The Broken Heart is one of the best debut novels by a horror writer in 2023. Steeped in medical thriller DNA, The Broken Heart is like a compound prescription, combining an unlikely anti-hero and no-holds-barred storytelling to create a potent concoction of dread and violence.
Written by N.J. Gallegos, The Broken Heart is scheduled for release on September 19 by Winding Road Publishing. Pre-order the book on Amazon HERE. To read my exclusive interview with Gallegos, click HERE.
Gallegos (who’s an ER physician in real life) injects her penchant for vengeful women into heart transplant patient Casey Philips. A housewife and mother of two, Casey transforms from a milquetoast homemaker into a woman imbued with desires to commit murder after doctors transplant the heart of a recently deceased serial killer inside her chest.
Before the operation, Casey’s life is filled with apprehension, depression, and fear thanks to chronic health issues; a deadbeat husband named Jack who harbors feelings for a past love; and her psychopathic six-year-old son Owen who threatens the life of the only light in her miserable existence, a newborn daughter named Eleanor.
Gallegos perfectly captures the anxiety in one early scene when Casey arrives home and sees her husband passed out on the couch and no sign of Owen in the eerie silence of the house.
“The hallway was still too quiet, apart from my wheezing. I struggled to slow my breathing, to calm my beleaguered nerves, and I pushed open the door of Eleanor’s nursery, expecting to discover blood splashed all over the pastel-yellow walls.”
After Casey confirms Eleanor is safe, she finds Owen in his room beheading a Care Bear stuffed toy. When she admonishes the boy, he tells his mother, “F— you, c—.” And that’s our initial encounter with Owen. Such a good son.
To make matters worse, Owen’s therapist warns Casey that her son’s antisocial personality disorder is untreatable. “Please, keep him away from Eleanor. … At all costs. I worry what he might be capable of.”
We do know what the serial killer (whose heart will soon be transplanted into Casey’s chest) is capable of. Chapters detailing the killer’s modus operandi and his method for choosing his female victims show a calculating, manipulative sociopath. Of course, for Casey to get his heart, the killer must die.
Gallegos uses her real-world expertise to enhance the descriptions of Casey’s medical condition, her interactions with doctors, and the hospital scenes — none more so than the moment Casey receives her new heart. It is one of those perfectly written horror scenes that captures the pivotal moment when the main character’s life changes forever.
Soon after her operation, Casey starts having nightmares of strangling women and sleepwalking with a knife in her hand. The nightmares coincide with Casey exhibiting more assertiveness and confidence in her life. She smacks a disrespectful Owen. She busts Jack’s nose when he tries to have sex against her will.
The characterization in The Broken Heart is what elevates the book above the average horror fiction. Gallegos spends quality time developing and fully fleshing out Casey’s persona. We know how Casey feels every step along the way — her frustrations, her fears, her dreams, her attitudes toward family members and her medical condition.
Three-quarters into the book, the plot shifts into high gear as Casey embraces the impulses ignited by her new serial killer heart. It is a brutal yet satisfying climax, leaving the door open for more vengeance in the future. For horror fans seeking a fresh take on the possession theme, The Broken Heart is exactly what the doctor ordered.
RELATED LINKS
Horror Book Review: ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES
Horror Book Review: TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING
LIONEL RAY GREEN 