The farmer is dead, he is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.

Broken Country was the story of Mess, told in literary style and awash in melodrama. It centers on Beth, a young woman that grew up in the English countryside and how the decisions she makes shapes and twists her life. Told in five parts (four named for the males in her life) and alternating three timelines, readers are started off with a murder. It's obvious that there's lies to be figured out as Beth's point-of-view clues us in but then we're taken back to the months before the murder and the arrival of Beth's past love Gabriel. When a horrible incident has Beth entering his life again, by way of watching his young son as he's a new single dad, readers can feel Beth being pulled into trouble. The story then jumps to Beth and Gabriel meeting as young teens and from there the alternating timelines are set, the beginning in 1950s with Beth and Gabriel's romance, the past in 1968 with Beth and Gabriel entering each other's lives again, and the present in 1969 with a murder trial.

But we are not who we once were.

The alternating timelines weave the reader in and around the characters' relationships showing how they were formed and their emotional ties. The literary style works to elevate the tone but the way Beth goes about things is pure Mess. There's the alluring rich boy Gabriel, the country girl Beth who doesn't feel worthy but has big dreams, and the strong stoic farm boy Frank who yearns and loves Beth from afar until he gets his chance with her. Even though these characters do fit into these common molds, I did think the author infused them with enough depth to keep you absorbed into their characters and lives. Frank's stoicism was probably the most I wanted to break out of, feeling a little noble poor idealistic. The secondary characters of Frank's younger brother Jimmy, Jimmy's girlfriend, and other friends and family appear and provide enough to give a good rounding out of the main characters' world.

Our love triangle – the farmer, his wife and the famous author – has been prodded and picked over and sensationalised out of all proportion in Fleet Street.

This started off with me trying to work out the mystery of the who, what, and whys of the murder mystery, but I slowly drifted from that to becoming more invested in how Beth's grief (there are content warnings in this for death of a child, death of an animal, murder, and alcoholism) had her pulling from those close to her and trying to escape into a past idealized life that was no longer there for her. The last twenty percent delivers reveals readers were waiting for and one that felt hinted at but will still shock some, and an ending that will first hurt until an epilogue delivers the healing. If you enjoy melodrama mess in literary style that takes you on an alternating timeline journey as the murder mystery is slowly untangled, then you'll want to pick this one up.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
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Beth and her husband Frank are a farm family who have known tragedy. Gabriel moves back to the area and it brings back memories and emotions, since Gabriel was Beth’s first love.
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I finished this book last night right before I tried to go to sleep, and I couldn’t sleep for about an hour because I couldn’t stop thinking about this story.

I wanted so badly to like this story. (But I didn’t)

For me, Beth was a problem character. It’s not that I hated her, I didn’t hate her. I just hated all the awful choices she kept making. And they were choices, they were not mistakes! Because as she was making these choices she was saying to herself, this is going to break us. She knew ahead of time there would be consequences and yet she just kept making these choices. And that was unbelievably frustrating for me.

Another problem for me is this is a love triangle book, and I really, truly, honestly, to the depths of my soul, hate love triangles. At about the 30% mark I thought to myself I should quit this book, it is not for me. But I didn’t, and I am legitimately mad at myself that I read the whole thing.

The one thing about this book that is redeeming, is one character (NOT BETH). That one character is giving hope to this entire book and no one in this book deserves them.

This book broke my heart and frustrated me to no end.

So if you enjoy heartbreaking books, that include a love triangle, with some seriously flawed characters— then this is just the book for you my friend! (Or you can just wait till Reese’s production company turns this into a movie/limited TV series)

I chose this book because someone compared it to another book I really enjoyed. This one was as good or better!

This is a well written book about a woman and her first love, tragic misunderstandings and the mistakes that ruin lives. The intertwining of such different people and circumstances come together as if meant to be. True love and dependability win out in the end.

A definite must read - a great book club book

This book is one of the most emotionally charged books I’ve read. My heart was torn to pieces multiple times. Filled with mystery, tension, romance, tragedy, and family drama — Broken Country tells a captivating and compelling story of impossible choices and the consequences of those decisions.

While largely character driven, this book also follows a strong plot line as it toggles between past and present. I loved the format, which kept me on my toes with twists and surprises up until the very end.

Memorable and moving, I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy historical fiction with complex characters and emotional depth.

3.5

I am most certainly an outlier on this book. I thought the writing was solid and whenever I sat down to read, I was flying through the book. The jumps in time helped to maintain the propulsive tension throughout the story.

What didn't work as well for me was this was a little too melodramatic. I was able to predict quite a few of the "twists" and they just didn't land for me as a reader.

Overall, I think this was a solid book but didn't live up to the hype I've seen online.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The farmer is dead, he is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him." With that great first line, Clare Leslie Hall pulled me into her fabulous novel, Broken Country. It might be assumed that this book is a mystery, but it is truly a love story. Told in a look back style, we meet Beth and Gabriel as young lovers and we meet Beth and Frank who are currently married. In addition to the dual timeline, we also get short chapters of "The Trial." Broken Country is a brilliantly written story that will break your heart. Thank you to Simon & Shuster and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.

Set in the English countryside, we meet Beth and her husband, Frank. Beth and Frank have suffered the unimaginable loss of their child and when someone from Beth's past arrives, their worlds are turned upside down and destroyed beyond imagination.

I liked the premise of this story and the writing was easy and quick to read through. There is a typical love triangle between Beth, Frank, and Gabriel - I just struggled to connect and feel any sympathy for Beth. I completely understand the attraction to the first true love, but she continued to make horrific decisions that ended catastrophically for everyone. And the people around her seemed to just accept it. Still, it was a good story that kept me engaged until the end. I have no doubt this will be a popular book club read.

This book was very compelling, The setting is vividly drawn, the plot is propulsive, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for these mostly-sympathetic characters. The Paper Palace was one of my favorite books a couple years ago. I think if readers liked that book, they will probably enjoy Broken Country, too. This book was a lot more dark than I expected it to be. But overall it really worked for me, and I think it will be widely enjoyed by many readers and their book clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

What a stunning debut novel! This book had it all: a murder mystery, a complicated love triangle romance, coming of age stories, dual time periods, and insane plot twists. I was gasping the entire last 1/3 (like, my neighbors probably heard me screaming at one point); this story truly kept me hooked the entire time, because every page uncovered a new part of the 20+ years the book spans.

I was really impressed by the character development, and how the author revealed bits and pieces of their personality throughout. She left me constantly questioning the morality, values, and decisions of the very flawed (but human!) characters. Even after finishing, I am still conflicted and shocked by certain characters choices. While the conclusion is only semi-sweet (I’m a big HEA girl), I was still satisfied with the wrap up, and definitely did not see the mystery unfolding how it did.

It is super hard to talk about this book without spoilers, but I am sure I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. For people who are intimidated by literary fiction, I think this is a great choice (it’s been compared to Where The Crawdad’s Sing, which I loved). 4.5 stars!

Thank you @simonbooks for this free arc and @netgalley for the digital copy which came in handy on my date (read below for details on that!)💖.

🗓️Out March 4, 2025

✨What it is about:
“The farmer is dead. He is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”
A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in an English farming village.✨

💭My thoughts:
WOW. Listen, I know it is very early in the year, but I think this might just be my top read of the year. I must now read every book by this author asap. This story was just THAT GOOD. A passionate love story filled with elements of mystery and suspense that consumed me. By far one of the most gripping, emotional and well executed stories I’ve read in a while, and well worth my time. I could not put this down, and I was so emotionally invested that I even read this while waiting for a table while on a date with my husband. He was like: “So, you are going to read instead of talking to me?” I felt bad, but I just could not help myself 😆(Shortly after that comment, I forced myself to put the phone down, and enjoyed my date, but you bet that as soon as I got back home, I rushed to get into comfy clothes, and ran to my bed to finish it! 😂). The depth of all that happens here ripped my heart out, and this is a story that I know will stay with me for a very long time. I could physically feel my heart breaking as I read this, and it brought me to tears at the end. At a glance this book might seem like a simple little love triangle, but don’t be fooled, because this is SO MUCH MORE than that. I recommend you get this and read it as soon as it’s out! DO NOT hesitate, this is a MUST READ!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🚜Unforgettable stories
🚜Twisty murder mystery
🚜Love triangles
🚜Farm/English countryside settings
🚜Dual timelines
🚜Forbidden love
🚜Family drama

⚠️CW: Child death, grief, animal death, infidelity, alcoholism, gun violence, sexual content.

This book is a love story. This book is a courtroom thriller. This book is a historical drama. This book is many things, all of them good. Open yourself up to the story Clare Leslie Hall spins and be prepared to be deeply moved by the world she builds and the characters who inhabit that world. Highly recommend. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for DRC.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair review. This book took me by surprise! I did not expect to love it like I do. Set in North Dorset, Beth is married to Frank, a sheep farmer, and they have built a happy, hardworking life together despite the loss of their young son in an accident. When Gabriel Wolfe, an acclaimed author and Beth's former flame, moves back to their small community, their peaceful existence is shattered. An affair and a murder follow. Author Clare Leslie Hall spins a fine tale complete with suspense and intrigue. Her characters are realistic, but flawed, yet likeable. She also manages some surprising twists and turns. While the whole premise may sound a little trite, the story is a good one and will keep you turning pages one after the other. I look forward to reading more books by Clare Leslie Hall. Outstanding work!

Wow. What a beautifully tragic novel. I gulped this down in two sittings, not being able to put it down. This is a family story, a lovely story, a story about a farm and the love of children. I loved the writing, pacing, alternating timelines and the complexity of Beth & Frank. One of the best things I've read this year.

Thank you Netgalley & Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy.

Oh baby this one is full of gossip and tea - an affair, a pregnancy, an accident, AND a murder. Splitting between timelines with short chapters it’s easy to fly through. Would love to see the movie.

A heartbreaking, beautiful story. I think I will need a few days to process this one. The characters were well written and I found myself caring more about them the further I got into the story. I would definitely recommend this to others. Thank you for providing me a copy of the book.

A beautiful story of love, family, loss, and perseverance. First love is that which never fully fades. Even a love that ends in sadness, as Beth and Gabriel's did. True love is a different kind of love. A love that endures time, tragedy, and hardships, as Beth and Frank's.
This story holds characters that are developed as strong characters with bold character. The author embraces their lives as we read, completely immersing the reader into the lives of those incredible characters.

Beth lives a quiet life as a farmer’s wife after experiencing tragedy. When her childhood love, Gabriel, comes back into her life her idyllic marriage and home life are forever changed.

This is one that the full meaning and impact of the book will not hit you until the end and then you’ll want to reread it. Most of the story we are getting to know the characters. Towards the end a lot of the events are revealed and brings more meaning to the story. I loved Frank’s character and want even more of him in the story. I’ve never had a “book boyfriend” but I’d take him! This story really has it all… forbidden romance, love triangle, courtroom drama, sibling relationships… and more!

“This is a love story with too many beginnings. I refuse to think about how it is going to end.”

Broken Country comes out 3/4.

Well, shoot. I had no idea what to expect with this book and I kind of felt that way the entire time reading it! Love triangle-y, love story, family drama, murder, legal drama, all the things. Broken Country follows Beth from young adulthood, into adulthood, from first love to the man she marries. But what does Beth do when her first love comes back into the picture and their past is more tangled than most anyone realizes? For much of the story, I was having a very hard time with Beth, I just don't think I liked her or what she was doing all that much. By the end I had warmed up to her a little bit, even if I was still questioning her judgement. I tried to put myself in her shoes and that helped me understand her choices a little bit. Either way, this was a little bit thriller and that made it quick paced and a fast read. It was one of those stories where you think you might know where it's going, but you're not fully sure until you get to those final few pages. Really enjoyable read!

This book wasn’t for me. It’s well written and the pacing is good but the love triangle and the mystery were a bit much for me. The twists weren’t too bad.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher.

WOW. I am absolutely blown away by Broken Country. I don’t even know how to put into words how much I loved this book—it completely consumed me from start to finish. Clare Leslie Hall has crafted a breathtaking, immersive novel that seamlessly blends romance, historical fiction, and suspense into a story that lingers long after the final page.

Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the English countryside, Broken Country unfolds across two timelines—Beth’s passionate, youthful love in 1955 and the tangled, devastating consequences of that love in 1968. The reappearance of Gabriel Wolfe, her first love turned renowned novelist, upends her quiet life with her husband, Frank, setting off a chain of events that lead to tragedy, heartbreak, and an unforgettable murder trial.

The novel is packed with everything I love in a great read: sweeping romance, gut-wrenching loss, a gripping mystery, and complex, deeply human characters. The tension simmers on every page, and even when I saw certain twists coming, I was still completely enthralled. The writing is stunning, the emotions raw and real, and the way Hall explores grief, betrayal, and redemption is just masterful.

I truly could not put this book down. It’s easily one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and I know it will be one of the most talked-about books of 2025. If you love immersive literary fiction with a compelling blend of romance and suspense, Broken Country is an absolute must-read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ALL the stars!

Thanks Netgalley + Simon & Schuster for the eARC!