''Half Broken Things'' is a 2003

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

novel by Scottish writer

Morag Joss Morag Joss (born in 1955 in England) is a British writer. She became a writer in 1996 after an early career in arts and museum management. Life and career Joss was born in England in 1955 and from the age of four, grew up in Ayrshire, Scotland. ...

. It won the CWA Silver Dagger in 2003.

Plot

The lives of three very lonely people—pregnant Steph, on the run from her violent boyfriend; Michael, a petty thief who becomes her knight in shining armour; and Jean, a sixty-year-old spinster nearing the end of her career as a house sitter—collide dramatically within the grounds of the illustrious Walden Manor, where together they seal themselves away from the outside world and build a new life together. The fantasy cannot last forever though, and events take a murderous turn when the first unexpected guest arrives.

Film adaptation

''Half Broken Things'' was adapted for television in 2007, starring

Penelope Wilton Dame Penelope Alice Wilton (born 3 June 1946), styled Penelope, Lady Holm between 1998 and 2001, is an English actress. She is known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom ''Ever Decreasing Circles'' (1984–1989); playing H ...

Daniel Mays Daniel Mays (born 31 March 1978) is an English actor. Early life Born in Epping, Essex, the third of four boys, Mays was brought up in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, by his electrician father and bank cashier mother. He attended the Italia Conti Acad ...

Nicholas Le Prevost Nicholas Le Prevost (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor. Early life Le Prevost was born in Wiltshire. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 1964. ...

and

Sinead Matthews Sinead Matthews (born ) is an English actress whose credits include film, television and stage. Her notable TV roles include Marcia Williams in ''The Crown''. She was born in Coventry, England, and attended Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School i ...

. The two-hour drama, directed by

Tim Fywell Tim Fywell is an English television and film director. In 2003 he made his first feature debut with ''I Capture the Castle'', an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Dodie Smith. Fywell directed his first Hollywood feature, ''Ice Prince ...

and produced by Festival Film & TV, aired on ITV on 28 October 2007.

Filming locations

The entire 2007 television production was filmed in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, with

Boughton Monchelsea Place Boughton Monchelsea Place, previously Boughton Court, is a 16th-century country house in Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, England. The first part of the house was built by Robert Rudston circa 1567–75 on the site of an earlier manor house. It ha ...

being the main location, which doubled as Walden Manor.

Herne Bay Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local governmen ...

featured briefly at the start of the film as the location where Jean (Wilton) is staying before being handed her final house sitting job. Teston Bridge Country Park also featured briefly in the film as the rural location where Michael (Mays) changes out of disguise and back into his clothes, and the village of

Teston Teston /ˈtiːstən/ The Place Names of Kent,Judith Glover,1976,Batsford. or /ˈtiːsən/ BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names — is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidston ...

was the setting of the local village, where the post office doubled as Haleton Village Shop.

References

External links

* British crime novels 2003 British novels Hodder & Stoughton books British novels adapted into films British novels adapted into television shows {{2000s-crime-novel-stub