Remain Silent, the third in Susie Steiner’s series about DI Manon Bradshaw, is not an easy book to write about. Superficially it is a police procedural, and like all good police procedurals these days it deals with a subject that is of current social concern: in this instance the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers and the ill-feeling expressed towards them by some members of the communities in which they are housed. However, there is much more to this book than simply a straightforward narrative journey taking us through the crime, the investigation and the arrest, and that ‘more’ is to do with the difficulties that  Manon faces as a working mother, trying to combine her commitment to her children with an ailing partner and a demanding and responsible job.  So what’s new, you might well ask. Almost every police procedural that you pick up features a main protagonist who has major difficulties in their personal lives. Absolutely, the difference here is that the difficulties that Manon faces are realistic. She isn’t trying to deal with the fact that somebody has knifed both her parents, that she is in a same sex relationship and nobody must know, or even that she has an illegitimate child by another police officer. She is simply facing the day-to-day problems that must make life so complicated for someone whose job means that she doesn’t know when she’s next going to be able to get home and play her part in family responsibilities. Steiner’s books are not just police procedurals, they are also about the problems faced by professional workers who feel themselves torn between two different sets of commitments. So, with that in mind, I’m going to split what I have to say about Remain Silent into two sections. Firstly, a bit about the crime and the social situation which gives rise to it and secondly some thoughts about what Steiner has to say on the subject of the realities of trying to cope with the pressures of both a job and a family in a world that looks for perfection in how a woman handles both.

Steiner’s novels are set in the Fenlands and as such it was only a matter of time before she tackled the question of immigrant workers - the way in which they are brought into the country and the exploitation and abuse that is their lot once they arrive here. In this case, the plight of a particular group of Lithuanian men working in a chicken factory is brought to police notice when one of them is found hanging from a tree. The question is whether he was murdered or if his death was suicide; the answer will dictate how the death is investigated. Steiner splits her narrative between the enquiry and the background into the journey two of the migrants, Matis and Lukas, make from their home in Klaipeda.  Matis has been the driving force behind the decision having

made the common mistake of thinking relocation equals reinvention, thinking his old self wouldn’t follow him across Europe.
Lukas has been less keen. He is leaving behind a loving family and a girlfriend, who will eventually be used as hostage for his silence and compliance. It is Lukas’s body that has been found.

The people responsible for the exploitation and abuse of Matis and his companions are fellow Lithuanians, running the usual racket of taking the wages of the men to ‘pay’ for their journey and living costs. However, local people are not adverse to making use of their services as well if it means that they have to fork out less than they would to a British worker. Even the Tuckers, who live next door to the house where the men are billeted, and who complain bitterly about the ill-kept accommodation and the rubbish-filled front garden, are quite happy to have a little cheap plumbing done on the quiet, and the gang master has got a nice little sideline in garden paving on the go. The Tuckers, however, are not the only people to complain about the presence of the migrants in their community. Onto the scene march the supporters of One Wisbech: English jobs for English people. Stop the flood. Foreigners go home. Led by Dean Singlehurst they troop down the cul-de-sac where the migrants live, waving their banners and shouting their slogans. If Lukas’s death does turn out to have been murder the suspect pool is pretty wide.

In many respects Steiner doesn’t have anything particularly new to say about a problem that has been well documented by press and news reports. What she does do, however, is reflect the ongoing frustration and helplessness that is felt both by the police who are trying to deal with the legal issues raised and the ordinary people who have to live with the situation on a day-to-day basis, be they the migrants themselves or the other people in their communities. And this, I think, is where the strength of her writing lies. One of the points that she picks up on is the way in which there is so often a knee-jerk reaction to a situation about which we actually know very little and how inappropriate that reaction therefore is. Knowing very little, she says, is fine if you know that you know very little: that you know that you don’t know what you don’t know. The problem comes with those people who don’t know that they don’t know what they don’t know:

this is the age of stupid. In place of knowledge people are exalting their gut feeling as if that feeling is more valuable than being informed. When actually, what gut feeling generally is, is prejudice.
Steiner also has important points to make about the consequences of the way in which society has encouraged, in particular, men to feel that they have a right to be happy and empowered all the time.  She speaks of

marginalised white men of a certain age.

These men are equally wrongfooted by clever young women, clever young Muslims, clever young gay men – anyone who appears to have access to the crucial information they lack. Information about modernity, how to live, how to prosper, how it all works.
Even Mark, Manon’s  partner, when he has taken ill, refuses to talk about how he is and what is happening. Mark is a good man but admitting that he is in a situation in which he is powerless is something that he simply doesn’t know how to do. That way frustration lies and frustration often leads to some sort of inappropriate outburst.

And then there is the way in which she addresses Manon’s problems juggling a relationship, her children, her friends, and her work. Rather than worrying about whether or not her double life is about to be exposed, or her adoptive brother is about to  crawl out of the woodwork and attack her, or her family‘s history of involvement in drug-running is going to come to light, Manon is much more concerned with the same sort of things that will concern any working mum. Is she going to be able to pick the children up after school? Is her relationship suffering because of the hours she is working? Is she putting weight on? How can she deal with the seemingly never-ending exhaustion? Manon Bradshaw is a real human being with ordinary everyday concerns and Steiner’s work reminds me of how many of the leading characters, not just in police procedurals, but much of genre fiction, are not.

Remain Silent works as an extremely good crime novel, but it is even better at exploring the pressures that a professional working mum, one who cannot simply walk away from the job because her shift is over, faces on a daily basis. Whether Manon decides to stay in the job or comes to the conclusion that enough is enough is something we will only know if there is a fourth book in the series.

With thanks to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for a review copy.

It took a while to grab my attention , but my recommendation is to stick with it.

DI Manon Bradshaw is an incredible character with hangup and problems but full of wit and wisdom.

The story line brings home how migrant workers can be exploited and their lack of resources.

This is a well written and engrossing thriller/detective novel and well worth reading if this is your genre.

When I accepted this ARC from the publishers I was not aware that Remain Silent is the third book in the DS Manon Bradshaw series. There is clearly a back story that it would have been beneficial to be aware of before embarking on this read. I found it confusing that Manon starts as a DS and about a third of the way through is referred to as a DI. Her bagman is DS Davy Walker and there is humorous banter between them. But is this a police procedural or a kitchen-sink drama, set as it is amongst the Lithuanian slave labour community of Wisbech. Their plight is discussed in great detail for a significant part of the book and Manon's usual part-time environment of cold cases is interrupted when she finds one of these poor souls hanging from a tree when she is out walking her young son. Was this murder or suicide?

Many other reviewers have expanded on the plot, which I found rather turgid, although it is well written. I was stunned to learn that the author is suffering with a brain tumour, which reveals an incredible level of fortitude on her part.

Nevertheless, not the best police procedural I have read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review! Definitely a high three stars, just didn’t wow me enough to earn four. I loved the plot basis for this involving the exploitation of Lithuanian workers and the characters were, for the most part, strong. I enjoyed overall how the narrative panned out and had no issues with red herrings or plot twists. The book, despite being the third in a series, works perfectly fine as a stand-alone to a reader who knows nothing about Manon.

My main gripes come from the diversions to the overarching plot: they seemed unnecessary and irrelevant with no real follow-up, reliant on later sequels to tie the strings. One or two of these is fine but there were so many to keep up with and no real conclusions! There were also some off descriptions here and there I found issue with, personal (least) favourites including a character being attractive on the basis of looking like ‘a malnourished Harry Styles’, as well as another character being attractive despite appearing about twelve years old. These really detracted from my overall experience so while the plot was great, room for improvement!

I couldn't make my mind up between a 4 or a 5 rating so I rounded down.
Just before I started reviewing the book I skimmed one or two earlier reviews and someone had said (to paraphrase) 'the book is a bit hard work to begin with but stick with it as it turns into an excellent police crime thriller. I fully agree with this.
There were one or two places - often the before sections - where I felt there was a bit too much detail to work through but conversely the police interactions and one-liners were some of the best I have ever read in a book. The primary character, Manon, is brilliantly covered with wicked humorous comments intermixed.
Definitely a book that should not be missed.

The setting is Wisbech and the exploitation of a Eastern European men and women in the local agricultural industry. One of these men is found hanged.

That's enough of the story, as the main police detective, DI Manon Bradshaw comes along and we are treated to a superb central character. She is helped along, in no better hands than Ms Steiner, with her black humour and deep characterisation.

Yes, it is a police procedural case with some graphic description of the working conditions and the gang masters. However,the book is more than that, for instance after about 3/4 of the narrative we are treated to Manon's views on her 'specialist subject'' - marriage! That was pure entertainment and yet a further insight into this lovable character.

I cannot believe this could be the last in the series, but in any event I will have the joy of reading her previous books. I am just trying to visualise the actress who could play Manon should the book be 'made for television'' My favourite book of the year in this genre!

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the chance to read and review the book..

My first book by Susie Steiner featuring DI Manon Bradshaw, in fact this book is third in the series but you can read it as a stand alone.
A slow start, Manon is out walking one day with her toddler, Teddy in Wisbech when she finds the body of a migrant worker hanging from a tree with a note pinned to it. A good story featuring the current migrant situation, and brilliant police procedurals. Manon is put on the case as SIO and the story builds up as Manon investigates. She finds it hard going as she deals with her personal problems and that of the migrants living in appalling conditions for low pay. Gripping and thought provoking. Recommended.

I was sent a link to this book by the Borough/Harper Fiction team as I had previously reviewed another of their publications, The Binding (if you have managed not to hear about this book, stop right now and go and get a copy; or the audio book which is narrated by Carl Prekopp – fantastic). I don’t often read police procedurals, tending rather to historical fiction, but when you’re given a book for free… Anyway, it sat there for a while until I had finished all my library books (coronavirus is good for something, after all). I saw then that it was the third in a series. But, fear not! I had a look on my poor neglected Kindle and there, among the books I download each month thanks to my Times newspaper subscription, were the first *and* second books in the series. Ta da!
I liked Susie Steiner’s writing immediately. The characters, especially the police team, each has his or her traits and foibles as in any ensemble cast but they still feel believable and the dialogue is realistic. Yes, Manon has a troubled past and chaotic present like so many before her but how else do you make a police officer lead protagonist interesting? I like that the references to real places, shops, newspapers and programmes seem to be written with a switched-on British audience in mind: some knowledge is assumed but description or explanation when it is required is done with a light touch. Likewise, references to the use of technology are realistic rather than clunky.
Having each chapter told from the point of view of a different character doesn’t come across as contrived, and it allows us to hear their inner monologues. It’s funny too. Manon in particular has some cracking one-liners, in dialogue and thought. Birdie in the second book is comedy gold.
Remain Silent focuses on deaths among illegal immigrant slave workers. It’s a grim reminder of the things that go on so close to us yet unobserved. It doesn’t feel preachy, though – the Lithuanian characters are as fully drawn as the others so I was interested in their fates.
You could easily read Remain Silent without having read the first two books, but I urge you to read them all because they’re so enjoyable. Like all good series, while the details of the current case are interesting, it’s wanting to know what’s going on in the recurring characters’ lives that keeps you coming back. That I read all three stories back to back without even considering something else in between tells you what page-turners these are.

I'd not read any of Susie Steiner's previous book, so didn't know what to expect with this. It was obvious that DI Manon Bradshaw was an established character, but it was easy to read and enjoy the book even without knowing any of the background story.

Set in a familiar world of anti-immigration movements, with a familiar politician type making appearances, the book goes between the "before" - telling the story of how two Lithuanian men came to the UK and what happened to them - and the "now". A man is found dead in a local park by Manon, but the death is suspicious and the local anti-immigration movement have been complaining about a house where Lithuanian migrants are living. Organised crime are involved with the men, who are being exploited. The scenario is recognisable, but Steiner manages to make (almost) everyone sympathetic and there's a level of dark humour throughout as well. Lots of issues to think about so would be a good book club book if you were looking for a crime novel, plus it's an enjoyable read.

This is the first novel I have read by Susie Steiner and I enjoyed it, so it is easily possible to read as a stand-alone even though it is part of a series. This is the third one.

DI Manon Bradshaw works for Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the back drop of the Fens is close to my heart so, I could easily imagine the landscape.

The body of a migrant worker is found hanging from a tree with no indication that it is anything other than suicide. The investigation takes her into the murky underworld of migrant workers and how poorly they are treated by everyone. The novel exposes the dreadful living conditions these imported agricultural workers are subjected to. They are no more than slaves and the author does not hold back.

As the investigation continues, I began to warm to Manon and her sense of humour. There are numerous twists and turns as the gang leaders are sought.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Susie Steiner for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Recommended.

I hadn't read a Manon Bradshaw novel before this one but found the plot addictive, intelligent & with an excellent dose of humour to balance the darkness of the narrative. I also thought it a welcome change in terms of plot / heroine with the usual crime fayre on offer so will recommend this highly.

I’m not one for murder/crime novels, but Remain Silent has a very realistic storyline, and describes very much what could be happening or even does happen within modern day slavery rings, now.

Set mainly in a small town, Wisbech, two men, Lukas and Matis, leave their home town of Klaipeda in Lithuania on a life changing journey to the UK in the hopes
of starting a new life, earning money and living well. Little do Lukas and Matis know, they have actually been recruited by a Lithuanian gangmaster who enslaves them, with many other men, in one house and their lives become even worse then before.

The story interweaves the lives of a few characters, giving their perspective of the story, but is mainly told from the side of Manon, a detective, whom loves her work, but is at risk of losing her career, and juggling her life with a her sick husband, an older teenage son, and a toddler.

Slavery, misery, deprivation, scheming, racism, pregnancy, and death are themes within this crime story.

I did enjoy this book, just not quite enough to keep me hooked from start to finish. (not in one sitting anyway)

It was well written and most certainly keeps you guessing, but I found it was lacking in suspense and wasn't particularly creepy. Excellent writing style and clearly well researched. I'd definitely read more from this author

Highly recommended, I could not put it down. This is an absolutely brilliant book in the crime thriller genre. The pace is excellent, the story is topical and a fascinating insight into the lives of people who live 'under the radar' in our society. The characters are sympathetically drawn. But despite the dark subject matter, there is a lot of subtle humor too. I will now be looking for other books by this author.

I hadn't read the first two books in the series but it didn't make a difference. The plot of Eastern European workers and their harsh treatment in England, both by their employers and the general public, was heartbreaking, not in the least because it's based on reality. This background, along with the very human depiction of Manon, made this book a fantastic read. I'll be looking for the first two books in the series, along with any future novels.

"The sense of good overcoming evil, the thread she tries to grasp at in every case, is well and truly buried in this one...Perhaps cold cases and being home by five isn't such a bad gig."

Working for Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Detective Inspector Manon Bradshaw is pulled off reliable cold cases and more time at home with toddler, Teddy, for a murder investigation. Manon encounters the body of Lithuanian migrant worker, Lukas, hanged in a tree in the park she and Teddy visit. It doesn't look like suicide. This takes her into the murky world of indebted migrant workers and to right-wing extremists in the form of Wisbech One. Along with long-term, loyal colleague Detective Sergeant Davy Walker they investigate to find out who is responsible for Lukas's death.

A cut above other police procedurals, Steiner writes with confidence and humour. Manon is a protagonist to enjoy, as good as any classic detective, struggling yet determined and witty. The miserable lives of the migrant workers are fully described in what must be horrifying reality. Numerous twists and turns in this pacy and riveting plot lead to an unexpected conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this superb police procedural. Literary crime fiction at its best with a glorious and engaging protagonist.

Just after submitting the original manuscript for this book, Susie Steiner was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumour. Following surgery twelve months ago, she is back entertaining us on Twitter and I wish her well, send her love.

3.,5 stars

Despite having loved the previous two Manon Bradshaw books, I was initially unsure that I'd make it to the end of Remain Silent.

Slow start, but galloped to a nerve wracking ending! Fascinating themes of exploitation, racism, dysfunctional family and middle age crises.

The writing was a bit frenetic at times, and I don't think I'd have continued if I wasn't already familiar with the protagonist.

You know when you decide to read the 2nd or 3rd in a series and wish you had read the ones before? Yep this is one of them!

Maybe it's because I hadn't read the first two in the series but I just didnt 'get' the lead character Manon Bradshaw at all and in all honesty I didnt click with any of the characters. I didn't dislike them but I didn't like them either. Having no emotional attachment to a story is a major downer for me.

The story was slow going and dragged on and there just wasn't the tension or suspense I've come to expect from this genre.

There was also so much going on and too much switching between narrators for me to actually enjoy this book.

I don't want to rate unfairly as I do think if I'd read the previous 2 I might feel more connected to the characters so for that I'm giving 2.5*

Thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

I’m a big fan of the Detective Inspector Manon Bradshaw novels.
In this book she finds the body of a Lithuanian migrant hanging from a tree in the local park, and leads the investigation into the events surrounding his untimely death.
The plot is interesting and centres around the local group of immigrant-hating white supremacists, but it’s really Manon’s irreverent and down to earth style that wins me over.
Steiner writes her with so much humour and reality.
You can read this as a stand-alone novel but I’d definitely recommend reading all the Manon Bradshaw novels.
Thoroughly recommended.

Oh dear, I'm in a complete minority here. Although the writing is good the story is just too harrowing and probably realistic for me and. along with a very annoying police detective, I only managed half way and that was a struggle.. Appalling treatment of migrants brought to England to work in desperate conditions, minuscule pay, horrible jobs anyway (not that the obscene, racist English in there would have done the work in any case - perhaps we should be more willing to pay the real cost of producing vegetables and chickens for a change - all terrified for their lives and one of them murdered. DI Manon Bradshaw heads the team investigating this - forever grumbling about her partner, weight, appearance, the awful Tweeting boss (there I do agree with her) but with small bursts of humour and an awful lot of me me me even when her partner is diagnosed with cancer. She's generally unpleasant, angry and unsympathetic. What finished it for me was her approach to a man who didn't stop for her at a level crossing and another who shouted that she could have said thanks when he did. It's the law and he should have stopped, yes, but equally a bit of courtesy never hurt anyone. She was having another bad day, perhaps the drivers were too. Final straw. Having now read the reviews I do wonder whether we're talking about the same book. I understand that the author herself is seriously ill and perhaps some of the anger in the book stems from that - understandable. I hope very much that she recovers and that other reviewers get their wish of more Manon. No thanks. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.