I'm delighted to share my review of A Prayer for the Broken by Mark Tilbury for today's stop on the blog tour. This is a dark, brutal story which will stick with me for some time. Thank you to Mark for my review copy.
The Blurb:
They promised the boy he’d be safe – they lied! When eleven-year-old John McCormack’s mother is murdered, he is placed in the care of Pastor Ian Stone and his family. Clearwater House is a far cry from the squalid flats he’s been used to, but John soon learns that Pastor Stone’s perverted form of religion is anything but compassionate. As Stone attempts to purify John’s soul of “dangerous levels of toxicity”, it becomes increasingly clear he’s at the mercy of a madman. Who can John talk to when no one wants to listen? Who can he trust when all he knows is betrayal? A Prayer for the Broken is the story of one child’s desperate fight to escape a sadistic killer who has complete control over him. The perfect book for fans of Chris Carter and M W Craven.
A Prayer for the Broken is published on 5th October 2020 and is available for pre-order here.
Before I get started can we just show some love for this cover? Superbly atmospheric, it's just perfect for this book. It was designed by Emmy Ellis who also designed the cover for Mark's last book, The Last One To See Her (review here) and will be doing new covers for his earlier books as he re-releases his back catalogue over the coming months.
Young John McCormack didn't have the best start in life but he did have a mother who loved him fiercely. Until one morning when he wakes to find her dead. At the age of 11 finds himself in the foster care of Pastor Ian Stone and his family. Pastor Stone is known for his good works and is well respected in the community and the social worker impresses upon John how lucky he is. And if anyone deserves a little bit of good fortune it's John. Unfortunately, it turns out that he hasn't struck gold with his new foster family. Nothing could be further from the truth...
Young John McCormack didn't have the best start in life but he did have a mother who loved him fiercely. Until one morning when he wakes to find her dead. At the age of 11 finds himself in the foster care of Pastor Ian Stone and his family. Pastor Stone is known for his good works and is well respected in the community and the social worker impresses upon John how lucky he is. And if anyone deserves a little bit of good fortune it's John. Unfortunately, it turns out that he hasn't struck gold with his new foster family. Nothing could be further from the truth...
John is a poor wee soul and my heart just broke for him. He arrives at the Stone house traumatised and grieving, needing love and support. He gets neither from Pastor and Mrs Stone, nor from their son Timothy. He does find a friend, though, in Brendan, another boy fostered by the Stones. Some of their exchanges provided some lighter moments and made me smile. Others were so poignant, so sad, that they had me tearing up. Their scenes together were my favourite parts of the book.
This is not an easy read. It's not a comfortable read. It's dark, brutal and uncomfortable to read in places. But it is beautifully written and powerful. Stone is a horribly good (goodly horrible?) creation from Tilbury. It's always great to find characters I love to hate, and Ian Stone has gone on my list. He is evil and dangerous. I picture him perfectly calm, which makes him even more sinister.
John is pushed to the limit, punished and abused. There are violent moments, but not too graphic. But it is dark, with a constant sense of foreboding. And the Stones' twisted religious beliefs, and resulting actions, took my breath away in places. The writing is hugely atmospheric and descriptive, and we feel John's pain, confusion, despair, fear, happiness (occasionally!) and hope.
The frightening thing is that this could happen in real life, or something similar anyway. Last year I read a true account of abuse and neglect within the UK care system (Oi by Snowball) which routinely featured food deprivation, amongst other things, and A Prayer for the Broken brought that book, and its author's real life experiences to mind.
I can't say too much more about the plot without giving spoilers, which I absolutely don't want to do! As the story progressed I had to remind myself that John was just a wee boy. A child. Because with some of the things that happen to him it's easy to forget that. The tension really rises as the story progresses, with some real surprises and the denouement is shocking, tense and exciting.
Due to the subject matter, this will not be a book for everyone. But if you're looking for something suitably dark and twisted then this is for you. It's a powerful read with richly written characters that will touch you and stay with you long after you've finished it. There is evil lurking in these pages but it's also a tale of friendship, resilience and determination. I would have liked to have seen the very end expanded a little but, otherwise, I loved this book. Twisted Tilbury lives up to his name yet again!
The Author:
After being widowed and raising his two daughters, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.
He's always had a keen interest in writing, and having had seven books published by an indie publisher, has decided to return to self publishing. After successfully publishing The Last One To See Her, A Prayer For The Broken is following in October 2020.
When he's not writing, Mark can be found playing guitar, reading and walking.
Author Social Media Links:
Website
Remember to check out the other fab blogs taking part in the tour!
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