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The Cracked Mirror
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL
You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.
You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.
Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.
A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL
You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.
You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.
Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.
A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.
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Published July 18, 2024
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August 6, 2024
The blurb of this book says (and yes, it is in capitals!: "FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL", and after reading this I must concur! Got to thank Chris Brookmyre. for rightly determining that this one would work for me. Imagine a maverick L.A. police detective working with a Scottish septuagenarian woman crime solver, as they both look to prove a seemingly dead-cert suicide is anything but!
The Cracked Mirror is a screenplay that the creative who allegedly committed suicide was working from to produce a film of the same title. This starts of as an interesting and intriguing detective thriller that draws our protagonists to the same wedding in Scotland; but that's just the start of this awesome read. Brookmyre has absolutely written 'not that crime novel'. I can't say much more without spoiler-ing, but anyone looking for truly innovative and well written read this is it! I was hugely surprised and entertained at the turns this book took. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world Mr Brookmyre. This is easily in the top 10 of the ARCs I have been sent. I should say, get out and grab a copy the book was published in July :)
2024 read
The Cracked Mirror is a screenplay that the creative who allegedly committed suicide was working from to produce a film of the same title. This starts of as an interesting and intriguing detective thriller that draws our protagonists to the same wedding in Scotland; but that's just the start of this awesome read. Brookmyre has absolutely written 'not that crime novel'. I can't say much more without spoiler-ing, but anyone looking for truly innovative and well written read this is it! I was hugely surprised and entertained at the turns this book took. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world Mr Brookmyre. This is easily in the top 10 of the ARCs I have been sent. I should say, get out and grab a copy the book was published in July :)
2024 read
July 4, 2024
4.5 rounded up
“ A cross genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly”… and yes, it’s definitely that. Meet Ms Penelope Coyne, she’s in her 80s, lives in the pretty village of Glen Cuthar in Scotland and is close friends with Inspector Saeeda Sattar. A possessor of a razor sharp mind which she is putting to good use to try to work out why Mr Brendan Gault is found dead in the chapel, but even she is struggling to understand why she’s received a mysterious wedding invitation. She is the 21st century Miss Marple. Her polar opposite is rule breaker, Johnny Hawke a hard nosed LAPD detective and reminiscent of a Connelly character. Currently everything is a bit of a blur for Johnny and now to cap it all he’s got a new partner in Ibanez and he wonders who the poor guy has annoyed to get partnered with him as his previous ones have a way of ending up dead. It’s the usual tough day on the “mean streets” of LA when they get a call to go to a Hollywood studio where a young male has been found dead. From this point on things go from very bad to way worse and coincidences and connections takes Johnny to Scotland and into Pennies orbit. The novel alternates between the two with clever chapter headings and with a seamlessly flowing storyline.
This could’ve been a right old mess in the hands of a less skilled and capable writer than Chris Brookmyre. He has created a lively, entertaining, fast paced and complex multi-layered storyline, including crimes that date back 20 years. It’s a fascinating and constantly changing dramatic thriller full of incident with oodles of plot twists, which keeps you riveted and with some good red herrings into the bargain. Did I pick up the breadcrumb clues along the way? Of course not!
There’s so much to praise in this ambitious novel. In Penny Coyne (what a pun), the author has done a superb job of evoking the queen of crime, and although I’ve only read a couple of Connelly’s books, he’s captured the spirit of those via Johnny and with what happens in LA. These two characters are so well crafted and clearly they are chalk and cheese and the contrast couldn’t be stronger, and yet they become unlikely allies. They grow to respect each other’s skills and so they pit together their collaborative brains to figure out the increasingly puzzling conundrum and mounting list of fatalities. It’s a very unusual but very compelling duo and watching their relationship go through its various stages is compelling. The dialogue is good throughout but especially so between these two.
I would never guess the truth of how this pans out in a million years as it’s so inventive but the author makes me totally buy into it.. The ending is poignant and the ultimate end is very enigmatic and leaves you pondering.
Overall, this is the Chris Brookmyre novel I’ve liked the most despite the large cast of characters to get your head around. It’s creative, very different. The settings are excellent, they’re vividly described and used most effectively. I love the humour which is laugh out loud on occasions. I can recommend this. to fans of the mystery thriller genre are looking for something that is a little bit out of the ordinary .
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
“ A cross genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly”… and yes, it’s definitely that. Meet Ms Penelope Coyne, she’s in her 80s, lives in the pretty village of Glen Cuthar in Scotland and is close friends with Inspector Saeeda Sattar. A possessor of a razor sharp mind which she is putting to good use to try to work out why Mr Brendan Gault is found dead in the chapel, but even she is struggling to understand why she’s received a mysterious wedding invitation. She is the 21st century Miss Marple. Her polar opposite is rule breaker, Johnny Hawke a hard nosed LAPD detective and reminiscent of a Connelly character. Currently everything is a bit of a blur for Johnny and now to cap it all he’s got a new partner in Ibanez and he wonders who the poor guy has annoyed to get partnered with him as his previous ones have a way of ending up dead. It’s the usual tough day on the “mean streets” of LA when they get a call to go to a Hollywood studio where a young male has been found dead. From this point on things go from very bad to way worse and coincidences and connections takes Johnny to Scotland and into Pennies orbit. The novel alternates between the two with clever chapter headings and with a seamlessly flowing storyline.
This could’ve been a right old mess in the hands of a less skilled and capable writer than Chris Brookmyre. He has created a lively, entertaining, fast paced and complex multi-layered storyline, including crimes that date back 20 years. It’s a fascinating and constantly changing dramatic thriller full of incident with oodles of plot twists, which keeps you riveted and with some good red herrings into the bargain. Did I pick up the breadcrumb clues along the way? Of course not!
There’s so much to praise in this ambitious novel. In Penny Coyne (what a pun), the author has done a superb job of evoking the queen of crime, and although I’ve only read a couple of Connelly’s books, he’s captured the spirit of those via Johnny and with what happens in LA. These two characters are so well crafted and clearly they are chalk and cheese and the contrast couldn’t be stronger, and yet they become unlikely allies. They grow to respect each other’s skills and so they pit together their collaborative brains to figure out the increasingly puzzling conundrum and mounting list of fatalities. It’s a very unusual but very compelling duo and watching their relationship go through its various stages is compelling. The dialogue is good throughout but especially so between these two.
I would never guess the truth of how this pans out in a million years as it’s so inventive but the author makes me totally buy into it.. The ending is poignant and the ultimate end is very enigmatic and leaves you pondering.
Overall, this is the Chris Brookmyre novel I’ve liked the most despite the large cast of characters to get your head around. It’s creative, very different. The settings are excellent, they’re vividly described and used most effectively. I love the humour which is laugh out loud on occasions. I can recommend this. to fans of the mystery thriller genre are looking for something that is a little bit out of the ordinary .
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
June 29, 2024
Loved this. Complex, clever, funny and absolutely crazy in parts. This, for me, was a return to the Chris Brookmyre of old where you'd start with something innocuous - a team building exercise or a school outing say and end up with a terrorist siege or in hell. Yes, this was Brookmyre at his convoluted, crazy best.
However I am at a loss as to explain the plot simply because it starts out with two seemingly random murders and ends up with the mother of all twists - best read the synopsis.
There are myriad twists along the way but the whole story is carried beautifully by detectives Johnny Hawke and Penny Coyne. Johnny is the hardboiled LA detective and Penny is a gifted amateur who solves murders in a tiny village in Scotland where, she admits, there are a lot more murders than there should be. They are a great double act but both with secrets of their own.
I realise that this novel may not be for everyone but if you've read One Fine Day or Pandaemonium then you'll know what kind of genius lunacy you're in for. Sit back and enjoy every word.
If I could give a piece of advice I'd say don't get hung up on remembering all the names or the chapter headings just follow the story.
Lastly, two very small niggles. The first is the use of the phrase "Holly golly" by Johnny. It would have been annoying had Penny used it but Johnny? No. The second was Johnny's occasional use of "I'mma". I try not to be a grammar Nazi but it's a non-word and it didn't feel like it fitted with the way he spoke.
Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
However I am at a loss as to explain the plot simply because it starts out with two seemingly random murders and ends up with the mother of all twists - best read the synopsis.
There are myriad twists along the way but the whole story is carried beautifully by detectives Johnny Hawke and Penny Coyne. Johnny is the hardboiled LA detective and Penny is a gifted amateur who solves murders in a tiny village in Scotland where, she admits, there are a lot more murders than there should be. They are a great double act but both with secrets of their own.
I realise that this novel may not be for everyone but if you've read One Fine Day or Pandaemonium then you'll know what kind of genius lunacy you're in for. Sit back and enjoy every word.
If I could give a piece of advice I'd say don't get hung up on remembering all the names or the chapter headings just follow the story.
Lastly, two very small niggles. The first is the use of the phrase "Holly golly" by Johnny. It would have been annoying had Penny used it but Johnny? No. The second was Johnny's occasional use of "I'mma". I try not to be a grammar Nazi but it's a non-word and it didn't feel like it fitted with the way he spoke.
Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
November 7, 2024
It starts with Penelope Coyne (an elderly ‘Miss Marple’ figure) becoming aware of a murder in her small Scottish village. A man has been strangled in the church confessional booth. Having already solved a number of murders in this quiet place - a rather odd claim in itself – she’s determined to somehow involve herself in the investigation.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Jonny Hawke is nursing a headache. He’s woken up in a room he doesn’t recognise, next to a woman he’s struggling to identify. Jonny is a police lieutenant who, we will learn, has a habit of getting his partners killed. His maverick ways have delivered results, but at a hefty price. He’s soon picked up by his latest partner and is off to visit the scene of what appears to be the suicide of a male writer. There seems little doubt that the man took his own life, but his boss want’s the i’s to be fully dotted on this one.
These two threads – an old school murder mystery and a contemporary hardboiled detective tale – are rather odd bedfellows, and yet they are to be merged into a broader story that’s distinctly different to anything I’ve come across before. It’s a book that really demands that you don’t know too much before launching yourself into it, so I’ll pretty much halt my description of the plot there.
I’m an admirer of Brookmyre’s writing; his stories are usually well constructed and include a mix of wry humour, social comments, and plotlines/themes that often surprise and delight. His standalone novels, in particular, are written in a way that had you not known they were from the same pen, you’d swear they were born from a different hand. He’s stylistically brave and adventurous, and this might just be his most outlandish experiment to date.
My own opinion of this one is that it’s a mix of highs and lows. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline, and I particularly loved the chemistry that developed between the two leading characters. On the downside, I found it challenging to follow the complex unfolding of the tale, with its large cast. In addition, the final denouement felt rather convoluted and also somewhat unsatisfying. As a result, I’m finding it a hard book to rate. It’s probably something just north of three stars for me, but I’m going to round up rather than down simply because of the story’s originality and also because of my admiration for the mind that conceived it.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Jonny Hawke is nursing a headache. He’s woken up in a room he doesn’t recognise, next to a woman he’s struggling to identify. Jonny is a police lieutenant who, we will learn, has a habit of getting his partners killed. His maverick ways have delivered results, but at a hefty price. He’s soon picked up by his latest partner and is off to visit the scene of what appears to be the suicide of a male writer. There seems little doubt that the man took his own life, but his boss want’s the i’s to be fully dotted on this one.
These two threads – an old school murder mystery and a contemporary hardboiled detective tale – are rather odd bedfellows, and yet they are to be merged into a broader story that’s distinctly different to anything I’ve come across before. It’s a book that really demands that you don’t know too much before launching yourself into it, so I’ll pretty much halt my description of the plot there.
I’m an admirer of Brookmyre’s writing; his stories are usually well constructed and include a mix of wry humour, social comments, and plotlines/themes that often surprise and delight. His standalone novels, in particular, are written in a way that had you not known they were from the same pen, you’d swear they were born from a different hand. He’s stylistically brave and adventurous, and this might just be his most outlandish experiment to date.
My own opinion of this one is that it’s a mix of highs and lows. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline, and I particularly loved the chemistry that developed between the two leading characters. On the downside, I found it challenging to follow the complex unfolding of the tale, with its large cast. In addition, the final denouement felt rather convoluted and also somewhat unsatisfying. As a result, I’m finding it a hard book to rate. It’s probably something just north of three stars for me, but I’m going to round up rather than down simply because of the story’s originality and also because of my admiration for the mind that conceived it.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2025
Brookmyre’s two in one becomes One and then something more, much more.
He mashes up our beloved familiar tropes, the clever curious old lady who lives in a murder prone English village and the LA hard-boiled detective, careworn, and full of bravado. He introduces them to each other, complete with tea and a dash of bullets, and then brings in today’s world with its savvy info tech and all the technological paraphernalia. Admittedly, I think he had huge fun doing this. I think I could feel his glee at his fiendish use of his poor, poor characters. I fully confess to enjoying myself hugely whilst reading it and something that is not usual for me in these kinds of books, I shed tears at the end.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Netgalley.
He mashes up our beloved familiar tropes, the clever curious old lady who lives in a murder prone English village and the LA hard-boiled detective, careworn, and full of bravado. He introduces them to each other, complete with tea and a dash of bullets, and then brings in today’s world with its savvy info tech and all the technological paraphernalia. Admittedly, I think he had huge fun doing this. I think I could feel his glee at his fiendish use of his poor, poor characters. I fully confess to enjoying myself hugely whilst reading it and something that is not usual for me in these kinds of books, I shed tears at the end.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Netgalley.
July 27, 2024
What an absolutely very cleverly thought out plot and what absolutely likable and very real characters! Miss Penny Coyne stays in her character of ‘a lady like Miss Marple’ during the whole story and yet in the end she’s changed a bit (for the good or the bad that is for every reader to find out). Johnny Hawke is exactly who he needs to be in this story: a man with hidden depths. Together they find themselves in an adventure they would have never dreamed of.
The plot is multi-layered with lots of real surprises and what I liked most about this book is that although there are things happening that are utterly impossible, you could start to believe that somewhere, in the not so distant future, they would be possible.
The story brings us from the streets of LA to the quiet village of Glen Cuthar and numerous other places and slowly the story unfolds. The ending was very well done and a little heartbreaking. I would love to read more of this author and I can recommend this book to all readers who would like to try a story that is very believable and very unbelievable at the same time.
Thanks to Little, Brown and Netgalley for this review copy.
The plot is multi-layered with lots of real surprises and what I liked most about this book is that although there are things happening that are utterly impossible, you could start to believe that somewhere, in the not so distant future, they would be possible.
The story brings us from the streets of LA to the quiet village of Glen Cuthar and numerous other places and slowly the story unfolds. The ending was very well done and a little heartbreaking. I would love to read more of this author and I can recommend this book to all readers who would like to try a story that is very believable and very unbelievable at the same time.
Thanks to Little, Brown and Netgalley for this review copy.
October 14, 2024
I really enjoyed “The Cracked Mirror” until it veered left, suddenly, at about the 80% point. Up to then, it was a parody of the mystery/thriller genre—a good satire, well written, that I couldn’t put down. Then suddenly it changed course, into a realm that disappointed me.
The story outline is well described in the advertising blurb. It opens with a body in a church in the village of Glen Cluthar in Scotland, a small village where Penny Coyne lives (sound out her name to get the pun). Although Penny is willing to assist the police in solving this one—as she has in 15 previous murder cases in the village—she is distracted by an invitation to attend a wedding in Cathie Hall in a nearby village.
Penny, as she preferred to be called, was in her early eighties, but she did not like to specify further, or to dwell upon how elastically one might stretch the definition of ‘early’. It sometimes seemed like she had been in her eighties for a very long time.
Penny is a 21st Century “Miss Marple” counterpart.
Then the story switches the Johnny Hawke in Hollywood, who is called upon to investigate an apparent suicide of a movie writer at the Kingdom Pictures studio. Johnny is described in the advertising blurb as a “Michael Connelly” type character, but I felt that he resembled more closely the hard-boiled detectives that populated 1940s-1960s era pulp classics.
Johnny is challenged by a howdunnit—a locked-room mystery, which he is about to solve when a fire destroys the evidence (and almost Johnny). Then he is given a clue which results in him travelling to Scotland to attend the wedding at Cathie Hall. There another locked-room suicide occurs. So Johnny and Penny join forces—to solve the whodunnit of two similar cases.
Both cases involved dysfunctional families, somehow intertwined. Several stereotypical tropes often present in the mystery/thriller genre are part of the narrative, albeit with a satirical undertone.
My favourite part of the story is the banter between Penny and Johnny, like the following displaying the difference between UK and US English:
’I can’t see the second floor. I assume you mean the first.’
‘There are two floors,’ he points out.
‘Yes. Ground and first.’
The first murder involved a writer of movie scripts; the second involved the daughter of a major book publishing firm. Penny is a librarian: Reading allowed her to lead infinite lives, to access someone else’s thoughts and memories. Johnny has worked in Robbery-Homicide division of the LAPD for 20 years: Work here long enough and it’s easy to forget that everything in this town is an illusion.
The clues to whodunnit lead Johnny and Penny back to Los Angeles, where they enter the world of still another major fantasy maker—a virtual world video-games company. As the investigation continues, they discover that another locked-room suicide occurred 20 years ago.
…we are nonetheless confronted by very similar murders’
‘No,’ Johnny insisted. ’Different versions of the same murder.’
It is here, at the 80% point in the novel, that I began to lose track of all the different characters—which dysfunctional family each one belonged to. And things got stranger and stranger, until the entire narrative took a crazy twist.
Some readers will like this unexpected twist. Others, including me, will find that it abruptly removes them from the fantasy world they were enjoying. The author redeems himself a bit by the ending, when Penny solves the whodunnit that began the story—the murder that took place in the church. But I like the books that I read to have a theme, a philosophy, that causes me to think more deeply, and this one seemed to be set up strictly to deliver an unexpected twist.
Brookmyre is an excellent writer, one who easily allows me to immerse myself in the thought patterns of people who think differently than I do. I wish he didn’t try so hard to produce narratives that depend on an unexpected twist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for some of my favourite by Chris Brookmyre novels:
The Cut
Black Widow (Jack Parlabane, #7)
Want You Gone (Jack Parlabane, #8)
Dead Girl Walking (JackParlabane, #6)
Where The Bodies Are Buried
Bred In The Bone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The story outline is well described in the advertising blurb. It opens with a body in a church in the village of Glen Cluthar in Scotland, a small village where Penny Coyne lives (sound out her name to get the pun). Although Penny is willing to assist the police in solving this one—as she has in 15 previous murder cases in the village—she is distracted by an invitation to attend a wedding in Cathie Hall in a nearby village.
Penny, as she preferred to be called, was in her early eighties, but she did not like to specify further, or to dwell upon how elastically one might stretch the definition of ‘early’. It sometimes seemed like she had been in her eighties for a very long time.
Penny is a 21st Century “Miss Marple” counterpart.
Then the story switches the Johnny Hawke in Hollywood, who is called upon to investigate an apparent suicide of a movie writer at the Kingdom Pictures studio. Johnny is described in the advertising blurb as a “Michael Connelly” type character, but I felt that he resembled more closely the hard-boiled detectives that populated 1940s-1960s era pulp classics.
Johnny is challenged by a howdunnit—a locked-room mystery, which he is about to solve when a fire destroys the evidence (and almost Johnny). Then he is given a clue which results in him travelling to Scotland to attend the wedding at Cathie Hall. There another locked-room suicide occurs. So Johnny and Penny join forces—to solve the whodunnit of two similar cases.
Both cases involved dysfunctional families, somehow intertwined. Several stereotypical tropes often present in the mystery/thriller genre are part of the narrative, albeit with a satirical undertone.
My favourite part of the story is the banter between Penny and Johnny, like the following displaying the difference between UK and US English:
’I can’t see the second floor. I assume you mean the first.’
‘There are two floors,’ he points out.
‘Yes. Ground and first.’
The first murder involved a writer of movie scripts; the second involved the daughter of a major book publishing firm. Penny is a librarian: Reading allowed her to lead infinite lives, to access someone else’s thoughts and memories. Johnny has worked in Robbery-Homicide division of the LAPD for 20 years: Work here long enough and it’s easy to forget that everything in this town is an illusion.
The clues to whodunnit lead Johnny and Penny back to Los Angeles, where they enter the world of still another major fantasy maker—a virtual world video-games company. As the investigation continues, they discover that another locked-room suicide occurred 20 years ago.
…we are nonetheless confronted by very similar murders’
‘No,’ Johnny insisted. ’Different versions of the same murder.’
It is here, at the 80% point in the novel, that I began to lose track of all the different characters—which dysfunctional family each one belonged to. And things got stranger and stranger, until the entire narrative took a crazy twist.
Some readers will like this unexpected twist. Others, including me, will find that it abruptly removes them from the fantasy world they were enjoying. The author redeems himself a bit by the ending, when Penny solves the whodunnit that began the story—the murder that took place in the church. But I like the books that I read to have a theme, a philosophy, that causes me to think more deeply, and this one seemed to be set up strictly to deliver an unexpected twist.
Brookmyre is an excellent writer, one who easily allows me to immerse myself in the thought patterns of people who think differently than I do. I wish he didn’t try so hard to produce narratives that depend on an unexpected twist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for some of my favourite by Chris Brookmyre novels:
The Cut
Black Widow (Jack Parlabane, #7)
Want You Gone (Jack Parlabane, #8)
Dead Girl Walking (JackParlabane, #6)
Where The Bodies Are Buried
Bred In The Bone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 27, 2025
Death is But the Overture
It may walk like a duck and it may quack like a duck, but this story is not your regular murder mystery book. Something really weird is going on here, and one detective is not enough for solving the puzzle. Two heads are supposedly better than one, as we all know from a slew of buddy cops movies. But what if they come at it from two very different ends of the spectrum?
‘We’re a team now, Johnny, for better or worse.’
Johnny Hawke, on the West Coast, is as hard-boiled as they come. A tough as nails detective in Los Angeles, with a reputation for getting his partners killed and for using irregular methods to get results.
Penelope Coyne of Glen Cluthar, a picturesque Scottish hamlet, is your proverbial elderly nosy neighbour who makes it her business to know everybody else’s business and to prove police ineptitude over tea and crumpets. Both come across dead bodies [on a movie set and in a vicarage, respectively] and both receive unexpected invitations to a high society wedding at a famous Highland castle.
‘So what do you figure?’
‘Only one way in or out of this room and it was padlocked from the inside. Single gunshot, no other damage or signs of disturbance. Short of a note, he couldn’t have made it more blatantly a suicide.’
[...] ‘I feel like somebody’s taken a lot of trouble to make sure we see a horse.’
Something smells fishy, and it’s not the hors d’oeuvres.
Glen Cluthar didn’t seem as cosy and familiar as it used to, and L.A. is suddenly too hot to handle. A vacation in a posh location with all expenses paid sounds like a reasonable proposition. Until a new obvious suicide crops up. One that shares eerie similarities with the first case.
>>><<<>>><<<
I know I speak from a fan perspective, but this Brookmyre fellow is one smart cookie, and he likes his bit of subversive chaos and black humour. The current novel clearly intends to play fast and loose with the rules of two very well-known templates in the genre: the noir and the cosy mystery. The dynamic has a lot of potential for comic interaction and for smart quips. What I didn’t expect was the early heartbreaking moments and the really hard questions about the sleuths’ and the reader’s sanity.
If Stonebridge Publishing is the book and Kingdom Pictures is the genderflipped movie version, then Pierpoint Enterprises is the video game.
But it’s all the same story.
Johnny and Penny are confronted by the hard facts of three murders in three very different settings and with three different actors, but with identical signatures. How is this even possible?
For a long time, I didn’t bother too much with solving the puzzle, since I had a good time following the clash of personalities and the playful subversion of genre tropes.
I need you to understand that we may have to break a few rules. This could involve theft, fraud, trespass or all three. But the point is, we’re not gonna get anywhere with tea and cake and polite inquiries.
‘... something I’ve learned from reading classic noir: never trust whoever hires the private eye.’
‘I keep finding myself making chit-chat at champagne receptions,’ he said. ‘I’m happier kicking down doors in crappy neighbourhoods and having tweakers scream in my face. It’s starting to feel like you’ve brought your world with you, and it’s infecting mine.’
‘You infected mine first,’ Penny replied. ‘I never had to deal with graphic and bloody murder scenes before you turned up, to say nothing of machine guns and car chases.’
Later in the book, some echoes of the author’s most successful series, about an investigative journalist named Jack Parlabane, helped me make sense of the proceeds. The third major location is a gaming convention where a revolutionary new technology is announced by a reclusive tech-bro. The Johnny and Penny team strays into high-tech, AI and super-rich conspiracy territory.
I feel that saying anything more about the plot from here on is counterproductive and risk spoiling the fun of discovery for new readers.
To be honest, I was doubting Brookmyre could pull it off. The clues in the investigation got crazier and crazier as the action heats up. The final solution is even weirder, yet ...
‘That just makes sense, I suppose. But it feels just a little too neat.’
The answer to all my possible quibbles is given in the acknowledgement section at the end of the book, where we learn about the inception for the story:
On 16 June 2002 my editor, Ed Wood, tweeted: ‘People often ask what editors are looking for – I would kill for a really clever meta whodunit that plays with the genre. So there it is, gauntlet thrown.’
... and Chris went: Challenge accepted!
It may walk like a duck and it may quack like a duck, but this story is not your regular murder mystery book. Something really weird is going on here, and one detective is not enough for solving the puzzle. Two heads are supposedly better than one, as we all know from a slew of buddy cops movies. But what if they come at it from two very different ends of the spectrum?
‘We’re a team now, Johnny, for better or worse.’
Johnny Hawke, on the West Coast, is as hard-boiled as they come. A tough as nails detective in Los Angeles, with a reputation for getting his partners killed and for using irregular methods to get results.
Penelope Coyne of Glen Cluthar, a picturesque Scottish hamlet, is your proverbial elderly nosy neighbour who makes it her business to know everybody else’s business and to prove police ineptitude over tea and crumpets. Both come across dead bodies [on a movie set and in a vicarage, respectively] and both receive unexpected invitations to a high society wedding at a famous Highland castle.
‘So what do you figure?’
‘Only one way in or out of this room and it was padlocked from the inside. Single gunshot, no other damage or signs of disturbance. Short of a note, he couldn’t have made it more blatantly a suicide.’
[...] ‘I feel like somebody’s taken a lot of trouble to make sure we see a horse.’
Something smells fishy, and it’s not the hors d’oeuvres.
Glen Cluthar didn’t seem as cosy and familiar as it used to, and L.A. is suddenly too hot to handle. A vacation in a posh location with all expenses paid sounds like a reasonable proposition. Until a new obvious suicide crops up. One that shares eerie similarities with the first case.
>>><<<>>><<<
I know I speak from a fan perspective, but this Brookmyre fellow is one smart cookie, and he likes his bit of subversive chaos and black humour. The current novel clearly intends to play fast and loose with the rules of two very well-known templates in the genre: the noir and the cosy mystery. The dynamic has a lot of potential for comic interaction and for smart quips. What I didn’t expect was the early heartbreaking moments and the really hard questions about the sleuths’ and the reader’s sanity.
If Stonebridge Publishing is the book and Kingdom Pictures is the genderflipped movie version, then Pierpoint Enterprises is the video game.
But it’s all the same story.
Johnny and Penny are confronted by the hard facts of three murders in three very different settings and with three different actors, but with identical signatures. How is this even possible?
For a long time, I didn’t bother too much with solving the puzzle, since I had a good time following the clash of personalities and the playful subversion of genre tropes.
I need you to understand that we may have to break a few rules. This could involve theft, fraud, trespass or all three. But the point is, we’re not gonna get anywhere with tea and cake and polite inquiries.
‘... something I’ve learned from reading classic noir: never trust whoever hires the private eye.’
‘I keep finding myself making chit-chat at champagne receptions,’ he said. ‘I’m happier kicking down doors in crappy neighbourhoods and having tweakers scream in my face. It’s starting to feel like you’ve brought your world with you, and it’s infecting mine.’
‘You infected mine first,’ Penny replied. ‘I never had to deal with graphic and bloody murder scenes before you turned up, to say nothing of machine guns and car chases.’
Later in the book, some echoes of the author’s most successful series, about an investigative journalist named Jack Parlabane, helped me make sense of the proceeds. The third major location is a gaming convention where a revolutionary new technology is announced by a reclusive tech-bro. The Johnny and Penny team strays into high-tech, AI and super-rich conspiracy territory.
I feel that saying anything more about the plot from here on is counterproductive and risk spoiling the fun of discovery for new readers.
To be honest, I was doubting Brookmyre could pull it off. The clues in the investigation got crazier and crazier as the action heats up. The final solution is even weirder, yet ...
‘That just makes sense, I suppose. But it feels just a little too neat.’
The answer to all my possible quibbles is given in the acknowledgement section at the end of the book, where we learn about the inception for the story:
On 16 June 2002 my editor, Ed Wood, tweeted: ‘People often ask what editors are looking for – I would kill for a really clever meta whodunit that plays with the genre. So there it is, gauntlet thrown.’
... and Chris went: Challenge accepted!
June 20, 2025
Actually this was too clever for me, I had a hard time making sense of it all. And don’t ask me to summarize the plot, everything was turned upside down at least a couple of times. What I did get was that the characters were inhabiting a kind of simulacrum, there were several references to the film The Matrix and lots of intertextuality. The latter mostly makes me feel very intellectual when I am able to spot it, in this novel it felt a bit redundant and over the top and as if the author wanted to show off.
So, what did I like? Well, mainly the two main characters, I liked the constant change of pov, and thought the shift from an old lady’s perspective to a hardboiled cop’s quite brilliant.
Absolutely recommended to readers of challenging and brainy crime novels.
So, what did I like? Well, mainly the two main characters, I liked the constant change of pov, and thought the shift from an old lady’s perspective to a hardboiled cop’s quite brilliant.
Absolutely recommended to readers of challenging and brainy crime novels.
March 4, 2024
My Rating: 1⭐️ not my cup of tea at all… Very Disappointed!!!
NetGalley Synopsis
Forget what you think you know… You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a twinset and tweed.
You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.
Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.
*A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly.
Well I should have read that last line a little closer… a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie… I could have saved myself the trouble. I have never read anything that is Agatha Christie adjacent or similar that I have enjoyed… I believe its just not for me… this was no different. And to be honest I haven’t read anything from Michael Connelly but the bits that were from Hawkes perspective I think were likely more his style and that was ok… but the Penny ones… talk about snore fest for me…
Now what I will say is this was CLEVER I really didn’t know how the author was going to intersect the two stories that were not even running in the same country let alone with the same characters but honestly that was clever and excellent writing. There is no doubt about it that Brookmyre is talented… however…. The story just dragged on and on and on and on… this is nearly 500 pages and ALOT is happening but it felt like it was all happening underwater, in slow motion trapped in mud… come on… I shouldn’t feel bored by a story that has two stories multi POV and multi-countries with multi-mysteries.
I wasn’t a fan of Penny… I thought she was whatever… I mean good on her shes a little old lady that can solve mysteries… but she was kind of a nothing to me… and she was boring. Johnny was a bit better but again very stereotypical and ME MAN YOU WOMAN kind of dude… whatever cause that doesn’t particularly bother me except again I was still bored… either way for me this was a huge miss.
I am disappointed too cause I loved the sound of it… but I will make sure I never pick up another book that is “like” Agatha Christie cause I never ever Vibe with them. I think maybe one day I may read an actual Agatha Christie to see if I actually like her work… but anything that is LIKE it… definitely not for me. I would prefer it to be the actual famous author and go… yeah thats not for me… cause now its put me off her writing before I have even given her a chance. So… we shall see.
Either way… I am keeping this short… its one star.. I am positive lots of people will like this… but I did not.
Thank you to Abacus, NetGalley and the author for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
NetGalley Synopsis
Forget what you think you know… You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a twinset and tweed.
You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.
Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.
*A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly.
Well I should have read that last line a little closer… a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie… I could have saved myself the trouble. I have never read anything that is Agatha Christie adjacent or similar that I have enjoyed… I believe its just not for me… this was no different. And to be honest I haven’t read anything from Michael Connelly but the bits that were from Hawkes perspective I think were likely more his style and that was ok… but the Penny ones… talk about snore fest for me…
Now what I will say is this was CLEVER I really didn’t know how the author was going to intersect the two stories that were not even running in the same country let alone with the same characters but honestly that was clever and excellent writing. There is no doubt about it that Brookmyre is talented… however…. The story just dragged on and on and on and on… this is nearly 500 pages and ALOT is happening but it felt like it was all happening underwater, in slow motion trapped in mud… come on… I shouldn’t feel bored by a story that has two stories multi POV and multi-countries with multi-mysteries.
I wasn’t a fan of Penny… I thought she was whatever… I mean good on her shes a little old lady that can solve mysteries… but she was kind of a nothing to me… and she was boring. Johnny was a bit better but again very stereotypical and ME MAN YOU WOMAN kind of dude… whatever cause that doesn’t particularly bother me except again I was still bored… either way for me this was a huge miss.
I am disappointed too cause I loved the sound of it… but I will make sure I never pick up another book that is “like” Agatha Christie cause I never ever Vibe with them. I think maybe one day I may read an actual Agatha Christie to see if I actually like her work… but anything that is LIKE it… definitely not for me. I would prefer it to be the actual famous author and go… yeah thats not for me… cause now its put me off her writing before I have even given her a chance. So… we shall see.
Either way… I am keeping this short… its one star.. I am positive lots of people will like this… but I did not.
Thank you to Abacus, NetGalley and the author for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Abacus for this ARC to review.
Firstly, I love Brookmyre. I have been with him from the start. I have been a beta reader and a proofreader for a good few of his early books, so I certainly know the author’s writing well enough.
While I liked this and had fun with it, it is definitely not up there with his best. However, on finishing this read I was (in hindsight) overly critical. The overall premise is a bit silly, but on reflection a lot of his work is; in a good way. One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night is one of my favourite books (not just of his) and it’s utterly, brilliantly, ridiculously laugh-out-loud bonkers.
Here, Brookmyre is clearly going for a Bosch / Miss Marple mash-up and when you get down to it, it’s a lot of fun. Silly, but fun nonetheless.
There is a twist, which I partially caught, but don’t want to get into spoiler territory. On reflection, it does address some of the contrivances I felt were in the text, but they were there during the read and I felt them off-putting.
The reason why I don’t rate this higher (and perhaps its because I haven’t read him for a while), is that Brookmyre never used to shy away from really hammering home a strong stance on a particular viewpoint; be it religious, political or other. He could be absolutely brutal and I was waiting for it, but he plays it very safe with this one, which seems very…un-brookmyre like.
However, when you get down to it, like most of his work, it’s just good fun.
Firstly, I love Brookmyre. I have been with him from the start. I have been a beta reader and a proofreader for a good few of his early books, so I certainly know the author’s writing well enough.
While I liked this and had fun with it, it is definitely not up there with his best. However, on finishing this read I was (in hindsight) overly critical. The overall premise is a bit silly, but on reflection a lot of his work is; in a good way. One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night is one of my favourite books (not just of his) and it’s utterly, brilliantly, ridiculously laugh-out-loud bonkers.
Here, Brookmyre is clearly going for a Bosch / Miss Marple mash-up and when you get down to it, it’s a lot of fun. Silly, but fun nonetheless.
There is a twist, which I partially caught, but don’t want to get into spoiler territory. On reflection, it does address some of the contrivances I felt were in the text, but they were there during the read and I felt them off-putting.
The reason why I don’t rate this higher (and perhaps its because I haven’t read him for a while), is that Brookmyre never used to shy away from really hammering home a strong stance on a particular viewpoint; be it religious, political or other. He could be absolutely brutal and I was waiting for it, but he plays it very safe with this one, which seems very…un-brookmyre like.
However, when you get down to it, like most of his work, it’s just good fun.
July 19, 2024
Out 18th July 2024
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL
Ok so no spoilers, which makes this difficult to summarise; this is essentially multiple stories in one book, so we have the typical older lady sleuth detective who solves murders in a sleepy Scottish town: Penny Coyne and then we have the LAPD homicide detective Johnny Hawke who does what's necessary to get results, regardless of the trouble he gets in.
So our usual tropes, but this is not what you expect, yes their paths cross, but what happens then is not what you expect.
This is such a clever book, with so many layers, crossing multiple genres, but still has a lot of heart. Sometimes you're not sure who to trust or like, but I always had a soft spot for Penny and Johnny.
I absolutely loved that this was a fast paced book, and the way the story was told and unfolded. From the concept of the book to the execution this is a one of a kind book, that I'm still processing.
Yes there are a lot of characters, which would usually put me off, but they are so cleverly written, you only need to focus on the main characters and the plot.
This is my first time reading a Brookmyre book, but I'm certain it won't be the last.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL
Ok so no spoilers, which makes this difficult to summarise; this is essentially multiple stories in one book, so we have the typical older lady sleuth detective who solves murders in a sleepy Scottish town: Penny Coyne and then we have the LAPD homicide detective Johnny Hawke who does what's necessary to get results, regardless of the trouble he gets in.
So our usual tropes, but this is not what you expect, yes their paths cross, but what happens then is not what you expect.
This is such a clever book, with so many layers, crossing multiple genres, but still has a lot of heart. Sometimes you're not sure who to trust or like, but I always had a soft spot for Penny and Johnny.
I absolutely loved that this was a fast paced book, and the way the story was told and unfolded. From the concept of the book to the execution this is a one of a kind book, that I'm still processing.
Yes there are a lot of characters, which would usually put me off, but they are so cleverly written, you only need to focus on the main characters and the plot.
This is my first time reading a Brookmyre book, but I'm certain it won't be the last.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
April 9, 2024
I have read several previous novels of Chris Brookmyre’s novels, so I was curious to find out about his new novel The Cracked mirror. The title reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel, but the story is far from that.
There is two storylines firstly set in Scotland 80-year-old Penny Coyne has just come back from her holidays and has started investigating a murder where a body is found near a local church.
She has also been invited to a wedding, but she doesn’t know who invited her.
LAPD cop Jonny Hawke doesn’t always work by the rule book, but his boss has sent him to investigate a possible suicide with a new partner in toe. But the problem when Johnny gets new partners, they end up dead and that’s what just happened. Johnny is suspended but carries on with the investigation under his own steam which leads him to Scotland where he meets Penny Coyne.
When I first started reading this, I often wondered what relevance with the two characters was as they are so different from each other, and I did think if this was a mistake in the book. But As I carried on this storyline became intriguing and I was enjoying it mostly until we got to part three. For me I thought that style of the writing then changed dramatically after that, and I got so overwhelmed with the characters. I started losing interest and I nearly didn’t finish it. But I carried on, although the ending was a bit weird, I enjoyed he conclusion. 3.5 stars from me.
There is two storylines firstly set in Scotland 80-year-old Penny Coyne has just come back from her holidays and has started investigating a murder where a body is found near a local church.
She has also been invited to a wedding, but she doesn’t know who invited her.
LAPD cop Jonny Hawke doesn’t always work by the rule book, but his boss has sent him to investigate a possible suicide with a new partner in toe. But the problem when Johnny gets new partners, they end up dead and that’s what just happened. Johnny is suspended but carries on with the investigation under his own steam which leads him to Scotland where he meets Penny Coyne.
When I first started reading this, I often wondered what relevance with the two characters was as they are so different from each other, and I did think if this was a mistake in the book. But As I carried on this storyline became intriguing and I was enjoying it mostly until we got to part three. For me I thought that style of the writing then changed dramatically after that, and I got so overwhelmed with the characters. I started losing interest and I nearly didn’t finish it. But I carried on, although the ending was a bit weird, I enjoyed he conclusion. 3.5 stars from me.
Read
August 11, 2025This starts brilliantly with two rather cliched detectives - a US TV cop who doesn't follow the rules, and a fussy Miss Marple in a sleepy British village with a homicide rate double that of New York - both attempting to solve very similar crimes, and what happens as their worlds collide. The first half is enormously entertaining, because how could it not be with that set up.
I wasn't quite so happy with the way it played out, which I felt was a bit too SF-y (and flagged a bit obviously), but then I'm not sure how else it could have been resolved. An entertaining read, just not quite perfectly concluded for me. (I don't ask much, do I.)
I wasn't quite so happy with the way it played out, which I felt was a bit too SF-y (and flagged a bit obviously), but then I'm not sure how else it could have been resolved. An entertaining read, just not quite perfectly concluded for me. (I don't ask much, do I.)
August 4, 2024
In his latest novel Chris Brookmyre manages to successfully combine two seemingly incompatible sub-genres of crime fiction: the classic English mystery of the inter war years and the modern hard-boiled L.A. Noir thriller. Miss Marple meets Harry Bosch. In this case the former is represented by Penny Coyne, a little old lady who has solved numerous crimes, much to the annoyance of local villains and embarrassment of Police Scotland. For the latter we have maverick LAPD homicide detective Johnny Hawke, always willing to bend the rules to uphold the law.
In the first section of the novel, through alternating chapters, Penny manages to solve the murder of a local cake shop owner whose body was discovered in the confessional of the local church. She also receives an invitation to a posh wedding where she’s unfamiliar with both the bride and the groom. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Johnny is attempting to solve a murder which the authorities are happy to write off as a suicide. In doing so his latest partner is killed and he only just escapes himself from a fire. He is then suspended and decides to follow his main suspect who just happens to be attending the same wedding Penny has been invited to.
And that is where they eventually meet, but not before they encounter another murder disguised as a suicide. When it turns out even the police cannot be trusted, Johnny and Penny find themselves fugitives trying to solve three murders which, although two decades and continents apart bear remarkable similarities with casts of characters which seem to mirror each other. Once back in California they descend further down a rabbit hole where even their sense of reality is challenged.
This was quite a long novel with a large cast of characters and numerous plot twists which strained the boundaries of the genre. However, the meticulous plotting and originality, interlaced with the author's trademark social observations and sense of humour, made it highly satisfying. Admittedly, there are several strong contenders but this could well be Chris Brookmyre’s finest novel to date. I’ll have to settle with awarding it five stars, although it deserves six.
In the first section of the novel, through alternating chapters, Penny manages to solve the murder of a local cake shop owner whose body was discovered in the confessional of the local church. She also receives an invitation to a posh wedding where she’s unfamiliar with both the bride and the groom. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Johnny is attempting to solve a murder which the authorities are happy to write off as a suicide. In doing so his latest partner is killed and he only just escapes himself from a fire. He is then suspended and decides to follow his main suspect who just happens to be attending the same wedding Penny has been invited to.
And that is where they eventually meet, but not before they encounter another murder disguised as a suicide. When it turns out even the police cannot be trusted, Johnny and Penny find themselves fugitives trying to solve three murders which, although two decades and continents apart bear remarkable similarities with casts of characters which seem to mirror each other. Once back in California they descend further down a rabbit hole where even their sense of reality is challenged.
This was quite a long novel with a large cast of characters and numerous plot twists which strained the boundaries of the genre. However, the meticulous plotting and originality, interlaced with the author's trademark social observations and sense of humour, made it highly satisfying. Admittedly, there are several strong contenders but this could well be Chris Brookmyre’s finest novel to date. I’ll have to settle with awarding it five stars, although it deserves six.
December 3, 2025
Three people die in near identical fashion - the murders are thousands of miles apart and one is decades ago. What links them?
The deaths all look like suicide as they occur behind locked doors.
Enter Johnny Hawke and Penny Coyne, respectively hard bitten American cop and innocuous Scottish retired librarian. They feel that something is wrong, and that there is a secret to be uncovered. It is almost in reach but not quite. They do know that they are on to something because someone is trying to kill them.
What ensues is a roller coaster ride as they are pursued across Scotland and the USA by machine gun wielding cops looking to silence them. Both protagonists try to reach through the fog of their memory and knowledge to reveal something that is important to the case, but frustratingly elusive.
For instance, how come Penny knows the roads in Southern California like the back of her hand and is really really good with a gun - skills not possessed by most Scottish librarians I would guess.
There is an incredible plot twist that annoyed me at first but I had made my peace with it by the end. Brookmyre is having fun with the genre and is bending it to the limit.
Though I missed it at the time Penny reading "If on a winter's night a traveller" at the start was the author playing with us.
The deaths all look like suicide as they occur behind locked doors.
Enter Johnny Hawke and Penny Coyne, respectively hard bitten American cop and innocuous Scottish retired librarian. They feel that something is wrong, and that there is a secret to be uncovered. It is almost in reach but not quite. They do know that they are on to something because someone is trying to kill them.
What ensues is a roller coaster ride as they are pursued across Scotland and the USA by machine gun wielding cops looking to silence them. Both protagonists try to reach through the fog of their memory and knowledge to reveal something that is important to the case, but frustratingly elusive.
For instance, how come Penny knows the roads in Southern California like the back of her hand and is really really good with a gun - skills not possessed by most Scottish librarians I would guess.
There is an incredible plot twist that annoyed me at first but I had made my peace with it by the end. Brookmyre is having fun with the genre and is bending it to the limit.
Though I missed it at the time Penny reading "If on a winter's night a traveller" at the start was the author playing with us.
January 8, 2024
The Cracked Mirror is my first 5 star read of 2024, however, it's a tricky one to review as saying too much about the plot or even the characters runs the risk of spoiling what was a perfectly judged and ingenious twist.
The novel begins by introducing us to two characters - a renegade LAPD cop cast in the mould of a Michael Connolly hero, Johnny Hawke, and a Marple-esque Scottish pensioner named Penelope Coyne - both solving a murder on their home turf. Two such disparate settings and characters (and, indeed, narrative styles) could feel messy and confusing in the hands of a lesser writer, but Brookmyre is more than capable of guiding the reader through the switches of tone. And when Hawke finds a clue that takes him to a society wedding in Scotland, the stage is set for the two stories to cohere into one.
And speaking of Brookmyre, what a joy it was - as a fan of his writing as far back as the 1990s and his early Jack Parlabane novels - to see him back on form. Which is not to say I haven't enjoyed his recent novels, which have tended to hew to a more conventional thriller format: I have enjoyed them all greatly. But The Cracked Mirror harks back to when Brookmyre was more than just a good thriller writer, but someone who experimented with form, who came up with audacious characters and plot twists, his books always shot through with a vein of the darkest humour possible and a keen eye for social justice.
I would strongly recommend giving The Cracked Mirror a try, although unfortunately I can't even couch my recommendation in the usual 'if you liked x you'll like this', because even that runs the risk of spoilers. Suffice it to say that I couldn't have loved this book more.
The novel begins by introducing us to two characters - a renegade LAPD cop cast in the mould of a Michael Connolly hero, Johnny Hawke, and a Marple-esque Scottish pensioner named Penelope Coyne - both solving a murder on their home turf. Two such disparate settings and characters (and, indeed, narrative styles) could feel messy and confusing in the hands of a lesser writer, but Brookmyre is more than capable of guiding the reader through the switches of tone. And when Hawke finds a clue that takes him to a society wedding in Scotland, the stage is set for the two stories to cohere into one.
And speaking of Brookmyre, what a joy it was - as a fan of his writing as far back as the 1990s and his early Jack Parlabane novels - to see him back on form. Which is not to say I haven't enjoyed his recent novels, which have tended to hew to a more conventional thriller format: I have enjoyed them all greatly. But The Cracked Mirror harks back to when Brookmyre was more than just a good thriller writer, but someone who experimented with form, who came up with audacious characters and plot twists, his books always shot through with a vein of the darkest humour possible and a keen eye for social justice.
I would strongly recommend giving The Cracked Mirror a try, although unfortunately I can't even couch my recommendation in the usual 'if you liked x you'll like this', because even that runs the risk of spoilers. Suffice it to say that I couldn't have loved this book more.
August 13, 2024
Miss Marple meets Michael Connelly could be an easy tagline for award-winning Scottish author Chris Brookmyre’s superb new novel, but that distillation severely underplays all that is going on in The Cracked Mirror, a truly mind-bending mystery.
Yes, Penny Coyne is a tweed-wearing, elderly librarian in a sleepy Scottish village who has helped the local constabulary solve many murders (or done so despite their bumbling). And yes, Johnny Hawke is a hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective with a maverick streak who’s willing to bend the rules to find the truth and catch the bad guys. At the start, as Brookmyre flicks readers between unfolding mysteries in Los Angeles and Scotland, it seems like The Cracked Mirror is two books, or sub-genres, in one. Then Penny and Johnny’s worlds begin to mesh, as she answers a mysterious wedding invitation at a Scottish manor, and Johnny trails a person of interest to the same venue.
As the oddball pairing are thrust together, The Cracked Mirror becomes a helter-skelter thrill ride that will have readers furrowing their brow and whirring through the pages. Are the echoes among some tragic suicides coincidence or something worse? Why are Penny’s local police targetting Johnny, a fellow cop even if one from across the pond? It’s a tale with storytelling at its heart – the trail snakes through screenwriting, book publishing, and video games companies – and with plenty of heart among the hurly burly.
A terrific tale that’s unlike anything else you’ll probably read this year.
[This review was originally written for Good Reading magazine]
Yes, Penny Coyne is a tweed-wearing, elderly librarian in a sleepy Scottish village who has helped the local constabulary solve many murders (or done so despite their bumbling). And yes, Johnny Hawke is a hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective with a maverick streak who’s willing to bend the rules to find the truth and catch the bad guys. At the start, as Brookmyre flicks readers between unfolding mysteries in Los Angeles and Scotland, it seems like The Cracked Mirror is two books, or sub-genres, in one. Then Penny and Johnny’s worlds begin to mesh, as she answers a mysterious wedding invitation at a Scottish manor, and Johnny trails a person of interest to the same venue.
As the oddball pairing are thrust together, The Cracked Mirror becomes a helter-skelter thrill ride that will have readers furrowing their brow and whirring through the pages. Are the echoes among some tragic suicides coincidence or something worse? Why are Penny’s local police targetting Johnny, a fellow cop even if one from across the pond? It’s a tale with storytelling at its heart – the trail snakes through screenwriting, book publishing, and video games companies – and with plenty of heart among the hurly burly.
A terrific tale that’s unlike anything else you’ll probably read this year.
[This review was originally written for Good Reading magazine]
February 22, 2025
Brilliant. What roller coaster ride! I kept guessing but i couldn't see how it will end. I love the plot.
January 5, 2024
When you read a Chris Brookmyre novel, things are never as they seem. This book is full of twists and turns, and is very clever. The relationship between the main characters, Jack and Penny is delightful, especially with the 80 something Penny's approach to life. As events unfold, red herrings abound and the ending had me gobsmacked. Alert readers might have noticed some of the clues earlier than me. For those who like their crime novels just a bit different, this is great fun. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and freely review.
July 10, 2024
I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author but “The Cracked Mirror” just did not do it for me. I almost gave up at the beginning- it only started to get vaguely interesting a third of the way through.
The first part of the book felt like I was reading two different stories with so many characters I really could not get my head round all of them. I really had to force myself to pick up the book which is not a good sign.
Penny Coyne is a Miss Marple type of investigator, elderly but good at solving crimes in her native Scotland . When invited to a local wedding at a posh hotel she witnesses a suicide which she suspects is murder. However she has no idea who has invited her to the function which is rather odd.
Johnny Hawke is a police lieutenant in Los Angeles and he’s also investigating a suicide which again appears to be suspicious. In the course of his enquiry Johnny runs into some trouble and although suspended he decides to continue the investigation.
Somehow the two team up when Johnny follows the trail to the UK and once this happens the book becomes more interesting as they try and work out what is going on and how the deaths are connected.
That being said I found the denouement very strange and I almost felt cheated. The explanation was hard to believe and I found the final third of the novel which dealt with computer games almost as bewildering as the first part.
Unfortunately this was not a book I particularly enjoyed although I quite liked the two main characters. I think it was the plot that I found difficult to comprehend and the strange ending which left me slightly confused . There were also too many minor characters which meant I could barely remember who some of them were.
I did finish the book and I liked Penny and Johnny so I’m giving “The Cracked Mirror “3 stars with the proviso that it might appeal more to another reader.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
The first part of the book felt like I was reading two different stories with so many characters I really could not get my head round all of them. I really had to force myself to pick up the book which is not a good sign.
Penny Coyne is a Miss Marple type of investigator, elderly but good at solving crimes in her native Scotland . When invited to a local wedding at a posh hotel she witnesses a suicide which she suspects is murder. However she has no idea who has invited her to the function which is rather odd.
Johnny Hawke is a police lieutenant in Los Angeles and he’s also investigating a suicide which again appears to be suspicious. In the course of his enquiry Johnny runs into some trouble and although suspended he decides to continue the investigation.
Somehow the two team up when Johnny follows the trail to the UK and once this happens the book becomes more interesting as they try and work out what is going on and how the deaths are connected.
That being said I found the denouement very strange and I almost felt cheated. The explanation was hard to believe and I found the final third of the novel which dealt with computer games almost as bewildering as the first part.
Unfortunately this was not a book I particularly enjoyed although I quite liked the two main characters. I think it was the plot that I found difficult to comprehend and the strange ending which left me slightly confused . There were also too many minor characters which meant I could barely remember who some of them were.
I did finish the book and I liked Penny and Johnny so I’m giving “The Cracked Mirror “3 stars with the proviso that it might appeal more to another reader.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
July 30, 2024
Really really good, the best I’ve read of his so far. I met Chris a few days ago where he signed this book and did a Q&A and he’s very interesting.
July 15, 2024
To be honest, as I sit down to write this review I’ve absolutely no idea what’s going to come out of my fingers. ‘The Cracked Mirror’ is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and it made my head spin. It’s also one of those books that is impossible to review without being extremely vague, or do the genius plot justice.
The book description mentions a mix between Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly. And at the beginning of the story that is most definitely true. Penelope Coyne, who lives in a tiny village in Scotland that seems to have some kind of murder pandemic, is very reminiscent of Miss Marple. I adored her immediately. On the other side of the world, Jonathan Hawke is an LAPD detective who is quite possibly heavily inspired by Bosch. I must admit at that point I preferred Penny’s chapters. There are often instances where American settings just don’t seem to work for me, and whenever the story was set in Los Angeles, I couldn’t wait to get back to Scotland.
Both of these characters are investigating apparent suicides. At some point, their paths will cross and without wanting to give anything away, let’s just say things go somewhere entirely unexpectedly. That moment when I realised what was going on, my jaw dropped and I needed a moment to absorb it all. What an incredibly clever and refreshing way to tell a crime story.
‘The Cracked Mirror’ is a book you should go into knowing as little as possible. I have a feeling it is most likely a story one will either love or not, not quite a middle way. Sure, some technicalities may have gone slightly over my head but I was hugely intrigued from start to finish, probably adding many frown lines to my forehead along the way, but happy to let the author lead me wherever it was he was going with this complex tale. These two characters couldn't possibly be more different from each other, yet somehow an unlikely kind of friendship is formed. And this is done so well that ... well, I can't really say but there might have been a tiny lump in my throat at some point.
Do yourself a favour : go in blind and keep an open mind, dear readers. And you too might find this one thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.
The book description mentions a mix between Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly. And at the beginning of the story that is most definitely true. Penelope Coyne, who lives in a tiny village in Scotland that seems to have some kind of murder pandemic, is very reminiscent of Miss Marple. I adored her immediately. On the other side of the world, Jonathan Hawke is an LAPD detective who is quite possibly heavily inspired by Bosch. I must admit at that point I preferred Penny’s chapters. There are often instances where American settings just don’t seem to work for me, and whenever the story was set in Los Angeles, I couldn’t wait to get back to Scotland.
Both of these characters are investigating apparent suicides. At some point, their paths will cross and without wanting to give anything away, let’s just say things go somewhere entirely unexpectedly. That moment when I realised what was going on, my jaw dropped and I needed a moment to absorb it all. What an incredibly clever and refreshing way to tell a crime story.
‘The Cracked Mirror’ is a book you should go into knowing as little as possible. I have a feeling it is most likely a story one will either love or not, not quite a middle way. Sure, some technicalities may have gone slightly over my head but I was hugely intrigued from start to finish, probably adding many frown lines to my forehead along the way, but happy to let the author lead me wherever it was he was going with this complex tale. These two characters couldn't possibly be more different from each other, yet somehow an unlikely kind of friendship is formed. And this is done so well that ... well, I can't really say but there might have been a tiny lump in my throat at some point.
Do yourself a favour : go in blind and keep an open mind, dear readers. And you too might find this one thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.
July 10, 2025
On the only reading updates I did for this book, I expressed my distaste for the use of a horrible word to address women. Did Brookmyre want his readers to dislike his character Johnny Hawke? Every time Johnny used it, I had to stop and exhale really slow. It's not that I hated this male character, but I couldn't understand why he had to call women that.
And then, somewhere in the story, he stopped doing that. I appreciated it, of course, but found that it didn't make much sense.
I liked Penny, though. But didn't like the amount of characters in the tech families, or how I couldn't tell from which family each were.
As for the story and whether I liked it, now that's a tough one. I was intrigued with all the deaths that were happening and curious to see where it would all lead to. But I wasn't excited.
And then came the twist. I had been suspicious that that would be what was happening, so it wasn't really a surprise. But I'm still unsure of what to feel about it in relation to the story and everything that had happened thus far.
I didn't hate it. But I didn't love it, either. I don't know how I feel about what the author did here. Maybe it's because I don't think I've ever read anything like this and that's why it feels so strange.
I'm going to rate it 3 stars. I liked some things but didn't enjoy others. As for the big twist that changed everything, I guess I still need more time to assess my feelings.
And then, somewhere in the story, he stopped doing that. I appreciated it, of course, but found that it didn't make much sense.
I liked Penny, though. But didn't like the amount of characters in the tech families, or how I couldn't tell from which family each were.
As for the story and whether I liked it, now that's a tough one. I was intrigued with all the deaths that were happening and curious to see where it would all lead to. But I wasn't excited.
And then came the twist. I had been suspicious that that would be what was happening, so it wasn't really a surprise. But I'm still unsure of what to feel about it in relation to the story and everything that had happened thus far.
I didn't hate it. But I didn't love it, either. I don't know how I feel about what the author did here. Maybe it's because I don't think I've ever read anything like this and that's why it feels so strange.
I'm going to rate it 3 stars. I liked some things but didn't enjoy others. As for the big twist that changed everything, I guess I still need more time to assess my feelings.
September 8, 2024
I wish someone had warned me about this book before I wasted so much time reading it.
I am a big fan of Chris Brookmyre, especially his Ambrose Parry series which is absolutely terrific, so I was really forward to reading his latest novel. I had also read very positive reviews. The first three quarters of 'The Cracked Mirror' were quite enjoyable - I liked the two main characters and the contrasting locations of a Pershire village and LA were very well written.
However, without wanting to give too much away for those who do want to read it, but to inform those who, like me, were hoping for a clever whodunit, the plot suddenly transitions from an intriguing murder mystery to somethibg along the lines of The Matrix! I should have learned this could happen, having read Brookmyre's 'Pandaemonium' which is still one of the weirdest books I've ever read. If you like a mix of genres, I'm sure you'll enjoy 'The Cracked Mirror'. If you want a more traditional thriller/murder mystery, I would not advise reading this.
I am a big fan of Chris Brookmyre, especially his Ambrose Parry series which is absolutely terrific, so I was really forward to reading his latest novel. I had also read very positive reviews. The first three quarters of 'The Cracked Mirror' were quite enjoyable - I liked the two main characters and the contrasting locations of a Pershire village and LA were very well written.
However, without wanting to give too much away for those who do want to read it, but to inform those who, like me, were hoping for a clever whodunit, the plot suddenly transitions from an intriguing murder mystery to somethibg along the lines of The Matrix! I should have learned this could happen, having read Brookmyre's 'Pandaemonium' which is still one of the weirdest books I've ever read. If you like a mix of genres, I'm sure you'll enjoy 'The Cracked Mirror'. If you want a more traditional thriller/murder mystery, I would not advise reading this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2025
Well this book is truly a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. A perfect Churchill’s quote for a spectacular book. This book is a mystery, crime fiction, a cozy mystery, romance, science fiction and a hell of a thriller. It is perfection!
Brookmyer did blend a cozy, a thriller and combined it with a police procedural to make one of the greatest mysteries I have read, but the best part was the writing…sublime.
Every two years I pick up a book and it is perfect from beginning to end, the writing, the multiple plots, the characters, the pace and in this case the cherry on top is that Jenny and Jim Skelf (the characters of one of my favorites series) were borrowed from the great Doug Johnstone. Like another reviewer said of another book, there should be another rating system for masterpieces.
Brookmyer did blend a cozy, a thriller and combined it with a police procedural to make one of the greatest mysteries I have read, but the best part was the writing…sublime.
Every two years I pick up a book and it is perfect from beginning to end, the writing, the multiple plots, the characters, the pace and in this case the cherry on top is that Jenny and Jim Skelf (the characters of one of my favorites series) were borrowed from the great Doug Johnstone. Like another reviewer said of another book, there should be another rating system for masterpieces.
September 2, 2024
It feels almost sacrilegious to rate a Brookmyre novel as a mere 3⭐, but that's a fair reflection of my experience of this book.
Maybe it was just a problem of expectations, I went in expecting a mash-up of crime sub-genres and wasn't prepared for the left turn into Too many "something weird just happened but we won't dwell on that now" moments.
There's still plenty of the usual Brookmyre wit and action, but something about the overall package just didn't hit the right spot for me.
Maybe it was just a problem of expectations, I went in expecting a mash-up of crime sub-genres and wasn't prepared for the left turn into Too many "something weird just happened but we won't dwell on that now" moments.
There's still plenty of the usual Brookmyre wit and action, but something about the overall package just didn't hit the right spot for me.
November 28, 2025
The Cracked Mirror is described as 'a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly'. (Having never read a book by Michael Connelly that didn't help me much.)
Initially, the story alternates between two different storylines. There's Penny Coyne, known for solving murders in Glen Cluthar which, like St Mary Mead in Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series, has an unusually high death rate for a small village. However, the latest murder in Glen Cluthar has a darker side to it than Penny's used to. Added to this, she's beginning to worry about strange lapses in her memory and wondering if she should follow her nephew's suggestion that she move into a residential home. Being fiercely independent, it's something she has resisted up until now.
And then we have LAPD detective Johnny Hawke, who's not afraid to bend the rules in order to bring bad guys to justice and is always a hair's breadth away from death. He's investigating a death which in all respects looks like suicide - room locked from the inside - but about which Johnny has his doubts.
At this point the two storylines come together as both Penny and Johnny find themselves - for different reasons - in the same hotel in Scotland where a society wedding is taking place. Suddenly something happens which has similarities with the case Johnny was investigating meaning Penny and Johnny find themselves becoming partners, albeit with very different approaches when it comes to solving crimes.
That makes it sound straightforward but it gets increasingly complicated as more and more characters are introduced to the point where I found it hard to keep track of who was who and how they were related. And at around 80% of the way through, well let's just say it goes in a completely different direction that left my head spinning even more. (Some readers may pick up references that eluded me meaning it doesn't come as quite such a surprise for them.)
I loved Johnny and thought he was an authentic representation of the maverick cop beloved of American crime thrillers. I didn't get the same feeling about Penny, perhaps because of the contemporary setting and the fact Glen Cluthar is soon left far behind.
If the author set himself the challenge of creating a mind-bending crime novel then he definitely succeeded. If you're game for a crime novel that will get your brain working hard, The Cracked Mirror will be right up your street.
Initially, the story alternates between two different storylines. There's Penny Coyne, known for solving murders in Glen Cluthar which, like St Mary Mead in Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series, has an unusually high death rate for a small village. However, the latest murder in Glen Cluthar has a darker side to it than Penny's used to. Added to this, she's beginning to worry about strange lapses in her memory and wondering if she should follow her nephew's suggestion that she move into a residential home. Being fiercely independent, it's something she has resisted up until now.
And then we have LAPD detective Johnny Hawke, who's not afraid to bend the rules in order to bring bad guys to justice and is always a hair's breadth away from death. He's investigating a death which in all respects looks like suicide - room locked from the inside - but about which Johnny has his doubts.
At this point the two storylines come together as both Penny and Johnny find themselves - for different reasons - in the same hotel in Scotland where a society wedding is taking place. Suddenly something happens which has similarities with the case Johnny was investigating meaning Penny and Johnny find themselves becoming partners, albeit with very different approaches when it comes to solving crimes.
That makes it sound straightforward but it gets increasingly complicated as more and more characters are introduced to the point where I found it hard to keep track of who was who and how they were related. And at around 80% of the way through, well let's just say it goes in a completely different direction that left my head spinning even more. (Some readers may pick up references that eluded me meaning it doesn't come as quite such a surprise for them.)
I loved Johnny and thought he was an authentic representation of the maverick cop beloved of American crime thrillers. I didn't get the same feeling about Penny, perhaps because of the contemporary setting and the fact Glen Cluthar is soon left far behind.
If the author set himself the challenge of creating a mind-bending crime novel then he definitely succeeded. If you're game for a crime novel that will get your brain working hard, The Cracked Mirror will be right up your street.
November 8, 2024
I LOVED this. This was everything that has been so fantastic about Brookmyre's writing in one book. Fast paced and funny but with serious themes and emotional moments. Brilliantly done reveals at the end too. Great fun.
July 18, 2024
Wow! Wow! Wow! I started this wondering how could CB mix Agatha Christie and Michael Connolly ( as the book has been described) . What a story! Johnny Hawke is an LA cop who breaks the rules in order to get to the truth. Penny Coyne ( aged 82!) never breaks the rules and has managed to solve several cases in the past. Despite being in opposite sides of the pond, they find themselves unexpectedly at the same wedding in Scotland. There is a death which resembles the one Hawke is investigating in LA - so he and Penny become unlikely partners. The narrative is complex, convoluted and gripping. Lots of characters with a part to play - but is everything as it seems? The ending is a huge reveal which only when you finish the story will you realise there were subtle clues all the way through. This is not a run of the mill whodunnit but a new slant on the old story. This book is different to CB’s others ( most of which I’ve read) and I am mightily impressed by this new departure. I loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC ebook in return for an honest review.
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