Cover of Broken Country

Broken Country

'I stayed up until 4am to finish it, something I haven't done in years' Florence Knapp, author of THE NAMES

 Sample

Get 30 days of Standard free

€5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for €0.00
More purchase options

Broken Country

By: Clare Leslie Hall
Narrated by: Hattie Morahan
Try for €0.00

€5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for €17.71

Buy Now for €17.71

Season's Savings | 0.99 €/month for 3 months

5.99 €/month thereafter - terms apply. Cancel monthly.
​*****AMAZON'S BOOK OF THE YEAR​​​*****
INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
REESE WITHERSPOON'S BOOK CLUB PICK
FEARNE COTTON'S HAPPY PLACE BOOK CLUB PICK

'An unforgettable story of love, loss, and the choices that shape our lives . . . but it's also a masterfully crafted mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Seriously, that ending?! I did not see it coming'
REESE WITHERSPOON

'This story of a love affair is so addictive it could be at home with the thrillers . . . A simmering book of secrets, scandal and devastating consequences' The i

'I defy you not to be in tears by the end of this book' HARRIET TYCE, author of Witch Trial

'Excellent . . . a vivid, forceful love story which plays out at the pace of a thriller' Irish Times

'In this surprising romantic novel, there are decisions to be made that are heartbreaking and real, yet amid the gentle pastoral setting . . . it has all the pace of a literary thriller. A dazzling debut' Woman and Home

'Beautiful . . . So moving on the subject of how a tiny decision can have cataclysmic consequences' Good Housekeeping

Everyone in the village said nothing good would come of Gabriel's return. And as Beth looks at the man she loves on trial for murder, she can't help thinking they were right.

Beth was seventeen when she first met Gabriel. Over that heady, intense summer, he made her think and feel and see differently. She thought it was the start of her great love story. When Gabriel left to become the person his mother expected him to be, she was broken.

It was Frank who picked up the pieces and together they built a home very different from the one she'd imagined with Gabriel. Watching her husband and son, she remembered feeling so sure that, after everything, this was the life she was supposed to be leading.

But when Gabriel comes back, all Beth's certainty about who she is and what she wants crumbles. Even after ten years, their connection is instant. She knows it's wrong and she knows people could get hurt. But how can she resist a second chance at first love?

A love story with the pulse of a thriller, Broken Country is a heart-pounding novel of impossible choices and devastating consequences.

'Lyrical, brutal and passionate. I devoured it'
MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, author of The Paper Palace

'Evocative, sensitive and compelling . . . Fires directly at the heart and hits the mark'
DELIA OWENS, author of Where the Crawdads Sing

'Broke my heart then mended it again. An epic, tortured love story. Bring tissues'
JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things

'I stayed up until 4am to finish it, something I haven't done in years. It's a page-turner, but also beautifully written'
FLORENCE KNAPP, author of The Names

'A love story like no other'
CHRIS WHITAKER, author of All the Colours of the Dark

READERS LOVE BROKEN COUNTRY ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book is everything. Love, heartbreak and hope'
'Will break you into pieces and then put you back together again'
'I was absolutely gripped and didn't want it to end'
'If I could give more than five stars, I would. Perfect'©2025 Clare Leslie Hall 20th Century Crime Fiction Historical Thriller & Suspense
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Reviews

A love story like no other
Broken Country destroyed me . . . it is set to be the love story of 2025. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Clare Leslie Hall's writing is beautiful, her characters raw and real. The plot is perfectly crafted and the story really is a masterpiece. Sublime.
A stone-cold masterpiece - heartbreaking, life-affirming, it's a celebration of love in all its forms. I loved every line - Hall is an astonishing writer
Beautiful writing you want to gorge on, characters who make your heart ache, an impossible situation. Grief, friendship, and the kind of love that makes you risk it all. All the stars.
An absolute triumph. This novel has all kinds of love - young love, forbidden love, brotherly love - all wrapped up in the most beautifully evocative descriptions of a pastoral landscape. Mistakes, bad choices and accidents conspire to create a slow-burn mystery with tragedy at its heart, yet there is hope too in this story of splintered loyalties and unbridled passion. Poetic, erotic and compelling, it is quite magnificent
An addictive story of an affair that reads like a thriller . . . a knotty and exhilarating story of a woman unable to make up her mind between two very appealing options. It's a classic recipe, and Clare Leslie Hall executes it to perfection
An absorbing novel about love and the weight of the past, this is a beautifully written read
In this surprising romantic novel, there are decisions to be made that are heartbreaking and real, yet amid the gentle pastoral setting . . . it has all the pace of a literary thriller. A dazzling debut
This is a love story and a thriller - irresistible. Read it now before it hits your screens
This story of a love affair is so addictive it could be at home with the thrillers . . . A simmering book of secrets, scandal and devastating consequences
Beautiful . . .So moving on the subject of how a tiny decision can have cataclysmic consequences
Excellent . . . a vivid, forceful love story which plays out at the pace of a thriller
Wistful love meets murder . . . a tear-jerker
Powerful
Tragedy, misunderstandings and guilt fuel abundant trysts and twists, but cool-headed meditations on grief and desire prove equally compelling
Startling . . . a vivid, forceful love story that plays out at the pace of a thriller
I stayed up until 4am to finish it, something I haven't done in years. It's a page-turner, but also beautifully written
My favourite book of the year . . . Beautifully written and has a wonderful twist I didn't see coming!
All
Most relevant
Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narration was so well done. And the story… I don’t really have words. Heartbreaking but beautiful. A tale of love, loss and the life throwing stones at you but always getting back up.
Beautiful

What a story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
My emotions raced as I followed the story of the characters, so well-portrayed, they were real. Thank you to the author and narrator!

Wonderful story, so moving. Sensitive and convincing narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the story and the narrator and probably got through it more quickly than any audiobook I’ve listened to in a long time.

Beautiful and riveting story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story is very touching, with sorrow and joy and so much love. Beautifully narrated.

Touching and beautifully narrated story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Broken Country was an incredible read from start to finish. The story immediately pulls you in and keeps you hooked with its suspense and intensity. Just when you think you know where it’s going, a couple of unexpected twists completely change the game. I couldn’t stop listening —truly gripping from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

A gripping read with surprising twists

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews