Novel Adaptation: Broadchurch by Erin Kelly

Posted September 15, 2014 by shooting in Uncategorized / 20 Comments

Broadchurch: Based on the Story by Series Creator Chris Chibnall by Erin Kelly


Review by Lauren

Releases Tomorrow!


Source: copy from netgalley; all opinions are my own


Official Summary: In the sleepy British seaside town of Broadchurch, Detective Ellie
Miller has just returned from vacation, only to learn that she’s been
passed over for a promotion at work in favor of outsider Alec Hardy. He,
escaping the spectacular failure of his last case, is having trouble
finding his way into this tight-knit community wary of new faces. But
professional rivalry aside, both detectives are about to receive some
terrible news: 11-year-old Danny Latimer has been found murdered on the
beach.

For Ellie it’s a personal blow; Danny was her older son’s
best friend. She can’t believe anyone in Broadchurch would ever have
harmed him. But Alec considers everyone, even Danny’s parents, suspect
in his death. It’s a living nightmare for everyone involved…even before
the press arrive and start stirring up the secrets every town member
keeps hidden behind closed doors.

Review: Last year, Broadchurch was available in the U.K. and on BBC America as a miniseries starring David Tennant as Alec Hardy and Olivia Colman as Ellie Miller. There was one central mystery that spanned the entire series, which was the death of eleven year old Danny Latimer. In a small town like Broadchurch, his mysterious death has upset a lot of people, but it also opens up many secrets in the search for the truth.

If you’ve seen the show, then you’ll know the book. However, if you have yet to watch Broadchurch, then you might enjoy reading the book even more. I found my time reading about Broadchurch to be both fascinating, yet a little boring in the beginning. I knew the show and this book is a very accurate adaptation of that so it felt kind of repetitive. At the same time, books always allow for a bit more detail and depth, so it was nice to feel like you were getting to know some of these characters better. As the story progressed, I found myself very much invested in reaching the end, even though I knew how it would all turn out.

Overall, I am happy to have been given the chance to read this book adaptation. I think knowing the end might ruin things for some, but if you’re like me, I think the book will really start to pick up as you continue reading and you’ll find it doesn’t truly matter what you already knew. Also, the book focuses on a variety of perspectives (all third-person), which again, allows you to get a bit closer than the show does in terms of their specific stories and point of views.

Main Cast of Characters (left to right if more than one person in photo)

Ellie Miller, wife and mom of two. Alec Hardy, lead detective. He suffers from an illness throughout the story and is plagued by a lot of guilt because of an old case.

Chloe Latimer, Danny’s older sister. Mark and Beth Latimer- Danny’s parents, who both hide secrets. Finally, you have Danny’s grandmother.

Tom Miller, Danny’s best friend. Joe Miller, husband of Ellie and dad of Tom and Fred. Then you have Ellie again, who is holding her youngest son, Fred.

Nige Carter, who works with Mark Latimer. Susan Wright, a mysterious woman who hides more than one secret.

Rev. Paul Coates, who tries to bring the town together after the death of Danny, whether they are religious or not.

There you go – some of the main characters in the book and miniseries. There are some others, but I didn’t want to go on and on. Basically, give the book a shot if you’re interested, especially if you would like to read it before seeing the BBC miniseries. For those in the U.S., Fox has created an American version called Gracepoint, which will also be a ten episode miniseries and stars David Tennant with an American accent. Gracepoint airs Thursday, October 2. As for the BBC series, Broadchurch, Tennant will be back for a second season in the future!

20 responses to “Novel Adaptation: Broadchurch by Erin Kelly

  1. Hmm, this is interesting on multiple levels. First, I've never heard of a story being adapted INTO a novel – only a novel being adapted into another format. The story itself is enticing as well, and I'm glad to hear you liked it, even if you knew how it would end. The spoiler would take away some of my enjoyment, but I think I would be able to enjoy the story anyway.

  2. Whilst I have seen this programme advertised I have never actually see it and I certainly didn't know it was based on a novel. Though it doesn't appeal to me as tv viewing I think I'd quite enjoy the book.

  3. I haven't heard about this one before – the book or the movie – but I'm intrigued since the concept sounds right up my alley.

    On the other hand, I'm not sure what I'd think of it because I've already read Dangerous Girls and I'm not sure the genre can get much better than that – ha! 😉

    But I'm glad you enjoyed it Lauren!

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

  4. My sister watches this show and loves it. I never inquired what it was about, but it sounds like something I'd love. I'm a huge mystery fan. I'll have to check out the book and the series. Great review, Lauren! 🙂

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