A review by zade
Silence by Thomas Perry

4.0

I don't think Thomas Perry is capable of writing a bad book. Although I'm particularly partial to his Jane Whitefield series--I could have kissed him when he brought her back after *years*--I've enjoyed many of his other novels as well. Silence is a good read and offers the usual benefits of a Perry thriller. There is a lot of running, hiding, and outwitting bad guys, including a lot of tips that make you think Perry probably would be pretty good at hiding people in real life. I have no idea if that is true or not, but he is certainly convincing. Also typical for Perry, his bad guys, especially the assassins, are interesting characters who make up a good part of the story. A lot of what he's done in this novel shows up in his other books. The hiding people bit is straight out Jane Whitefield, and this is at least the second pretty blond-haired assassin who's obsessed with her looks and resents being dominated by her male partner/lover. The characters are different enough that it's not a pure rehash, but it is a repeating theme. The primary good guy, Till, does not seem to be as strong a presence in this book as one might expect from the protagonist of what looks like a series. He's there and he's kind of interesting, but he doesn't capture the imagination in the way that Jane Whitefield does. By the end of the book, I liked him, but in a superficial way. I liked his ethics and his focus, but couldn't say I really knew him. Despite that bit of opacity, I would definitely read another book featuring him, if only to find out more about him, to make him rounder. And of course, Perry always delivers in the pacing and action of his books. Yes, there are elements that recur from book to book, but really, who cares? His books are fun and they keep you turning the pages when you really ought to be doing other things--like being a responsible grown-up.