A former crime reporter turned novelist has shipped a second outing for her Seneca Springs reporter heroine. According to publisher Level Best Books, "Never Broken" is the follow-up to "Dead Man's Eyes," and it lands squarely in the gritty crime lane rather than the cosy mystery shelf.
The book runs 224 pages, carries the ISBN 9781685120689, and was made available to reviewers through NetGalley. If you liked the first Jamison novel, the good news is the sequel keeps the same voice and tightens the screws.
- Author: Lori Duffy Foster, former crime reporter from Northern Pennsylvania.
- Protagonist: Lisa Jamison, 33, investigative journalist in Seneca Springs, New York.
- Supporting cast: her 18-year-old daughter Bridget, and Dorothy, the older artist who helped raise Bridget.
- Themes flagged: sweatshops, organized crime, modern slavery, white supremacy.
- Verdict from a published NetGalley review: a "more than worthy sequel," best classed as urban noir rather than a straight mystery.
What "Never Broken" is actually about
Foster pulls Lisa into a story with real teeth. The plot leans on themes that are uncomfortable on purpose: sweatshops, organized crime, modern-day slavery, and white supremacist networks. One published review called the scenario "scarily plausible," and the tension of the chapters gradually escalated throughout the novel.
The series started as a portrait of a single mum who dragged herself up from a teenage runaway with a baby. This second book deepens the family side: Bridget is 18 and heading to university, and Dorothy — the older friend who helped raise her — has stepped back into her own art life, running an artist's retreat. That domestic thread gives the thriller its emotional floor.
Why this matters for indie-press readers
Most crime bestsellers come out of the Big Five and arrive pre-sold by a million-dollar marketing budget. A book like "Never Broken" lands from a small house with no such cushion, which means two things for you. First, the bar for trust is lower, and bad reviews spread fast. Second, when a NetGalley reviewer takes the time to flag it as "more than worthy," that signal is worth more than a sticker on the cover.
The reported classification also matters. If you buy expecting a classic whodunit, you may bounce off it. Read it as noir — a character-driven, politically charged crime story — and the praise lines up with what you're holding.
Our analysis
The reviewer's standout line is that the novel offers more heft than many of its peers. For a 224-page book, that is doing a lot of work, and it suggests Foster is willing to leave gaps for the reader instead of spelling out motive and method.
There is a trade-off. Plot-driven readers who want a clean reveal and a tidy ending may find the social-themes layer heavy. Readers who like their crime fiction soaked in moral grime — the Dennis Lehane, Megan Abbott, or Ivy Pochoda wing — will probably settle in fast.
What to watch: whether Level Best Books pushes "Never Broken" into bookshop discovery displays or lets it ride on NetGalley word-of-mouth. For a series book, the second title is where indie crime series usually break or break out.
Who should care
| Reader Profile | Fit with "Never Broken" |
|---|---|
| Wants twisty, puzzle-box mystery | Low — this is noir, not whodunit |
| Enjoys socially-aware crime fiction | High — sweatshops, slavery, supremacist threads run deep |
| Reads on lunch breaks or commutes | Medium — short but dense; not a light skim |
| Following the Lisa Jamison series | High — character arcs deepen; family stakes grow |
| New to Foster | Medium — works standalone, but series context enriches it |
A worked example
Say you are a reader who enjoyed "The Marsh King's Daughter" or "A Better Man" but you want something shorter and meaner. Put "Never Broken" in your queue behind a more leisurely thriller, so the 224 pages land with impact. Borrow or sample it before you buy, since the reported themes (sweatshops, white supremacy) are heavy and worth a test read.
Key takeaways
- "Never Broken" is a 224-page noir crime sequel from Level Best Books, not a cosy mystery.
- The NetGalley review praises characterisation and plausibility over twisty plotting.
- Best suited to readers who like socially aware crime fiction in the Lehane or Abbott mould.
- Small press: find it through indie-friendly stores, library request lists, or NetGalley approvals.
Frequently asked questions
Is "Never Broken" a sequel?
Yes, according to Level Best Books it follows the first Lisa Jamison novel, "Dead Man's Eyes."
Who published it and how long is it?
Level Best Books, 224 pages, ISBN 9781685120689.
Is it more mystery or more noir?
At least one published review classifies it as gritty urban noir crime fiction rather than a traditional mystery.
Does it deal with hard topics?
Yes, the reported themes include sweatshops, organized crime, modern slavery, and white supremacy.
Who is the author?
Lori Duffy Foster, a former crime reporter now based in Northern Pennsylvania, and a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.