Book review: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Genre: Historical fiction

Release date: March 4, 2025

Goodreads rating: 4.48

My rating: 4.5

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What a great surprise this book was! I suspect it will be one of 2025’s bestsellers. 

The story follows Beth and her relationship with two men, Gabriel, a well-to-do writer, and Frank, a local farmer. The story takes place in a dual timeline: we meet Beth in 1955 when she first meets Gabriel, and then again in 1968, when she is married to Frank and they are struggling to heal from the death of their only son. When Gabriel returns to town with his own son, Beth is forced to confront her doubts and navigate the impact of her uncertainty on both families.

It’s a complex (yet simple) story that is hard to summarize; it’s a mix between a love story, family drama, court drama, and murder mystery… all set in a small close-knit English countryside town.

I loved Hall’s writing style. Simple short chapters that draw you in from the first page. I also loved her storytelling approach. The book is written in such a way that you are left wondering, until midway through the book, which of the characters was killed, and who is being accused of the murder. When you find out, you are surprised, heartbroken and confused… how did this particular murder end up happening? It doesn’t make sense!

This book has several unexpected twists and turns that I did not see coming but that all made sense in the end. I strongly encourage it for anyone who gravitates to literary or family fiction but loves a bit of mystery along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.