The Silence, my first read by Joss Stirling, was a creepy, gripping thriller and very different from many other novels with a similar theme.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it held my attention with its unsettling atmosphere. The story was packed with drama, handling issues of greed, hatred and theft, as well as rape, child abuse, sexual abuse and drug use. These subjects were handled very sensitively, however abuse was a major theme throughout.

The Silence exceeded all of my expectations and I admired how Joss Stirling managed to create such unique protagonists, as well as being people to whom I could so completely relate. Jenny, the mute violinist, was a fascinating character and the gradual revelation of her childhood trauma had me enthralled. Jonah too, despite his cynical and questionable attitude to life, became a much loved character by the end of the book. Each of the characters had a unique trait, as well as great depth.

The story moved between the past and present, enabling me to piece together the stories of the characters in a way that kept me engaged and wondering what might happen next. Every time I thought I had the characters worked out, new information came to fruition that threw me. I loved that the events and revelations in the book were often shocking and unexpected.

What really made The Silence a standout novel for me was the part that the house played in the narrative. The chapters told from the perspective of Gallant House made it seem as though there was another character in the story and it was fascinating to see how the house affected its inhabitants, particularly in Bridget's case. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Silence which had me on the edge of my seat until the last page and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It should interest anyone who is looking for something challenging and unusual.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Harper Impulse and Killer Reads/One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The book is a chilling creepy tale and once started I was unable to put the book down
The writing in this book is excellent. It is extremely descriptive. There are many twists and turns throughout this book and the ending is impossible to guess.
If you enjoy thrillers this book is a must read

The Silence is one of those pulse pounding books you read slowly to make it last to last devious page !

This book was very enjoyable. It was a page turner and the first by this author I have read (I will be hunting for more!). It was a thrilling read, although perhaps a little short- but then I also think this is the sign of a good book! I will recommend it to friends and suggest it is a good read for summer.

This is my first book by Joss Stirling. Jenny is a concert violinist who cannot speak after a rape and is on very strong painkillers to help numb the pain. She recently moves into new lodgings in Blackheath, a room in a big house owned by Bridget with her other lodgers. The story grips you as Jenny's life begins to go awry with creepy goings on in the house. A slow start but once the story get going you are in for a edgy ride. He story is told from 3 points of view, Jenny, fellow lodger Jonah and the house. Very different and gripping psychological novel. A must read.

really enjoyed this book. great story line and great characters. look forward to reading more from this author.

This was my first book by Joss Stirling and certainly won't be my last. I was sucked into this book almost immediately, enjoying the atmospheric tension and wondering what was going on! I don't want to say too much about the plot so I don't ruin it for anyone, all I'll say is check it out! The description gives perhaps a little too much information, I'd have preferred to go in blind, but it didn't ruin it for me.
The main character was a little bit much at times; I wasn't totally keen and sometimes got annoyed. But again it didn't ruin the book for me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked here from the start. It started so well. Stirling’s writing drew me in and kept me gripped from the off. Her style turned creepier however as the tale did and at times I wanted to close the book, but just couldn’t, such was my urge to read right to the end. Jenny was looking for a fresh start, a clean break. She thought she’d find it in her new artistic house share. And did. Until a dark mysterious force took hold, and they were fearful for their lives. The silence was a great read, unputdownable from start to finish.

Intense, interesting, captivating, intriguing, well written... Strong characters, well developed story...
Grabs your attention from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher and author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I did enjoy this book but I can't say it blew me away. It was an OK pyschological read for me but I would still read other books by the author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This was a very interesting book. It's uniquely written in that you are reading the character's thoughts rather than her speaking, if that makes sense. It was easy to read, quickly paced, and a great book.

I found it incredibly interesting and also immersive the way the narration was written in thought. The artist core of each character led to a unique dynamic to read, and I found the overall pacing to be wuite enjoyable.

I will rate The Silence by Joss Stirling a solid 4/5 stars. This was a very interesting book indeed. At first I really didn't know what to make of it since the protagonist was unable to verbally speak. It was interesting to read a book where the main character was silent except for reading about her thoughts and when she used sign language and an iPad to communicate with others. This was a very different twist on a book character and I rather enjoyed it. Now, on the rest of the story. I really didn't care for reading about the Gallant House's previous owner or builder Jack as being told by the current owner, Bridget, through her book writings. It honestly bored me. I understand that it provided the foreboding evil that was to come and painted a picture of the evil that the house itself was, but it still didn't interest me in the slightest.

Things that bothered me about this book:
I was very taken aback at how casually people had sex with one another and strangers in this story. All I kept thinking about were the dangers of unprotected sex such as AIDS and STDs. It creeped me out.
I was also disappointed that such a sweet young lady such as Jenny took a turn for the worst in life and went down a horrid path of self-destruction through prostitution and drug usage. She had such a potential to become a star with her musical talent of playing the violin.
I really despised the way Jenny had to find out who her rapist was from when she was 14 years old, as well.

Things I liked about this book:
It was fast paced and easy to follow. The characters were well drawn out and flowed smoothly. The storyline, itself, was not dull and kept my interest. I honestly didn't want to put it down last night to go to sleep because I was so close to finishing it.
I liked the fact that this book showed the dangers of becoming addicted to prescription pain killers. It's a serious warning that all should take heed of.
I enjoyed the fact that this book also showed that one should be cautious of who they decide to live with. Not all landlords are saints and Bridget, although she had a pretense of being perfect, was from one.
Once I realized that Jenny was a black woman or biracial woman, I grew to like the story more because at first, I was under the impression that she was a white lady which most thrillers use as their main characters.
I liked the fact that the author touched on how real sexual child abuse is for young boys as they usually are overlooked in this area.

This book is full of drama, true to life circumstances, greed, hatred, theft and more. A trigger warning is a must for those who do not like to read about rape or child abuse.

Thank you NetGalley and Joss Stirling for the opportunity to read this book for the exchange of an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Silence by Joss Stirling is the type of psychological thriller that will give the reader nightmares. Jenny was attacked and raped as a teenager in her own home and was unable to talk afterwards because of the damage to her throat. She plays the violin in an orchestra. She moves into an old house owned by Bridget with a low rent and meets Jonah. Someone is watching her and uses her addiction to painkillers to get close to her. There is plenty of action in this story to keep the reader interested and reaches a climax when the house is on fire and a body is recovered.
Recommended

. Jenny, left physically unable to speak after a violent childhood attack, is pursuing her dream of becoming a concert violinist when she moves into an old house in Blackheath. There she lives with Bridget, her landlady, and Jonah, her new roommate. As a result of the aforementioned attack, Jenny is a bit dependent on painkillers, and as a malevolent energy seems to invade the house, she begins to spiral out of control. Soon, the three are fighting for their lives, as well as their sanity.

This book started off really slowly for me, and it took a lot longer than I would have liked for it to speed up. I really appreciate the changes in perspective as the story progresses, each one revealing important tidbits about the protagonists. We get insight into Jenny's mind and how she lives her life with a disability, as well as getting isight into Jonah's slightly darker mind (from a slightly different point in time). The inclusion of excerpts from the perspective of the house was honestly some of my favorite chapters in this novel.

When the story does pick up speed, I can appreciate the direction it goes in. However, despite the great writing and depiction of the characters, this did not feel quite like a thriller to me.

Perfect psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend!

After reading Joss Stirling’s other books, I had to read this. As usual Joss Stirling’s writing manages to capture you in an amazing and unpredictable story. With every new chapter came a new bit of information that had all of your previous thoughts and predictions completely disregarded and bringing forth a million new questions. I could easily have sat and read this in a single sitting but as you’re reading there are a lot of things to process. This novel deals with a vast range of dark and mature topics but still manages to balance them with both humour and great storytelling. Both the suspense and the shocking revelations will have you still thinking about the twists and turns of this book days if not weeks later. Thank you Joss Stirling for another fantastic read.

From the start this book was amazing, I was hooked with every turn of the page. It was utterly brilliant and well written. The whole plot of the book is well imaged, you can imagine it in your head.

Not a bad storyline but the character felt too much "oh woe is me" for me to enjoy it any further. Way too much of a martyr.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. This was great! I love thrillers especially ones that can catch me off guard at some point. This had great writing, relatable characters, and some good twists! Will read more from this author in the future!