Broken Girls is the second book in the Detective Bernadette Noel series and one that has been on my TBR pile for quite a while. When the body of a young woman is found by someone out walking their dog, D.I. Bernie Noel is called in to investigate. With no clues to her identity or why she was killed Bernie is not sure how she is going to solve the case. During the investigation the sister of the person who found the body goes missing and Bernie is then tasked with investigating her disappearance instead.
Bernie is one of those characters that grows on you and this is partially down to the fact that she now seems more settled in her role and with the team she works with. She is having to deal with a boss who does not seem to rate her skills, but this does not put her off trying to solve the case of the missing girl or that of the murder victim. I could totally understand Bernie’s frustration when she is not believed about the cases being linked but I admire her determination to continue with her investigations against the wishes of her superiors. Her partner DS Kerry Allen is someone she can rely on and is someone you can warm to and relate to at the same time.
This book has quite a few twists and turns that will have you guessing to the end about who is responsible and why. With the main theme seeming a little darker this time the pacing of the book has you racing through the pages, appealing to your curiosity and determination to find out who is behind it all. With the story told completely from Bernie’s perspective we are given more of an insight into her thoughts and feelings and for me this is what makes her more of a believable character this time round.
Although this is part of a series you can easily pick up book 2 without feeling you are missing anything that would detract from enjoying it. With only 1 more book in the series to go (for now) I am looking forward to see what author Joy Kluver has in store for D.I. Bernadette Noel next.

Absorbing and addictive crime thriller! This is the 2nd installment in the Detective Bernie Noel series and it is smartly written and tightly plotted. Bernie races against time to solve two heinous crimes against children that appear to be connected; a vicious murder but also a child has gone missing and is depending on Bernie to save her life. Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Available now

DI Bernie Noel is deputy investigator on the murder case of a young girl who has been strangled. DCI Worth, her temporary boss, is a bit of a tyrant and finds it a struggle to work with him. On top of that DS Anderson is assigned to her team - Someone she has a bit of a past with. Trying to work out what happened to the dead girl with all this going on adds to the stress of the case. Then a young girl goes missing and DI Noel is convinced that the cases are linked but no one else agrees so she is moved to the missing girl case by Worth.
Told from Bernie’s point of view works well as the reader feels her pain, stress and determination to solve both cases.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
Enjoyable crime thriller.
4 Stars ⭐️

Great read, flows perfectly. Well-written and completely engaging. I have devoured this book in one sitting with no regrets. I NEED more.

Lots of twists and turns, but all realistic to the storyline! Great addition to the series, excited to ready more of Detective Bernadette!

I enjoyed the first in the series so was looking forward to this. I found this to be a great addition to the series and am looking forward to reading more.

I am loving this series, it gets better with every book. This had me gripped from the start. I look forward to reading more

This book was excellent! A quick, thrilling read that held my attention and made me want to read more!

I particularly loved the growth/and character development. After reading reviews of the first book I was a bit worried that Bernie would be "flighty" a massive pet peeve among many readers (myself included) but she was not at all. Highly recommend!

This is a new series for me and I will be going back to read book 1 asap. I loved Bernie’s character and she has a great team, well, apart from the insufferable DCI Worthless of course. Every scene he was in made me want to roll my eyes for Bernie. The chemistry between Bernie and her colleague Anderson also added a bit of lightness to the gory murder. This book kept me guessing and I was hooked until the very end. I definitely had no idea who the bad guy was which is always a plus. I can’t wait for book 3.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

5 Stars


It was so lovely to be reading about DI Bernie Noel again, I completely love her character and having loved Last Seen I was delighted to pick up Broken Girls.

There is so much packed into this story and it holds a pace and momentum throughout this is highly engaging.

I love the conflict with the higher ranks and can't imagine how awkward that must be to work around - hats off to Bernie, I think I would struggle to combat 'Worthless' every day.

I was interested to see DS Anderson back in the mix, and followed that thread with interest. No spoilers from me...

The main thrust of the story was a murdered girl and a missing girl - plus a world of internet safety, bike races and lovely little spooky story to boot!

I enjoyed how the team solved the various elements, and Joy Kluver writes it so well that it was almost like sitting on Bernie's shoulder and experiencing everything with her.

There are several threads which all pull together to create a well considered and cleverly plotted thriller that certainly held my interest until the end.

Great series so far and I am looking forward to the next one.

I read the first book in this series a while ago, so when I saw the second book I was definitely interested. You could read this as a stand-alone, but you would miss some of the backstories between a couple of the characters. The character development is something that does continue across both books.

Bernie Noel is more than frustrated when she discovers that her boss, takes the lead on the case when a body is discovered in local woods. Worthy, or Worthless as he is named behind his back seems to want to take charge but doesn't seem to have much oomph when another girl goes missing. Bernie knows her team, she knows their strengths and she also knows who to call for additional advice for this macabre case.

I do like Bernie, she is a worker, she really doesn't stop thinking about the case, trying to piece clues and snippets together. She tries to join the dots as information is gathered. But, she is also being hampered, this adds to the frustration. She is a copper who knows the area, has a rapport with the residents and knows how to talk to them, unlike some!

This is a brutal case as regards the condition of the body, a young woman whose body has been abandoned and left for several days out in the open... I don't think I need to elaborate on what Bernie found! But, the author does go into a good amount of detail, it is enough to convince this reader that what the Detectives see was not pleasant at all.

The author does have a very good way with the pacing of this story, at times when the case looks like it may stall she finds a twist to add, another clue or piece of information. This may sound convenient, but it doesn't come across like that in the story.

AS I said this book does continue on from the previous, and I like that we get to see more of certain characters, perceptions and opinions are challenged and more things are dicovered. It's a great way of building a bond between reader and character.

This is a gritty police procedural, a fabulously addictive crime thriller and one that I read over the course of late afternoon and evening. A one-sitting read because I could not put this one down. I would definitely recommend it.

This is book two starring protagonist Det Bernie Noel and was a great read. Investigating the case of a murdered girl and then a second girl does missing. Great read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARCcin exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a month or 2. When it came up as my next read, I quickly jumped in. A chapter in, I realised its the second book in a series. Got to the end and started to looking for book 1. Turns out that I had a copy all along. My TBR is in such a mess ya’ll. So I’ll be reading this series in reverse. Anyway, I digress.

Despite not having read the first book, I was still able to connect with the characters. The author does a great job in giving the background information that helped bring me up to speed. I liked DI Noel and her team especially Kerry and Anderson.

This was an interesting, complex case. How do you find a murderer, if you can’t even identify the victim. I was captivated by the plot and as I’ve mentioned, the characters are also quite well crafted and I enjoyed them.

Normally I’d say, I can’t wait to read the next installment. This time around, I can’t wait to go back to the beginning and read the first book. You can jump in with book 2 like I did. You won’t get lost. However, given how good a read this one is, I think it would be a shame to skip the first book. Recommended.

Broken Girls is the 2nd book in the Detective Bernadette Noel series. Having had the chance to read the first book and liked it fairly well, I went into the 2nd book with very much the same expectations as the 1st book.

But this book went a little bit beyond my expectations as well. Detective Bernadette has to investigate another case where finding who the victim itself, takes a very long time. In the course of its investigation, another girl connected to the case goes missing.

What follows is a convoluted tale of the missing girl, who is involved with the first case and another girl who might help them reach the missing girl. And the pòor girl who was murdered just before all these events take place.

The author has managed to create a story which has twists and turns in every few chapters and keeps us readers on tenterhooks. She also has made the police officials that appear in the book as flesh and blood people, who have their own personal issues and obstacles. And that factor I really loved about it.

I am looking forward to read the upcoming novels of this series as I can't wait to know what happens in the Detective's personal life. If you happen to like books which contain solid police work and also a character- driven story arc, this is the book for you.

I am giving this honest review for the book in exchange for an ARC I got from the book's publishers and Netgalley. All the opinions in the review at my own.

Wow ! Brilliantly written mesmerizing psychological thriller that you won't soon forget ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #Bookouture #BrokenGirls

The second in the series.
A brilliant follow up to book one.
Another book full of twists and turns.
A definite page turner.
Can’t wait for number three.
Thanks NetGalley

This second book in the Bernadette Noel series has "Bernie" dealing with a difficult case and an even more difficult boss (Worth, aka "Worthless"). A young woman is found dead in a field by a local young man. Her body has deteriorated beyond recognition, so Bernie must do the hard work of piecing together scant evidence to identify the body and solve the murder. When the investigation leads to a local businessman with ties to her boss (Worth), she is suspicious about his involvement in the case. As another girl goes missing, Bernie is quickly removed from he murder case and put on the search. As clues start to paint a picture of a sexual predator who is luring young girls through social media, the two cases seem to intersect. Will Bernie and her team find the missing and solve the murder? Will she share her suspicions about Worth? What will happen between Bernie and Anderson? It's an exciting and fun read.

Just think of all the superlatives to describe a brilliant thriller,
Put them all together, mix them up into a really tasty chiller
And you’ve probably got the recipe to help describe this read
One of the most enthralling, gripping crime thrillers, indeed.

DI Bernadette Noel is better known as Bernie and has a great team
When they investigate a body found, is everything as it seems?
With her boss, whose nickname is Worthless, holding on tight the the reins
Just what is his motive, what’s he out to lose or gain?

When another girl goes missing, then get ready for many twists so
It keeps you guessing from the start wondering where it’ll go!
This book kept my up late, I didn’t want to stop reading
Until I’d discover the who, why and when to which it was leading.

I can’t recommend it highly enough and hope you’ll enjoy it too
I’d give it more than five stars if I could in this my honest review!
I have to say thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of this book
One at which I suggest again you grab a copy and go take a look!

The author’s first book, Last Seen, left me with great expectations for book 2, and boy did she exceed them. I read this in two sessions, not wanting to put it down. Doesn’t happen often!

Broken Girls is one of those police procedurals in which you get a in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the investigation team, and Bernie Noel’s team is one you can have absolute faith that they’ll solve the crime in spite of all the obstacles thrown at them. They have tenacity as well as personality.

Broken Girls begins with the gruesome finding of a young woman’s body, her face unidentifiable and extracting DNA impossible. Even when they finally get a whiff of her identify, things go all kinds of crazy leaving them virtually back at square one. But Bernie is nothing if not determined; she will get justice for the victim. Once again she is aided again by her fabulous team, including the very welcome return of DS Doug Anderson and they turn over ever stone despite the intrusion of her boss DCI Worth, aptly nicknamed Worthless – a selfish, petty man who feigns interest if only to protect himself and his forthcoming retirement.

Out of work, Bernie’s private life has its ups and downs and the atmosphere between her and Doug Anderson brings its own extra zing to their working relationship. The book’s ending – once the case is closed – is sure to stir things up deliciously for book 3.

Joy Kluver is an author I’ll be following from now on, and if you enjoy excellent crime dramas, then be sure to get this series.

Broken Girls is the second in a series featuring Detective Bernadette Noel, an ambitious DI in the Wiltshire police force. A young woman has been found dead, but who was she? When DI Noel is assigned to head up the investigation, a big part of the mystery will be figuring that out. This is a solid police procedural, well structured, with lots of escalating plot points to ratchet up the suspense. Our protagonist is compared more than once to Miss Marple in the book, and I must admit I did find her a bit “maiden aunt” in places, but I tend to like my characters a little on the raunchy side. Still, a pleasant enough summer read.