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Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Silent House by Nell Pattison




This was my first foray into reading intensively about the deaf community, about signing language and the intricacies that lie behind actually living in a deaf household. It was a fascinating story.


Lexie a toddler is found bludgeoned to death in her bedroom sleeping beside her siblings. All little children. Her stepmother was sleeping next door, the father of the children after a night out on the couch downstairs. No broken windows or doors, no forced entry. The step mother discovers the child and the investigation takes on from there.


An interpreter has to be called in as this is household which needs help in the investigation. The story is told from mainly the angle of the interpreter who is emotionally involved with the family from the beginning. The detectives find it hard going through a third party but the story unravels slowly - going through the lives of normal people like anyone else, having secrets in plenty to hide but which you know will come out eventually.


I guessed who the murderer was three quarters through the story but I was non plussed as to the reason why and this was revealed at the end. It was a tense, emotional, gruesome story but very well told.


Extremely good characterization and an unusual story line. The difficulties of step families.


Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Avon Books UK

3 comments:

  1. I read a middle grade book about the deaf community and found it fascinating as well. I want to read this now!

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  2. This sounds intense. The idea of interpreter and receiving information through a third party would add to the difficulties for investigators. Nice cover, too.

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  3. AT least you did not guess why, even if who was easy

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