You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by stephbookshine
Remain Silent by Susie Steiner
4.0
*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/