Pretty Broken Things

By: Melissa Marr

Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans, Karissa Vacker, Stephen Dexter

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

A contemporary Bluebeard story set in the shadowy edges of New Orleans’ French Quarter by the New York Times best-selling author Melissa Marr

Note: This Audible Original contains sensitive material and may be upsetting to some listeners.

After receiving a lead from an unlikely source, Juliana, the mortician tasked with the bodies of victims of the "Carolina Creeper", the South’s most notorious serial killer in decades, sets off to New Orleans in search of Theresa Morris, an heiress and presumably the Creeper’s only surviving victim.

Theresa now goes by “Tess” and is a shadow of her former heiress self. She’s also being pursued by famous novelist Michael, who sets his sights on Tess as the muse of his work-in-progress, oblivious to her former identity.

As Michael gets closer to Tess and begins to put the pieces of her traumatic past together, Juliana zeroes in on her whereabouts. They don’t know it, but the three of them are on a collision course, hurtling straight into the Creeper’s path.

©2019 Melissa Marr (P)2020 Audible Originals

Not for the faint of heart. Listen today!

Excellent writing and performance. This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a protagonist that does some horrible things, understandable, but horrible. There's no clear good vs evil, there are shades of grey. This book is one that makes you think, that tugs against your ethics and morals and questions things. That's a good thing. Melissa Marr may be best known for her YA fantasy novels, but this novel perfectly demonstrates that she is definitely not locked into that category; that she can write brilliantly no matter he subject matter. This novel is not for YA, and feels so real it hurts sometimes. I will give you a heads-up to clarify something that was confusing for me. The book chapters are titled to include the name from whose perspective you're listening. For instance, if it says, Tess, it is from her perspective, Julianna, it is from hers, etc. Some portions simply say, "A Girl With No Past." It took me far to long to realize that it was the words of a book being written by another character in the book. The voice used in the audio book is so similar that it may be the same as the voice used for Tess, so for a while, I thought it was her. So, please be aware of that as you listen. Overall an excellent read/listen and one I'll be listening to again.

Would you survive the Carolina Creeper?

I was given a audio book for an honest review.

Typically I don't wander far from the genres of fantasy, scifi and urban fantasy. Dabble here and there but fantasy is my jam. Mystery and thrillers usually get forgotten on the massive piles of my TBR shelves.
I've been a fan of Melissa Marr since the release of Wicked Lovely and was pleasantly surprised to find out about this sultry tale. I have a warm love for Marr's writing style and i'm glad I got to enjoy this world. A trip down to the French quarter is always anything but plain.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of the characters from the three narrators. An off voice can kill a story but these three did wonderfully.

I really enjoyed the complicated histories and depth to these characters, Tess becoming my favorite. Julianne's reluctance to allow a partner close due to her past. Michael's determination to truly understand and capture the story that is Tess. At point I thought I had it figured out yet the end held a couple more surprises.

A twisted tale of love, survival and the darkness within the depths of those who see others as prey.

I can't stop saying OMG

Have you ever read a book, that is so twisted, yet so compelling, it makes you mildly worried for the author?
When Pretty Broken Things started, I wasn't sure about the first narrator. I'm unused to Southern accents; but in for a penny, in for a pound. Once the plot caught me, which was by the second chapter, I knew I was lost. There are beautiful moments in the deep darkness of this book, and its raw authenticity made me question everything I thought I understood about victimology, profiling, and serial killers. Before this, had anyone asked me my most disturbing, yet addicting, read, I would have said The Butterfly Garden. Now I know it has been surreptitiously dethroned by Pretty Broken Things.

Wickedly Twisted

Wow, is all I can say. This is a twisted and wicked tale that weaves such intrigue and I couldn't stop listening. Melissa Marr is a favorite author of mine by far, I just hope that there are more adult books to come, as well as the Fae community I adore. The characters in this book were surprising and unpredictable, and the twist about Andrew and Edward made my jaw drop. This story is told in true Melissa Marr fashion with the details of the people, places, and things that make her stand out as a true storyteller and dream weaver. The details of the murders and the bodies are so vivid, and I am a fan of true crime and murder, she gives such vivid details I can picture everything in my mind and it is great, I have never been to any of these places but when I do visit, I will be looking at these cities through the eyes of these characters for sure. I don't know if there is going to be a second book, but I would not be opposed to seeing Tess/Tessa/Theresa again. If you can't tell by this review I loved it a lot.

Unexpected surprise!

Wow! I really enjoyed listening to this book. I would love for Melissa to put out some more mystery and suspense:)

Story 5 star and narrator 5 star

This story was unexpected from Melissa Marr. Being a read every book regardless fan, I gave this one a shot. I was truly pleased and now wonder if there will be more.......

Great Mystery Thriller

I loved this dark, twisted psychological thriller. It was unlike anything I have read by this author and I loved it! The New Orleans setting pulls you in. Tess is such a great dark character. You feel for her. Julianna is a an awesome character as well.

Craziest 💩show ever!

This was a train wreck you can’t put down set in a city I love! Evil lives and it’s name is Reed ... and he corrupts everyone around him and everything he touches. Makes you think about the cost of survival one woman must endure in order to live and the cost of corruption to her very soul.

Meh

Over rated. Over performed (especially by the male voice). Predictable. Barely worth a credit. Hard to come back to. Reviews were misleading.

dark and amazing

dark, a bit twisted and so good. the story was thorough and well written.
GREAT narration. was able to picture the character and get into their heads.
kept me on my toes and finished in 2 listens!