I was disappointed with this book. The premise sounded really interesting - a double suicide but the man pulls through. However I felt it was dragged out, the ending was rubbish and the story just seemed to stop.
The story follows Nurse Florence, who meets a just retired couple through her job, the woman seems downtrodden and manipulated and the man seems aggressive and overbearing. Then Florence finds out that there has been a double suicide, but the man pulled through. The story follows Florence trying to work out what happened.
I read lots of thrillers and enjoy the twists and turns but I just found this one dry and nothing really happened.

Florence was a nurse practitioner has a patient, a man and a wife Who keep visiting her Clinic. The wife keeps claiming different symptoms but all her tests keep coming back negative even after months of investigation. The Husband is always there and speaks for the wife whenever the nurse asks her a question. Later the wife is found dead and the husband in a coma in the result of what seems to be a suicide pact. The nurse is convinced that the husband had gaslit his wife into committing suicide, and he took a low-dose of the drug that had killed her so he would only end up in a coma and not die.
That sounded like such an interesting premise for a book, didn’t it? I was excited to get into it, however for about 300 pages, nothing else happens other than nurse Florence dating, dealing with her ex and just regurgitating her suspicion of the circumstances in which the wife died. There were times when I wanted to yell at Florence that fine ok I get it! You don’t think it was a suicide. Can we please move on!

Honestly, if this was not an advance reader copy I would have not finished it. When I receive an arc book, I take it seriously and I make sure to finish it. I hate giving bad reviews. I don’t enjoy it. I know how much work and effort goes into writing a book. I am struggling right now to find something good to say about this one.
If you do wanna read it, just read the blurb and then read the last two chapters of the book and you will know exactly what happened in the entire book.

The mystery sounded very interesting when I read the synopsis, and initially the author was great about making me think something else, but I soon had it figured out. The narrative was somewhat repetitive with the MC repeating things numerous times. Also, it ends rather abruptly and seemed unfinished at the end (although I'm sure it wasn't). All in all, not one of my favorites.

This book was a good read. The writing was very clear and moved the plot along nicely. The characters were likable and compelling. I would recommend.

There were a few twists in this book, but I feel like it was a slow read. It led up to an ending that was less than satisfying. This book was not for me.

Well Considered..
The next instalment in the Nurse Florence Shaw series finds Florence struggling with a recent death, an apparent suicide pact. As her obsession with the mystery grows, she makes discoveries along the way. What is really behind this mystery of a seemingly quiet woman? A well considered and keenly observed slow burn mystery with a deftly drawn cast and a narrative which successfully maintains an unsettling undertone of menace throughout.

2/5.
This book was sooooooo slow and I also felt like it was super repetitive often repeating things from chapter to chapter. Also the ending - uhhh? I guess it’s setting up for another book but seriously it just ends, no real conclusion of anything.

Thanks NetGalley for the early read. But if I were you - I’d skip this book and find another thriller.

Priscilla Masters, The Quiet Woman, Book 2 of A Florence Shaw Mystery, Severn House, July 2024.

Thank you, Net Galley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

The Quiet Woman is an intriguing murder mystery in so many aspects –characterisation, plotting, pace and writing style. Nurse Florence Shaw is a quiet woman, herself, although the title refers to the woman who attends her surgery, the occasions accumulating with no answers, her husband’s irritation and coldness readily apparent, and Florence Shaw’s concerns tumbling throughout her mind as she goes about her other activities.

Dates and times are appended to most chapters so that Florence Shaw’s days hour by hour are accounted for. She wakes, dresses, has breakfast and leaves for work. There she interacts with the receptionists, sees her patients and exchanges warm conversation with Jalissa who brings her lunchtime sandwich. Later she investigates her former husband’s activities with his new partner on the net, or meets friends, one of whom she interacts with increasing frequency. Will and Florence share both an interest in detection and the possibilities of a romance as they spend time getting to know each other better.

Florence’s detection brings her into contact with the Clays, their daughter and past staff from the surgery. She is also concerned about her patient on a quit smoking program. He is an oddly appealing young man of questionable behaviour that is likely to get him into serious trouble. A lot of Florence’s detection is based on her experience of the couple and understandings about controlling partners. However, she is constantly brought up short as another part of the puzzle quietly slips into place.

This is the first of Patricia Masters’ books that I have read. Book 2 , while drawing to a satisfactory conclusion in relation to the mystery, also leaves an intriguing trail to be followed. I look forward to a sequel to The Quiet Woman and intend to read Book 1 in the series. I realise that I have missed a treat that needs to be rectified, so thank you again, NetGalley for an excellent introduction to a writer it would have been sad to miss.

A decent thriller but all I could think about is geez, this nurse is really obsessed with this couple.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

On the whole I enjoyed this book. It was a quick easy read. Part of the mystery surrounding the deaths was quite easily guessed mid way through.
The pacing was fairly good but not spectacular.
The ending felt very abrupt and a bit off. I suppose it’s setting up for another book but it felt like there should be at least another chapter. Plenty of loose ends left.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy to review.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
Nurse Florence has been seen by Christine and Richard Clay often. Christine has many complaints about her health, but it's always her husband who speaks for her... in a very cold and irritated way. Florence worries about her and feels her husband is way too controlling. When the news comes that Christine is dead and Richard in hospital, it's deemed a suicide pact gone wrong. A horrified Florence promises herself she'll find the truth - she's certain Richard killed Christine.
This is a thoughtful and suspenseful book that has quite a few surprising events in it and I liked it very much. Can't wait for the follow-up!