The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater- This mystery/thriller lives up to its genres. Two little girls skip merrily down the lane to visit an old neighbor. The neighbor is found dead and the girls have her blood on them. Sounds like an open and shut case, but something just doesn’t sit right. Neither 10 year old is talking and as the case goes on, it looks as if they aren’t the innocent little girls their mothers think they are. Good twist woven into a story that alternates between the present and the past. #netgalley #Thesilentones #KLSlater

i received an arc of this title in exchange for an honest review. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in advance of its release.

ummmm so i didn't like this. i gave it a fair shot, reading about 2/3 of the novel. but basically nothing happened throughout that entire time. for a "thriller," i don't think it was very thrilling. i hate that i didn't enjoy this, especially b/c i thought the synopsis sounded really interesting. it just wasn't. cool plot, no execution.

the main characters SUCK. they are completely unlikable and maybe that isn't always necessary, but i felt that in this case, the reader is at least supposed to like juliet? you find out a big thing that took place when juliet and chloe were children, but mostly i just felt sorry for juliet. feeling sorry for her doesn't necessarily mean i like her. she didn't stand up to her family at all and just took their shit even though they're all way worse people than she is. i certainly wouldn't have put up with that or let my children be around that kind of attitude. this isn't a spoiler, since the synopsis says this, but when the two daughters are accused of assault and they're being interviewed by the police, juliet and chloe's parents immediately take a side without knowing any information. they were actually supposed to be looking after the children and were, in fact, not doing so at all and that is just sort of brushed off which didn't make a lot of sense to me.

i don't hate the writing, which is why i'm rounding up to 2 stars. i plan on reading more of k.l. slater's books b/c there are definitely some that sound super interesting to me. it's just this particular book and i didn't mesh well. i also wasn't really invested in finding out what actually took place. i think that's usually the point of thrillers, that they're supposed to keep you guessing and reading until the end, but that just wasn't the case with this novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2875543620?book_show_action=true

Wow what a rollercoaster of a read that was!
Just when you think you know what’s happening, it’s turned completely around and left me totally speechless.
This is a fantastic psychological thriller.
Juliet and Chloe are asked to go to the Police station as their daughters have been involved in an incident.
They soon find out the girls are accused of attacking an old lady in her home, leaving her in her critical condition.
Both Chloe and Juliet cannot believe this and soon their lives spiral out of control.
The locals all hate them and their homes are attacked and surrounded by angry mobs.
The business they run together also suffers and they can’t see a way out of this.
We also learn something happened in their past which has affected their relationship with their parents and also with each other.
This is a gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat.
I loved the way it was written and the way the family’s secrets were slowly revealed made it more intriguing.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Two 10years old cousins Brianna and Maddy are suspects in a murder of an older lady. The girls however are not speaking to anyone including the police of what happened. It is up to the girls parents to figure out what happened.
This story started slow. It picked up halfway but once it did it, took you on a ride of crazy twists.
Thank you Net galley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I’ve really enjoyed all of Slater’s previous novels, and this one was no exception. It started off a bit slow, but it had a ton of twists that I didn’t see coming. K.L slater is amazing at tricking me Lol. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

4.5/5

The Silent Ones – K.L. Slater

Well I just loved this book K.L. Slater! I devoured this in one day and was left with a rather large book hangover. This ticks all the boxes for me, a great plotline with plenty of characters to dislike and suspect. It’s made complete with all the thrills and spills we have come to expect from your novels. My one criticism and its not a criticism as such but I always feel like the books could/should be longer (or is that me just being greedy?)

The way that social media has been portrayed in my opinion is pretty accurate. It’s almost a trial by social media and its scary, with keyboard warriors deciding that they are ‘judge, jury and executioner’ long before guilt has been proven. Its as if because they are that step removed they have the right to abuse, hurt and troll anyone they choose and yes I’m aware of free speech. As both communities and individuals we are too quick to get involved by either knowingly or unwittingly adding fuel to the fire and pain to people who are already struggling to cope.

How do you cope when you’re told that your ten year old daughter and niece have been arrested? Arrested for what ultimately turns out to be one of the most heinous crimes that can be committed made worse by the fact that two ten year olds are ‘responsible’. What must have made it worse was that the girls seemed to have made a pact to say nothing and I do mean nothing, nothing at all. On top of this there’s already a case of sibling rivalry between the girls mothers dating back to their own childhood.

This is a dysfunctional family at its very worst so full of secrets, lies and resentments. Each and every one of them is hiding things from each other so it’s plain to see where the girls learnt the power of staying silent. There’s so much suspicion between the mums, which to a degree is understandable because of their past. It’s so obvious that there’s not a lot of love lost between any of the main protagonists that in my opinion makes them even more untrustworthy.

I found myself wondering just how I would cope if I was in the same boat as the two sisters in The Silent Ones. I can’t begin to imagine if I wouldn’t do the exactly the same. Maybe that ‘mama lion’ instinct would kick in and I’d ultimately protect my own first, even against family.

This is extremely well written thriller of a book. Told to us in the past and present tenses with more than a few intriguing subplots all of which come together at the end with a BANG! I felt quite chuffed with myself for working some bits out but I was way off with the finale (I read voraciously and usually I don’t do too bad at joining up the dots) and that makes me very happy indeed.

This a cracker of a novel and I would highly recommend this for a summer read or to anyone that just loves a bloody good book. Honestly if you’re looking for a psychological/Police procedural this is definitely worth a punt.


Read for an honest review. Thank you K.L. Slater, Bookouture and Netgalley.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are rather bored and have managed to sneak away to visit an elderly woman named Bessie. This was something the girls often did. They were watched by their grandmother, who obviously wasn't paying close enough attention. The girls were up to no good and have just been arrested for harming Bessie. When Bessie succumbs to her injuries, the charge is raised to murder.

However, neither girl will talk, not to the police, not even to their parents. Their mothers, Juliet and Chloe, feel their daughters could never have committed this act. Juliet and Chloe had a bit of a strained relationship as it was, but with their girls not saying a word, things begin to deteriorate between them.

Time drags on while they are trying to get the girls to talk, Juliet is especially haunted by the family's past. This very past has affected Juliet more than any member of the family, and this ultimately has changed her relationship with husband Tom. The combined strain of the murder accusation, their daughter's silence and her childhood past is about to unravel Juliet.

I was on tenterhooks while reading The Silent Ones. It was so tragic with the girls being so quiet, but as the recollections of the past were revealed, my sadness increased. The story was a fast-moving one and had some powerful revelations and long-hidden secrets revealed as well as a shocker a conclusion, one that left me applauding and a bit emotional.

This was another excellent book by K.L. Slater, and I literally lost sleep as I read it from cover-to-cover. I look forward to reading more by her soon.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh wow. I love this author's books and this is exceptional. I was hooked from the start until the very last page.

The storyline was heart breaking and it really plays with your emotions. The twists were fantastic and I had no idea what was going to happen.

I will recommend this book to everyone.

This is one psychological thriller that readers will find hard to put down. Two sisters sharing an up and coming business lives are put in turmoil when their ten year old daughters are arrested for murdering an elderly woman. There are many twists and turns to make readers wonder what behind the girl's silence. A dysfunctional family that is way out of control is just part of this rollercoaster story! Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and went at a quick pace. Two 10-year cousins are accused of murdering an elderly lady that was a friend of their grandmother. Their dysfunctional family is called into the police station. Dana a family therapist assists in working with the 2 children who refuse to speak. This book is fill plots twists and had me wanting to keep engaged. This is my first read from author K.L. Slater, I will be checking out more of her books. Thanks to Net Galley for providing a e-ARC.

Compulsive reading, this is an addictive suspenseful psychological thriller like no other.

The plot is unpredictable with lots of twists and turns along with solid engaging characters.
There is also a sense of dread as the story deals with the deep and dark corners of the human psych.

I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone!

I’ve been reflecting on this novel for awhile and I’m not sure how I feel. It definitely stirred up emotions. The bulk of the story centered around family dysfunction in the face of a tragic murder. The characters were so well developed and the family tensions made me feel stressed! It was like I was there. However, the ending left me disappointed. I found it difficult to accept how everything comes together. This would be a great book club read. I really want to discuss this book with someone!!

Absolutely superb read! I never once saw that twist coming at the end. Losing a child is one of every parents worst nightmare. But the way Tom and Juliet face losing their daughter is unimaginable! You would never believe you daughter is capable of something so sinister. But sometime you may not know your child as well as you think you do, the secrets they hide. This was my first book by this author and I can assure everyone this will not be my last. Kept me on the edge of my seat for over half the book with the fast paced short chapters and a twist around every corner. Kept me guessing right up until the truth came out!

Though I believe this to be the author's ninth book, it is the first I've read. Having seen mixed reviews for this one, I have to say I feel the same within myself when trying to rate it.
The prologue is a haunting introduction to the story in which an old lady is assaulted and left for dead by two ten-year old girls, one of whom is the instigator of the unsavoury happenings in the victim's house. But we are not told which girl is which. Then we meet Juliet and Chloe; sisters with daughters, Maddy and Brianna - the two girls from the prologue who have been arrested for the crime and are now refusing to speak, hence 'The Silent Ones'.
The first 20-30% drags, I can't deny it. I was racing through the pages, willing one or both of the girls to speak. Then they do and that's when things get interesting. Now comes the unravelling of a family history, of a mismatched upbringing between the two sisters, dissection of the relationship between their parents, innumerable secrets and lies and affairs and tragedies, all leading to the events of the present day. The writing is great, the story is great. But then the barely believable twist hits and it really ruined it for me. It seemed so far-fetched and convoluted that I almost put out of my mind how good the rest of the narrative had been until that point. I begrudge to give writing so good a rating of less than 4 so we'll call it 3.5 rounded up; the twist really is that disappointing. Having said that, I'm definitely going to read more from K L Slater as my review and rating does seem to be in the minority.

Really enjoyed this book, loved the switch between the different characters with plenty of twists and turns. Great style of writing, will be keeping an eye out for future books from K.L Slater.

She's done it again, another absolutely amazing book. I can't get enough of this author, This was a gripping, emotional, what would you do read. Brilliant.

4.5 stars. I’ve read a few of this authors book and they’ve all been brilliant. I loved this and I knew it wouldn’t be straightforward with some twists and turns. Fantastic book and I loved the ending.

I absolutely loved this book, it had me hooked from the start. All the family secrets had my head exploding with all the questions. It was a great twist in the story which I never seen coming. Just my type of book, would highly recommend this book.

Two young 10-year old girl cousins accused of committing a sickening, horrendous crime. This book started off slowly for me, but picked up drastically as I got a quarter of the way in. "The Silent Ones" by K.L. Slater is perfect for readers invested in dysfunctional family dynamics and who like to ask themselves, "Who really did it?" I appreciated the fact that this book got me to dig in deep and think about who I thought was really capable of this crime and why? To be honest, I felt like I was watching an episode of Dateline. While the focus on the 10 year old cousins was interesting, I found the dynamics and friction between Chloe and Juliet (the girls' mothers) far more compelling. I love when a book has interesting, complex, interwoven storylines. I felt that K.L. Slater was genius in including that in the story. I can honestly say that I was surprised when it was revealed who committed the crime. I finished the book last evening, but still cannot quite come to terms with who the assailant ended up being. A strong, interesting book, but to me the ending felt a bit rushed and unbelievable. But hey, in this day and age, crazier things have happened. Overall, an interesting read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of "The Silent Ones" by K.L. Slater in exchange for an honest review.

Two young children accused of a gruesome crime, a highly dysfunctional family full of secrets - exactly what I enjoy in a good thriller!
"The Silent Ones" had me on the edge of my seat and I flew through it. I liked the claustrophobic atmosphere, the feeling, that everyone knew more than they let on...
Four stars because I felt the ending was a bit too much and too rushed: one huge, plot-twisting revelation after the next, all in the course of a few pages.
But all in all a great, entertaining read!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!