SUMMARY: After burying her abusive childhood and reinventing herself, Alice is living a life she never imagined could be hers. She’s married to a perfect Southern gentleman. But when her past comes back with a vengeance, Alice finds her perfect life crumbling around her feet.
The BookViral Review: Genre – Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
A full-on Psychological Thriller with an exciting blend of melodrama All The Broken People makes a notable fiction debut for Rivers who mines our fears and prejudices to deliver a gem of a read. At its core, All The Broken People is a tender and knowing story about the secrets we keep and the toll they can take on the ones we love. For Alice and Will, they lead back to Pickens County and family grudges that have endured throughout the years but nothing is what it first appears to be.
Notwithstanding the all-around excellent ensemble of characters, it’s very much Alice’s story with Rivers giving her a backstory that not only allows for a shrewd exploration of the dynamics between Alice and Will but the wider community too. On this level Rivers is clearly aware of the weight of her subject. Violence and abuse are often included in Psychological Thrillers for the shock factor alone but here Rivers uses it to explore her main characters not only in the present but through the complicated history they’ve established with Will in the past.
Larry Lee and Beth are particularly well-conceived to create a genuine air of authenticity which sadly few novels in the genre actually achieve but Rivers does through acerbic prose and a keen eye for detail. Whilst an intriguing sidebar is a plot thread which focuses on the real-life 1940 Pickens County murder of Juanita Jones.
A superb debut from Rivers which certainly sets the bar for future releases from her, All The Broken People is recommended without reservation.