Such a Quiet Place

#SuchAQuietPlace #NetGalley
A great novel.
Brandon and Fiona Truett were found dead...
Two years ago, branded a grifter, thief and sociopath by her friends and neighbours, Ruby Fletcher was convicted of murdering the Truetts. Now, freed by mistrial, Ruby has returned to Hollow's Edge. But why would she come back? No one wants her there, least of all her old housemate, Harper Nash.
As Ruby's return sends shockwaves through the community, terrified residents turn on each other, and it soon becomes clear that not everyone was honest about the night the Truetts died.
This was my first novel from this author and I completely loved it. It's superb.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for giving me an advanced copy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy of Such a Quiet Place, a stand-alone thriller set in the fictional Virginian suburb of Hollow’s Edge.

Fourteen months ago Ruby Fletcher was convicted of the murder of her neighbours Brandon and Fiona Truett. Now her conviction has been overturned and she has surprised the community of Hollow’s Edge by returning to stay with her former roommate, the equally surprised Harper Nash. Always the disrupter, Ruby’s return forces Harper to realise that there are secrets and a lack of honesty in her small community.

I thoroughly enjoyed Such a Quiet Place and couldn’t tear myself away from it, reading it in one sitting. The novel is narrated entirely from Harper’s point of view and it’s compelling.

She’s not the strongest character and tends to go along with the latest thing she has been told, rather than analysing it for bias or deception. This is at the heart of the novel - the interpretation of events and the quicksands of what she is being told. The novel swirls with uncertainty, obfuscation and what’s not being said. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. There is also the pack mentality of the residents turning on Ruby, the young woman who doesn’t conform to the “standards” of the neighbourhood, which, quite frankly, sounds like a nightmare with a neighbourhood watch out patrolling, an online community notice board (for home owners only) and video cameras in most houses. It does add to the atmosphere.

Harper has a strong voice, nevertheless, as she mulls over the events of that night and what is happening now. There is misdirection at every turn and yet she grows more clear headed and analytical as the novel progresses. I thought the ending was clever, although maybe not as unexpected as I expected.

Such a Quiet Place is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I read Megan Miranda’s ‘The Last House Guest’ last year and I thoroughly enjoyed it so when I saw that she was releasing a new thriller, ‘Such A Quiet Place’ this year, it went straight onto my reading list!

Set in the fictional Virginian suburb of Hollow’s Edge, ‘Such A Quiet Place’ is the perfect stand-alone thriller read for the summer. Brandon and Fiona Truett are found dead in their home. The quiet neighbourhood is in absolute shock that such a terrible thing has happened in their little community. Fourteen months later, Ruby Fletcher, the woman accused of their murder, is freed from prison and her conviction overturned. Ruby returns to the sleepy suburb of Hollow’s Edge much to the astonishment of her neighbours and housemate Harper. Why has she come back and what does she want?

Miranda has perfectly captured the mentality of small neighbourhoods/communities in this book. She sets up a claustrophobic feeling in this book that mirrors the way in which the neighbours live in fear in the aftermath of a terrible crime. The herd mentality reigns supreme in Hollow’s Edge, with the group banding together to ostracise Ruby and also her housemate Harper for allowing her to stay with her again. It is clear from the group that they are terrified of their secrets coming to light and that their neighbours will find out that life isn’t perfect for them. Ruby is the perfect target for their hate as she never fit in there, and even though she is no longer in prison, the residents will do anything they can to get rid of her.

‘Such A Quiet Place’ is a gripping psychological thriller which held my attention throughout. I love how Megan has brought Hollow’s Edge to life. The various characters that we encounter are so convincing, that I felt that we can all identify with the personalities that are present in the story. It’s a fascinating exploration of how a group can form a united opinion and mindset and attempt to evict the individuals who don’t fit into the picture-perfect setting that they have created for themselves. The interactions amongst the characters and the various threads that tie them all together were fascinating to read and draws you further into the story. Megan’s exploration of what people will do to save their little piece of idealised life, and ultimately, save their own skins, was a really interesting element throughout the book.

‘Such A Quiet Place’ is a fast-paced thriller, leaving the reader fully invested and immersed within the story, attempting to found out the truth alongside Harper who is determined to figure out who the real perpetrator is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.