I had to finish this book - short, kept my attention and loved the characters.
Police are called to the woods when a decomposing body is found by a local teenager. Due to the state of decomp, no one could be expected to perform facial identification.
Bernie is forced to work with DCI Worth, as her DCI is still recovering. Known around the station as Worthless, Bernie can't help but feel Worth is purposefully dragging their investigation.
Together with her team, Anderson returns to their unit. Bernie failed to show for their lunch date. And now they're working together.
The case becomes quite the mystery - a nanny who was fired for having sex in her room; a biker who offers her as the prize - yet all are clueless about the biker's identity. A man posing as a 17 yo to obtain explicit pictures of 12 yo girls.
Great plot - I definitely became invested and did not guess the killer.
Loved the characters - looking forward to the next release.

I thoroughly enjoyed Joy's debut thriller "Last Seen" where readers were introduced to DI Bernadette Noel who had transferred from The Met to Wiltshire, not so much under a cloud as trying to escape what she left behind there. And while there was a hint of what she was running from in the first book there isn't a mention of it here. In the last book we met Bernie's long lost father who had been following her and she thought she was under threat and in the months since then they have forged a relationship together, though he features very little in this installment.

Readers are thrown right into the deep end as the story opens directly onto Bernie and her team having been called to the scene of a horrific murder in which the victim's bloated body has been discovered in the woods, having been left undetected for almost a week. Bernie cannot contain her retching as the smell of the decomposed remains permeates through her senses and as soon as she leaves the cordon, she evacuates whatever breakfast she'd managed that morning.

Whilst normally DCS Wilson has overseered her investigations, he is currently on sick leave and she is left having to work under DCI Patrick Worth, or Worthless as he is more commonly known. So when the booming voice of her superior arrives on scene, she has to talk him through the evidence thus far whilst revisiting the remains. Thankfully, she keeps her stomach this time. Worth, on the other hand, finds it difficult not to retch.

Due to the nature in which she was found, it is proving almost impossible to identify her. She cannot be visually identified, nor can her fingerprints do so, which leaves DNA and dental records. Unfortunately, for that to happen, the team need an idea of who their victim may be to compare them against. All they have to go on is the short red dress she is dressed in the exorbitant 10cm stilettos, also red, she'd been wearing. And the rings found her on her fingers engraved "To H love R". Bernie delegates her team to searching for the dress and the shoes online until a match is found.

The search leads them to a missing au pair for Rupert and Harriet Fox. Their au pair Rosa Conti had been discovered entertaining a male friend in her bedroom one evening and she was dismissed immediately, but apparently, not before she took Harriet's wedding rings with her. Whatever happened to her after that, the Foxes do not know...or they're not saying. But Bernie is suspicious. The couple appear to be hiding something, though what she doesn't know. She is equally suspicious of her bumbling superior, DCI Worth, who insisted on accompanying her to interview the Foxes. Why was he so interested when he would normally remain in the station, delegating and overseeing tasks?

Then a girl goes missing. Laura Moffat, the 12 year old sister of Craig Moffat who had discovered the body has disappeared and a search of her instagram account reveals her intimate conversations with a Luke Davidson, who claims to be 17 years old, though the team are immediately suspicious. His side of the conversation involve clear grooming tactics, lulling the unsuspecting girl into false sense of security and convincing her to send topless photos of herself. Hacking into his account, they discover that Laura isn't the online girl he has been grooming. He had been in conversations with Chloe Hampton, Laura's best friend, as well as young woman called Maria G.

But how does all this connect to the murder of Rosa Conti? Worth doesn't think it does and promptly removes Bernie from the murder investigation so she can concentrate on that of the missing girl. But Bernie thinks Worth has an ulterior motive from keeping her away from the murder investigation. The question is...why?

On top of all this, Worth has drafted in DS Dougie Anderson once again, much to Bernie's dismay. She had a near miss where Anderson was concerned when his ex-wife called from Edinburgh to warn her and any female colleagues about her "manipulative and controlling" ex-husband. Since then, Bernie had given him a wide berth. But now they were forced to work together once again.

As the investigation progresses, several possibilities come to light but the cases appear to be far more complex than they had first anticipated. And then when it becomes clear that the two cases are linked, Bernie takes her suspicions higher as she fights to protect both herself and her team.

The mysteries of the murdered girl and Laura's disappearance are woven together brilliantly in this incredibly twisty case in which Bernie and her team find themselves. The investigation is so complex I didn't even have a clue as to who was responsible...until right before the reveals. BROKEN GIRLS is inextricably woven in a tapestry of blackmail, rape, abuse and murder that will give you chills. I even love the addition of the ghost story which added an atmospheric creepiness.

I'm not a fan of superiors who lord it over their officers and continually pull rank on them, as is the case with DCI Worth(less). I prefer a team that are all on the same page and work well together instead of the constant angst that runs throughout. However, Worth's attitude was paramount to the story so I will excuse it this time, but on the whole...not a fan and prefer not to have to endure it.

Like her debut, BROKEN GIRLS is not predictable and leads the reader on a merry chase alongside Bernie in search of answers. But unlike "Last Seen", this book is told wholly in Bernie's third person narrative. Her previous book had little snippets in-between from the villain whereas this one does not. I have to say that that disappointed me a little as I do prefer thrillers to include various perspectives, particularly one from the as yet unidentified villain which adds to the edge-of-your-seat thrills.

I did enjoy BROKEN GIRLS but I would have liked to seen the villain narrative added to taunt us. And less angst amongst the team.

I did, however, like the little cliffhanger tidbit readers were left with (and one I had guessed a little earlier). I wonder where that will take us in the next installment in this exciting series.

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, Helen Phifer and Carla Kovach.

I would like to thank #JoyKluver, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #BrokenGirls in exchange for an honest review.

This is another great detective series I've been following. Broken Girls is the second in Joy Kluver's Bernadette Noel series. I love seeing Bernie's hard work on the case and how well she works with her team, whenever their interim leader doesn't interfere. I love that this is a detailed police procedural that gives you an insider's view into both a missing person's and a murder investigation. It kept my interest throughout the book, and I was completely surprised by the solution when all was resolved.

On the personal side of this story, I loved the direction Bernie's life seemed to be heading, but something that occurs at the end has me worried. I can't wait for the next book to find out, though, so I hope Book 3 comes out soon. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed the first in this series or to fans of D.S. Butler or Lissa Marie Redmond.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

A young women found dead in the woods and another young girl ha gone missing can DI Bernie crack the case? This is the second DI Bernie novel and I haven’t read the first, however this was not an issue and the book was a very enjoyable read. The story is intense and kept me on my toes throughout!

An interesting small town/village murder mystery which was unpredictable and enjoyable. The book is heavily investigation based as we follow DI Bernadette Noel and her team of officers. I can tell that this book is either written by someone who knows the inner workings of police first hand or did impeccable research. Most of the detective fiction I've read, only the main character does all the work, which isn't realistic. But here, the main character hands over work to different people on her team, from hackers to field researchers and liaisons. The romance between the protagonist and her colleague felt unnecessary and kinda out of the place, as any romantic hurdles were resolved too quickly. The book also showcases the dangers of communicating online with strangers (especially teenage girls) and I share the author's concern over the same.

This book, the second in a proposed series, is a police procedural set in Wiltshire and centring on Detective Inspector Bernie (short for Bernadette) Noell. Some aspects refer to events in the first book but don’t really interfere with the action described here. Her normal superior officer is away and has been temporarily replaced by DCI Worth (should be Worthless in her opinion) who has, surprisingly, made her SIO on a new case. A young woman has been found dead, strangled, in woodland near the Moffat family’s farm. The discovery was made by Craig Moffat, aged fifteen. The woman is dressed in a cheap Primark frock and expensive designer shoes, but has no ID. Bernie questions Craig’s parents and his sister, Laura, aged twelve, who don’t know who she was or why she was left there.
Bernie and her team discover that Ryan Willis, aged nineteen, the youngest son of the family who own the farm on the other side of the wood, organises semi-illegal motorbike races on a track which runs along its border. A dark visored biker had turned up and challenged the regular guys to a race, the prize for the winner being a liaison with his companion. a dark visored, girl – the dead girl? This leads Bernie towards Mr and Mrs Fox, whose au pair is missing; at which point Worth suddenly decides to take on the SIO position himself. Bernie suspects that there is some connection between Worth and Rupert Fox – but what?
And then Laura goes missing, and it becomes clear that she has been groomed online by a paedophile. Bernie takes the lead on this case, but distrusts coincidence and continues to keep a close eye on the murder investigation.
Police procedurals, by definition, follow the steps of the investigating officers, but they don’t have to be too reiterative, too wedded to the linearity of time or the minutia. Here the story is too pedestrian. It is also rather predictable and some of the conversations are clumsy and don’t have an authentic ring. Overall, if you like the comfort of this type of story, it’s a good example.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is book 2 in the DI Noel series and it's a cracking good read. It's well written, filled with twists and excellent characterisation. It's intense from the very beginning and I loved the ending, not entirely unexpected but really looking forward to book 3. I would recommend this book and author. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Broken Girls, the second novel to feature DI Bernie Noel of the Wiltshire police.

When the decomposing body of a young woman is found Bernie and the team are stumped as she doesn’t match the description of any missing person and she has no identification, but then some rings she is wearing offer a slim hint to her identity. Just as they’re progressing the enquiry 12 year old Laura, who lives in the vicinity of the murder site, goes missing. Bernie thinks the cases may be linked but DCI Worth isn’t so sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed Broken Girls, which is a compulsive read full of really unexpected twists and turns. I was really impressed by the author’s ability to lull her readers into believing one thing before totally upending it with a clever twist. With these twists thrown in at strategic moments, rather than saved for the end, I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. The novel, however, is not just about the twists as it has a well thought out and executed plot which covers several different mini plot lines in an eventually encompassing whole. Masterful is the word I would use.

The novel is told entirely from Bernie’s point of view so what she knows the reader knows. This is my favourite approach as there is no distraction from different voices or timelines and it is therefore easy to identify with Bernie and her travails. It also allows the reader to speculate on the known facts and produce a solution. Well, good luck with that because I only got one thing right out of several puzzles. Bernie herself is a great protagonist, smart, caring and empathetic with an unambiguous sense of right and wrong. There is tumult in her private life and a sense of optimism about the future, maybe, in this novel but change is definitely coming.

Broken Girls is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

First off like always I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher Bookoutre , the author Joy Kluver , and to NetGalley for the invite to join this blog tour as well as letting me read and review it.As well as introducing me to a new to me author as well a new to me series, in fact I had no idea that I had book 1 as well to read until I went to my goodreads and saw that I had it mark to read, and after reading this one I can't wait to go back and read that one as well. And yes I know that I will be reading them out of order but I have no problem doing it since a lot of times I tend to do just that. Because even though I'll reading them out of order I had now trouble following the story or even understand who the characters was.As for the story its self it was intense from the very start and didn't let up , not one, and when I thought I had something figured out it was like the characters where saying not even close better luck next time. As for the the pacing of the story it was just right , it kept you setting on the edge of your set, and it help bring the story setting a live as well as the characters themselves, I do have to say that this author has a way of written that makes you want to set down and just read which is what I did with most of the book in one setting.

Book publication date 27th July 2021

Book 2 in the DS Bernie Noel series.

Bernie is called out to a crime scene that leaves her sick go her stomach, this isn't the first dead body she's scene but it's the worse. Whilst investigating this murder she finds herself called out to a missing child case. Her DCI is convinced there is no link between the two cases and yet Bernie is convinced there is a link and that there's a lot to the story that the entire team is missing.

I must first say what a step up from book 1. As the ground work has been laid for Bernie her past the village etc that isn't needed as much in this book. Yet I could of jumped into this book without feeling I was missing any huge back stories. Plus something about Bernie she's a little bit stronger this time around which made me like her more as our leading lady. Although ofcourse there's the obligatory love interest storyline, I didn't hate it.

The cases are intense this time around. I found myself questioning so much of what things meant and looking for clues that mid way through I had suspected everyone we met. I was trying really hard to work out what linked the cases.
This book has the shock factor with how brutal and uncomfortable it is especially with the missing child. Just when you're ready to pack up and close the case your left with a gift that keeps on giving. I enjoyed it.

The writing is done really well told in first person by Bernie. I love that we get to view her team through her eyes one of which will make you laugh if you're anything like me. The writing is serious, gruesome, thoughtful and yet still able to portray light humour its just done so well.

All in all I totally recommend and I'm super excited for installment number 3 especially with the epilogue which wasn't surprising but comical almost. If you read a lot of crime thrillers you might like myself be able to put everything together but I promise that won't make it any less fun to reading it play out. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thanks to netgalley, Joy Kluver and the publishers for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.

Having loved her previous book i couldn't wait to read Broken Girls and i was not disappointed as it hooks you from start to finish.A woman's body is found in woods and D I Bernadette Noel arrives at the scene,Bernie knows they need work fast only time of death will be hard as the body has lain in the woods a while.When Bernie learns that Worth is to be lead on the case she knows it is going to be unbearable even worse as Dougie Anderson is also coming back.I have to say this book is full of twists and turns but you are hooked and need more.The story is excellent and the characters fit so well keeping you on the edge BRILLIANT 5*

I admire police officers. I think you really have to be very strong mentally in order to deal with all the crime scenes they have to visit. When they receive a call, they never really know what they will find, but they know it will not be a walk in the park. 

DI Noel has to solve a murder case, but at the same time a girl has gone missing. Are they looking for a killer and an abductor? Are the cases connected? These are a few questions she and her team have to find answers to with almost no clues at all. Will they work it all out in time and save the girl? 

In the first book it felt a bit like she still had to find her place, but in this second book, she certainly knows how to manage her team. In my opinion she has grown a lot and I like her even more now. 

Once again I realise people are often not who they say they are. They can be very loveable in public, but it's devastating to see how they can change once they are behind closed doors.

This is a very gripping story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 5 stars

Thank you

A young woman is found murdered, but it is hard to identify her. Another young girl goes missing. Bernie knows she has to act quickly to get to the bottom of this. She is however not prepared for what is coming. This is another good book in the series, and as twisty as ever. Bernie is a great character, and it is good to see some action in her private life as well.

I enjoy it very much when I think something might be a bit predictable, but it turns out I was wrong. That takes a skilled author to mess with my head like that! I am really growing to like Bernie, and I'm sure she'll keep on growing as the main character. It was also interesting getting to know some of the other characters a bit better. Great police procedural series that I can recommend to everyone enjoying detective stories.

Having enjoyed the first in this series I was looking forward to this, it certainly didn't disappoint. I devoured it in one sitting. A fantastic fast paced solid police procedural, jam packed full of twists, topped off with a cliffhanger!. Absolutely brilliant and I'll impatiently wait for the next installment.

A young woman is found dead in the woods. An even younger girl goes missing from school. Can DS Bernie Noel figure out what is going on?

This is the second in a series apparently though I’d no read the first and it didn’t seem to matter. Set in Wiltshire, there was particular excitement for me when a scene was set in a gastropub near Chippenham but that was about as local as it got to my old haunts.

The story rattles along quite nicely, mostly dialogue, lots of snacks, CCTV and mailbox searches but decent enough characters and I’ll be interested in the next one, especially if we stay in a Wiltshire setting.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for a fair review

A difficult and sad case of exploitation, abuse and murder for Bernie and
the team in what is shaping up to be a solid new series.
I look forward to reading what happens next

With more red herrings than an Agatha Christie this is a book that will have you burning the midnight oil. At one point I did think it was going to be a bit predictable but boy was I wrong. When the killer was identified my jaw hit the floor. I couldn't have been more shocked if the perpetatrator had been Bernie herself. I loved the little bit of romance which is sweet but doesn't take over the story. I eagerly await the next book especially in light of the epilogue.

This is the 2nd book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone story. That said, the first one in the series was really good too, so it’s worth reading especially to be introduced to the characters in this series. This is a good paced story, where there is a solid storyline to keep you interested and the back story has progressed well in this story. In fact, without giving away spoilers, I wouldn’t be surprised if you decide to have a very honest conversation with the children and teens in your life after reading this book about dangers highlighted.

This is a really good story with unexpected twists and can’t wait to read the next in the book.

Thank you to the Author, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read, review and give my unbiased opinion of a complimentary digital ARC.

I loved Joy Kluver’s debut novel, Last Seen when I read it earlier in the year, but I think Broken Girls, the second book in the series, is even better. This is a solid police procedural, and I read it in a few greedy gulps, desperate to know what was going on and who the killer was. It gets a very easy five stars from me.

Detective Bernadette Noel is back, and this time she is investigating a horrific murder. A young woman’s body has been found, but it is impossible to identify her. Bernie and her team have very few things to go on, and as the investigation progresses, they come up with a possible identity. But this case is far more complex than they first thought.

Joy Kluver has brilliantly weaved together a very twisty case for Bernie to get to grips with. You can see how desperate she is to get to the bottom of what has happened and to make sure that this young woman gets justice. She is very moved by what has happened to the young woman and she is absolutely determined to get to the bottom of it. Although I think it always helps to read earlier books in a series, it’s possible to read this book as a standalone. I think Bernie is definitely growing as a character. She is very likeable, and I was rooting for her to get to the bottom of things.

The case is very complex, and I had no idea who the culprit was and what had happened to the young woman who was found. I thought that Joy Kluver built on the setting really well, and I loved the detail she put into her book. She brings it to life really well, and I loved the extra detail that was added, particularly the ghost story, which gave me goosebumps as I was reading it.

Broken Girls is an excellent addition to this series, and I’m really looking forward to the third book. Joy Kluver is fast becoming a favourite new author of mine. If you haven’t yet started this series, then you really need to. Top stuff!

A new detective series to sink my teeth into. I haven’t read the first book, but I didn’t feel lost starting with the second book. I really liked Bernie. She was a good detective to follow. When a young woman is found murdered, Bernie races against time and conflict with the boss, to find the killer. When another young girl is abducted, Bernie is left with more questions than answers. The mystery was great, I liked the twist at the end. I will definitely go back and read the first book and I will continue to read about Bernie. Like I said, I really liked her and can’t wait to see what awaits her.