Anna McPartlin’s The Silent Ones is the kind of crime novel that doesn’t just grip you—it unsettles you in the best way. Set in 1980s Kerry, it opens with a chilling discovery: the body of a newborn tucked into a sand dune on a cold January morning. From there, the story unfolds with quiet urgency, drawing us into a community steeped in secrets and silence.

Mary Shea, the local Garda first on the scene, is a breath of fresh air in the genre. She’s intuitive, compassionate, and just ahead of her time—exactly the kind of character you want to follow into the darkest corners of a mystery. As she joins forces with Dublin’s major crimes unit, the investigation becomes more than just a hunt for a killer; it’s a reckoning with the hidden lives and unspoken truths of a small town.

McPartlin’s writing is elegant and restrained, letting the emotional weight of the story speak for itself. The atmosphere is rich, the pacing deliberate, and the tension quietly relentless. It’s not flashy—it’s thoughtful, haunting, and deeply human.

If you’re drawn to crime fiction that balances suspense with soul, The Silent Ones is a standout. It’s the beginning of a series, and if Mary Shea is leading the way, I’ll be following.

With thanks to Anna McPartlin, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Emotional, suspenseful, dark, tragic. All these words describe the book.
A baby is found dead, stabbed multiple times, on a dune on a beach. The race is on for the detectives to find the woman who gave birth and killed her baby.
A woman working in a 'man's' world. Overlooked and despised, Mary Shea is a police officer who can go far, given the chance. But her misogynistic and sexist colleagues use her as a tea maid, and a secretary, not giving her the chance to show her talents. She was born to be a detective. She just needs a chance to prove herself.
Strange that this idea that women are lesser beings than men still persists in this world.

The book is excellent. An absorbing read, a real eye opener.
Definitely a page turner - I was engrossed from the first chapter.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it is the start of a new series. It is set in 1980 on the west coast of Ireland. A new born baby is found murdered on the beach and local Garda Mary Shea is first on the scene. Soon the case is handed to detectives from Dublin and Mary is asked to help by Foley, the detective leading the case. This does not go down well with the other Gardai who believe that there’s no place for women in the police force except for making the tea and doing the mundane admin jobs! It is a step back in time showing attitudes to women, unmarried mothers and same sex relationships. There are a lot of twists and turns in the book as Shea and Foley try to discover who the mother of the baby is and how the events lead up to the baby being murdered. A thought provoking first novel in the series and I’m looking forward to the next one.

wow. just wow. this book too me in and didn't let go.a stunning read from start to finish. it held tight to my emotions and then spun them out.
its immersive and takes you right into and alongside the story. so you feel it, you feel whats happening in both mind and heart, and you really do end up caring for whats to come.
its follow an Irish town in the 80's. and Mary Shea the local Garda gets called to the body of a baby on the beach. this is a shock to her and the wider community. who would do this to this poor poor thing?
then we are told the whole story. of this town, of this event and of this community. the time reflects much of what we see in this book. not least how poor Mary is treated. and sadly i recognised far too much of this problematic ways all the more from today for woman.
but these issues in the book take its toll on both her and those she knows, not to mention the victims. and all Mary wants is to keep them safe from harm and just do her job!
this book had me angry for her, for this innocent ones and for woman everywhere. and sad, how little has actually changed. and sad for what seems a hopeless task especially in our world right now. this book made me think so much.
but this book and Anna portrays it all so well. she is smart with her words and her narrative. she is clever in her pacing and the plot. and its just a fantastic story. it hits all the places you want a book like this to hit. and more besides.
it had me hooked from the moment i opened and started reading. and kept me there right until the very end.
the balance was kept throughout this book and i really appreciate how Anna must have worked to do that. it never felt too much but it also never felt like it was shying away from that which it needed to shine a light on.
a brilliant read.

Thank you Canelo, the author and Netgalley.com for the eBook to review, the following is my review.
Wow—this book absolutely surprised my socks off. It has everything you could want in a crime novel: vivid character descriptions, a rollercoaster of a plot, and twists that keep you guessing right to the final page. I expected the deaths of two babies to be resolved quickly, but no—McPartlin masterfully weaves in unexpected turns that deepen the mystery.

Humour is cleverly dosed throughout, always in context, often aimed at the egits of the Garde police. Our protagonist, Garde Mary Shea, is a lone, strong woman navigating a toxic environment of male chauvinism and pig-headedness. Her colleagues made me so mad I wanted to push them off a cliff! Shea’s resilience and sharp wit make her a standout lead.

If you love crime fiction that’s smart, emotional, and unafraid to tackle dark themes with a touch of humour—read this.

This is quite a unique crime read, very character led and slow paced but the time frame this is set in and the issues Mary Shea faced just to do her job were told in an incredibly perceptive style. There’s a strong theme of attitudes to women in 1980’s Ireland and I like how it took a woman to see what her colleagues could not even though it was hard to make her voice heard. The crime was distressing but the way they focussed on an easy suspect and persecuted her family was heart wrenching and when the perpetrator is finally revealed you can’t help but feel sorry for their state of mind at the time. This is a dark story but told very well and I would definitely like to read more.

This book has it all: intrigue, plot twists, suspense, and a cast of credible, gritty characters. What an absolutely mind-spinning, gripping story! I had a really hard time putting my kindle down to do my adult responsibilities!

It was an explosive page-turner! A mesmerising story filled with unforgettable characters! I’d highly recommend this book! There were so many twists and turns. What a great start to the Mary Shea Murders I really hope there is a book 2!

I stayed up all night reading it was truly unputdownable, giving you a rollercoaster of a ride with twists and turns you never would expect! A massive five stars I would definitely recommend to read this book when it comes out!