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The Roger Huntington Saga #3

Scars of the Broken

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Roger Huntington has made his way to Berlin where he is on the hunt for a notorious serial killer who’s eluded capture for years. With the help of some new friends, and the element of surprise on his side (for once), Roger just might be able to save the day before anything goes wrong.

But that wouldn’t be Roger’s life now, would it?

Turns out his new friends might not be who they say they are, the killer may be onto him, and the benefactor who brought him to Berlin could be hiding deadly secrets that will get everybody killed . . . unless Roger can figure out what the hell’s going on before it’s too late.

"Ryan C. Thomas is one of my new favorite writers!" - Brian Keene, author of Pressure

"Once again, Ryan C. Thomas absolutely delivers! Scars of the Broken is an expertly-crafted mixture of suspense, gore, and humor!" - BMoviesandEbooks.com

"If you want to freak yourself out on your next camping trip, you can't do any better than The Summer I Died!" - BloodyDisgusting.com

"Huntington is a haunted man fighting to remain humane in Thomas' darkest tale yet. Scars of the Broken is a thrill a minute, with a fantastic--and deadly--suporting cast!" - Craig Saunders, author of Dead Boy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ryan C. Thomas lives in San Diego with his wife and two dogs. He is the author of several novels including The Summer I Died, Born To Bleed (the sequel to The Summer I Died), Hissers, Hissers 2: Death March, Salticidae, The Undead World of Oz, Hobbomock, Ratings Game, Origin of Pain, as well as several novellas and short stories.

212 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2016

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878 people want to read

About the author

Ryan C. Thomas

55 books405 followers
I am the author of the novels The Summer I Died, Ratings Game, Born to Bleed, Salticidae, Undead World of Oz, Hissers and more. I hope to learn a lot from the readers on this site, and get some good book recs in the process. Thanks!

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5 stars
132 (26%)
4 stars
196 (38%)
3 stars
126 (24%)
2 stars
37 (7%)
1 star
15 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly.
849 reviews83 followers
January 21, 2023
This third entry in the Roger Huntington saga is by far my favorite. The characters in this one are lovable, intriguing and the whole book was a lot of fun to read. Moving away from extreme horror, I loved the mixture of mystery, action and horror elements the book had while still offering up some stomach turning scenes that will stick with you. I am crossing my fingers that we get to see more in this series. I'd auto-buy any others without hesitation.
I'm planning to read other books by this same author. His writing style is effortless and easy to read. I enjoyed this series alot and really hope we will see more one day.
Profile Image for Andrew.
131 reviews20 followers
October 17, 2016
This is the third book in an impressive series. The first book, The Summer I Died, was one of the most shocking books I’d read in some time. The second, Born to Bleed, continued our hero Roger’s story and expanded the scope. I’d recommend reading the rest of the series, but if you haven’t, all you really need to know is that Roger went from tortured prisoner to serial killer slaughterer.

The story begins with Roger arriving in Berlin at the request of his mysterious benefactor, Fountain. Roger is shown graphic videos of the torturer and killer’s handiwork. The serial killer has been posting his handiwork online. He’s been creating genuine torture porn, and Fountain’s other people have been unable to stop him. Roger’s task is to catch this killer in an unfamiliar city.

Roger has help this time from Katrin and Craig, two other employees of the mysterious Fountain who are both lethal and a bit psychotic. Katrin is psychic as well as a fighter, and Craig can feel no pain. Roger also has a power which is why he was chosen by Fountain for the hunt. His power is luck. He’s a survivor. Craig was probably my favorite character – a British loudmouth who’s always looking for a fight. Craig’s power (or illness might be a better description) is put to great use, as he really takes some punishment.

With our heroes chasing a sick torturer serial killer, you will quickly discover that the book is extremely brutal. The killer is one demented man. The scenes of torture are incredibly graphic with removal of limbs, eyes, and intestines – that kind of thing. There are beheadings. It’s not for the squeamish.

Tooth, Roger’s murdered best friend from the first book, provides plenty of black humor. Roger hears Tooth’s voice in his head. He is very dark and funny, and always inappropriate. Unfortunately, Roger is also haunted on occasion by Skinny Man, the killer from the first book who took his sister. Skinny Man’s voice is trying to convince Roger to escalate the violence he’s inflicting on bad guys or to enjoy the pain inflicted on others. The events from the first book that really made Roger are still with him. Roger is very dry and never without a timely quip.

Along with the tangled web of events in Berlin, they also mix it up with gangs, corrupt police, and sex traffickers. The wider context of the story involves organizations surrounding both the serial killer and Fountain. I enjoyed the Berlin setting. It was a good change, and you did get enough references to have a sense of place. There wasn’t too much development of actual German characters and culture though. I would have liked to have seen that taken further.

In some ways this book is more of a procedural investigation book as they hunt down leads to find the killer. This moves away from the more supernatural elements of the second book. This story seems more grounded in reality. The author is continually developing Roger and the stories that he’s in, which is to be praised. It’s so much better than just repeating the same story lines in a new setting. This is a worthy continuation of a series I would recommend reading, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Profile Image for Sierra.
34 reviews3 followers
June 20, 2023
Definitely a fun and quick read. Roger is a great character—I’m a sucker for a snarky protagonist struggling to contain his dark impulses. I also like how the story toes the line between gritty realism with a twinge of supernatural elements. However, I kind of wish this one and Born to Bleed spent more time on the effects of Roger’s PTSD. That isn’t to say his trauma from the events of the first book are ignored, but honestly, Roger seems more well adjusted than I would expect after all that happened. Idk, it just seems like there’s a lot more room for the narrative to dwell on the past and Roger’s interiority. I’m honestly not sure how much he even blames himself for Jamie’s death. I think there’s hints of his guilt, but they’re so few and far between. I think a cool character arc would have Roger actually contend with the fact that his luck meant the mutilation/death of his best friend and sister. And what about his relationship with his parents. There’s a mention of them, but I don’t really know how they feel about what happened after The Summer I Died, like if they’re also struggling not to blame him for what happened to Jamie. It wasn’t his fault, but it still is an emotional avenue worth exploring. If he hadn’t had his ID on him in the first book, she wouldn’t have gotten caught up in the torture.

These books, all three in the series, are so short and fast paced, so I think exploring the effects of his trauma on a deeper level would have slowed down the story, but in a way I feel is needed. Also, Roger’s relationship with Katrin could have been more of a slow burn. Overall, though, I’m pretty eager to read the next book in the series. Anyone have any idea when the fourth book is coming?
Profile Image for Jennifer Matchett.
400 reviews4 followers
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed this book and had fun reading it. I wasn’t sure about the premise after the first 2, but was invested in the chase and liked how it all played out. I’m always rooting for Roger and, even though I was suspicious of Craig for a while, he was probably my second favorite character. There wasn’t as much humor as the other 2 but it was a worthy installment. Hopefully he keeps it going bc I’d love to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Collin Henderson.
Author 13 books18 followers
March 26, 2020
Another effective piece of absolutely nasty business, although surprisingly the main plot feels more inconsequential than the prior 2. Roger has been recruited by a man named Fountain to hunt an absolutely brutal serial killer that posts his doongs on snuff websites. He meets other people who may or may not have some kind of ability, and dives into the dark side of Berlin to stop the killer.

This whole series has done a decent job at constantly reinventing itself and the stories it tells. The first was straightforward extreme fiction, the second was a super brutal action horror, and now this one is a borderline, fucked up investigative procedural where the people doing the investigating are just normal folks with very bad pasts.

The weird part is that it almost feels like the third act of a super hero origin story, which is... Super bizarre to say about horror this extreme. The main plot of catching the killer doesn't feel as impactful as the conflicts in the prior 2 novels, but instead comes across as a first installment of what could turn out to be an extended series about Roger and others going after the most depraved individuals you could think of.

As it is, strongly written, sometimes douchey characters help the proceedings, and the ending does a good job of setting up the next installment while still providing closure to the main conflict established here. No idea if/ when we will be getting this potential fourth book, but there's no way this is the end of the series, not by a long shot.
Profile Image for Ari.
15 reviews
August 7, 2022
The Roger Huntington Saga was a wild ride. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Scars of the Broken is an interesting, ambiguously supernatural, gory murder mystery. As I said in my review of Born to Bleed, this book is vastly different from The Summer I Died. Looking at the trilogy as a whole, it feels like Born to Bleed and Scars of the Broken were the main story while The Summer I Died was the origin story.
Scars of the Broken wrapped up the trilogy with new, interesting characters, a winding plot, and a semi-open ending.
My favorite aspects of the book were the characters (especially Katrin and Craig,) Roger’s internal dialogue and character growth, and the new European setting. As expected of Ryan C Thomas, the descriptions of violence were extremely well done, never leaving any of the bloody details out.
My main critique of the book revolved around the ending. It felt a bit rushed. When I had ~5 pages left, I was wondering how everything would be resolved. The ending was still satisfactory, hence the 4 star rating, but I feel like a bit more time could have been dedicated to tying up all the loose ends.
Overall, Scars of the Broken was another compelling addition to Roger’s character exploration. I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone who can stomach it.
As always, please read the trigger warnings before diving in.
Profile Image for Todd.
4 reviews
September 19, 2022
While not as strong as the other two in the Roger Huntington series this is definitely a satisfying and fun read. I enjoyed the new characters bought into the series and loved how the book went further into exploring supernatural elements without giving us a definitive answer, you felt exactly what Roger was feeling which brought us, the readers, closer to him. I enjoyed the new formula this book went for, with most of the book focusing on solving the mystery than actual gore happening even though despite the new focal point, those reading for gore wouldn’t be displeased. The murder mystery element bought a new feeling to the books and didn’t disappoint with the ending. The cliffhanger at the end left me wanting more as well as leaving me with a feeling of dread that stuck with me for a while after finishing and left me missing Roger.
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,811 reviews152 followers
October 21, 2025
OK, to be honest I didn't enjoy this as much as the other entries in the series - I wasn't thrilled Roger is in Berlin, acting pretty much like an ordinary guy, his trauma seemingly forgotten; superhero spies are not my thing, so the plot didn't excite me; and finally, the snuff part of the story was so much underplayed, it might have been omitted altogether! I had great trouble suspending disbelief (the so-called organization enlisting Roger acts so disorganized and comically, keeping so many secrets from its members and the members themselves doing the same among themselves, it all felt like a farce), and the reveals, such as they were, didn't amount to much. In fact, the only good thing for me was the ending, or more precisely the cliffhanger epilogue. Ah well.
Profile Image for Jamie Young.
237 reviews17 followers
April 20, 2025
The third and I think final book in the Roger Huntington saga! Although… maybe another one someday?! As I stated in my review for book 2, I enjoyed it but still love The Summer I died best. Roger continues to evolve and find his place and he continues to be the best part of the series. In this part of the journey he leaves the country and starts figuring out more about the special talent he has. Being around so much murder and disgusting humans you wouldn’t find Roger to be lucky, but is he lucky to always survive? Will he survive this time? I will miss Roger now that the series is over.
Profile Image for Patrick Morris.
51 reviews
Read
November 14, 2023
This book was definitely still more toned down in terms of gore compared to the first one, and I found it to be less captivating than either of the first two. That said, I think it’s because I’m not a fan of the direction the storyline went- however, Roger is probably one of the most interesting protagonists I have read in such a long time. I really enjoyed the building on of Tooth and Skinny Man through Katerina though, that was interesting as well
Profile Image for Jenessa.
183 reviews1 follower
May 8, 2025
Stop reading after book 1. This was terrible.
10 reviews
October 17, 2019
Amazing story, a must read! NO SPOILERS!

This author is truly skilled! At first I was skeptical. I'm not really into this kind of horror, and by that I mean true honest to God blood and guts horror, but the way the author told the story hooked me. The characters are written in that special way that makes you care about them, and you become invested in them. The plot was great... One minute your cruising along and the next your stomach is clenched up in knots and it doesn't let up til the end. And, what an ending!!! If you are a fan of horror, read this series! If you are a fan of great writing and horror, old school horror, you can not go wrong with these books or this author, he deserves those five stars!
Profile Image for Christopher Tantillo.
Author 5 books124 followers
December 1, 2024
"Scars of the Broken" is the third book in the Roger Huntington Saga by Ryan C. Thomas. It follows our MMC as he is brought to Berlin by this task force of people with "special abilities" tracking down a serial killer who posts videos of his victims on the dark web.

This was a pretty good sequel. Not as good as the first one, but better than the second. I enjoyed the story and the arcs the characters go on. I also enjoyed how this installment had more violence happen off page, like in the first book. And while there is still humor in this one, it's more akin to the first, and less forced than in the second. Fans of the first two books, or fans of extreme horror/splatterpunk, will enjoy this one. This is not for casual horror fans or those looking to get into the genre. I also liked how there was more of an emphasis placed on the supernatural elements here than in the previous ones.

My only criticisms here are with the ebook. The formatting wasn't my favorite as all the chapters felt smushed together versus on separate pages, and there were some typos. But that's more of an editing issue than a writing or story one. Lastly, while the first book felt like it was making a strong commentary about violence and our relationships to it, the sequels definitely feel more entertainment first. Which isn't a problem if that's what you're looking for. But I miss the light commentary of the first book.

Overall, a solid book, and I'm excited about the fourth book whenever it comes out. Recommended, but only for the right audience.
Profile Image for Jamie Sinclair.
195 reviews4 followers
October 8, 2024
Okay not quite sure what the direction of these books are going?? First book was a gore/slasher book and now he’s an international man of mystery catching killers across the world??? Lmao. I did really like all the new characters introduced and their personalities really blended well together with their dialogues. I also liked that Roger finally was getting laid lol he deserves it! Having a hard time wrapping my head around this whole book though. More of a thriller mystery book with murder as a subtext.
160 reviews
March 22, 2025
I struggle to enjoy Scars of the Broken. I have tried to get over the fact that this is an entirely new genre but honestly the set up is so dumb that I didn't want to want to continue. There was only one new character that I liked and Roger is the same as ever. I cannot however get over the edgy superhero story the author is trying to build up and I think we should have left Roger where he was in the first book and just made this it's own series. Still, it was well written and I was able to finish it despite my disappointment.
Profile Image for Munira Hussain.
71 reviews
July 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

So I liked this book more than the second in terms of story, but this book fails in comparison to the first in terms of gore and violence.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue this series since the introduction of powers/abilities at the end of the second book felt like it came out of nowhere. I felt like there were paths this story could have taken but never did I think this would be the path. Overall, it’s not bad, but not one I would recommend.

I’ll probably continue to read the series since it ended in that cliffhanger though.

Finished: 07/14/2025
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jennifer Lindsey.
70 reviews
November 16, 2025
This was a great book. I didn’t like it as much as the first two but I still throughly enjoyed it. There wasn’t as much gore but it was still there. I loved the new characters that were introduced and getting a closer look at the deprived undergoing world that most of us never even hear about let alone see. You really hate the main killer they are after and nothing could be good enough for him. There isn’t enough torture in the world available to give that man what he deserves. With that being said, I am very much looking forward to reading the fourth installment!
Profile Image for Anna Karpus.
63 reviews
May 30, 2023
The third book in this series & ive been hooked the entire time. After the first book I seriously didn’t think things could get worse but they did. This series had my mouth on the floor , my heart racing and even had me giggling a little bit. I love Rogers attitude and I feel so bad for him too. He has the worst but best luck I think anyone could have. Hopefully we get more from this world one day.
Profile Image for Thomas Hobbs.
908 reviews8 followers
February 10, 2021
Roger survived first 2 stories to find out he has a special ability. He is recruited and moves to Germany to help track down a killer. Book was good but I don't think was as good as the first 2. Also this book was written 5 years ago and the author left open for a strong sequel. Not sure when that will come out but hopefully soon.
Profile Image for Lisa.
36 reviews
July 30, 2023
4 stars for this one! i absolutely love this series and i can’t wait for the next one (if there will ever be one). this book was a tamer than the last two and the ending felt kind of rushed in a way? but the new characters were so well written, likeable and funny, it made for an enjoyable reading experience. definitely recommend this series to every horror book lover
Profile Image for Amber.
17 reviews
October 10, 2023
I honestly loved reading this series, I devoured all three books in a matter of days over lunch breaks.

Though extremely graphic in nature, I found the story telling to be fantastic. The blend of potential supernatural aspects into what Roger has already experienced, coupled with Roger as a person growing and finding himself was brilliant.

The end of this book left me wanting more!
Profile Image for Maria Niña.
121 reviews26 followers
October 25, 2024
This third book of Roger is definitely different with the other books. The characters are amazing and surely needed for the plot, and the mystery adds up as a spice.

However I refuse to believe that this will be the last of Roger's adventure! I want more! More of Katrin, Craig, Fountain and Tooth! You cant just leave us hanging like this.
4 reviews
November 19, 2024
I’d give anything for the 4th book.

Throughout the trilogy it’s clear that it’s written by a man through all the innuendos and thoughts by the MC, so if you’re a girl not used to the crudeness then it’ll definitely be weird.

But the shock element is so amazing, I can’t get enough of it. I need that 4th book.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
24 reviews
January 13, 2025
Probably my favorite in the saga, combines all the gore and depravity of the first book, with a continuation of the story in the second book.

Gives a lot of world building to a series that was lacking it. Also adds some supernatural and lovecraftian elements that I'm always a fan of, eagerly awaiting the next book!
Profile Image for Joseph Bendoski.
Author 6 books16 followers
October 23, 2017
This book kept me up at night. Thomas was so effective at provoking emotions that I would find myself pacing the room in a rage, and eventually, I had to stop reading it before bed because I couldn’t sleep. The pace is fast and gripping, buy you will get angry.
Profile Image for steven duane.
240 reviews5 followers
September 26, 2020
Solid entry in the Roger Huntington cycle

Okay, so far he has seen his bestfriend and sister get slaughtered and partially eaten. Only to survive. Then, he also made it through the worst dinner party since the Donner's. Now, it's time for a relaxing vacation in Germany....
Profile Image for Lou.
242 reviews3 followers
Read
November 15, 2020
Not sure

I'm not sure about this one. I didnt feel the characters come through like in the previous Roger outings. I did like the end though so will look forward to the next book.

One star lost for typos.
3 reviews
July 21, 2023
Couldn’t put down

I enjoyed learning about how Roger finds himself gagged and tied up again… and how he lives to tell the tale. Gory, but less than the first book. Appreciate how no rape scenes are described in this series… just a great gory read. Can’t wait for the 4th book.
Profile Image for Laura.
117 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2023
2.5 to 3. I feel like between the first book and this one it went from horror to mystery? not mad about it, I liked where it went with the mystery angle but it seems very tame compared to the first book
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