Review of Broken Inn

[Sara Barnes Cottingham]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Broken Inn" by A.W. Baldwin.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Broken Inn by A. W. Baldwin is a fast-paced adventure novel about a group of people who find themselves up against nearly impossible odds in the canyons of Utah. Hailey is a journalist intern who takes a job in a small town in the Utah desert. Thinking it will be nothing more than writing about bake sales and raffles, she is stunned when she witnesses a crime by the rundown Broken Inn. Unsure of who to turn to and encouraged by her boss that the renovations of Broken Inn would make a good story, she secures an interview with the owner of Broken Inn. Caught snooping where she shouldn’t, Hailey runs into the wilderness and is sheltered by a nomad named Relic. Relic has also seen what is going on around the Inn and has questions of his own. Convinced that the cops can do nothing for them, they join forces with Ash, the photographer for the newspaper, as they try to uncover just what is happening at Broken Inn.

I liked several things about this book. The writing allowed me to feel immersed in the narrative right away. I didn’t struggle to adjust to the author’s voice, and I felt that the voice matched the narrative style very well. There were a diverse group of characters that all seemed to fit in well with the novel’s landscape. I thought the interests of each character did a good job of providing realistic tension and believable dynamics throughout the story. I sympathized with Hailey over the loss of her mother, and I found myself wanting to be a nomad like Relic.

I have very few negative things to say about Broken Inn. I thought the book was well edited, nicely paced, and had characters that carried the story well. There were moments where I found the use of cliched speech to distract from the narrative, but it didn’t occur often enough that I found it impossible to keep reading. Developmentally, the only thing I could count against the novel is I didn’t find Burke’s character to be all that threatening. His character reveal in Chapter 25 also felt slightly difficult to believe.

I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The book was well-edited, and I found the story to have a satisfying conclusion. I also think that the book is a unique story that was refreshing and original.

The story would appeal to readers of suspense, mystery, and fast-paced action. There is light cursing present, so I would recommend it to mature readers.

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Broken Inn
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