This is a great thriller. The inner voice of our main character screams to make it to the outside world. I was on the edge of my seat through most of this read. The ending is so good.

A gripping, haunting psychological thriller about a mute girl, living locked in isolation with a serial killer father and unloving mother.

Born mute Alice has never known a normal life. Kept from the outside world by her cruel mother and overbearing father, her only friend is her neighbour Hailey with whom she communicates through sign language.

When Alice’s father is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Alice listens to his feverish drug-induced ramblings. And then, in his final days, he reveals something Alice never expected. He confesses to murdering several women.

Shocked and disbelieving, Alice confides in Hailey. Together, they vow to find the truth and decide to journey her father’s old routes as a travelling salesman. A pattern begins to emerge, connecting him to various missing women, before the pair discovers the real reason why Alice lost her ability to speak. And how she is at the centre of her father’s crimes…


Slow reveal, had me gripped and read in a day. Complex characters, lots of twists and turns, some you could see coming, others not. Covers dark family secrets, self-discovery on a journey to find out the truth. Great all round read that will keep you gripped with a blinder of an ending

Thanks to Netgalley and Sandra Paul for early Arc. This is my honest review


#netgalley
#thegirlwithoutavoice

By the end of the first chapter Sandra J Paul had me totally immersed in Alice’s story. A mute woman who is confined to her home with her negligent parents, Alice’s knowledge of the outside world comes from tv and books and what her parents choose to tell her. On her father’s deathbed Alice finds out her dad may be responsible for a number of murders and that her mutism may not be exactly what she has been led to believe. With the help of Hailey, a neighbour that she has been communicating with in secret, Alice finally leaves the confines of her home to find out the truth about her father and in turn, herself.
I thought this was a great story with strong characters and plot. I did think however, it was a bit unrealistic that Alice would manage to cope so well so quickly in the outside world considering she had never set foot outside her home (except to be in her backyard) 🤔 The twists were good and kept me guessing right until the end. Speaking of the end, I was very happy with where and how the story finishes and that it wasn’t a regular happily ever after.
Thank you to Netgalley and Datura for the arc for review.

"The Girl Without a Voice" tells the fascinating yet heart breaking story of Alice, a girl born mute & trapped in a life shaped by silence, fear & isolation. This isn’t just any thriller — it’s a psychological & emotional rollercoaster.

Alice immediately struck me as vulnerable & helpless, someone who could shatter instantly if you so much as brush against her. I just wanted to wrap her in a blanket & hug her tight. Reading about her living in complete isolation, convinced that danger waits behind every door, was incredibly painful. Her muteness is a symbol of how toned down she has become, how small & powerless her parents intended to make her feel her entire life.

Alice's father plays a huge part in enhancing the suffocating & controlling atmosphere. He’s the puppet master, controlling everything behind the scenes, even when he’s not physically there. The dread of his return from work, the inability to move freely in their own home... You can feel how it slowly eats away at both Alice & her mother from the inside.

But hey, in comes Hailey — Alice’s new neighbour & the first person in her life to ever truly see her. Alice doesn’t go to school, has no friends & never leaves the house. Hailey is her very first, very real human connection. The fascination & hunger to get to know other people is so strong that their friendship evolves fast until eventually, Hailey becomes her lifeline.

The pacing of the book reflects Alice’s journey to a T. In the beginning, the story seems rather slow-paced as we get to know her & her family more. After that, the speed picks up like lightning, with one surprise leading into another.

When Alice & Hailey decide to retrace her father’s old sales routes, the emotional weight of the story takes a massive turn. It’s not just a search for answers — it’s reopening all old wounds from Alice's childhood. You can clearly tell that she hopes to be wrong, until all the evidence stares her dead in the face, unable to be denied or ignored any longer.

The emotional balance in this novel is amazing. One minute I wanted to either scream or cry, the next I was chewing my nails from the lingering tension. Add to that the psychological thriller elements & you have an amazing story. This is something Sandra J. Paul excels at. She’s one of my favourite Flemish authors for a reason — she always delivers.

And then — that reveal! I didn’t see it coming at all! The way all the dots were connected in the end? I was reeling. Plot twist after plot twist. I could barely keep up & at times, I found myself holding my breath for so long, I’d come out of a chapter gasping. That’s how intense it got!

The ending left me absolutely gobsmacked. I closed the book with a million questions still swirling in my head. What will happen next? What will unfold in Alice’s life? Where will she go from here? I’m just absolutely dying to know!

Lately, I’ve been reading more mystery thrillers than ever before and I enjoyed this one too. While there’s definitely room for improvement, it was still a fun reading experience.

This is an ARC review. I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Datura Books for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of "The Girl Without A Voice'. Opinions expressed in this reviews are completely my own.

I started reading this book with high expectations, but unfortunately it didn't live up to them. The plot seemed so promising: a mute girl who has lived all her life hidden by her parents, unable to experience the real world. Once Hailey, the new neighbour arrives, she notices her and everything changes for Alice, our main character. After Alice's dad death, she discovers some dark secrets of his past through his diaries and, running away with Hailey, she starts a journey in search for the truth. Alice knew his father was bad, but would he be able to kill?

My problem with "The Girl Without A Voice" is how unrealistic it is, starting with the fact that Alice is not a girl anymore, she's 24, and she's alone at home in many occasions, so why doesn't she run away and tell the world what happened to her? She's not completely isolated (she knows about the outside world through books, radio and television) and she can communicate with others (ASL and writing), so she could perfectly go outside and report her situation. Also, why didn't Hailey, another 20-year-old, call the police as soon as she finds out about Alice's confinement? Although we get that question answered at the end, it had me confused through all the book.

I liked how the story took place in the 80s, so there were so many things different than now and everything is so analogic (the journals are proof and their way to discover what happened is through newspapers and talking to people).

As for the characters, they didn't seem realistic to me. Alice was not as interesting as it could have been and her mother and father lack depth, there are so many things that felt off about the family situation.

The best part was the beginning and, as you get deeper in the story, it lost interest to me. It's an original book but wasn't worth it that much.

pretty effective mystery (ish) / thriller with some pretty good focus and with some pretty solid thriller vibes. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

A mute teenager finds out her travelling salesman father was a serial killer. This led to Alice finding his journals which proved how many people he killed. With the help of her neighbour Alice’s invisible life was about to implode.
…
Alice lived a strange life of isolation often questioning her parents love for her. She was always under strict supervision by her mother. Her father traveled leaving them for weeks upon time. She never left the house, so no one knew about her. Her sole form of entertainment came from reading books and watching television. Then a girl moved in next door changing Alice’s life. Hailey became the first person to know of Alice’s existence.
…
Alice’s father traveled selling items door-to-door. He was gone more days than he was home leaving his wife alone with Alice. At first her mother would cook and clean, but over the years because of his absence she withdrew into intoxication leaving Alice to fend for herself. This bothered Alice until Hailey moved in next door where she shared time with her from her bedroom window while her mom was passed out.
…
The story is a slow-burning mystery thriller bringing awareness to Alice’s situation. Don’t try to go in blind. Read the premise it will help. I was grateful for the original manner in which Alice’s character discovers her father is a serial killer. Sandra J. Paul gave everything away in the premise leaving readers to follow Alice’s journey.

This is such a brilliant book. I reccomend it to all. The story is equally heartbreaking and heartwarming and I read it in one day because I needed to find out what happened! 5 stars

I enjoyed the psycho tendencies and unorthodox characters/relationships. I was hooked from the start and was pleased with the development of the backstory. Too much was given away in the blurb resulting in less shock moments, and I was able to work out some of the twists although some were still unexpected. It was gritty and raw, but I would’ve enjoyed more suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley & Datura for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Datura Books for the ARC!

I'm usually not so much into books not playing in modern days - not anymore, at least - but sometimes, I am making an exception. This time, the blurb and cover had been drawing me in, and I've decided I just had to read this book.

And, what can I say - this story did deliver! This book was eerie, haunting, and intense, and I surely will keep thinking about it, that much is for sure. Alice was also such an interesting character in my opinion, I could simply not not feel for her, poor girl had gone through so much! This was surely a slow-burn, and sometimes more felt like a drama than a thriller, but it was unsettling in a good way. Even when you might not read books like this usually, give this one a chance! I promise you are not going to regret it!

Release: August 19, 2025
Author: Sandra J. Paul
Publisher: Datura

Rating: 4 ★ 

Set in the fall of 1980, this story follows Alice, a 22-year-old woman who was born mute and has lived an extremely sheltered and isolated life under the control of her cold, manipulative mother and her strict, intimidating father. Her only connection to the outside world is through her neighbor and best friend, Hailey, who knows sign language and offers Alice a rare sense of comfort and trust.
When Alice’s father falls gravely ill with terminal cancer, she is tasked with taking care of him. During his final days, as he drifts in and out of consciousness under heavy medication, he starts revealing chilling secrets—specifically, that he may have murdered multiple women. At first, Alice doesn’t know what to believe, but the weight of the revelation pushes her to confide in Hailey.
The two set out to retrace the paths her father once traveled as a salesman, and what they uncover suggests a disturbing pattern that links him to several missing women. As they dig deeper, the truth starts to unravel not just about his crimes, but about Alice herself—especially why she lost her voice in the first place, and how her own past is more connected to her father’s dark secrets than she ever realized.
This is a tense and emotional psychological mystery that blends true-crime elements with a coming-of-age reckoning, perfect for readers who enjoy deeply layered characters and slow-burning suspense like Bright Young Women.
This book completely pulled me in! I had a hard time putting it down once I started. The story follows Alice, a young woman who was born mute and has been hidden away from the world by her controlling parents. She’s been told that if anyone ever found out about her, she’d be locked up. So she’s grown up in total isolation—until a new neighbor, Hailey, moves in next door. Slowly, a quiet friendship forms between them, and when Alice’s father dies and makes a shocking confession, the two girls set out to uncover the truth about his past.
The pacing is fast and steady—it never felt like it dragged—and the relationship between Alice and Hailey is the emotional heart of the book. There’s suspense, mystery, and some truly surprising moments, especially toward the end. At times it did feel a bit like a young adult mystery (think Nancy Drew with darker twists), and there were moments where I had to suspend a bit of disbelief, especially about how quickly Alice jumps into investigating. But overall, it was such a compelling read that I didn’t mind.
If you’re into emotional thrillers with strong characters and a touch of coming-of-age, this one’s worth picking up. It’s a story about secrets, friendship, and finding your voice—even when you can’t speak.

Favorite quote:
"Kept from the outside world by her cruel mother and overbearing father, her only friend is her neighbor Hailey with whom she communicates through sign language."

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Alice has been locked away by her controlling parents, mute and isolated from the world. Despite her silence and confinement, she refuses to be trapped in ignorance, and pushes beyond the walls of her childhood to find answers.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
Obsessed with the book cover and premise and so glad I didn’t read the summary and blurb which I think revealed way too much of the plot!

The vibe is suspenseful and emotionally tense, but there’s a lightness. It’s character‑driven, bingeable and no popcorn melodrama.

Alice’s parents were horrendous, and it’s their behavior that really propels the story. Alice was such a unique character - I loved her quiet strength and felt her loneliness. Hailey was the light she needed, but I did find her a bit questionable… maybe I’m just naturally suspicious!

The story reads almost in two parts. The first half is slow suspense, and then things pick up with Alice and Hailey playing detective. But as things unfolded, nothing really surprised me.

It’s an emotional unraveling rather than a twisty “whodunnit.” I was hoping for one huge wow or twist, but apart from the ambiguous ending, it didn’t come.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
The light eerie vibe was addictive and the suspense at the start grabbed me. Go in for the atmosphere, not the twists. Just don’t read the blurb!

Thank you Datura and NetGalley for this #gifted ARC.

🎧 Narrated by Eve Passeltiner
📖 Publishes 08•19•25 | 432 pages | 11h 8m

Chilling psychological thriller. Alice is a mute young woman living in horrible circumstances. With cruel and neglectful parents who have convinced her that her disability has made her at risk of being institutionalized if found out, Alice has no life outside the walls of her home. When Alice makes contact with a neighbor and develops an unlikely relationship with her, her life is forever changed. Dark thriller that is impossible to put down.

Did not enjoy this book. Pacing was too slow, and 1/3 of the book was spent with the FMC being in a house arrest position with her “horrible” parents. Would have love it if there was a deep dive into the emotions or impactful incidents. It was not translated how bad the parents were but merely written out in words and not feels. Because of this, I was not able to empathise or connect with the FMC, and her parents were merely as bad as they were said with barely any substantial internal struggle/push pull of love and hatred.

I wanted to love this book. After reading what it was about is the thing which made me want to read it. This was just “OK” for me. I didn’t meet my expectations. However, this is just my opinion. Please read and decide for yourself.

I love a good serial killer thriller, and this one was so good. Dark, emotional, and full of twists. I couldn’t put it down. Alice’s silence made everything more haunting, and that ending gave me chills.

Tropes I loved:
🧏‍♀️ Mute FMC
🧬 Toxic family
💊 Deathbed confession
🛣️ Road trip mystery
🕵️‍♀️ Serial killer reveal
🧠 Suppressed trauma
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Ride-or-die best friend

If you love true crime vibes and books like Bright Young Women, you’ll probably tear through this one like I did. It’s set in the fall of 1980 and follows Alice, who’s mute and basically isolated from the world, until she stumbles on the horrifying truth that her dad might be a serial killer. When he starts confessing on his deathbed, Alice and her only friend Hailey hit the road to uncover if it’s real. Creepy secrets, shocking twists, and that final reveal about Alice’s voice? Whew. It’s a sharp, chilling read that stuck with me.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book!! It was so good!! I have so many questions after what happened at the end of the book!! What happened after the end? I love a good serial killer themed book!! I love Hailey and Alice’s story. I felt a little bit like Alice in this story. I sometimes feel very misunderstood in some ways and to know that a character had gone through a mute phase, I can relate to that and felt very comforted by it. This book was fantastic and I enjoyed every minute of it and it won’t be a book I won’t soon forget at all. This author is very talented in writing and it was very fun to read and imagine what happened next. My imaginative side went wild with this book. It made me feel less alone in this world so thank you for writing this book again!!

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and Datura books for approving my request to read this book.

Alice is mute and has never left her family home in her young life spending all her time with her alcoholic mother and her father who is a travelling salesman. She sparks up a friendship when Hailey a new neighbour moves into the house opposite theirs after Alice teaches her ASL.

After suddenly finding herself alone in the world after her father dies and her mother is arrested Alice enlists Haileys help to untangle the strands of her life.

I thought the premise of the book was really intriguing but at some parts it did read more like a romance/young adult story rather than a psychological thriller in my opinion though it did keep me reading until the end.

Overall a quick easy read that was quite enjoyable.