Well I’m a little bit speechless. What an absolutely brilliant book from the beginning, right up to the end!

Did I start yet another series halfway through? Yes I did. This is book three in the DI Grace Archer series, but there was enough backstory to the characters to allow enjoyment as a standalone. Twisty, captivating + cleverly plotted, with a large cast of characters and multiple perspectives + timelines, this was tense + shocking and though I thought I’d figured out the killer, I was wrong + was left reeling!

(3.5 rounded up to 4🌟)

Grace and Harry are back to work watching over their shoulders after their run in with Frankie White from the last book. Grace’s grandad is poorly and she is worrying about him, Frankie’s threats and also a new serial killer is on the loose.
This was another cracking read in this series. I love the characters and their banter. Are there some simmering feelings between Harry and Grace?!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Read it, loved it, off to buy a physical copy :)

I absolutely love this series! So much going on, the pacing is excellent, no let up at all.

There's the usual gore and grit that we've come to expect from David Fennell and the characters are really well described and fleshed out.

Congrats on this fab book.

This is an awesome crime thriller book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. This is the third book in the series, and I'll definitely be reading the first two!

We were in the thick of it right from the start with this book. There is immediate action, so I was gripped straight away!

I look forward to reading more of David's work!

This police procedural starts off with a brutal murder, followed by a couple of different storylines involving DI Archer.
At first, I was mixing them up a bit and couldn't really tell what was going on. But as I started to follow the characters and the different settings fairly early on, I got really caught up in the plot. By that point I had a hard time putting the book down.
The main characters were likable to me, but some of the secondary ones were downright insufferable. It was done on purpose by the author and it reinforced the storyline, so that didn't bother me at all.
It is an overall great police procedural to add to your to be read list if the genre appeals to you. And even though it is part of a series, it is easy to follow and you don't need to have read the previous two installments. It has no impact on the quality of the writing one way or the other, as it flows fluently. If you haven't read anything by Fennell yet, then I suggest you should start today! And The Silent Man is a great police procedural to sink your teeth into.

This was a good book i enjoyed reading it the story went so well with the characters and bought the book alive excellent 5*

The third in the DI Grace Archer series sees the team hunt a creepy serial killer who suffocates his victims. Though there are two separate storylines, neither hinder the narrative pace. I love all the characters, Grace troubled by the execution of her policeman father and her abduction as a child, remains kind and intuitive in her job and protective of her frail grandfather and colleagues. I look forward to more books in this series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

The Silent Man by David Fennell is the third book in the DI Grace Archer series.
In short, DI Archer and DS Quinn are on the hunt for a serial killer with an unusual MO, alongside this disturbing case DI Archer is the prime target for a criminal gang and it’s personal.
This is the first book I’ve read by David Fennell and I raced through it, it’s packed with tense, gritty drama which expertly switches between the two plots and with a third thread which is the heart of the story.
I simply loved it, very clever and brilliantly characterised…and it seems that this is not the end of DI Archer, which makes me happy. I’m definitely looking forward to read more from this author.
Big thanks to David Fennell, Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

By time you are reading this it will be September – as ever I am stunned how fast the year is whizzing in. Time flies when you have great books to read eh? As the nights gently start to darken and you are searching for a new series to snuggle up with, check out David Fennell’s DI Grace Archer series. The Silent Man is book three and a book I had been eagerly anticipating as part of my Summer reads. As you’ll see from the blurb, there is a serial killer, with a particularly grim means of leaving behind their victims, striking without any clear connection. To investigate this is challenge enough, to do so when your life is under threat in more than one way is beyond what most people could stand. Archer isn’t most people though and she faces this task head on and refuses to be driven away.

David’s writing has a knack of drawing you in early and then constantly giving you little somethings to keep you reading. The first few chapters set off several plotlines for the book and make clear the scale of the threat to Archer. She is a much braver woman than I am and I admired her determination. She’s a lead character who has been through the mill and has faced trauma that many wouldn’t or couldn’t recover from, her resilience is amazing but she has weak spots which others can get to and use against her. She’s someone who I keep coming back to and hope that you will also love.

I felt quite anxious reading parts of The Silent Man – there are uncomfortable scenes but nothing outwith any other thriller and to be fair, it wouldn’t be such a tense read without these scenes. If you are a fan of crime and thriller novels then I think you’ll enjoy unpicking the puzzle.

I definitely think you can read The Silent Man as a stand-alone story but I think you would get more out of it if you’d also read The Art of Death and See No Evil beforehand. Having recommended The Art of Death many times and having heard the excellent feedback from those I suggested it to, I think starting here would tee you up nicely for you next few reads, before hopefully awaiting the next instalment in the series

Davi’s Fennells series with DI Grace Archer and her partner DS Harry Quinn, keeps getting better with each book, this is book 3 and Grace is still juggling her career and caring for her delightful Grandad and all the time looking over her shoulder after threats from just released convict gangland boss Frankie White. Also just to complicate matters. someone is killing random people and leaving a drawn on face on their covered faces.
There is plenty going on with in the story it is very multi layered which keeps the reader enthralled and even if you haven’t read the previous two novels it would still work as a standalone book. Definitely a book to read.

It seems there is a killer on the loose in London. They enter a family home in the middle of the night and, while the child sleeps, they suffocate the father and wrap duct tape all over his face, drawing a face on it. The police team, led by DI Grace Archer and her partner DS Harry Quinn, are investigating the murders in a race against time before the killer strikes again, but the victims don’t seem to be connected and the killer leaves no trace behind. In the meantime, Grace has other things on her mind. Not only her grandfather’s health is quickly declining, but there is a price on her head from a gangster who is determined to eliminate her entire family, no matter the cost.

I haven’t read the previous books in the DI Grace Archer and DS Harry Quinn series, but the backstory is simple to follow and the characters easy to familiarize with, so it can be read as a standalone.

The characters are complex and well-developed and I especially liked DI Grace Archer, clever, confident, and strong and I enjoyed her close and easy relationship with her partner DS Harry Quinn.

There is so much going on in this book. A serial killer targeting families, gangsters at war with each other, a detective in danger, corrupt police officers, secrets and betrayals, and much more. It is dark, chilling, and immersive, and the twists just keep coming until the last page. The pace is fast, the suspense is high, and emotions are strong. And I loved every page of it!

A thrilling crime novel. DI Grace Archer is not only on the hunt to bring down a gangland boss, he's on the hunt for her too . A great partnership of Archer and her colleague Harry Quinn . There's so much going on in this book, The threats against Archer's family, the justice for her father . A tough murder investiogation made this book very hard to put it down.

"The Silent Man" by David Fennell is a gripping thriller that takes readers on a chilling journey through the dark underbelly of London. With a serial killer on the loose and a dangerous gangster on their trail, detectives Grace Archer and Harry Quinn face a race against time to uncover the disturbing connection between seemingly unrelated victims. Fennell's suspenseful storytelling keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

This is the third book in the trilogy involving Met police officers Grace Archer and her sharp-as-a-tack, sarcastic partner Harry Quinn. Grace was brought up by her Granddad and he features highly in the book. Grace and Harry’s relationship is purely professional (if they have history then it’s not alluded to in The Silent Man).

There are three main threads here. A sadistic killer is on the loose having murdered a father who is discovered with his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. His young son is left alive though. His wife was out at the time.

Gangster Frankie White (who I guess is a major player in the first two books) is responsible for the death of Grace’s father and has designs on her too. She knows that neither she nor Granddad will ever be safe while he and his mobsters are at large.

Finally we have a totally unrelated story. Fourteen-year-old Brynn is bullied at school and abused by his drunken father at home. His mother left years ago to run off with another man and he hasn’t seen her since. His only friend is Iris, who has come to stay next door. She is also bullied because she wears a helmet to protect her head when she has an epileptic fit and falls over. The bullies call her Epi-Iris.

I will warn you that parts of the story are really quite graphic and gruesome, but also emotionally heart-wrenching and often seem personal. Brynn’s treatment by his father is harder to read at times than the murders.

It’s a brilliant book, far better than the average crime thriller – The Silent Man is about as creepy and chilling as they come. I know it is the final chapter in the series but there are hints that there may be more to come.

Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour and to NetGalley for an ARC

I regret not having read David Fennell's earlier books on my TBR pile before being introduced to the author with this cracking read.

It seized my attention from the first page and never relinquished it. The plot is full of murder, darkness, and unexpected turns. It kept me guessing until the very end.

Despite personal issues with a sick grandad and a looming threat, DI Grace Archer is tasked with investigating the strange murder of Jason Todd, who was killed at home with his son nearby, who is left unharmed.

Archer and Quinn's investigation is accompanied by an approaching danger. With the escalation of threats against Archer. There’s a big chance neither Archer nor Quinn will live long enough to see this case through and what a case it is!! I loved the many shocks, humorous, and macabre moments that the story had, and the killer was a complete surprise.

What caught my attention was the relationship between Grace and her team, who remain loyal to her while still being able to challenge her. It feels authentic.

I highly recommend this brilliant read to others and plan to catch up on the books I missed in the series as soon as possible.

This is a challenging read, with multiple story lines that tackle abuse, intimidation, violence and murder, anyone who has read the previous Grace Archer novels (you can read this as a stand alone but I would definitely encourage reading them from the start) will have more than a nodding acquaintance with the issues Archer is up against.

Her family (her wonderful grandfather) are on constant alert after Grace has put away the grandson of a local crime figure, who has subsequently died in prison.

Also she has this thing about organised crime not being something she will turn a blind eye to, and is not manipulated by fear, greed, or promises of glory therefore Grace has to live with a state of constant alert of where the next threat is coming from.

Her father was killed by Frankie White's goons, so from the very start of the book you have this sense of tension and angst that leaves me baffled as to how she managed to hold down such a high pressured job whilst worrying about her Grandfather who is this wonderful character, fiercely protected by a neighbourly widow with a naughty twinkle in her eye (completely love the scenes between these two, they are just fab!)

So the book starts at full throttle with a very clear shot across Grace's bow, and a particularly nasty murder which put me in mind of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon.  

It remains one of my favourite books so I am comparing the tension there, and the scene building not in any way suggesting it is derivative, I genuinely had cold shivers reading the murders that the Silent Man commits.

There is a third arm to the structural narrative, involving a boy who suffers the most horrendous abuse, and the light shone into it by a friendly young girl , also an outcast and bullied , because she has epilepsy . As the mother of an epileptic daughter, I really appreciated the portrayal of her frustration , and how people see her as 'Epi-Iris' , all except Brynn, this bullied and put upon boy. Brynn is Welsh, out of place, without a mother and his father is, well, no spoilers but it's heart-breaking what Brynn goes through.

As you navigate through the police investigation, it dovetails with the Frankie White arc and you gradually see where Brynn and Iris fit together. It's a lightning bolt moment and really challenges the way you consider what makes a killer, especially when you compare that to the police corruption angle, where Grace is fighting not only those outside the law, but those within it who seek to subvert it for their own personal gains.

That to me, is so scary, that those who are meant to maintain the thin blue line, are using it to advance themselves for financial gain, and contrasts beautifully with Harry Quinn and Grace who have this very firm moral compass. 

Investigating this baffling set of murders with seemingly no connection between them is one thing, having to watch your back is another and when those close to you literally are in the firing line, Grace comes put all guns blazing to protect those she loves.

It's an action packed, meaningful novel, where you have a sense of an ending, but at the same time, there is this hint of a door which is ajar for Grace to walk through at any time in the future. It's a trilogy, but that doesn't mean we have seen the last of Grace and her team, just that they might feature in a very different way, though how she will manage to be a supplemental character when she is so much larger than life will be interesting to read!


I love the dynamics between Grace and her team, the unwavering loyalty they have towards her whilst still being able to call her out when she is wrong, it feels very real.

The panic and frustration in catching the Silent Man is very palpable and in creating characters whose emotions you invest in, nit just the police procedural aspect although again, you could read it for that alone and be completely satisfied. What is the stand out feature for me, is the way the team work, it's all about Grace but it is so much bigger than that and allowing her to be a feature but not the focus of this book shows a writer with an excellent understanding of his characters who create a multi-layered, tense and thought provoking thriller. Absolutely loved it!

I greatly enjoyed David Fennell’s first Grace Archer book, The Art of Death and the follow up, See No Evil, so I was more than excited to read the third in the series, The Silent Man.

These books are distinctly on the dark side of crime fiction and this police procedural featuring D.I. Grace Archer and D.S. Harry Quinn deals with another set of cruel deaths at the hands of a disturbed killer.

Grace Archer is a great character; a police inspector with a terrible past to overcome – a past that still disturbs her sleep on a regular basis. She has courage and tenacity and is a caring and compassionate granddaughter who worries about her grandfather more than ever even while she is a driven and relentless workaholic.

The Silent Man opener is suitably gruesome and horrific. A father is murdered, his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. We are also given an insight into the dehumanising treatment of a nameless young boy that really both disturbs and stirs at the heart strings.

Grace also has to deal with a clear threat to herself and her family. Frankie White, a local gangster, has threatened both Grace and the people she loves and it’s clear that he intends to be relentless in his attacks until he can bring her down.

The intensity of a serial killer on her patch, coupled with the threat to her own family following the murder of her father, raises the stress levels and gives the book a tremendous pace from the outset.

In The Silent Man, the killer takes a perverse pleasure in surprising his victims and then murdering them in the cruellest and most distinctive manner. It is a murder that has the Police scratching their heads as there’s no obvious suspect and no clear motive to point them in anyone’s direction. It’s the worst kind of crime; that seemingly random selection of a victim who appears silently in their homes and dispatches them with ruthless efficiency, leaving behind only the grotesque motif of that crudely drawn downturned mouth.

Fennell keeps us on edge by letting the reader into information that Archer and Quinn don’t have. As we are privy to a narrative that gives us a deeper understanding of what might be going on and puts us through a range of emotions, tearing at our heart strings even as we shudder at the brutality of a savage killer.

I loved the way that Fennell keeps the reader constantly on edge, throwing in surprises like grenades and attacking our emotions as well as our fear. It’s a real skill to make such horrible crimes speak to us about the nature of the killer and Fennell delivers that in spades.

Verdict: Tense, emotional, thoroughly enjoyable. I love this series which just keeps getting better.

This is the first book I've read by David Fennell and I'm certain it won't be my last.
Had I known this was 3rd in the series my quirky self would have purchased and read the first two beforehand lol.

Crammed with twists and turns I was gripped from the get go. Full of murder and suspense I couldn't stop reading.

I definitely will be looking to buy more of this series. Thank you Netgalley.

This is the third book featuring police detectives Grace Archer and Harry Quinn and in The Silent Man we actually get two stories running simultaneously. The first is Grace's ongoing battle against her nemesis and well-known gangster Frankie White. Frankie has dominated Grace's life and career as a police detective after killing her father and then going on to target Grace and her grandfather as revenge for the events that took place in the previous book See No Evil. This storyline showcases the darker side of London, the criminal and drugs scene and, particularly in this book, looks a lot at the effect of police corruption and how this impacts on the safety of the other officers and detectives.

The second side to this story is the actual police investigation, and it's an especially creepy one. A killer is entering the houses of their victims in the early evening and attacking while the victims are getting ready for bed. Before leaving, the killer covers the head of the victim in tape and draws a terrifying face onto the tape like a mask. With the number of victims racking up, Grace an Quinn don't have much to go on, just petty conflicts and rumours between a group of people. The two detectives and their team need to work out the connection between all of the victims quickly before anyone else is targeted.

I've read all three of the books in this series so I knew going into this story that it would be dark. However, I really feel like this book is the most traumatic - the killer's method is especially horrific and the descriptions of each attack were terrifying. I think that the fact that these attacks were very plausible was what made it so horrible. It wasn't a far-fetched setup, something that could actually happen and the fact that the killer was letting themselves into peoples houses and waiting to pounce undetected while they all thought they were safe is a truly scary thought.

A brilliant crime thriller, full of twists and shocking moments and definitely on the darker side of the scale. The Silent Man had me fooled a couple of times and is certainly not a book to read at home alone with the lights out!