Linwood Barclay – The Promise Falls Trilogy
One of m favorite author over the last several years has been Linwood Barclay. His books are always very interesting and they are very character driven. Most times the story revolves around one main character who is thrust into an extraordinary situation. While Barclay’s book are considered stand alone thrillers Barclay has brought back characters for a second go-around. No Safe House was the second installment in the story of Terry Archer and his family. No Safe House picks up the story of the Archer family seven years after the events recounted in No Time for Goodbye
Promise Falls Trilogy – Broken Promise – Book #1
Barclay’s most recent project has been a trilogy featuring the happenings in Promise Falls, NY. The trilogy began with the novel Broken Promise. In Broken Promise David Harwood and his son Ethan return to their hometown of Promise Falls.David and Ethan were two of the central characters in Barclay’s page-turner Never Look Away. Soon after David’s return he finds himself in the midst of a family scandal. His cousin Marla, had recently had a miscarriage but now she is taking care of a new infant. Marla says that an angel brought the baby to her. The next day the baby’s mother is found dead and her blood is discovered on Marla’s door! Guess who the main suspect in the murder case is!
Anyway as David is trying to figure out, how Marla ended up with the baby,and if Marla is innocent or guilty, other things are happening in Promise Falls. Twenty Three dead squirrels are found strung up in the park, Two mannequins are found in car 23 of the ferris wheel at the town,s closed amusement park. While a co-ed a the local college is attacked by a young man wearing a hooded sweatshirt with you guessed it the number 23 on it!! What’s going on??
Far From True Book #2
Book two of the trilogy Far From True brought more questions and tragedy to Promise Falls.Things take off on the wrong foot.At the last show at the Promise Falls Drive-in, an explosion causes the giant screen to come crashing down on the customers. Cal Weaver is a resident of Promise Fall, first introduced to readers in Barclay’s A Tap on the Window. In Far From True, Cal is hired by the daughter of two of the victims to find out what happened!
Another storyline twisting its way through Far From True concerns David Harwood again. This time David battles with the in-laws of his girlfriend Samantha Worthington. Samantha’s husband is in prison and his parents are trying to take her son away from her. Their first attempt was legal the second physical!
The events surrounding the number 23 continue to occur around Promise Falls. The question arises was the collapse of the drive-in a terrorist attack or is it associated with the 23 events? More 23 events do occur that involve a bus!!
The Twenty Three – Book #3 – (Book 46 of 2016)
The Twenty Three is the third book in the trilogy and its a good one! On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd the town of Promise Falls wakes up to a full blown catastrophe. Hundreds of people are heading to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. Dozens are dying.. It quickly appears that the cause may be the water supply. But who would benefit from the poisoning of the town?
Two other stories flow though The Twenty Three. The first revolves around the murders that have occurred in Promise Falls. The murders started with Olivia Fisher. The next victim was Rosemary Gaynor. In The Twenty Three the victim is a Thackery College co-ed. All three of the women were killed by a stab wound across their stomach.The fatal wound in all of the cases was shaped like a smile. Since the second murder, Detective Barry Duckworth has insisted that there is a connection between the murders. Certainly now the murders appear to be connected. But, are these murders also associated with the twenty-three occurrences?
The second story involves David Harwood and Samantha. Samantha and her son are missing and Samantha’s husband has escaped from prison. David is frantic to find them and make sure they are okay!
Bottom Line :
I give The Twenty Three 4 to 5 thumbs up! Too many people died in The Twenty Three to make this a pleasant visit to Promise Falls. But the story was interesting and exciting.I enjoy the residents of Promise Falls. From the ex-mayor Randy Findley, who sees every event as a campaign opportunity to Detective Barry Duckworth , who never met a donut he didn’t like!
These books form a trilogy! Reading them in order is the best way to enjoy them!