Broken Fall

DI Harland

by Fergus McNeill

When Detective Inspector Graham Harland first sees the body, it's just a tragic little bundle lying at the foot of the stairs, the shock of white hair bright against the dark carpet.

It looks like a straightforward accident. Albert Errington, aged seventy-nine, lived alone in his Bristol home and appears to have taken a nasty tumble down the stairs late one night. His death seems a terrible shock for his son and daughter, and his long-term carer.

But ever-observant, DI Harland is sure this isn't an accidental death. And he will find out who is trying to get away with murder . . .

91 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2015

About the author

Fergus McNeill has been creating computer games since the early eighties, when he started writing interactive fiction titles. Over the following years he became well-known in the industry, both for his own content, and his adaptations of other authors’ material, including working with Terry Pratchett to create the first Discworld game.
Moving from interactive fiction to interactive movie adaptations, Fergus set up and managed the development studio for SCi (now Eidos) where he co-wrote and directed voiceover scripts for a number of games including the award-winning Kingdom O’ Magic.
Now CEO at an iPhone game development studio, Fergus lives in Hampshire. He is 43, married, with a teenage son. Eye Contact is his debut novel, and the first of a three-book series.

Reviews

[Joan]

Okay. I am going to find it very hard to rate this novella.
Reasons?

1. The writing is stunningly good. Crisp, clear with rich details with opening sentences that made me shiver with anticipation of the story to come:

Now the only sound was the ticking of the clock, stark against the stillness of the house. It was that heavy, museum kind of quiet that filled the homes of elderly people with their unyielding old furniture, and their thick carpets that leeched noise from the air as though it were moisture.

Wow. I was there, in the room, hearing that clock and feeling the carpet under my feet. A very particular kind of silence and beautifully written.

The plot is realistic, the characters believable, the MC interesting enough to make me want to learn more about him.

So... Five stars so far.

Then, I got to 58% on my Kindle and the story ended. Finis. Done. No more.

Come on. Please. I was expecting another 42% of story, not the first seven chapters of a new novel. ( I didn't read those) I would have been MORE than happy if the author had only provided the first two chapters and 'Broken Fall' had more of less filled the download. I felt cheated. I follow the progress on my Kindle, (like I would do in any paperback) - anticipating that, at the 50% mark we are only half-way through the story and wondering what other delights the author has in store for me. So I was mightily miffed to have Broken Fall end at little more than the halfway mark.

To be fair, and as the writing was so great, I am not going to rate this book. But I do wish authors would warn readers in advance when a story does not 'fill' a download.

[Marseydoats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the strange feeling that I'd read this before, but I don't know when. I didn't remember anything except the very beginning. Good read.

[Deda Sab · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good, short and to the point that's why I love novellas, no need for extra boring stuff. Might read the series.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broken Fall is a novella that serves as a great introduction to the character of DI Graham Harland, as well as to the writing of Fergus McNeill, an author I only discovered when I read Cut Out last year. The story takes up about 58% on Kindle, with the remainder being a teaser for Cut Out. I downloaded this novella when it was free on Amazon.

DI Harland arrives at the house of an elderly gentleman found dead at the bottom of his stairs. Upon first glance it appears to be a straightforward death (the reader knowing otherwise from a mysterious prologue) but it isn't long before Harland develops a few suspicions as to the true nature behind the fall and sets out to investigate. Fergus McNeill discusses the book on his blog saying that it is his first whodunnit and posing the exciting proposition of whether the reader can solve the case before Harland, I have to admit that I didn't.

Whilst there aren't any jaw-dropping twists, it is a character-driven story with a number of suspects for readers - and Harland - to choose from. A believable family drama I suppose you could call it and I found myself thinking outside the box as opposed to thinking like a police officer and being a little more analytical like Harland. Sometimes I like to guess a character from the off and stick with them, not always the best tactic when it doesn't pay off. For a short story Fergus does manage to keep the reader guessing, but I would have liked some more twists to add some further excitement and suspense to the read but for a time-constricted story it was very enjoyable.

DI Graham Harland has a definite air of mystery about him, enough to make new readers want to check him out, which is often the point of these Kindle-age novellas. A highlight of Broken Fall was the Bristol setting, a place Fergus has researched and portrayed excellently to the reader, I could very easily visualise the settings in this book in my mind. Ultimately, I finished this book and wanted to read more from Fergus and Harland. Cut Out was one of my most memorable reads of 2014 and so hopefully I can get around to reading Eye Contact and Knife Edge very soon.

[Ted Tayler · Rating 3 out of 5]

“All correct and Bristol fashion”

As a West country man myself I enjoyed reading a story about places I've visited on many occasions in the past. D.I.Harland is an old fashioned copper in many ways and the cosy murder mystery genre is one that I enjoy. This story falls into the 'easy to read' category. Minimal violence, minimal sex and maximum attention to detail. The only downside was that the extract for the next book was almost as long as the novella itself. I found that odd. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book though.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but interesting

I really enjoyed reading all of the DI I Garland books . They flowed nicely together and no cliffhangers. Highly recommended if you enjoy English detective stories.

[bahyyss · Rating 1 out of 5]

nothing in this book made sense