All the Broken People

By: Leah Konen

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

A woman in search of a fresh start is about to get more than she bargained for in this twisty and addictive domestic thriller for fans of The Couple Next Door.

Fleeing Brooklyn with little more than a suitcase and her trusty dog, Lucy King heads to rustic Woodstock, New York, eager to lose herself in a quiet life where her past can never find her. But when she meets Vera and John, the alluring couple next door, their friendship proves impossible to resist.

Just as Lucy starts to think the worst is behind her, the couple delivers a staggering bombshell: they, too, need to escape their troubles - and the only way they can begin their new life is if Lucy helps them fake John's death.

Afraid to lose her newfound support system, Lucy reluctantly conspires with them to stage an "accidental" death on a hike nearby. It's just one little lie to the police, after all, and she knows a thing or two about the importance of fresh starts.

But what begins as an elaborate ruse turns all too real when John turns up dead in the woods the morning after their hike. Now, Lucy must figure out who she can trust and who's pulling the strings of her tenuous new life...before she takes the fall for murder.

©2020 Leah Konen (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"This fast-paced but nuanced thrill ride grabbed me on the first page and didn't let go. With spare, haunting prose, a tense and richly wrought setting, intricate plotting, and twists that would make Hitchcock himself gasp, Broken People is a masterful debut. Thriller fans, meet your new favorite author." (Andrea Bartz, author of The Lost Night)

A Charlotte Observer Summer Reading pick

"A swift, compelling thriller with unexpected swoops and swerves." (Kirkus Reviews)

Lack luster end

This was a long book and the ending didn’t satisfy my time spent listening. 3 stars

Very suspenseful!

This book kept me listening straight through. I even caught myself yelling at it when it got super suspenseful. It constantly had me questioning who committed the crime. This is my second book by this author and she is great! Highly recommend!

A delicious slow burn.

One of my favorite books of 2020! All the Broken People is a delicious slow burn that will keep you guessing.

Worst narrator / unlikeable main character

I am not sure if it’s the narrator that drove me up the wall or the unlikeable main character. Main character was weak, she jumped to conclusions, made everything so dramatic, and she was annoyingly stereotypical, —- that’s until she wasn’t... Overall the character lacked consistency and despite this book being extremely wordy, the characters lacked proper development.

Great story, HORRIBLE narrrator

The storyline was excellent with remarkable twists and turns! I can usually figure out what will happen because I read/listen to so many murder mysteries. This story really kept my attention all the way.
The narrator was HORRIBLE! Her cadence was so jerky and “whiny” that I almost stopped listening halfway through. I am going to note this narrator and NEVER listen to her again.

oh my gosh!!!

I thought I had this figured out early, boy was I wrong! so many twists and turns. fantastic thriller! great audio performance as well!!!

Very entertaining and relatable, a page turner

This book turned into a thrilling mystery ride with unexpected turns. Nuanced and suspenseful. Keeps you guessing. The characters and issues surrounding them are complex and unique but also feel relateable and refreshingly real for our times. Narration was also excellent.

First book I felt compelled to review!

I’ve listened to well over 50 books on audible - this was so enjoyable. I’d listened to “the great escape” previously and saw the reviews for this book weren’t as strong at the time. It’s a really great listen and story! Well don