A review by m_lyons
Remain Silent: A Manon Bradshaw Novel by Susie Steiner

3.0

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series set in Cambridgeshire and was eagerly looking forward to reading this third one. However, I had a hard time involving myself in the story, and the entire novel fell somewhat flat for me.

Manon is again her usually intriguing self, as she works part time and juggles family life with her partner and two children. After she discovers the hanging of an immigrant worker near her home, she is dragged deeper into the mystery of why. And thus, the thought provoking themes of immigrant labor and racism form the backdrop of the story.

There is plenty of suspense in the novel and a few nice twists and turns occur along the way to a reasonable conclusion, which — unfortunately — felt rather rushed. Nonetheless, the book is very well written, and the characters are well established, just as they were in the author’s previous novels.

All in all, this is a good story that is very well told, but I just could not get into it as much as I did the previous two novels. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy.