Rating: 
Summary: Off to a good start.
Review: As debut novels go, this one was fairly good. The author introduces us to Conrad Voort, a police officer who comes from a long family line of law enforcement officers, and who also just happens to be the 'richest cop in New York'. Although Voort's personal relationship has just hit the skids, work must continue. He and his partner (who is also wealthy) must track down a killer who is leaving the initials BHC at each of the murder scenes. About half way through the book, the author throws in a wonderful twist as to the identity of the members of the Broken Hearts Club. The only real downside to this book is the author's continuing references regarding Voort's wealth in places where it isn't relevant to the storyline. When the author does this, it detracts from the storyline and the fact Voort is excellent cop with a sharp mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing original
Review: Dr. Bainbridge assembles a group of men who all suffer the same thing--they've been dumped by women they loved, and they meet each week to discuss their heartache. But then women begin to die in horrible ways. Is there a connection? Nick Voort is the extremely wealthy and well-dressed NYC detective assigned to try to crack the case of these gruesome but seemingly related deaths.
That sounds great except there isn't a great deal that's original about this story. The killer is typical thriller fare, the detective is tough with a sensitive side, and everything seems to pull together despite some rather large plot holes. Along the way, the reader is privvy to Voort's love life, a great deal of rather graphic, steamy sex--which might possibly be the best parts of the novel--and the inner workings of the killer or killers. Black also describes in great detail the expensive clothes worn by most of the characters. This along with my inability to buy into the idea of not one but two very wealthy NYC detectives who are supersleuths really annoyed me and made me want to throw the book across the room at times. I was also disappointed in the television version of the psychology used within the books; it seems to be pulled from every trite movie-of-the-week and pulp thriller that's out there.
So, why do I give this a higher rating than 1? I actually enjoyed reading the novel for the most part. Sure, it's not very original, but this is good summertime reading, and it helps to kill a few hours. I was able to read the entire book without giving up on it, so that scores some points in my opinion. Give it a try, just don't expect anything remarkable or original.
Rating: 
Summary: Would You Kill that Woman Who Dumped You if You Could?
Review: Dr. Bainbridge is a psychologist in New York who started the Broken Hearts Club for men who've had bad relationships. These guys get together in the backroom of a steakhouse and fantasize about getting even with the women who have wronged them, sometimes they're a little loud and on occasion maybe even violent.Then women whose names have come up in the meetings, women who've been fantasized about, start winding up dead, but the club guys all have alibis. Detective Conrad Voort, the wealthiest detective in the NYPD, doesn't see how these murders could be related, but they have to be, don't they? I liked this book about four stars worth, maybe a little more. I read it in two sittings, when usually I start a book at around five or six in the evening and read till I finish, sometime around ten or eleven (no television, don't cha know), so I guess because I was able to put it down and go to sleep early is way I'm taking away that last star. Reviewed by Vesta Irene
Rating:
Summary: NOT A WAY TO MEND A BROKEN HEART
Review: Ethan Black's "The Broken Hearts Club" is one of those books you want to dismiss as commercialized pap, nothing unusual or different; not really a great literary style. However, Black does create a set of believable characters, and even though the "twist" does come early and is not too hard to decipher, he keeps your interest by exploring the many different personalities of the psychopath. Conrad Voort is a very interesting leading character. He is rich, handsome, and deeply in love with Camilla, a television news reporter (notice how many heroines of thrillers these days work for T.V.?). Voort has a sensitive side, and although I got frustrated with his obsessive love for Camilla, by the end of the book, you know he really does love her, and his decision at the end is refreshingly honest and understandable. After just finishing the Special X series by Michael Slade, this novel is amazingly tame in its treatment of gore. The murders are not really described in great detail, and it almost seems as if they're "cast aside" to avoid any description. Whether this is a weakness or strength is the reader's choice. Black has hooked me though; I have "Irresistible" next to read to see where he takes Conrad Voort. A worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: This Is As Good As Detective Fiction Ever Gets!
Review: Fresh, original, imaginative, well-written...these words and other superlatives can be applied to the three murder mysteries written by Ethan Black. In this novel the members of 'The Broken Hearts Club' kill the women who "done them wrong." Conrad Voort, the richest detective on the NYC force, is in hot pursuit. What also makes for good reading is the private life of Voort whose family history and romantic/sexual adventures are woven seamlessly into the story. If you read one Ethan Black novel, you'll read them all. This is the first in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great story...poor research and editorial review.
Review: I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. Ethan Black has written a very good book and then filled it with little inaccuracies. I've already mentioned in another review ("All the Dead Were Strangers") that Mr. Black seems fixated on .38 caliber handguns (both real and imaginary), even though virtually no law enforcement organization currently uses this caliber. In writing this book, someone has apparently told Mr. Black that Medeco (TM) locks are very secure. Therefore, Mr. Black makes virtually every lock a "Medico" lock, not even bothering to find out how to spell it properly. He uses "Medico" at least four times in the book. Folks, this may be small of me, but it is inconceivable that an author could put as much work and love into a book as Mr. Black does and then fail to catch such gross errors. And where are the editors? Any knowledgeable and experienced editor should have found this error. There are more examples, but....let's just say that the story is good, the writing is good, and the author needs to do a little more research (...).
Rating:
Summary: Pity, Pity,
Review: The "broken hearts club" is a group of men who's women have dumped them. The men have been brought together by a psychologist, Dr. Brainbridge who seems to be encouraging their hatreds to grow with each meeting of the club. One of the members takes on the role of encouraging the other to exact revenge by hurting/killing the women they have loved. The detective working the case is called Con Man by his friend and partner, Mickey. The two of them are the two riches cops in the city which doesn't seem to have a lot to do with anything in the story, however Conrad Voort's biggest connection to the plot is that his own lover has just told him that she wants out of their intense relationship. As he begins to investigate the murders his concern for his lover grows as he finds that she is going to the psychologist who is hosting the Lonely Hearts Club meetings. It's a plot with a twist but one that has been used elsewhere with more depth and interest. The book is an ok read.
Rating:
Summary: A very shaky start to a series
Review: The Broken Hearts Club is a small group of men who have broken up with their girlfriends and just can't seem to get over it. They meet every Thursday night with their psychologist in the back room of a restaurant where they discuss their failed relationships and try to offer each other support and understanding.
One night, after a particularly emotional meeting, the unthinkable happens and one of the men decides it's time to confront the woman who caused him so much heartache. The result is a most brutal murder and you get the sense that a monster has been unleashed on the streets of New York City.
Taking the case is Conrad Voort, a millionaire homicide cop, and his equally affluent partner Mickie. Their investigation begins perfectly normally although they are hampered by a distinct lack of clues apart from the letters BHC gouged into the victim's kitchen table. On the part of Voort and Mickie we are taken through the standard police procedure of tracking down known friends and enemies and paper trails. Progress is slow until victim number 2 is found.
Meanwhile, we're made privy to the build-up to each murder as we sit in on each meeting of the Broken Hearts Club and the emotion that starts to simmer as each man recounts his tale of woe at the hands of a heartless woman. The inevitability of the trip to each woman's apartment each week is terrible in the knowledge of how the visits will end.
As I said earlier, the premise of the book is good, but there are problems that I found annoying at first and then later had me just plain frustrated. To start with, Black has decided to include graphic sex scenes between Voort and his girlfriend which, while it doesn't offend me at all, was completely irrelevant to the story. Sex scenes are fine with me if they're in context with the story but the detail used here was reminiscent of some of the stuff found in Penthouse Forum - and about as believable too.
I felt coincidence played too large a part in the investigation, so much so that I found myself rolling my eyes as yet another improbable lead resulted in a home run for the police. I put this down to clumsy plotting and was just a little disappointed that it seemed unlikely that I was going to be wowed by the police work. The disappointment flowed through to the ending which I felt was built on glaringly obvious plot holes in an attempt to force the feeling of tension so much so that rather than build tension, I found that I was frustrated to distraction by the contrived nature of the final showdown.
THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB is Ethan Black's debut novel, but apart from an interesting opening premise, it is hampered by clumsy plotting, needlessly graphic scenes and a twist that was revealed way too early in the book. All in all I was disappointed with THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB. The idea of a wealthy homicide cop who has the means to circumvent authority has the potential to be quite refreshing compared with the majority of stories featuring over-worked underpaid cops who deal with personal issues that invariably lead to broken marriages and drinking problems.
Rating:
Summary: Rori says....
Review: They meet every week in the shabby back room of a bar in New York City. An unofficial group of men has one thing in common which they all suffer the wound of a broken heart. But soon their anger turns into hatred. The rejection turns into rage. And the Broken Hearts Club spins fiercely out of control exploding into murderous acts of revenge. Detective Voort has been assigned to the case and is determined to capture a mysterious killer who is always one death ahead of him and who appears to switch identities with each new victim. Then Voort falls victim to his own broken heart and as his ex-girlfriend unknowingly becomes the target of a frightening new type of serial terror. The story is placed in New York. I didn't really care for this book because it didn't really interest me. I'm not really into the whole mystery killer type of thing. I am more interested into the more humor books that make me laugh like not serious stories. Something that I learned form this book is that just one person can really affect someone else's life not only mentally but also emotionally as well as physically. When I was finished readying this book I learned something about myself. I learned that before I say or do something I should think about how that person might feel or how that person might react. I think this book is ok. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading mystery as well as romance.
Rating:
Summary: Rori says....
Review: They meet every week in the shabby back room of a bar in New York City. An unofficial group of men has one thing in common which they all suffer the wound of a broken heart. But soon their anger turns into hatred. The rejection turns into rage. And the Broken Hearts Club spins fiercely out of control exploding into murderous acts of revenge. Detective Voort has been assigned to the case and is determined to capture a mysterious killer who is always one death ahead of him and who appears to switch identities with each new victim. Then Voort falls victim to his own broken heart and as his ex-girlfriend unknowingly becomes the target of a frightening new type of serial terror. The story is placed in New York. I didn't really care for this book because it didn't really interest me. I'm not really into the whole mystery killer type of thing. I am more interested into the more humor books that make me laugh like not serious stories. Something that I learned form this book is that just one person can really affect someone else's life not only mentally but also emotionally as well as physically. When I was finished readying this book I learned something about myself. I learned that before I say or do something I should think about how that person might feel or how that person might react. I think this book is ok. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading mystery as well as romance.
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