves.

I loved so many characters in this book: John, Duncan, Stella, Aunt Jo, Gerdy - I loved them all. 💗

Subject "D" - Talk about goosebumps! Very creepy young many in a mask, kept in a cell, and no one and I mean no one should ever listen to him speak. If he doesn't keep you flipping the pages then I don't know what will.

Every single emotion was felt while I read this book and for that - ALL THE STARS!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I mainly read Crime Thrillers. After enjoying JD Barker’s 4MK series I jumped at the chance to read his new novel, She Had A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be.
If it had been from any other author, once I knew the novel was 774 pages long and concerned mutant children I may have passed on it. Glad I didn’t. It is a big story covering decades, yet I couldn’t stop reading this masterpiece in suspense.
Thank you to J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

J.D. Barker's newest novel is fantastic. Although my first, and certainly not my last. This book was well written and the characters were wonderful.

"You have been in every line I have ever read." Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
Many mysterious people in this book. People who are not what you thought them to be.
Spans 30+ years from 1984 to 2020.
Jack lives with his aunt Jo and every year on August 8th, they visit his parents graves. It is there he meets Stella and the obsession starts. They meet every year. Stella is no ordinary girl and neither is Jack.
You won't put this book down until the end!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

Boy meets girl in a cemetery.
The girl is driven away in a white SUV.
The boy sees the same girl in the same cemetery on the same bench one year later...

Kismet? You decide!

The description calls this book "A haunting tale of suspense." but it's more than that. For me, this was also a love story, J.D. Barker Style. There are many kinds of love in this book - love for family, love for friends, romantic love, etc. Family is also a theme. What makes a family? It's not just those we are related to, it is those who are in our community, our friends, those who we have grown up with and have grown with, it can be the lady across the hall of the man who is hard of hearing who flips burgers where you work. Love, family, gunfire, death, burnt bodies, secret labs, obsession, and the search for the truth!

<i> <b>"You have been in every line I have ever read."</b></i> -Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Jack Thatch (John Edward Thatch) a.k.a Pip was visiting his parent's graves with his Aunt Jo, the first time he met Stella, sitting on a bench in the cemetery with her favorite book, Great Expectations. From that moment on, he can't get her out of his mind. Then he sees her again in the same place a year later. Who is this mysterious young Stella? Who are the people with her? What's with all the white clothes and cars?

Detective Brier has been noticing things or shall I say, dead people. Those like the man whose body was found in an alleyway burned but his clothing remains intact, untouched by whatever burned him. It happens every year on August 9th. Soon Detective Fogel is on the case as well.

Then there is Subject "D" a young boy in a mysterious lab, who wears a mask and is not permitted to speak to anyone. He is powerful, and those who have him there, never want him to leave. He is kept alone, growing, thinking, imagining...

All these things and people are connected in intricate and interesting ways. This is a BIG book, there is a lot going on - it's easy to digest but some of it will break your heart. Barker quotes Great Expectations in this book; however while reading one scene from this book I was reminded of a quote from another book": <i>"He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry."</i> - Markus Zusak, Book Thief. Well, he did it. Barker made me cry with that one scene. This book is reminiscent of early King and Koontz. King fans know he is not afraid to kill his darlings....so who will Barker kill in this book? He had me grabbing my tissues.

For those that have read Barker's other books, this one is a little different but just as wonderful. Here he shows us a different side. He also shows us character development, he gives us a glimpse into his character's lives over a span of time. We see them grow, change, make mistakes, get knocked down, get back up, keep on going. In his 4MK series, we see character development throughout his series, in this book, we see it over the span of these character's lives. Besides being a love story, this is also a coming of age story with a sci-fi, suspense/thriller plot.

This book is not as fast-paced as his other books, yet it is just as rewarding. Keep in mind, that even though I am saying it is not as fast-paced, in no way am I saying it is slow - it's not. This book keeps building, just like Jack and Stella, it keeps growing. There are characters to love and characters who are creepy, characters who are bad and those who are a mixture of both good and bad. There are those you will root for, those who you wish would do better, and then there was "D". There is a human factor here, these characters will get under your skin, and their plight will have you feeling all kinds of emotions.

Like his other books, this book was beautifully written and came together brilliantly. Nothing felt rushed or drawn out. I found the pacing to be perfect. I found this book to be compelling and I was riveted to the pages, turning them as fast as my schedule would allow. I loved getting to know these characters and reading where Barker took them. Plus, he has me wanting to read Great Expectations again, and again and again.

Highly Recommend! As long as Barker keeps writing, I’ll keep reading! He’s the real deal and has proven he can and will deliver book after book.

P.S. Don’t overlook the “From the Author” section at the end.

Thank you to J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, it was fantastic! All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Hampton Greek Press for the eARC.
Jack Thatch is a great character, I really liked him. When he is eight years old he meets Stella, a beautiful girl who's also eight, at a cemetery where he was visiting his parents' graves with his aunt Jo who's now looking after him. He is immediately smitten and will never love any other girl. Over the years he meets her once a year at the cemetery, where she's always guarded by white-clothed figures in white vehicles.
The book takes us from 1978 till 2020, with Jack hiding from the mysterious people in white while constantly trying to follow Stella, thoughts of her constantly on his mind. There is so much going on throughout the story that makes you read furiously, holding your breath. So much action, so many questions that you want answers to...I found myself tearing through the book at a furious pace, what a suspenseful book!
Highly recommended.

This book is right up there with the 4MK trilogy, one hell of a literary ride. A wonderfully crafted story with well-developed and compelling characters, it has twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat right to the last page. It was so captivating and exciting that I simply couldn't put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After the loss of his parents, young Jack Thatch first met Stella as a child—this cryptic little girl of eight with dark hair and darker eyes, sitting alone on a bench in the cemetery clutching her favorite book. Gone moments later, the brief encounter would spark an obsession. She'd creep into his thoughts, his every waking moment, until he finally finds her again exactly one year later, sitting upon the same bench, only to disappear again soon after."

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my review. New author to me, loved the cover & the creepy title. It took me a day to digest what I've just read, it's gripping and intense. There's so many twists and turns, quite a page turner!

I have come to the conclusion that Mr J.D. Barker is an absolute genius and he surely has a brilliant mind to write like he does I swear this man could list all the ingredients on a sauce bottle and I would read it !
I was thrilled to get the ARC of this book as I have devoured all previous books by the author and loved every one and this one is no exception it’s an amazing read.
It’s a big book just short of 800 pages but I flew through it and was loathe for it to finish and was so sad when it did as yes it really is that good, well better than good which is a bit of an understatement this book is bloody brilliant and more.
A completely unique read we have here it’s just different to anything your going to read and I assure you once you start you will not want to put the book down. So we have love, weirdness, loads of killings, fantastic characters , exciting plot and all of this spans over 30+ years and in those years we read about you become so connected to the characters you care about them deeply.
It was a book I was gutted to finish, a book I felt I lived in and felt quite lost when it ended and a book I will never forget.
So all I can really say is if you want a book that has everything you have sure got it here so don’t miss out grab a copy and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed it’s got to be one of my favourite reads ever.
Massive thanks to J.D. Barker for another 100% winner of a read that I loved, keep writing I need more please !!
My thanks also to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fantastic book, I loved that it goes from when they are children, it kept me guessing nearly three quarters through to realise what was going on, the back stories of what happened in the past didn't get confusing like some other books, really brilliant, read his other books which I thoroughly enjoyed, this book was totally different but just as riveting, get it, you won't be sorry.

Do not start this book unless you have nothing to do except read and read and read some more. Because from the first sentence you’ll be sucked in, needing to read one more page, and one more after that and after that. This story is unstoppable, and long after it’s finished I can’t stop thinking about the characters, their lives still wanting to know how they are and what they’re doing right now.
Jack is being raised by his Aunt Jo and every August 8th they go to the Pittsburgh cemetery to visit his mom and dad. This particular time he befriends a girl his age sitting on a bench reading Great Expectations. He feels an immediate rapport with Stella, and after she is whisked away, he can’t stop thinking of her. He continues going to the cemetery hoping to see her but it’s not until a year later, August 8th, that she’s once again sitting on the bench. This starts their once a year relationship as he pines for her in between, although his everyday life is very strange too.
Many twists and turn, a stellar plot, great characters, it’s a book I already know I want to read again.

I loved the 4MK series so much, I couldn’t wait to read this one!! Let me tell you It Did Not Disappoint!!!
This book tells the story of a boy and a girl that are destined to be together even if circumstances and time try to keep them apart. There were elements of love, danger and suspense rolled into a book that was so hard to put down! I can’t give any details without giving some of the story away, I can just say it is a must read!!

Review Copy

Don't make any outside plans. Order groceries to be delivered. Check out what restaurants will deliver to your home. Plan on becoming a shut-in for as long as it takes to read 775 pages of the best storytelling I have read in a very long time.

Here's some more do's and don'ts. Don't read reviews with spoilers! Do go into BROKEN THING with no expectations other than J.D. Barker is a thriller writer in his prime. Do try to figure the story out. (It won't matter). Don't forget to eye drops in that grocery order. You'll probably read far too long. Your eyes may start burning.

SHE HAS A BROKEN THING WHERE HER HEART SHOULD BE is a long, low build spanning more than 40 years. There's action, but it's not action packed. It's Barker at his best. It's a book I wish I had a signed hardcover for display. I plan on re-reading my kindle copy at least yearly - at least as often as I have THE STAND and IT. BROKEN THING is a settled with those two as my favorite books of all time. I had forgotten just how good a huge, fall into a book novel could be.

Bravo, J.D.

5 stars

This book is remarkable. I was very sad to part ways with the characters in this book. I wanted to keep reading about them and their (very interesting and almost hypnotic) lives.

J.D. Barker's newest novel is simply fantastic. The reader meets a variety of people – both good and bad – and some of the “bad” are...well...understandable. The characters are “real” people. I could imagine them behaving in the ways that they did; saying the things they said. Some were badly manipulated into behaving the way they did, some took pleasure in it, some were out to seek the truth and some just didn't seem to care – or had no mind of their own with which to act.

This book has detectives Faustino “Faust” Brier and his partner, Joy Fogel and a retired detective who are seeking the truth of an odd series of murders. John Edward “Jack” Thatch and Stella Littleton are the two central characters. They are eight-years old when they meet for the first time. Stella's “handler” is the very creepy Ms. Oliver. Jack's best friend Duncan “Dunk” Bellino is totally devoted to Jack, even when his own life takes a tangent. And then there is David Pickford. Wait until you meet him. Wow! And so many others.

The line between good and evil is not so clearly delineated as many of us think that it is – or should be. Many characters in this book are not all good or all evil. Kind of like real life in that way, eh? The line blurs, the reader accepts it and reads on, while trying to psychologically justify the actions of the doer. It's great! Speculative philosophy for the average person.

I cannot say enough positive things about this novel. It is superbly written and plotted. I could find no errors or typos. It made perfect sense; one event following another in a logical progression. Mr. Barker is an absolutely astounding writer and I very much look forward to reading his next book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press/IBPA for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Great Expectations of the new book by JD Barker and he did not disappoint. Well defined and relatable characters, strange and weird premise, and references to Charles Dickens. Pip and Estella's story is wildly entertaining. As good as the MK4 series is, I do believe I enjoyed this one more. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, JD Barker and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I only had to read past chapter three and I'm hooked already. Vivid story and the perspective the audience sees it playing from is quite unlike what I have read recently in books... /,,/. thanx for the opportunity to read this.

giving it four stars for now just for the record that will likely change in future. I will update it before posting any links and all that...

She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be is an exciting un-put-downable thriller. DON’T read the rest of this review. DON’T read any reviews. JUST dive into the book like I did based on all the unspoken promises in the amazing title and prepare yourself for the unexpected. Truly, you will find yourself fascinated by what’s being told. And, you won’t have a bloody clue where this yarn is going. Not a damn clue. JUST read the damn thing. C’mon now, it’s less than 800 pages (barely).

If you can’t however heed my warnings and you must know more, then read on. I feel much like Gene Wilder in Willie Wonka though imploring the children not to drink from the chocolate river, not to try to grab the golden goose, and not to get in the way of the real tv camera. I know you can’t help yourself but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

If anyone can convince us that Great Expectations (the book that English teachers 👩‍🏫 ruined for most of us) is worth reading, JD Barker has now made the argument. It is the key 🔑 to all the mysteries here (well. Some of them. Anyway). I never thought I would willingly discuss That Book again, but Stella thinks it’s the best book in the world.

It all begins with a young boy in a cemetery visiting his parents’ graves where he unwittingly meets a high and haughty spoiled princess who informs him that he is a dirty unmannered proletariat like Pip (read Great Expectations). And, once a year, the princess and her snooty entourage return and mock his comic books and his upbringing. And each year - on August 8th he waits for her (Stella) to return. He even reads that crazy book for her - you know, that book.

But it’s not just this tender sorta romance sorta sick infatuation. There’s more. Because there’s a twisted connection and between the bullets, the serial killings, the exploding diners, the mysterious benefactors, the secret cult of those dressed in white, you’ve got a Jane Hawke type thriller and. Jack Reacher wandering guy on the run thriller with good guys and bad guys and the fate of the world depending on them.

On the way, we are treated to magic and friendship and trust and distrust and family and not family and experiments gone wild.

The pacing is superb. The writing ✍️ designed to slowly but surely draw you in.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Hampton Creek Press, IBPA and the author, J. D. Barker, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I was beyond excited at receiving a copy of this book. I have read JD Barker's previous novels and loved every one of them. I was eager to see what this offering would be like. I mean, all fabulous writers ( and in my opinion JD Barker definitely belongs in this category ), has a book that is not quite as good as previous works, right?
Well, this book is right up there with the 4MK trilogy, Dracul and Forsaken. This book is one hell of a literary ride. The storyline was well thought out and written with characters that are well drawn and compelling.
J K Barker just gets better and better.
Definitely, highly recommend this book but make sure you don't plan on doing much until you turn the last page. Once you get drawn into the story, its impossible to put the book down.
Well worth more than 5 stars.