I am giving this book 4* however it just makes it into this category. Overall the story is good and well told and the author certainly has a great descriptive style to her writing especially when dealing with the house in which the migrant workers are living in. You can feel and smell the squalor. That being said, I found the beginning of the story seemed to a while to get going and also at the end it seemed rushed. I did like reading about the lives of the migrants and what they needed to put up with in the UK . DI Manon Bradshaw is certainly not the usual type of DI and has a few problems of her own to deal with along with the investigation.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book to review.

Another in the DCI Manon Bradshaw series. If you haven’t read any of the others it doesn’t matter, I hadn’t and it stands alone perfectly well. I didn’t always like the author's’ style of writing but it’s a solid police procedural novel with an insight into Manon’s home life too.
This book focuses on modern day slavery and starts with a particularly nasty murder of a young immigrant. The case is hampered by the lack of willingness for anyone to talk to the police and admit what they know.
Manon has a rude and abrasive manner but somehow manages for you to be on her side.

Usual series rules apply - especially with Manon's chequered past... That said, the main story is self contained so you could, at a pinch, dive straight in.
Manon is now happily working part time on cold cases. It suits her home life, especially around her youngest child. Notsomuch with partner Mark who is fighting his own battles. Until the day she is out walking with her toddler and they come across a body hanging from a tree. Protecting her child, she calls in the troops and they determine the identity of the man and also find a strange note attached to him. The force is short staffed and Manon was "first on scene" so she is invited (coerced) into returning full time to take the SIO position. And so begins the start of a rather nasty case involving people trafficking and all the horrors that come with that. A case that will take Manon to the very limit of her skillset and one which will push her all the way, emotionally as well as physically and cerebrally.
This is a case that I have already called nasty and horrific. I mean that. It is. But the author manages to keep the book from getting too dark by employing the usual stuff that you find in this genre book - namely banter and humour, some gallows, but it does the job. Manon's relationships with her colleagues - especially those above her in pecking order - leave a lot to be desired - mostly justified though, and her relationship with her DS - Davy Walker - shines throughout.
Plotting is excellent and very well executed. For the third time, it's nasty but it's not nasty for effect. And the whole main theme and all it entails is well handled. Pacing is also good and matches the narrative throughout. There are quieter times to be had along the way but these offer necessary respite from the main story. And the ending when it came. Just perfect. The author also keeps the balance between work and home well for Manon. If you are like me you read series books to connect with the characters but there is a balance to keep between their ongoing personal stuff and the crimes being investigated. The balance in this case is perfect.
All in all, a cracking addition to a now well established series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I felt this book was less well written than previous Steiner novels but I read it since the characters are familiar. I also found the topic of modern day slavery thought provoking as an an uncomfortable reminder that this is a reality today. It was also interesting the way in which the information about Russian assassination attempts was interwoven to the story.

Remain Silent is a great addition to the Manon Bradshaw series of police procedural novels by Susie Steiner. Manon herself is a wonderful character - funny, complex, and with a huge heart- who tries and sometimes fails to balance the demands of motherhood and relationships with her overwhelmingly commitment to her job. Funny and grim by turns, the author turns a compassionate eye on the plight of economic migrants but also the troubled lives of the communities into which they are plunged. Full of twists and turns, it is a gripping but also intelligent and thoughtful novel.
Best wishes for the author's recovery and thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for this ARC

I was drawn into this book by the description:

A TRAGIC DEATH. A TOWN FILLED WITH SECRETS.
A NAMELESS BODY
A young man is found hanging from a tree, with nothing to identify him.

NO LEADS TO FOLLOW
Was he driven to suicide, or was he silenced? Somebody knows, but they’re not saying.

WHO’S NEXT?
With potential witnesses too scared to talk to her, can DI Manon Bradshaw discover the truth before more innocent people die?

However in theory the body wasn't nameless, they found out who it was pretty quickly. There were leads to follow and really no-one was next.

Whilst the book provided some laughs in areas, this isn't one of the best "who done its" I've read and I was left feeling disappointed. The storyline is relatable as I imagine this is something that could or does happen within the UK and I resonate with that but it sadly wasn't a book as I was excited to finish reading and it took me longer than normal to finish as it didn't keep me engaged.

This is the third book in the Manon Bradshaw series but the first one I have read. As a lover of modern crime fiction, I usually prefer to read a series in order but I found this to be fine as a standalone book. That said I shall now purchase the previous two as I found this book to be well written with interesting characters and a good storyline.
The book is set in Cambridgeshire and centers on the town of Wisbech, central to the story is the exploitation of immigrant workers by gangmasters. The death of one Lithuanian worker in unusual circumstances starts an inquiry that soon involves many elements including a far-right anti-immigration movement.
There is an earthiness in the writing and the main characters all have their own weaknesses and strengths which makes them very believable.
A very good book

Story of DI Manon investigating the death of a young man in her town. Slightly chaotic (but real life) Manon runs the investigation and helps expose some gross and unfair racism and exploitation. Lots of outside work descriptive sections with a hard dose of reality that she has to deal with. Suspect there will me more in the series.

I received this arc through net galley and I loved catching up with Manon again. Her dysfunctional family as well as a murder case has her run ragged but she gets there in the end. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

This is a dark police procedural, gritty and disturbing. It revolves around Eastern European immigration and the harsh, inhuman treatment of the immigrants by the gangmasters, as well as the effect on the locals. However it is lightened by the chaotic family life and musings by D.I Manon Bradshaw, trying to solve the case and cope with life which leads to some laugh out loud moments. It is authoritative, well researched and well written. I found it absorbing and definitely recommend it.
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.. This review reflects my own opinions.

Newly married and navigating life with a toddler as well as she adopted adolescent son, Manon Bradshaw is happy to be working part-time in the cold cases department of the Cambridgeshire police force, a job which allows her to "potter in, coffee in hand and log on for a spot of internet shopping--precisely what she had in mind when she thought of work-life balance." But beneath the surface, Manon is struggling with the day-to-day realities of what she assumed would be domestic bliss: fights about whose turn it is to clean the kitchen, the bewildering fatigue of having a young child in her forties, and the fact that she is going to couple's counselling alone because her husband feels it would just be her complaining. But when Manon is on a walk with her two-year-old son in a peaceful suburban neighbourhood and discovers the body of a Lithuanian immigrant hanging from a tree with a mysterious note attached, she knows her life is about to change.

I love a good police drama and this book contains everything expected of one. The author is a good writer, and it felt like she did her research and included some twists that were unexpected in this police procedural. At times I felt like I could connect with the main character, then at other times I felt repulsed by her attitude and slightly whiny thought processes.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

I really enjoyed this one.
The character of Manon Bradshaw is one that all women over a certain age will definitely identify with and some of the passages, especially the interaction with her partner, had me laughing out loud.
Mix that humour with a very real and disturbing subject matter and you have an extremely readable, suspenseful novel.

We are again plunged into the world of DI Manon Bradshaw. She is now working part time on cold cases and enjoying that she can work around her childcare commitments. She is still fretting about her weight, her relationship with Mark and Fly, her adopted son. Whilst out for for a walk with her toddler, she discovers a body hanging from a tree. Her new boss asks her to be SIO on the investigation as it is not known if it is suicide or murder at this stage. THe investigation leads to a gang who run work gangs of exploited Lithuanians. Throw in "Wisbech FIrst" a group of anti immigrations and you have a volatile investigation which Manon and her sidekick, Davy have to investigate.
I enjoyed this as I didn't want to put it down and was disappointed when I finished it.

An interesting crime thriller, with very uncomfortable subject matter. A man is found hanging; he turns out to be Lithuanian, a migrant worker. The book then jumps (sometimes quite jarringly) back and forth in time as we learn how he came to die and who was responsible. The plight of the migrant workers, brought over on promises of a better life, but with their passports and money taken away they become little better than slaves, paying off an endless debt to their masters and treated worse than animals. It was really heartbreaking.

The detective assigned to sort all this out - Manon - is an odd character, returning part time from maternity leave, she is feisty but often not very tolerant of procedure or her colleagues' views. I didn't really warm to her, even though she was fighting some serious issues at home as well as at work. She comes over as someone who was better suited to the office than the nursery.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and The Borough Press for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was ‘t aware of the previous books in this series, so read this as a one off and it works brilliantly on its own. DI Manson Bradshaw is an appealing character and all too human, with the usual foibles, but these are not often evident in fictional detectives, so this was a refreshing read. The action springs from Manon discovering a body hanging from a tree while she is in the park with her young son. The case becomes hers to investigate, and in doing so she enters the dark and violent world of illegal immigration. This book is well researched and really brilliantly written, although it did take a little while to get going at the start. What I really enjoyed here was that along with the serious stuff there was real laugh out loud humour too - Manon is quite a character and it is difficult not to love her self deprecation and tendency to speak first and think later, which gets her into some uncomfortable but amusing situations. This book has it all - if you’re not a fan of police procedurals, have a go at this one - it’s terrific!

Really enjoyed this book. A very emotional story that also had me laughing out loud in places a definite roller-coaster of emotions. i missed the other books in the series but still found i could follow this one well enough.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this as an ARC via netgalley

A young man is found hanging from a tree with nothing to identify him. Was is suicide or murder? DI Manon Bradshaw tries to search for the truth before anyone else dies. With potential witnesses too scared to speak to her, will she be able to solve the mystery? I found this book quite hard to get into but it does have a good story and looks at some important issues. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

This book tackles some serious issues but for me it just wasn’t enjoyable. I didn’t particularly like the style of writing r the characters and found it to be incredibly slow paced. Sorry but this book wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and the author for the chance to review.

I read this novel twice. The first time I raced through it. The second time I just enjoyed the writing. Susie Steiner says it herself: she is attracted to writing crime thrillers because it creates the most satisfying reading experience- ‘a page turner with a literary sensibility’. So you’re gripped by the murder mystery, but at the same time you’re totally immersed in the lives of the people affected by it because they’re as well crafted as any you’d find in literary fiction. My perfect kind of crime thriller.

So firstly: the death. The body of a young Lithuanian agricultural worker, Lukas Balsys, is found hanging from a tree. A note pinned to his trousers reads: ‘The dead cannot speak’. Has Lukas been murdered by his brutal gang masters as a warning to other debt-bonded workers? Or have the terrible living conditions suffered by Lukas driven him to suicide?

Steiner’s description of the lives of migrant workers is unforgettable. She has researched their desperate lives down to the smallest detail: the 4am starts; the zero hour contracts; the twelve hours spent catching chickens without gloves in a huge, noisy, stinking industrial shed; the scratches on their hands that keep reopening. And their squalid living conditions: the filthy mattresses infested by lice and bed bugs; the refusal of medical attention; the constant fear of the sadistic, psychopathic gang masters; the confiscation of their passports and bank cards.

But this isn’t a political lecture. Steiner humanises the situation as we get to know the Lithuanians Lukas and Matis and experience their desperation as their heartbreaking dreams of a better life in the UK are shattered. The reader hopes that the police investigation will see justice meted out to the cruel gang masters who have enslaved Lukas and his fellow Lithuanians.

Of course, the reader is delighted to meet DI Manon again. Susie Steiner sums it up: ‘She is prickly and intolerant and her emotional life is forever up and down ... I think this is what has made readers take to her so readily. She isn’t on an even keel and she doesn’t pretend to be’. Manon’s internal monologue is hilarious and I can’t think of any women who wouldn’t identify with her ‘mental load of The Anxiety of it All’: her teenage son sitting his GCSEs, her 4-year old spending too long at the childminders, their bad diet: ‘Too many fags, not enough kale. Too much telly, not enough yoga’. ‘Saggy-bottomed’, Manon and Mark are slogging through life until a health crisis makes Manon reevaluate their relationship.

Steiner has said that writing novels ‘requires the ability to imagine yourself into the psychic life of another’. I love her compassion, which enables her to create fully rounded characters. Even the hate-filled UKipper and suspected murderer Dean is shown to be a disappointed man who channels his bitterness into hatred for migrants. His entrepreneurial daughter Elise, who has an irrepressible zest for life, is a wonderfully drawn character and I would love to see her appear in the next novel.

Finally, I need to mention that I love it when Manon gets on her soap box and rants against society at large. She is absolutely spot on: ‘This is the age of stupid. In place of knowledge people are exalting their gut feeling as if gut feeling is more valuable than being informed’. Absolutely. If she’s on TV, I would love to see her played by a feisty actress like Joanna Scanlon and not some Skinny Minnie. We can hope.

Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.

I do love a good police drama and this book was great. This is the first one I've read of the Manon Bradshaw books, I really liked her as a character, trying to jiggle a demanding job with her family life and crisis that pops up in her friends lives.

The case centres on a body found hanging in a park with a note stuck to the body, it looks suspicious to say the least, so the case is investigated which leads Manon and her colleague Davy into an investigation involving illegal immigrants.

There were parts of the book that felt a bit too close to the bone, as the harsh reality of what people go through when they come to this country for a better life, hits.

Think I will be dipping into Manon's previous cases.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book this is my honest opinion.