Murder

A woman with amnesia and her three year old missing daughter are at the center of Debbie Howells’ latest mystery, Part of the Silence.

Badly beaten and left for dead in the middle of a maize field, Evie Sherman has very few memories beyond her name and her daughter, Angel. The only problem? Police cannot find any sign of the young girl and when Charlotte Harrison recognizes Evie as Jen Russell, the case becomes even more confusing. Why would Jen change her name to Evie? Why is there no record of Angel? Who attacked Evie and left her for dead? Is there any connection between Angel’s disappearance and the still unsolved case of another 3 year old girl who went missing fifteen years ago? Local police have very few leads but DC Abbie Rose and DI Jack Bentley are working hard to find answers to these very perplexing questions.

Charlotte is dealing with her own issues when she recognizes Evie as her old classmate Jen. Feeling obligated to contact the police with this information, she very reluctantly agrees to DC Abbie Rose’s requests to keep the very disoriented victim company while the police try to uncover information about Evie. Charlotte is quite compassionate and caring during her visits with Evie and she continues to stay by her side during her recovery. While everyone else doubts that Evie’s daughter Angel exists, Charlotte remains extremely supportive and always believes Evie is telling the truth.

About midway through the investigation, DI Jack Bentley returns from holiday and he becomes involved in the case. He is extremely compassionate during his interactions with Evie and unlike his fellow detectives, he completely believes her story about her missing daughter. Jack is certain there is a link between the fifteen year old cold case and Angel’s disappearance but will he find the connection? Another body is discovered on the same property where Evie was attacked but does this murder have anything to do with her case?

Interspersed with the unfolding events in the present are flashbacks from Casey Danning, whose sister is the girl who vanished fifteen years earlier. These passages offer an unsettling portrait of a very troubled teenager who eventually matures into a rather disturbed woman. These contemplative entries become somewhat dark and twisted with Casey leaving a swath of destruction in her wake. Where exactly Casey fits into the current situation is unknown but her narration is quite chilling.

While Part of the Silence is rather atmospheric, the pacing is bit slow for the first half of the novel. The premise is certainly intriguing and Evie is a compelling, if somewhat unreliable, character. The storyline is engaging but it takes a while for the various story arcs to come together. Although astute readers will most likely figure out the major plot twist fairly early this does not lessen the overall enjoyment of the novel. Debbie Howells brings the novel to an abrupt yet satisfying conclusion.
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Part of the silence is the first book by Debbie Howells I have read and what a delight this was.
This was a book that flowed from the very beginning, It was so easy to immerse and lose yourself in this engrossing storyline.
I found this tale so addictive, And I was totally baffled as to who was real and who was wearing a mask to conceal themselves behind.
It kept me guessing right to the final moment and I was so shocked as I hadn't quite managed to figure out what the truth was till the very end. In my opinion, this is the sign of an excellently written piece of fiction, and if the reader is still somewhat in the dark and floundering around for answers, Well Job well done I say.
Part Of The Silence is a psychological Mystery where our main character, Evie/Jen is attacked and left for dead.
Upon waking her memory is in tatters but she does recall that she has a three-year-old daughter Angel, who she claims is missing, But there is no evidence of the child and to further complicate matters Evie/Jen was the babysitter to a little girl years ago that went missing and was never found.
The story also centres around Charlotte a girl who went to school with Jen, she recognises her from the paper and befriends her trying to help while still dealing with some issues in her own life.
There are loads of great characters in this novel and this further muddies the water when it comes to guilt and I was constantly analysing everyone's actions.
I especially loved Jack the Policeman he was such a warm empathic individual and he really had a great affinity towards Evie and what she was going through.
The only criticism I have for this book is I would have liked a more structured ending, I found the conclusion of this book quite abrupt like it just stopped mid sentence, I must admit I found this a trifle strange like the story wasn't quite finished, but this is just a personal gripe and it may not bother you at all.
So in conclusion Part Of The Silence was a gripping atmospheric thriller that kept the mystery and intrigue to the very last second, I actually rated this as Four and a half stars as I knocked half off as the ending flummoxed me a bit, despite this criticism I thought the author did an excellent job crafting this tale and this was a fabulous read that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Part Of The Silence by Debbie Howells.
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https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/ ( )

Part of the silence is the first book by Debbie Howells I have read and what a delight this was.
This was a book that flowed from the very beginning, It was so easy to immerse and lose yourself in this engrossing storyline.
I found this tale so addictive, And I was totally baffled as to who was real and who was wearing a mask to conceal themselves behind.
It kept me guessing right to the final moment and I was so shocked as I hadn't quite managed to figure out what the truth was till the very end. In my opinion, this is the sign of an excellently written piece of fiction, and if the reader is still somewhat in the dark and floundering around for answers, Well Job well done I say.
Part Of The Silence is a psychological Mystery where our main character, Evie/Jen is attacked and left for dead.
Upon waking her memory is in tatters but she does recall that she has a three-year-old daughter Angel, who she claims is missing, But there is no evidence of the child and to further complicate matters Evie/Jen was the babysitter to a little girl years ago that went missing and was never found.
The story also centres around Charlotte a girl who went to school with Jen, she recognises her from the paper and befriends her trying to help while still dealing with some issues in her own life.
There are loads of great characters in this novel and this further muddies the water when it comes to guilt and I was constantly analysing everyone's actions.
I especially loved Jack the Policeman he was such a warm empathic individual and he really had a great affinity towards Evie and what she was going through.
The only criticism I have for this book is I would have liked a more structured ending, I found the conclusion of this book quite abrupt like it just stopped mid sentence, I must admit I found this a trifle strange like the story wasn't quite finished, but this is just a personal gripe and it may not bother you at all.
So in conclusion Part Of The Silence was a gripping atmospheric thriller that kept the mystery and intrigue to the very last second, I actually rated this as Four and a half stars as I knocked half off as the ending flummoxed me a bit, despite this criticism I thought the author did an excellent job crafting this tale and this was a fabulous read that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Part Of The Silence by Debbie Howells.
.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/ ( )

Charlotte Harrison is shocked when a woman in her local town of Cornwall is found badly beaten. Things like that don't typically happen in this quiet town. The beating has left the woman with little memory of who she is or her life: she insists her name is Evie and that her three-year-old daughter, Angel, is missing. But as the investigation continues, the police can find no evidence that Angel even exists. Charlotte recognizes Evie as Jen Russell, a former classmate. She goes to the police and finds herself sucked into the case, as it seems as if Evie has no friends or family able to help. Charlotte and the police know that, as a teen, Jen Russell was babysitting a local girl, three-year-old Leah, when she disappeared and was never found again. Is Jen/Evie simply transposing these memories into that of "Angel"? Or is her daughter really missing? And, if so, is Evie still in danger?

This novel was a page-turner for me, despite a cast of fairly odd and unsympathetic characters, led by Charlotte. She comes across as callous from the beginning--unfeeling, harsh toward her boyfriend, Rick, and getting involved in helping Evie only to show Rick she has a heart. While you feel sorry for Evie, you don't get to know her very well, thanks to her memory loss. The POV also shifts to Jack, who is a police officer, and flashbacks from Leah's older sister, Casey, who hated her perfect little sister and the ruin her disappearance wrought on her family.

The novel is captivating early on as details unfurl slowly about Evie's past. As it continues, the book certainly kept me confused about Evie/Jen's state of mind. Is she simply confused, or did someone truly steal her daughter? It grabs you, for sure, but after a while, you get a little tired of the "poor Jen trapped in her house, wondering what happened to her daughter." Things do move along eventually, though there's never any frantic action. Just a slow, suspenseful buildup to the final reveal.

Some things are a tad frustrating. For instance, Jack doesn't always seem to act like a police officer, and I'm never quite sure of his role or why Howells decided to insert him partway through, though I liked him as a character. And, personally, I'm not sure I would want the police force in Cornwall to assist in any crime related to me -- they seemed a bit inept. Small town police, perhaps?

Still, overall, I enjoyed this one. I was able to figure out bits and pieces, but it kept me guessing and engaged throughout. If you've never read any of Debbie Howells books before (which would be a shame), I'd point you to [b:The Bones of You|22859802|The Bones of You|Debbie Howells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412529894s/22859802.jpg|42427694] first. This is still a solid thriller and rates 3.5 - 3.75 stars. I will definitely continue to be eager to read anything Howells writes.

You can read my reviews of two of Howells' previous novels here: THE BONES OF YOU and THE BEAUTY OF THE END.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available (in the U.S.) everywhere as of 06/27/2017.

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