A quick, gripping read about a dysfunctional family trying to cope with a shocking situation. Two children are accused of murdering a beloved elderly member of the community. Did the girls really commit murder? And why are they not speaking? Old secrets gradually emerge which explains some of the odd behavior within the family, some of which verges on the bizarre. I found the book fairly compelling, and enjoyed the forays into online fraud and the horror of crowd mentality. The arrest of the girls leads to instant hatred directed at the families – there is no such thing as innocent until proven guilty in this community!

Once again Kim Slater has come up with an excellent psychological thriller.The Silent Ones is based around sisters Juliet and Chloe and their girls Maddy and Brianna,the sisters are shocked to the core when the police come knocking and the children are accused of a brutal crime,at first the girls stay silent but when Brianna finally cracks and accuses Maddy, Juliet is heartbroken but convinced that her child is innocent.The story flashes back to the sisters childhood and you get an idea of how traumatic the sisters life was being raised by an unloving mum and a dad who just didn't seem to care,as with all of her previous books Kim Slater knows how to ramp up the tension the further you read and the secrets and lies come tumbling out in a breathtaking last quarter of the book that had me hooked.Once again Kim Slater has proved beyond doubt that she is at the top of her game when it comes to the psychological thriller genre.A triumph once again,carry on the the good work Kim !

K.L Slater just keeps getting better and can do no wrong in my eyes.
The Silent Ones is another fantastic book. It’s fast paced. Intriguing with a great storyline. I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down.

Well written. Fast paced. Enjoyable thriller with twist and turns I didn't see coming. Some parts of the novel were predictable but a great novel for fans of thrillers

Just finished and at this point am going to rate 3.5 stars. Story is based on the premise of a horrific crime committed by 2 ten year old cousins. That will get you hooked pretty quick. And while it was a fairly fast paced book, just lacked a bit on the suspense/surprise factor. Thank you @netgalley for the arc!

Oh K.L Slater, you can do no wrong in my eyes! Loved you ever since I read the twisted Pretty Girls (which was JAW DROPPING!). So, of course when I saw this up on NetGalley, I jumped on it and as always, I couldn't put it down!!

A unspeakable horrible crime happens at at the center of it all are two young cousins Maddie and Brianna. Both girls are 10 refuse to explain what happened and wouldn't even say anything to defend themselves.

Their moms are sisters, and their lives are torn apart and the crime brings up bad memories for Chloe and Juliet
No one can take you on a thriller roller coaster quiet like Slater. Every page has you guessing and turning.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

An elderly woman has been hurt & two young girls are seen running from the house. Sisters Chloe and Juliet are devastated to learn that their daughters Brianna & Maddie are in police custody. What follows unearths the past which threatens to tear the family apart.

I found that this book gripped me from the beginning & I struggled to put it down. All of the action takes place in a very short space of time – two or three days. There are flashbacks to the past but essentially this is a fast paced book.

I shall struggle to say what I enjoyed about this book without giving away the plot. I enjoyed the family relationships – Chloe & Juliet, their parents, Juliet’s husband & close friend to Juliet, Beth. These are very interesting and complicated – what wasn’t said was as important as what was. I also very much enjoyed the way that public opinion, social media & the press are portrayed. INowadays it is very much the case that social media has found people innocent or guilty before they’ve even been arrested!

This book was well written and fast paced with three dimensional characters. There are some interesting twists towards the end. There are a few things which helped the book reach its conclusion which didn’t quite ring true for me. Just a few niggles but it just stopped this being a five star book.

A great read withplenty of content & interesting characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of "The Silent Ones" by K.L. Slater in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good mystery, suspense, or psychological thriller as much as I love Romance and Contemporary Fiction novels. This was my first novel by K.L. Slater, and it certainly won't be my last! From the moment I read the synopsis I knew I had to get my hands on this story:

"This morning, I was packing up lunches, ironing, putting on the laundry I should have done last night. Now my precious daughter is accused of murder.

When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing?

As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart. And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?"

Two ten-year-old cousins being arrest for assault and murder and both refusing to speak to anyone isn't a storyline you hear about often. I read the whole novel in an evening, staying up until the wee hours of the morning. I was intrigued by the relationship between sisters Chloe and Juliet in both the past and the present. I felt like some parts were a bit predictable, but other twists and turns caught me off guard.

This is one novel that I'll be recommending to friends and family. I look forward to reading more novels by Slater.

This book was so good!! The first thing I did when I finished it was call my sister and tell her that she had to read it. Talk about a parent’s worse nightmare or very close to it. Dynamic characters. Exciting plot. Twists and turns and surprises that you just do not see coming.

A psychological thriller with more twists and turns than you could ever imagine and the lives of two little girls and their families that will forever be torn apart by the dark secret that can never really be forgotten. A horrible crime is committed and two 10 year old girls were the only ones there, and they refuse to speak. Two sisters who were never really that close to begin with will see their relationship unravel further when their children are held for assaulting and elder woman. Many different view points and it's definitely pretty messes up! I could never imagine the horror and the heartbreak that comes with a child being interrogated and held in custody for a heinous crime, especially when you begin to question what they are really hiding from you. Intense and definitely twisty and turny and not to be missed. An enjoyable read I finished in a few hours and I would recommend to anyone how enjoys a thriller that will leave you guessing and a little out of sorts.

This was a brilliant book. It was well-crafted with thoroughly believable characters. I even cried a few tears at the end. There were twists and turns and it showed what can happen in a community when accusations are made. I could really see how the past comes back to haunt you and how our past influences the people we become.
I would thoroughly recommend this book to friends, family, everyone!
Thank you Netgalley, K.L. Slater and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my honest opinion.

Two 10-year old cousins accused of murder. Going in, I wondered if this would be more like The Bad Seed, a 1956 psychological horror film, or the 1993 film The Good Son, or something completely different all together. Of course, I'm not going to tell here.

Thoughts:

What an entertaining read this was. I'll be honest, I had some doubts as to how much could be done with this type of story to keep the pace going or readers interested. I also wondered how the portrayal of children or elderly in this type of situation would be written and if it would done in a way that would completely unsettle me to the point that it would turn me off or be written in a manner that left me shaking my head in disbelief. Thankfully, none of my concerns were realized.

What I found was that family dynamics played a huge role in the success of this book. It is also what is at the heart of the book. The prologue starts us off with the incident. Then, the next chapter we see the introduction of the mothers and them being asked to come to the station. The first chapter or two was probably the weakest link in the story for me. It felt uncomfortable at times to read because the mothers were freaked out, but I couldn't care for (or against) them yet because I didn't know them or understand their motives.

I am impressed by how the well the plot continually moved forward. Never a dull moment, but just a carefully crafted story that always kept us engaged without any downtime. Plus, lots of twists and turns that sometimes you see coming but are still entertaining and others you don't. However, the best part of the book to me was the growth of the character Juliet. As I mentioned earlier, family dynamics are what this book is about. Sometimes I don't think we fully understand how much our childhood or past experiences can really shape who you are today - good or bad. But, slowly through the pages of this book we see Juliet be able to take a step away from herself and really take a hard look at the accumulation of her entire life and how many past events may have shaped who she has been up to this point in time. To me, the best part of the entire book is the decision she makes after that realization. It is a scene that still sticks with me above all the others.

I want to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I gladly recommend this book to those who enjoys this genre.

Rating: 4.5 stars

EXCERPT: ...she gasped when she saw the blood seeping steadily from the side of Bessie's head. It pooled neatly on the worn patterned carpet and sank into the grooves around the corner of the cream tiled fire surround.

'What happened?' She swallowed down a knot of panic.

'It...it was an accident,' her cousin stammered.

The girls backed out of the room and had just stepped into the kitchen when they heard it...a scuffling sound, like the movement of feet.

They froze as a shadow loomed in the hallway and advanced towards them.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing?

As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart. And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?

Juliet is crushed. Nothing will ever be the same for her darling girl. But she knows that to find out what really happened that day, she and her sister must unlock the secrets of their own terrible past, a past they swore never to speak about again …

MY THOUGHTS: I finished this overnight because I found that if I put it down, I kind of lost the impetus of the story. I am glad I did.

Set in a small, gossipy village with a grapevine that works faster than the internet, the story is told from multiple points of view, and in the case of Juliet, mother of one of the accused girls, over two timelines. Her childhood story runs in the background, but is an important one.

Slater takes the reader on a journey with what is a normal family situation today - both parents working and relying on family and friends for childcare - and then dumps them into the middle of a horrific situation. At a time when the family should all be pulling together and supporting one another, they are instead driven apart by secrets and old rivalries.

This is not a book that drew me in right from the start. In fact I was thinking 3 stars until the family dynamics started kicking in. Then by the time I had finished, I felt like I had been in the ring for a round against Mohammad Ali...the surprising revelations just kept on coming like that great boxer's fists.

I found it difficult to relate to, or feel anything for any of the characters except for Dana, the family therapist, yet this didn't stop me enjoying the read.

My favourite quote from The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater is - '...his western Irish lilt dripping down the line like honey into her ear.'

Definitely worth picking up.

🙂😍🙂😍

THE AUTHOR: Kim is the million-copy bestselling author of seven psychological crime thrillers. Her eighth thriller, FINDING GRACE, will be published 14th February 2019 and is now available for pre-order.

Kim's titles are also published in paperback by Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the USA.

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer. She has one daughter, two stepsons and lives with her husband in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://wordpress.com/post/sandysbook...

KL Slater does it again ! The Silent Ones is just brilliant. A very clever book, carefully plotted with plausible characters and a plot which slowly unwinds Thought I had it sussed out but so didn't!
Fantastic read which kept me gripped right through to the last page, it's so well written just like her others. Totally recommend it.

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Joss Di

Joss Di's Reviews > The Silent Ones

The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater
The Silent Ones
by K.L. Slater (Goodreads Author)
35438975
Joss Di's review Jul 27, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

The Silent Ones was a book I simply could not put down. I read it in less than a day simply because I wanted to know what was going on in 'that' family. It seems that a lot of families are dysfunctional, However this one took it to new heights.
Two ten year old girls Maddy Fletcher and Brianna Voce are suspected of killing an old woman, Bessie Wilford in her own home and in the days of the Internet, it only takes a whisper of truth to turn friends into foes. It is not helped by the girls stubbornly refusing to talk to anyone about their actions
While Detective Inspector Conor Neary and psychologist Dana Sewell try to find out how Bessie Wilford died and what part the girls had in her death, those closest to the girls, their own family, had their own share of dark secrets that they had been holding onto for years. Secrets that were coming to the surface. Secrets that had to be told no matter the cost
This story had enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged right throughout the book. The author K.L.Slater certainly knows how to write a great psychological thriller. Although I had not read any other book by this author, I will certainly be reading more of her books. This is a book that I highly recommend to other readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture who gave me andigital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Silent Ones
K.L. Slater

The Silent Ones is an intense psychological thriller from author, K.L. Slater.

Ten-year-old Maddy and Brianna have been accused of viciously attacking an elderly woman in their small community. As far as the police are concerned, the girls aren’t helping themselves and are looking more guilty by the second. They’re refusing to speak. At all. Are they silent because they’re little monsters that have no regard for human life, or are they simply too afraid to tell what really happened to Bessie Wilford?

Juliet Fletcher is mother to ten-year-old Maddy. She cannot believe that her sweet, quiet, contentious daughter would commit the crime she’s been accused of. But why won’t she talk, even to her parents?

Chloe Voce is mother to ten-year-old Brianna. She is determined to prove her daughter had no part in the accused brutality? If she has to destroy her sister, Juliet, in the process, so be it.

Family therapist, Dana Sewell, has been brought in to evaluate the girls and get them to talk. Can Dana help Maddy and Brianna help themselves, or will their community get their wish that the girls be jailed for their crime?

The Silent Ones is a real thriller. The story is partially told through flashbacks to 2003. This method of providing backstory did not detract from the plot, which took unexpected twists that left me shocked. The characters are well-developed with complete backstories. Kudos to K.L. Slater. This is a 4 out of 5 star read that I recommend to everyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Brianna and Maddy are 10-year old cousins, their mothers are sisters.

Maddy's Mom Juliet has been really busy with her new clothing business, perhaps leaving both Maddy and her husband Tom on their own a little too much.  But the business is taking off, and she can't seem to find time right now.  She is stressed, and back on her anti-depressants.

Brianna's Mom Chloe works with Juliet, and is having her own issues, but is afraid to tell her sister because she knows how much stress she is under.

When their girls are arrested for abusing an elderly woman, both Juliet and Chloe are stunned.  When the girls refuse to talk, their mothers are terrified that they will be charged without anyone hearing the true story.   In their small town, public opinion has already convicted them, and their families and businesses are being targeted.

Dana Sewell, a psychologist who consults with the police in cases involving juveniles, agrees to help.  She has a way with children, and hopes to get the girls talking.  Even when Dana starts making progress, she senses that there is more going on in this family than is evident at first glance.  She has no idea....



My Opinions:  

I really struggled at the beginning, because I absolutely hated the idea of two 10-year old girls beating up a poor old lady.  I kept reading ONLY because it was written by Kim Slater.  I am glad I did.

The book is more about families than it is about elder abuse.  It is based on the secrets and lies that are told within a family, and the repercussions many years later.  It is also about how much we are willing to put up with if the person is within our family unit.

As always, the writing is good, the characters deep, and the plot....well, it grew on me.  I think the "thoughts" of the perspective mothers felt right.  Not always charitable, but always looking after their own child.

I was pleasantly surprised (and somewhat mortified) by the final twist.

I highly recommend this.

10 year old cousins Maddy and Brianna are caught in the midst of a violent assault charge. Neither of them will say a word about it. As the story unfolds, we see their family history, which parallels that of the girls. At first, I wasn't impressed with this domestic thriller, but as the story unraveled it became quite gripping, I found myself needing to know what happened with the girls, what happened with their mothers when they were young, what the hell was up with the grandmother? I tore through the second half of the book to get answers.

I'd definitely recommend this one for fans of books like "Big Little Lies."

*I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my review. 3.5/5

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and K.L. Slater for the opportunity to read and review her latest psychological thriller. A good read with twists I didn't see coming!

Two young cousins are accused of a horrible crime - brutally assaulting an elderly neighbor. When they are brought in for questioning, they remain silent and won't answer any questions. Their parents, sisters Chloe and Juliet, are beyond horrified and are sure that their daughters aren't responsible. Until one confesses. This crime rocks the small community they live in and everyone turns on the families and their business. The worst part is the families are turning on themselves. Chloe and her daughter still live with their parents. This tragedy opens up wounds from their childhood when their youngest brother died.

Solving the mystery is just part of this book; the family dynamics is the real story. A good lesson into how our past shapes us and how difficult it is to move forward and not inflict those same wounds onto the next generation.

A well woven mystery. We follow the current story regarding the questioning of 10 yr old cousins in the assault of an elderly woman. We also follow the background of their mothers and the strange family dynamic. Overall, a real page Turner! Kept me guessing until the end.