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  • These Lost & Broken Things

  • By: Helen Fields
  • Narrated by: Robin Laing
  • Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (140 ratings)
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These Lost & Broken Things

By: Helen Fields
Narrated by: Robin Laing
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Summary

Girl. Mother. Assassin. How dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose? Listen to the first explosive historical thriller from best-selling crime writer of the DI Callanach series, Helen Fields.

The year is 1905. London is a playground for the rich and a death trap for the poor. When Sofia Logan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her penniless with two young children, she knows she will do anything to keep them from the workhouse. But can she bring herself to murder? Even if she has done it before.... 

Emmet Vinsant, wealthy industrialist, offers Sofia a job in one of his gaming houses. He knows more about Sofia’s past than he has revealed. Brought up as part of a travelling fair, she’s an expert at counting cards and spotting cheats, and Vinsant puts her talents to good use. His demands on her grow until she finds herself with blood on her hands. 

Set against the backdrop of the Suffragette protests, with industry changing the face of the city but disease still rampant and poverty the greatest threat of all, every decision you make is life or death. Either yours or someone else’s.

©2020 Helen Fields (P)2020 W F Howes

What listeners say about These Lost & Broken Things

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable, easy listen

I listened to this over a couple of days whilst doing a repetitive task. The story was interesting, although I had to suspend disbelief lots of times when I heard the children speak of their parents as "mummy" and "daddy". Children of Romanies in the early 19 century would not speak like that. Neither would the heroine have the command of the English language that was portrayed. However, a female serial killer at that time is a novel idea, and Helen Fields writes well. The narrator did an excellent job.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A New Departure, or departures.....

A change of scene for Helen Fields, and one that I have looked forward to for some time. Great characters woven into a tale of several gory murders at the turn of the 20th century. The characters are brought to life by Robin Laing, one may recognise D I Callanac's voice in a previous incarnation, together with some new and quite evil characterisations. The historical political backdrop is omnipresent, but not too heavy. The storyline is solid enough, but not quite a 5 for me. I look forward to other new works from Helen Fields, although sometimes they are a bit too graphic and malevolent.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Over the top at times but gripping

This book is a roller-coaster not so much owing to red herrings in the story but more the huge variation in behaviour of the main character, Sophia, who starts as a conventional housewife and loving mother who morphs into a monster. Alternating between the 1890s and the first decade of the 20th century describing Sophia's childhood and later marriage and motherhood. The early part of the story is Dickensian in its grimness, but later scenes are reminiscent of a Frederick Forsyth thriller. The story becomes more and more preposterous in the final hours of listening but is strangely gripping as I wondered what on Earth could happen next.
The narrator is excellent

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting. Slow burner

A real slow burner and took a while to get into. Not a very interesting ending

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

What boring story & unlikeable main character

I tried with this one, I really did, but gave up a third of the way through.

The main character was so stupid and unsympathetic that I really didn't care what happened to her. The switching back and forth between times was also annoying.

Sending this one back....

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Odd and unrealistic characters

Depressing storyline in which nothing was resolved and the characters weren’t believable. I listened to the end but still didn’t make sense.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful

Robin Laing brings à good story alive. I highly recommend this book. I was gripped from the first sentence

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beyond Excellence

Sublime. Dark. Delicious. That just about sums up These Lost & Broken Things. Whatever she cares to write about, Helen Fields does it to perfection. Be it Callanach, Degrees of Guilt (as HS Chandler), or this absolutely wonderful historical novel, everything that pours from her head onto the page is pure magic. If you ever read this Helen - thank you - and a simple request - please don't ever stop!! Oh, and one other thing: the peerless Robin Laing was made to narrate your novels - please don't let him ever stop either.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really interesting listen

Very different from the other Helen Fields books I’ve read, at first I wasn’t sure whether I was into it but I stuck with it. Glad I did because it was a really interesting story of Sophia’s life and inside the origin story of a killer. Fascinating!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent unusual and well narrated

A different style for Helen Fields but very enjoyable. Interesting story set against the background of the suffragette movement and the hardship of the early 1800s. Great narration as usual from Robin Laing.
If I had once criticism it would be the fizzling out of the role of Charlie - he just faded into the background after the scene in the study near the end. Never mentioned again despite living next door.
Recommended.

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