I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Published by Tilbury Publishing on October 5 2020
Genres: Abuse, Neglect, Psychological Thriller, Friendship
Pages: 432
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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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
A Prayer for The Broken is an accurate testament that we shouldn’t fear creepy crawlies or heights – it is human’s that hold the key to breaking us open. They have all the tools to completely alter our psyches. I’m not ashamed to admit that this book held me in rapturous anticipation. I hated characters with every fibre of my being and wanted a serious accident to befall them. This psychological thriller chilled me to the very core but boiled my blood in the same sentence. It has only solidified my viewpoint that people do such evil things in the name of religion.
Eleven-year-old John McCormack has lost everything. His mum has been murdered, he’s lost his home and his safety and has now been placed into the care of the evil, Pastor Stone. He may have not had much whilst living with his mum, but it was peaceful and right. Now he is in the eye of a storm. He’s trapped, everything is passing by him and he can’t grasp them. He must watch and wait and hope that eventually the storm will lessen, and he will be free. The author is twisted and gives you hope that John and his fellow brother in arms will escape only to set fire to that hope and laugh as it burns away in front of you.
A Prayer for The Broken is a heart-breaking song for any parent to digest. John is around my eldest son’s age and it made me blind numbingly angry that anyone could do these things to another human, let alone a child. Just like the shackles that the boys have been made to wear, their pain anchors them down – no-one has the key to break them free of it.
A Prayer for The Broken had me behaving like a woman possessed (boy, I wonder what kind of punishment Pastor Stone would deem necessary for me?) I wanted to know just how this would all play out, but the pages just merged into one and I finished this creepy tale in one sitting – so I didn’t have long to wait! Mark Tilsbury knows how to lead you into the dark with one paragraph and suddenly I was lost, gone was the safe and happy world I had come to rely on. I thought I had all the answers – hell was I wrong!
A Prayer for The Broken is a sentence that resonates with every character in the story – good and bad. Whether we like it or not, everyone is a product of our upbringing. However, not everyone ends up being as evil as the Pastor Stone. The narrative is sharp enough to tear the bonds we have created with good wholesome people and make us question everything.
A Prayer for The Broken is craftily executed and it’s a harrowing portrait of friendship and suffering. Absolutely heartfelt but utterly remorseless. Make time to read this!

ABOUT MARK TILSBURY

I live in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although all my books are set in Oxfordshire where I was born and raised.
I served in the Royal Navy for 6 six years, had a variety of other jobs, and then raised my two daughters alone after being widowed. I finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused in 2016.
I’ve always had a keen interest in writing, and I’m extremely proud to have returned to self-publishing after having 7 novels published by Bloodhound Books. I published The Last One to See Her 4th June 2020 and my next book A Prayer For The Broken will be published 5th October.
When I’m not writing, you can find me exploring and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.
Thanks for taking the time to look around the site.
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E-mail = marktilbury1961@outlook.com.
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Priscilla Bettis
Tilbury’s book sounds emotional and grim . . . the kind of book I’d like! Good review!
Tammy
Wow, this sounds pretty intense. Now I’m worried about John!
Dan Santos’ Take
Excellent review!