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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to the author, publishers Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for access to an e-ARC. This is an honest and voluntary review.
A body found hanging in the woods brings DI Manon Bradshaw on as lead in a live potential murder inquiry instead of her usual cold case work. The body quickly leads the detectives to a house full of Lithuanians brought into the UK with the promise of a new life only to be forced to work for gangs in unsafe conditions and at all hours of the day to pay off debts for their journey and substandard accommodation. Debts which only ever seem to go up.
The novel looks at immigration, UKIP supporters (including a very thinly disguised Nigel Farage-esque character), the struggle to get out of poverty, to achieve dreams, depression, and more.
It also examines the midlife crisis of DI Bradshaw as she feels her marriage is stale and struggles to achieve the work-life balance her part-time hours are supposed to offer.
Remain Silent is part of a series, but I didn’t feel that was an issue. Any references to previous books were either subtly done or delivered in a way which didn’t make them stand out from the way character backstory is delivered in a first in series or standalone book.
Unfortunately I really didn’t like the main character. As a 40-something professional and mother myself maybe it’s just too close to the bone, but really I found little that I could recognise in DI Bradshaw’s approach to life, and her approach to work just grated on me.
Overall I found this to be a fairly middle of the road crime novel.
With a twist I didn't entirely see coming, Remain Silent was definitely worth reading. The support is interesting with a lot of different subplots that twist the narrative this way and that. It was an interesting story with many smaller interesting stories that didn't really seem to be necessary, entertaining though they were. Overall, worth reading but not one I'm likely to read again.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book the Manon Bradshaw Detective series. These stories focus more on the procedural side of things, but after spending time with Manon, you will get to the know her personal side and to me that is the best part of the story.
For my full review, please visit my blog at: http://obsessedbookaholic.com/2020/05/20/remain-silent-book-review/
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For my full review, please visit my blog at: http://obsessedbookaholic.com/2020/05/20/remain-silent-book-review/
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For my complete review of this novel visit: https://fictionophile.com/2020/06/16/remain-silent-by-susie-steiner-book-review-susiesteiner1-remainsilent-randomhouse-netgalley/
The police case involves migrant workers. Although the case was compelling, for me it was by far overshadowed by the wonderful characters in this novel. Manon is a brilliant policewoman trying to attain the always illusive home/work balance. She loves her children like a fierce ‘Mamma Bear’. Fly is a wonderful boy who at age sixteen is facing his GCSEs and is an excellent big brother for Teddy.
What I love about Steiner’s novels is that she creates the perfect balance between the case in hand and Manon’s personal life. The case this time highlights the abhorrent treatment of Lithuanian migrant workers in the United Kingdom. A very real problem that ‘Operation Pheasant‘ is trying to address.
On the personal side, Manon is struggling with parenting, middle age, police budget cuts and most importantly a cancer diagnosis for her partner Mark. She adores the people in her life and her humour filled relationship with her best friend Bri is a joy to read.
This novel is about normal people just trying to get by in a world that often feels adversarial. It is about parenting, and the love of family in all its permutations. A skillfully written novel that contains empathy, pathos, and humour. In short, I loved this book. I’m already yearning for another glimpse into Manon’s world.
I wish everyone could read this fantastic series. Highly, highly recommended!
The police case involves migrant workers. Although the case was compelling, for me it was by far overshadowed by the wonderful characters in this novel. Manon is a brilliant policewoman trying to attain the always illusive home/work balance. She loves her children like a fierce ‘Mamma Bear’. Fly is a wonderful boy who at age sixteen is facing his GCSEs and is an excellent big brother for Teddy.
What I love about Steiner’s novels is that she creates the perfect balance between the case in hand and Manon’s personal life. The case this time highlights the abhorrent treatment of Lithuanian migrant workers in the United Kingdom. A very real problem that ‘Operation Pheasant‘ is trying to address.
On the personal side, Manon is struggling with parenting, middle age, police budget cuts and most importantly a cancer diagnosis for her partner Mark. She adores the people in her life and her humour filled relationship with her best friend Bri is a joy to read.
This novel is about normal people just trying to get by in a world that often feels adversarial. It is about parenting, and the love of family in all its permutations. A skillfully written novel that contains empathy, pathos, and humour. In short, I loved this book. I’m already yearning for another glimpse into Manon’s world.
I wish everyone could read this fantastic series. Highly, highly recommended!
I think Manon may be my new favourite superhero.
Juggling cold cases, a home life of tiddler, teenager & man of marriedness for many years. The 'defective' inspector Bradshaw is horrified when out with her son Teddy to find a body hanging from a tree.
Despite her 3 days a week Manon become involved with the case, being her bolshy self & using her gut instinct to further the investigation along with her sidekick Davy.
What I liked about this read was the human side of each character. How things done for the best of reasons can mean everything else falls apart.
Exploitation and the lottery of where you were born, or who you were born to makes this an interesting melting pot of anger and wow.
Manon surely needs to come back as a private Detective. I'd love that.
A very clever & thought provoking read.
It loosely reminded me in places of Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie, especially the father & Elise.
Juggling cold cases, a home life of tiddler, teenager & man of marriedness for many years. The 'defective' inspector Bradshaw is horrified when out with her son Teddy to find a body hanging from a tree.
Despite her 3 days a week Manon become involved with the case, being her bolshy self & using her gut instinct to further the investigation along with her sidekick Davy.
What I liked about this read was the human side of each character. How things done for the best of reasons can mean everything else falls apart.
Exploitation and the lottery of where you were born, or who you were born to makes this an interesting melting pot of anger and wow.
Manon surely needs to come back as a private Detective. I'd love that.
A very clever & thought provoking read.
It loosely reminded me in places of Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie, especially the father & Elise.
After loving the first two Manon Bradshaw books--the epitome of great British literary detective novels--REMAIN SILENT fell flat for me. Rather than feeling specific and interesting, the Manon of this book felt like a cookie-cutter cliche. I didn't find myself invested in her interpersonal goings-on any more than I was invested in the murdered immigrant plot line (which to avoid spoilers I will just say had a less than satisfying conclusion). I'll keep recommending the first two books to people who enjoy a smart mystery, and I'm sure I'll give the next book a try if Manon gets another shot...but my impression from this book is that Steiner is tired of writing her, so I'll be curious to see if she branches out or launches a new series with her next book.
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last because it's brilliant.
I loved this gripping story that kept me on the edge till the end.
A well plotted story with a great cast of character that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved this gripping story that kept me on the edge till the end.
A well plotted story with a great cast of character that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
*I received a free ARC of this novel, with thanks to the author, The Borough Press, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Remain Silent is an intense police procedural novel which feels very timely in the current political climate of police protests and growing racial tensions around immigration issues.
The main character, Manon, has to juggle her career as a detective, her relationship with her partner, Mark, and parenting her children, Fly (teen) and Teddy (toddler). The reality of a working mum trying to be everything to everyone feels very real, and the issues are highlighted further when her two – very different – worlds collide, as she and Teddy discover a body in the park.
When it turns out that the dead body is that of a Lithuanian migrant worker, racial tensions rise from a simmer to a boil and Manon has to attempt to solve the case before everything bubbles over. Susie Steiner explores the issues here from all angles: the abused and exploited workers; the NIMBY neighbours, worried about their house prices; the protestors, the sympathisers, and the patriotic (on both sides). It all feels extremely poignant and relevant to current situations in the UK and US, making the realism feel bitterly authentic.
There are some possible triggers included in the story, including torture, animal cruelty and deliberate disfigurement, which could be upsetting for more sensitive readers. These topics are all relevant to the storyline and are handled sensitively, but with the intent to shock the reader with the cruelty and injustice of the relevant situations.
Despite following the clues, I still found myself surprised at the final reveal, and I do always love to ‘lose in a fair fight’ to a mystery! I read this book as a standalone with no problem at all, but if you enjoy a well-crafted police procedural with well-developed characters and exploration of deeper societal issues, then I would recommend you start with Missing, Presumed and work your way forward.
‘If we were on TV,’ she says, the breath in her lungs pumped and lively, ‘we’d be in an office with a giant interactive map on it and I’d stroke my finger across it to triangulate the locations. And we’d be wearing tonal outfits, Davy.’
‘Yeah, well, we’re not on TV, so I can offer you a biro and an Ordnance Survey map.’
– Susie Steiner, Remain Silent
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/10/07/remain-silent-susie-steiner/
Remain Silent is an intense police procedural novel which feels very timely in the current political climate of police protests and growing racial tensions around immigration issues.
The main character, Manon, has to juggle her career as a detective, her relationship with her partner, Mark, and parenting her children, Fly (teen) and Teddy (toddler). The reality of a working mum trying to be everything to everyone feels very real, and the issues are highlighted further when her two – very different – worlds collide, as she and Teddy discover a body in the park.
When it turns out that the dead body is that of a Lithuanian migrant worker, racial tensions rise from a simmer to a boil and Manon has to attempt to solve the case before everything bubbles over. Susie Steiner explores the issues here from all angles: the abused and exploited workers; the NIMBY neighbours, worried about their house prices; the protestors, the sympathisers, and the patriotic (on both sides). It all feels extremely poignant and relevant to current situations in the UK and US, making the realism feel bitterly authentic.
There are some possible triggers included in the story, including torture, animal cruelty and deliberate disfigurement, which could be upsetting for more sensitive readers. These topics are all relevant to the storyline and are handled sensitively, but with the intent to shock the reader with the cruelty and injustice of the relevant situations.
Despite following the clues, I still found myself surprised at the final reveal, and I do always love to ‘lose in a fair fight’ to a mystery! I read this book as a standalone with no problem at all, but if you enjoy a well-crafted police procedural with well-developed characters and exploration of deeper societal issues, then I would recommend you start with Missing, Presumed and work your way forward.
‘If we were on TV,’ she says, the breath in her lungs pumped and lively, ‘we’d be in an office with a giant interactive map on it and I’d stroke my finger across it to triangulate the locations. And we’d be wearing tonal outfits, Davy.’
‘Yeah, well, we’re not on TV, so I can offer you a biro and an Ordnance Survey map.’
– Susie Steiner, Remain Silent
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/10/07/remain-silent-susie-steiner/