The Broken Road by Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn

What do you do when the past returns to haunt you?

When no one around you tells the truth?

Ollie’s life is in crisis. Estranged from his father when he refuses to take over the family hotel, his artistic career is floundering, and his marriage is under strain. His wife, Jess, blames him, but is she as innocent as she appears?
Louise, Ollie’s sister, takes on the hotel in his absence, testing her emotional fragility to the limit. She knows her father considers her to be second best, and her husband is hostile to her new role.
As the action moves between London, Plymouth and Venice, the family implodes under the weight of past betrayals, leading to a nail-biting, fast-paced climax.
In another emotionally compelling novel from the award-winning Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn, the complex ties that both bind us to family and drive us apart are laid bare. Can Ollie heal the fault-lines before it’s too late? Above all, can he salvage his relationship with his young daughter, Flo, before tragedy strikes?

Title:        The Broken Road
Author:    Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn
Published By: Ravelling Books
Date:        December 6th 2015
Link:        UK: Amazon  US: Amazon

My Review

I found this story interesting, the prose was quite poetic and it flowed at a steady pace but it wasn't one that I could read in one sitting as it was quite heavy and very serious throughout.

The story stems around the breakdown of Ollie's life, he is a not very successful artist who is really down on his luck and one thing after another sends him spiralling down. The last straw comes when his beautiful wife Jess leaves him and takes his precious daughter Flo with her. I really disagreed with the way Jess handled this as she wouldn't let him see her for ages, she was really unfair and towards the end of the book she made a decision which I totally didn't get and which made me quite angry with her. I really disliked her.

Ollie was a likeable character but just too wet in that he ran away instead of staying to fight for his daughter. He also ran away from his family when Flo had been looking forward to visiting them.
Ollie's sister Louise was the feistiest of all the characters, their father had wanted to pass his hotel on to Ollie as was tradition in the past generations of their family but Ollie refused to take it whereas It was all Louise had ever wanted, so she was constantly trying to prove herself.

There were a lot of nasty characters in the book and a family secret and tragedy which had caused a rift between Jess and Louise which gradually unfolds. I really liked Ollie's new partner Angel and Flo was lovely.

I think throughout the course of the book Ollie manages to finally grow up and take responsibility but only after further tragedy ensues.
I loved the references to Venice as having been there I could relate to the place names etc and I feel I learnt a lot about writing from this book as I really admired the writing style, especially the first paragraph which I thought was brilliant.

Thanks to Lyndsay for the proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sincerely

Book Angels x

About the Author

After a career teaching English in further and higher education, Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn, now works as a writer and creative writing tutor. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. Her first novel, UNRAVELLING, published in 2010, won Chapter One Promotions Book Award and The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award for adult fiction and came second in the Rubery Book Award 2011. The judges said it is 'an enjoyable and captivating read', 'well written and intricate', and has 'a compelling narrative and strong dialogue'. Readers say 'I couldn't put it down.'
Lindsay's second novel, THE PIANO PLAYER'S SON, was published by Cinnamon Press in 2013 after winning their Novel Writing Award. A frequent comment from readers: 'I felt bereft when it finished.' Her third novel will be out later in 2015.
Lindsay lives in Worcestershire, where she enjoys walking, singing a cappella and staring into space!