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A review by readbydusk
Remain Silent by Susie Steiner
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up. Remain Silent is the third book featuring DS Manon Bradshaw. I haven't read the previous books so I was a little lost at first but then easily caught up to the characters and their relationships. I thought the story involving immigrants is timely and thought-provoking, and I liked that aspect of the book best. The characters resort to terrible things to survive and their actions have a ripple effect towards others, leading to tragic and shocking circumstances. I really felt for the characters, especially Matis. The inclusion of anti-immigration characters showed them to be worthy antagonists and they provided some really tense scenes. The book handles xenophobia and racism in a stark, unflinching way.
While I liked the core mystery, I wasn't enamoured by Bradshaw and the other detectives. I found Bradshaw's voice hard to warm up to and her personal life takes a lot of space. There's a side storyline involving Davy, whose main problem is deciding whether to sleep with another co-worker while feeling guilty about his fiancee. I really didn't care about his story and I kept wanting to go back to the immigrants. This isn't a feel-good book by any means and I can see it appealing to readers who prefer their thrillers gritty and realistic.
CW: suicide, domestic abuse, physical violence
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
While I liked the core mystery, I wasn't enamoured by Bradshaw and the other detectives. I found Bradshaw's voice hard to warm up to and her personal life takes a lot of space. There's a side storyline involving Davy, whose main problem is deciding whether to sleep with another co-worker while feeling guilty about his fiancee. I really didn't care about his story and I kept wanting to go back to the immigrants. This isn't a feel-good book by any means and I can see it appealing to readers who prefer their thrillers gritty and realistic.
CW: suicide, domestic abuse, physical violence
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram