The Broken by Tamar Cohen
Best friends tell you everything; about their kitchen renovation; about their little girl’s schooling. How one of them is leaving the other for a younger model.
Best friends don’t tell lies. They don’t take up residence on your couch for weeks. They don’t call lawyers. They don’t make you choose sides.
Best friends don’t keep secrets about their past. They don’t put you in danger.
Best friends don’t always stay best friends.
My Thoughts;
On the 14th July I posted on the blog that I had won two books courtesy of Doubleday and the #bookadayuk Twitter hashtag theme. The Broken was one of those two books.
I have to admit to it being the first Tamar Cohen book that I have read. I shall be reading more – and not just the other book that I won during the bookaday challenge.
It was really bizarre reading. I don’t normally go for the more psychological thrillers, I’m more of a, lets see the murder or crime and get on with it reader. But this book just seemed to drag me in little by little. It was sly, I didn’t notice it happening. I was reading this book about two couples who had become friends because they had a child of the same age each and one of the couples, their marriage started to break down. I was enjoying what I was reading. The writing was incredibly insightful, of relationships between friends, couples with young children, and parenting. I was intrigued as to how this would play out. The prose was wonderful to read and I was enjoying the book.
Then it happened, I looked at the book, looked at the clock and realised I couldn’t put the book down. There just wasn’t a chance it was going to leave my hands until I had got to the end.
The tension had been ramped up. The behaviours and relationships were becoming stretched thin and yet the people within them didn’t seem capable of doing anything to stop what was happening and the strange thing was, I could completely see how that would happen.
Yes I found the character of Sasha annoying but if you’re the kind of person who is kind and who believes this person is a friend and it makes you anxious to say no, then the situations were absolutely believable. You really don’t need to leave your disbelief at the door to read this book and that’s what makes it such a great book.
If like me, you don’t read psychological thrillers often, then I can very easily recommend this as a starting point. A great read that will have you hooked before you know it.
MarinaSofia says
Like you, I read this all in one go (I had a long delay at Manchester Airport). It does suck you in almost without noticing, very readable, and some moments that make you cringe with recognition (I tend to be the kind of friend who wants to help, whether it’s appropriate or not). Glad you enjoyed it!
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly. It’s scary how much you can imagine being in that situation.
Prashant C. Trikannad says
Rebecca, sometimes insightful writing is enough to keep me engaged, even if the plot and characters don’t. I read psychological thrillers occasionally and I’ll keep this book in mind.
Rebecca Bradley says
It’s a really interesting one. Probably because you can easily place yourself there.
Margot Kinberg says
Rebecca – Very good to hear you enjoyed this one. That’s the thing about an excellent psychological thriller isn’t it? It sneaks up on you so that you don’t even know, really, that you’re hooked until you are.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly. I didn’t even realise I was quite so hooked by it.
Jacqui Murray says
I’m hot-cold about psychological thrillers. Some stay with me for far too long and not in a good way. I wonderful if this will scare me off from having a Good Friend!
Rebecca Bradley says
It might just do that! π
cleopatralovesbooks says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one Rebecca. As you know I love psychological thrillers but they are easy to get wrong and therefore unbelievable but this one is a great example where the reader can play ‘What would I do?’ Great review!
crimeworm says
Cleo didn’t you mention a Tamar Cohen you got on NetGalley, something like “Christmas can be murder”? You should see if it’s still there Rebecca as that was only a week or two ago.
cleopatralovesbooks says
You remember correctly – Murder at Christmas is her latest, also a psychological thriller but her first book The Mistresses Revenge, although not a psychological thriller had me in stitches – her writing pulls me into the world she has created.
Rebecca Bradley says
That’s the other one I was lucky to get π
Rebecca Bradley says
That’s it exactly. It was so easy to put yourself there.
cleopatralovesbooks says
Sorry Rebecca Dying for Christmas is the title and she now writes under Tammy (not Tamara) Cohen
Rebecca Bradley says
Yes, I have that one as well! π I was lucky enough to get it as part of the two I won on the bookaday Twitter theme.
cleopatralovesbooks says
You lucky thing π
Linda King says
Thanks, Rebecca. Another one for my pile!