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The Shattered Conscience: A fast-paced thriller intertwined with a human tale about dealing with mistakes from the past
**The No. 1 Amazon (Canada) bestselling thriller**★★★★★ ‘A riveting read.’ SANDRA WORDSWORTHTo face the future, he must confront his pastConnor Harrigan lives a simple expat life in Amsterdam, with a beautiful wife and their twelve-year-old daughter. When a bomb goes off in the centre of the city, killing his wife and putting his daughter in a coma, he is forced to confront the dark past he had desperately wanted to forget.Detective Sophie Reyner is struggling as a single parent with a demanding job. When assigned to the bomb investigation, she forms with Harrigan a friendship that takes them down a path of drug trafficking and murder...The Shattered Conscience is a thriller intertwined with a human tale about dealing with mistakes from the past and making you question how far you would go to protect the ones you love.____________________________________________PRAISE FOR THE SHATTERED ★★★★★ ‘Great book with a mix of everything.’ JACOB PELED★★★★★ ‘A riveting read.’ SANDRA WORDSWORTH★★★★★ ‘An intriguing murder mystery.’ CINDI JACOBS★★★★★ ‘Darren Sugrue is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.’ MIKE CLIFFE★★★★★ ‘Brilliant, fast paced, full of suspense and very well written.’ GILI
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2016
155 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Darren Sugrue
3 books250 followersDarren Sugrue grew up in Dublin, Ireland and has lived and worked all over the world including the UK, Cambodia, USA and Australia.
He loves hearing from readers and always responds.
In 2015, his first novel "The Prediction" reached No.4 in the Amazon Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. His second novel "The Shattered Conscience" was released in 2016 and reached No.1 in the Amazon Canada Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense.
His third novel - a Psychological Suspense entitled "Shred of Doubt" - was released in Summer 2020.
He lives in Amsterdam with his wife, son and dog named Frodo.
Visit Darren at http://www.darrensugrue.com/
He loves hearing from readers and always responds.
In 2015, his first novel "The Prediction" reached No.4 in the Amazon Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. His second novel "The Shattered Conscience" was released in 2016 and reached No.1 in the Amazon Canada Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense.
His third novel - a Psychological Suspense entitled "Shred of Doubt" - was released in Summer 2020.
He lives in Amsterdam with his wife, son and dog named Frodo.
Visit Darren at http://www.darrensugrue.com/
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 20, 2024
I'm surprised this doesn't have more (positive) ratings. This was an really entertaining book with likeable main characters and an interesting plot. 🌻 4.5 stars!
June 5, 2017
This was a great reading. Beautiful book. Thank you Darren Sugrue.
Waking up at 2 a.m. and instead of rolling over to the other side getting sleep again – you pick up the book and continue your reading – that tells you a lot about what kind of book it is.
A book with everything in it. You can hardly put it down. You just can’t miss the smallest paragraph. All is essential.
Few month ago I was reading “The Prediction “by Darren Sugrue, and gave it a 2 star and then I got this book, which is a 6 star book. Got my lesson. Never give up on an author after reading only one of his books.
Just 2 remarks:
1. Need to improve the Cover. The current one means nothing
2. Improve the ending.
B.T.W
I bought the book. Haven’t got it free for reviewing so I hope you respect my objectivity.
Waking up at 2 a.m. and instead of rolling over to the other side getting sleep again – you pick up the book and continue your reading – that tells you a lot about what kind of book it is.
A book with everything in it. You can hardly put it down. You just can’t miss the smallest paragraph. All is essential.
Few month ago I was reading “The Prediction “by Darren Sugrue, and gave it a 2 star and then I got this book, which is a 6 star book. Got my lesson. Never give up on an author after reading only one of his books.
Just 2 remarks:
1. Need to improve the Cover. The current one means nothing
2. Improve the ending.
B.T.W
I bought the book. Haven’t got it free for reviewing so I hope you respect my objectivity.
December 16, 2025
Like bestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer, author Darren Sugrue is a good writer and an even better storyteller. In The Shattered Conscience he tells his story well enough. It’s the story itself that’s so problematic.
Connor Harrigan is an Irishman, age 37, living in Amsterdam with his Dutch wife and their daughter, age 12. Years before in Ireland, Connor had joined the notorious IRA to kill a drunk driver who had killed his parents. But instead of the drunk driver, Connor accidentally killed someone else who was entirely innocent. He has been living with that guilt ever since and had vowed he would never kill again.
Fast forward to the present. Connor is at a local Amsterdam restaurant with his wife and daughter when a bomb blast kills a number of patrons, including his wife. His daughter is severely injured and hospitalized in a coma. Connor survived the blast by being in the men’s bathroom at the instant the bomb exploded.
Amsterdam detective Sophie Reyner is part of the police team investigating the bombing. She gets to know and trust Connor despite his IRA past and the evidence that seems to point to him as the culprit behind the bombing. Sophie also had an incident in her past where she killed someone in error so that might explain her empathy for Connor.
Together they discover that an urbane Dutch vaccine executive known as The Beekeeper was behind both the bombing and a clever operation to smuggle illegal drugs into the Netherlands and distribute them worldwide on a grand scale. There was a particular customs agent who was very effective at uncovering cocaine smugglers through Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. He was also having dinner in the same restaurant at the same time as Connor and was killed in the blast. In fact, as Sophie and Connor later learned, he was the reason why that restaurant was bombed.
The story is flawed — I would say fatally flawed — for three reasons (spoilers ahead):
First, The Beekeeper thought that by targeting a single customs agent he would no longer have a problem smuggling cocaine through the airport. But wouldn’t the airport have a drug screening protocol for all their agents to follow that was not dependent on just one agent? If this agent was so much better at detecting drug smugglers than his colleagues, wouldn’t he have shared his secrets and methods with them to make them as effective?
Second, in Chapter 74, why did The Beekeeper think that shooting Sophie would solve his problems? Let’s say he was successful and killed her. Then what? He could continue his drug smuggling operation?
Finally, Connor was totally opposed to ever killing again because of the guilt from his past, but would he really hesitate to kill a drug lord and his henchmen responsible for the deaths of so many, including his beloved wife? Is that in any way, shape or form similar to his accidental killing of an innocent person which had scarred him earlier?
Author Darren Sugrue is a good writer, but this is not his best book.
Connor Harrigan is an Irishman, age 37, living in Amsterdam with his Dutch wife and their daughter, age 12. Years before in Ireland, Connor had joined the notorious IRA to kill a drunk driver who had killed his parents. But instead of the drunk driver, Connor accidentally killed someone else who was entirely innocent. He has been living with that guilt ever since and had vowed he would never kill again.
Fast forward to the present. Connor is at a local Amsterdam restaurant with his wife and daughter when a bomb blast kills a number of patrons, including his wife. His daughter is severely injured and hospitalized in a coma. Connor survived the blast by being in the men’s bathroom at the instant the bomb exploded.
Amsterdam detective Sophie Reyner is part of the police team investigating the bombing. She gets to know and trust Connor despite his IRA past and the evidence that seems to point to him as the culprit behind the bombing. Sophie also had an incident in her past where she killed someone in error so that might explain her empathy for Connor.
Together they discover that an urbane Dutch vaccine executive known as The Beekeeper was behind both the bombing and a clever operation to smuggle illegal drugs into the Netherlands and distribute them worldwide on a grand scale. There was a particular customs agent who was very effective at uncovering cocaine smugglers through Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. He was also having dinner in the same restaurant at the same time as Connor and was killed in the blast. In fact, as Sophie and Connor later learned, he was the reason why that restaurant was bombed.
The story is flawed — I would say fatally flawed — for three reasons (spoilers ahead):
First, The Beekeeper thought that by targeting a single customs agent he would no longer have a problem smuggling cocaine through the airport. But wouldn’t the airport have a drug screening protocol for all their agents to follow that was not dependent on just one agent? If this agent was so much better at detecting drug smugglers than his colleagues, wouldn’t he have shared his secrets and methods with them to make them as effective?
Second, in Chapter 74, why did The Beekeeper think that shooting Sophie would solve his problems? Let’s say he was successful and killed her. Then what? He could continue his drug smuggling operation?
Finally, Connor was totally opposed to ever killing again because of the guilt from his past, but would he really hesitate to kill a drug lord and his henchmen responsible for the deaths of so many, including his beloved wife? Is that in any way, shape or form similar to his accidental killing of an innocent person which had scarred him earlier?
Author Darren Sugrue is a good writer, but this is not his best book.
October 26, 2016
This story opens with two situations, the gritty details of the ‘training’ for a drug mule with few options and Sophie, an Amsterdam detective recovering from the trauma of shooting an unarmed youth.
Sophie’s first job on her return to work is to investigate a restaurant bombing. Was it a terrorist attack or subterfuge for something else? Sophie’s first interview with one of the survivors proves to be emotionally challenging and when she takes a chance and disobeys protocol, she finds herself suspended. The survivor has a past which marks him as a possible suspect.
While the police flounder, the ‘suspect’ enlists Sophie’s help to exonerate himself and find the real bomber, a decision which takes them both on a rollercoaster ride that could destroy them both.
A very modern fast paced action story which doesn’t end the way you would expect, but it was a realistic ending when you take into account the dynamics of those involved. A thoroughly enjoyable book which races from one nail-biting situation to the next.
Sophie’s first job on her return to work is to investigate a restaurant bombing. Was it a terrorist attack or subterfuge for something else? Sophie’s first interview with one of the survivors proves to be emotionally challenging and when she takes a chance and disobeys protocol, she finds herself suspended. The survivor has a past which marks him as a possible suspect.
While the police flounder, the ‘suspect’ enlists Sophie’s help to exonerate himself and find the real bomber, a decision which takes them both on a rollercoaster ride that could destroy them both.
A very modern fast paced action story which doesn’t end the way you would expect, but it was a realistic ending when you take into account the dynamics of those involved. A thoroughly enjoyable book which races from one nail-biting situation to the next.
October 29, 2016
After his wonderful and thrilling debut novel, I was waiting eagerly for his next book. Last week I received an advanced copy. The prediction set the bar very high, so this second book was quite a challenge which, I have to tell, it passed with flying colors.
Suspenseful, fast paced (it will be hard for you not to devour the book), realistic characters and nowadays atmosphere. You'll follow the story from the streets of Curacao and Amsterdam while the stories converge in a unexpected ending.
Get a copy of this book (and of The Prediction if you still haven't), enjoyment guaranteed and you'll get to know an excellent, talented and gifted writer before is third book (which I'll be waiting expectantly).
PS: This one could also be made into a movie, come on producers!
Suspenseful, fast paced (it will be hard for you not to devour the book), realistic characters and nowadays atmosphere. You'll follow the story from the streets of Curacao and Amsterdam while the stories converge in a unexpected ending.
Get a copy of this book (and of The Prediction if you still haven't), enjoyment guaranteed and you'll get to know an excellent, talented and gifted writer before is third book (which I'll be waiting expectantly).
PS: This one could also be made into a movie, come on producers!
October 23, 2016
Wow !
Fantastic book ! Darren you are an amazing suspense writer.
I was asked by the author if I wanted to read his next novel for free. Given that I loved his first book I willingly accepted. I was under no obligation to write a review, just if I wanted to.
I normally have a pile of books on my to-read, but I had just finished one and went straight to The Shattered Conscience. Brilliant. Suspenseful.
I loved the modern references, eg WhatsApp and AirBnB etc.
Such an awesome adventure. Thank you.
Fantastic book ! Darren you are an amazing suspense writer.
I was asked by the author if I wanted to read his next novel for free. Given that I loved his first book I willingly accepted. I was under no obligation to write a review, just if I wanted to.
I normally have a pile of books on my to-read, but I had just finished one and went straight to The Shattered Conscience. Brilliant. Suspenseful.
I loved the modern references, eg WhatsApp and AirBnB etc.
Such an awesome adventure. Thank you.
July 27, 2017
Another really good book from this author. I have to admit that I've enjoyed it even much more than the first one (The Prediction). I'd really recommend it to those who like thrillers with unexpected turns in the story. I'm already looking forward to Mr. Sugrue's third book that's currently in process.
June 10, 2017
Don't usually like books set in European countries (strange I know)! This however was brilliant, lots of holding breath moments, good story, likeable characters and a solid ending, good read, can highly recommend.
September 2, 2019
An intriguing murder mystery
This book was well written and something I found hard to put down. The characters are well fleshed, and one feels for each of these characters. Cannot wait for the next book!
This book was well written and something I found hard to put down. The characters are well fleshed, and one feels for each of these characters. Cannot wait for the next book!
March 30, 2021
Tense Detective Mystery
Excellent tale where multiple threads and events are brought together in a believable way. Real emotions. Characters you'll love & hate. Good barely wins over extreme evil. A great read.
Excellent tale where multiple threads and events are brought together in a believable way. Real emotions. Characters you'll love & hate. Good barely wins over extreme evil. A great read.
April 20, 2021
Enjoyable novel, neatly written with believable prose.
Not heard of this author before but will definitley look out for more of his work. Very believable story with enough twists to keep the reader interested
Not heard of this author before but will definitley look out for more of his work. Very believable story with enough twists to keep the reader interested
May 6, 2021
Fast-paced and exciting
Great read with a great rhythm. I had to get past a few typos but the story was very fast-paced and interesting, and the characters were enjoyable. I recommend it!
Great read with a great rhythm. I had to get past a few typos but the story was very fast-paced and interesting, and the characters were enjoyable. I recommend it!
June 23, 2025
Things I liked: location is Amsterdam. Main character is Irish. Characters were likable. Good plot. Things I didn’t like: main character is a little too “McGyver-ish. Some really quite unbelievable saves.
October 16, 2025
Fight to Justice
Your whole life went up in tatters because of a bomb. You investigate the crime and get close to finding out the truth. But then the criminals decide to frame you for the crime. What do you do?
Your whole life went up in tatters because of a bomb. You investigate the crime and get close to finding out the truth. But then the criminals decide to frame you for the crime. What do you do?
June 1, 2017
Couldn't put it down...and when I had to put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it . Sorry when I'd finished it.
July 13, 2017
Loved the book, the characters, the story, the constant refernces to Amsterdam and the pace of the entire story.
Pleasantly surprised and recommended to other readers.
Pleasantly surprised and recommended to other readers.
December 30, 2017
I had a hard time getting into this book - about half way through it picked up a little, but all in all I found this book just ok.
March 26, 2021
Really drags you in recommend it highly
May 5, 2021
Good reading
This book had a great fast paced story line with believeable characters and lots of action. Quite an enjoyable read.
This book had a great fast paced story line with believeable characters and lots of action. Quite an enjoyable read.
November 16, 2021
The author wrote this book with perfect intent. It's definitely an international thriller! The characters,storyline,drama,crime mystery is a great blend of storytelling imagery!
April 30, 2025
Whew!!!
Excellent book, couldn't put it down, was quick easy reading, loved the main characters, I will definitely read more by this author
Excellent book, couldn't put it down, was quick easy reading, loved the main characters, I will definitely read more by this author
October 31, 2025
Couldn't put it down. Start to finish, no-holds-barred excitement. Mr. Sugrue grabs you and won't let go until the end. Don't miss this ride!
December 3, 2025
A rollercoaster of a read
A page Turner from the beginning to the end.
A book full of danger, excitement and a sprinkle of romance .
A page Turner from the beginning to the end.
A book full of danger, excitement and a sprinkle of romance .
February 5, 2017
4.5 Stars
When 2017 rolled around, I was going to be more critical with my ratings and not give as many four and five stars. Books like this make it hard though. It grabbed me from the start and wouldn’t let me go until I knew what happened. Darren Sugrue is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
The story has two main characters, Sophie and Connor. Well it actually has another if you count Alesha, but she wasn’t a major major character. The story starts with Alesha, a young woman, who decides to become a body drug smuggler to make money for her family. Sophie is a single mother and a detective living in Amsterdam. One day a bomb goes off in a restaurant killing a lot of innocent people. Sophie gets put on the case to solve who did it and why. Connor, an Irish man, was in the restaurant at the time the bomb went off. He was with his wife and daughter. He had gone to the bathroom and had managed to survive the bomb attack, his family does not.
Connor and Sophie both have a secret past they are trying to hide from. They both have a shattered conscience. Connor gets questioned about the bomb and becomes a prime suspect in the eyes of the police. Sophie believes Connor did not set the bomb, so she and Connor team up to figure out who set the bomb and why. But what if Connor is lying to Sophie? At times, you want to scream at some of the characters in the book for being so ignorant. Alesha and Connor and Sophie’s stories eventually merge into one story and the action builds from there.
There are many unexpected twists and turns in the book. Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two sittings, with the second reading ¾ of the book at once. I would guess what was going to happen, it seemed like it would, then BOOM something unexpected happened. This happened many times, but it never seemed forced. The story flowed nicely and was a pretty quick read. The writing itself is very good, wasn’t too technical and complicated but wasn’t too simple and mundane either. There were no annoying overused clichés or excessive hidden symbolism like some writers try to throw at you to ‘improve’ their writing. There were no excessive adverbs and overall just a well written book.
If you enjoyed The Prediction, you will enjoy this book too. It has everything that made The Prediction so great: action, suspense, crime, investigation, unexpected turns, a satisfying ending.
The ending was not what I actually wanted it to be, but I was extremely satisfied with it. It fit the story well and did not feel forced or made up like a lot of crime stories do to me.
My one complaint with this book would be that it took place in Amsterdam. I am from the USA so some of the sayings were slightly different and some of the references to the geography, I did not get. This did not take away from the story at all though.
Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read an exciting page-turning, book. If it is anything like this, I can’t wait for Sugrue’s third book to come out.
When 2017 rolled around, I was going to be more critical with my ratings and not give as many four and five stars. Books like this make it hard though. It grabbed me from the start and wouldn’t let me go until I knew what happened. Darren Sugrue is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
The story has two main characters, Sophie and Connor. Well it actually has another if you count Alesha, but she wasn’t a major major character. The story starts with Alesha, a young woman, who decides to become a body drug smuggler to make money for her family. Sophie is a single mother and a detective living in Amsterdam. One day a bomb goes off in a restaurant killing a lot of innocent people. Sophie gets put on the case to solve who did it and why. Connor, an Irish man, was in the restaurant at the time the bomb went off. He was with his wife and daughter. He had gone to the bathroom and had managed to survive the bomb attack, his family does not.
Connor and Sophie both have a secret past they are trying to hide from. They both have a shattered conscience. Connor gets questioned about the bomb and becomes a prime suspect in the eyes of the police. Sophie believes Connor did not set the bomb, so she and Connor team up to figure out who set the bomb and why. But what if Connor is lying to Sophie? At times, you want to scream at some of the characters in the book for being so ignorant. Alesha and Connor and Sophie’s stories eventually merge into one story and the action builds from there.
There are many unexpected twists and turns in the book. Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two sittings, with the second reading ¾ of the book at once. I would guess what was going to happen, it seemed like it would, then BOOM something unexpected happened. This happened many times, but it never seemed forced. The story flowed nicely and was a pretty quick read. The writing itself is very good, wasn’t too technical and complicated but wasn’t too simple and mundane either. There were no annoying overused clichés or excessive hidden symbolism like some writers try to throw at you to ‘improve’ their writing. There were no excessive adverbs and overall just a well written book.
If you enjoyed The Prediction, you will enjoy this book too. It has everything that made The Prediction so great: action, suspense, crime, investigation, unexpected turns, a satisfying ending.
The ending was not what I actually wanted it to be, but I was extremely satisfied with it. It fit the story well and did not feel forced or made up like a lot of crime stories do to me.
My one complaint with this book would be that it took place in Amsterdam. I am from the USA so some of the sayings were slightly different and some of the references to the geography, I did not get. This did not take away from the story at all though.
Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read an exciting page-turning, book. If it is anything like this, I can’t wait for Sugrue’s third book to come out.
December 21, 2017
I already loved The Prediction so much but The Shattered Conscience convinced me that Darren Sugrue is a fantastic author.
His books NEVER get boring at any stage - you want to keep on reading - and if you aren't reading you think about reading.
The Shattered Conscience is a great book about bombs, drugs, trust, conscience. Everything fits perfectly and the characters were absolutely believable ( .
Can't wait to see what Darren Sugrue will create in the next few years!
His books NEVER get boring at any stage - you want to keep on reading - and if you aren't reading you think about reading.
The Shattered Conscience is a great book about bombs, drugs, trust, conscience. Everything fits perfectly and the characters were absolutely believable ( .
Can't wait to see what Darren Sugrue will create in the next few years!
November 4, 2016
was asked to review this by Librarything.com
I was so glad I did what a book. I loved his debut novel -The Prediction and knew this would be promising so was so glad when i was able to enjoy and review.
i devoured this from the streets of Curacao to Amsterdam fast paced - crime, terrorism and more all thrown into this great melting pot.
The ending well- I did not expect that
Will be up there in the top ten this December cannot wait for the next book the author will write.
I was so glad I did what a book. I loved his debut novel -The Prediction and knew this would be promising so was so glad when i was able to enjoy and review.
i devoured this from the streets of Curacao to Amsterdam fast paced - crime, terrorism and more all thrown into this great melting pot.
The ending well- I did not expect that
Will be up there in the top ten this December cannot wait for the next book the author will write.
November 19, 2016
I got a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. So, thank you Mr Sugrue. :-)
This was a very interesting and fast paced read. There's everything; from terrorism to drug trafficking, even an ex terrorist as one of the main characters. I loved the story even though I shed quite a few tears nearing the end. It's definitely a gripping story that you just can't put down. The ending was somewhat unexpected but also brought a realistic note to the story.
This was a very interesting and fast paced read. There's everything; from terrorism to drug trafficking, even an ex terrorist as one of the main characters. I loved the story even though I shed quite a few tears nearing the end. It's definitely a gripping story that you just can't put down. The ending was somewhat unexpected but also brought a realistic note to the story.
December 27, 2016
Yet another brilliant book by Darren Sugrue, bringing to life the enchanting streets of Amsterdam, bringing readers along on a roller coaster ride of nail-biting suspense & a new twist around the next corner. Keeping my eyes peeled for the next thrilling installment!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews