A great thriller/suspense. This book is well written with a plot that kept me guessing with it's many twists and turns. I haven't read the other books in the series and this worked as a standalone for me. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a good thriller.

From the very moment I start to read one of the Robyn Carter books, I am sucked straight in. There is literally no point in trying to resist. I simply have to resign myself to the fact that I am invariably going to end up with square and very tired eyes because once I start reading I cannot stop. after the bombshell ending of the previous book, I was so excited to read The Silent Children. I had high hopes. Great expectations as it were.

Did the book live up to them? Oh so very yes and a whole lot more. I love these books. Love the local setting (Stafford is quite literally only 14 miles from my front door to the town centre), love the characters and I love the nail biting plots which Carol Wyer comes up with. She has me captive every dang time. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I loved the intricacies of the plot in this one, a story so twisted, murders so cold, that you have to wonder just who could be this callous and why. I have to admit, I was kind of worried to begin with. The story starts with a family visiting Cannock Chase to complete the Gruffalo trail, and I have to be honest, with the title of the book my nerves were on edge, my mind on full alert. She couldn't possibly go there ... could she? Well ... if you want to know you'll have to read for yourself but what happens is quite shocking really and leads Robyn and her team to a case which has so many layers, built on so many secrets and lies, that you have to wonder if there is any way for the team to ever find the truth.

The story itself is told in two separate threads, that of the main investigation and also of a young boy who is growing up in an abusive household. That boys story is quite shocking and the emotions Carol Wyer is able to evoke, so strong that I really felt for him. It is not immediately clear who he is, or how he will come to inform the story, and believe me when I say that it could be one of several characters, the true identity cleverly concealed until the end of the book. The motives for the murders? Well, one of the classics to be fair, but again, not one you would guess. Not by a long chalk.

I love the way in which the author has developed the characters throughout the series. Aside from the fact that Robyn is a brilliant lead character, independant, determined but ultimately human, each one of Robyn's team has a unique personality which adds to the story and which you see developing with each new book. Surprisingly, you see more of Tom Shearer throughout the story. Although not directly involved in the investigation, he is forced to share office space with Robyn and always seems to be there. Much like Robyn, you never really get to understand the motives behind his actions ... well, at least not straight off the bat. We don't see as much of cousin Ross in this story but he is on his own mission, one which seems set to continue at least into the next book. But I do like the way in which PC Anna Shamash is growing as a character. She has real guts and a great instinct. She's hard, if somewhat impetuous, something which could see her in quite a bit of trouble this time around.

And as for that last cliffhanger from The Missing Children ... If you haven't yet read that book I suggest that you read it first for elements of this story, particularly Robyn's preoccupation, to make sense. Hell, you should read them all in order just because they are absolutely fabulous and you're doing yourselves a disservice if you don't. Does the cliffhanger get resolved? Maybe, maybe not. Not for me to say. That's for you to read and find out.

Go on. You know you want to and you will not be disappointed. Totally top banana kind of read. I loved it. Where's the next one?

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the eARC.
This was my first Detective Robyn Carter book and despite having to get to maneuver my way around many characters and without the back stories of Robyn and her team, I think it can definitely be read as a standalone.
There are 2 murders: the 1st is of a man shot in his car and the 2nd a woman was killed by a blow to her head in her apartment. Robyn is not only busy with those cases, she is also determined to find out whether her dead husband is really dead. Someone sent her a picture showing him, on the day of his death, at an English airport. He was supposedly killed in Morocco in an ambush! And who sent her her favorite flowers for Valentine's Day?
It takes quite a bit of legwork and interviews to realize the 2 murders and a (suspected) heart attack are related. Throughout the story we go back in time, following the difficult life of a young boy into manhood, not knowing who he is. The reason for the killings and the murderer's identity were quite a surprise, I didn't guess the end at all.
While waiting for the 5th installment of the series, I will read the 1st 3, it will most likely add to the enjoyment of no. 5!

DC Robyn Carter is back as she finds herself in the middle of an investigation which doesn't seem to be tiring anytime soon. So many secrets yet nobody willing to speak up. Who has a hold over them? Why are they keeping quiet? What on Earth happened to trigger these turn of events? DC Robyn Carter is determined to get to the bottom of such a complex mystery, but if she thinks he investigation is going to be sorted quickly then she has another thing coming.

I'm not going to lie, several parts of this storyline were incredibly hard-hitting and difficult to read, yet they took the overall vibe of the storyline up several notches (despite covering my arms in goosebumps). Once again Carol Wyer has brought her readers straight into the hustle and bustle of the storyline as though they have been there the whole time. I thought the addition of a children's book was very clever as it kept the theme of the story up to date and modern.

I thought that the entire storyline was severely gripping and highly intense - I couldn't turn the pages quick enough! I so badly wanted to find out who the ring leader of the spiralling events was! There were times where I did feel as though several situations throughout the book dragged on for a little bit too long though, even though I could understand how complex the investigation was, I still wanted the point to be made.

The star of the show where this book is concerned is in the last couple of chapters. I won't give anything away by explaining more than that, but for me, I felt that those chapters was were the true grit had hidden itself. I am really hoping that Robyn Carter comes back for another story as I truly feel that this character has a lot more to give.

A fast paced, suspenseful and extremely shocking read which will keep you guessing until the very end. Cleverly written and in keeping with modern-day society, Carol Wyer has crafted such a spine-tingling storyline, full of many multi-dimensional and memorable characters. I cannot wait to find out what is in store for her next. A cracking read!

Thanks Bookouture.

I’m not up to date usually with reading a series but DI Robyn Carter is one of two exceptions I've made thanks to this author's great writing. Carol Wyer just never fails to deliver an extraordinary story with every new novel that is published. All four books are entertaining, engrossing and if you like to read police procedurals then this series is absolutely one of the best and shouldn't be missed out on. I adore police procedurals that are construed this way, with plenty of investigation, lots of possibilities to go through and where every tiny piece of information they gather seems to be a part of one big puzzle but can't be pieced together right away. Robyn Carter is such a star in finding out how they all fit together.

Suffice to say, I very much liked this fourth novel and I believe it was the meatiest storyline yet, one which came with a whole slew of different characters that emerge one after another throughout the story and provide new questions and suspects. When starting this novel absolutely nothing gave me an indication where this story was going to wander off to and I was stunned when I saw the direction this took and the implications that came with making one important but - there's no other way to see this in my opinion - quite immoral decision. Never did I suspect the people in the story to be connected in this way but it was fun to discover their connection and see the possibilities opening up. I did have an inkling of what might have been a motive once their connection was revealed but then I still didn't know one hundred percent who was behind it all even though I could follow someone's story told from the time he was a child to the present day interspersed through the novel. I was really invested into these alternate chapters but still couldn't figure out who he was and if this person was in fact responsible for people's untimely deaths. I couldn't predict the killer for a very long time which is what I love in these type of novels.

With every new novel I also get to know Robyn a little better and there are mysteries in her own life that continue to puzzle her as well, even though it wasn't really explored very deeply yet. I wished I could have heard a little more about what happened on her late husband's last day, I was so looking forward to it. Luckily she gets some diversion from little Schrödinger, a little black cat who reminds me of my own little furry friend and stole my heart from the minute I read about him. The novel ends with an interesting storyline in sight that could give some serious dilemma in the future for Robyn so I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm definitely continuing this series, it's so good!

The Robyn Carter books have become one of my favorite series to follow. I always enjoy following along her and her team on the pursue of the murderer. In this book not only where there a lot of murders to solve, but Robyn is haunted by the memories of her fiance Davies. Somebody has sent her a picture of him, being very much alive, when he’s supposed to be dead. And this is not the only thing not adding up. After receiving flowers on Valentinsday, delivered to her work place, Robyn asks the one person she knows to be willing to help and being discreet - her cousin Ross. In the end the team solves the case (I had a blast to figure it out with them), Ross has some new about Davies (news that ease Robyn's anxiety) and there is a mystery man hiding in the bushes outside Robyn’s house. And me? I can’t wait for the next book to come out. Highly recommended series! I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!

Another chilling book from Carol Wyer - I just love the Robin Carter series. After a man is found shot on Cannock Chase she is investigating the case and trying to find a link between other deaths. She feels sure there is a link- but some of the deaths are down to natural causes. It's a real edge of the seat read with the mystery about her husband running in the background.

I now really want to go and see the Gruffalo Trail on Cannock Chase- but hopefully a much less eventful trip.

I love the character Ross- he allows so much potential for further investigations that might find the police hands tied. He's looking into the death of Robyn's husband and we feel that there is so much more to come from this part of the story.

I literally can't wait for the next book in this series.

The Silent Children is the newest installment in the Robyn Carter series. I love Robyn and her colleagues, and I love Ross, but I wanted more of Davies' storyline than what I got. I enjoyed the "flowers" mystery but the case was perhaps my least favorite out of the four books.

I didn't really care about it and I thought the motives weren't good enough. Despite the disappointment, this is still a worthy series and I'll be reading the next one for sure!

Fourth in the series and I have not read the first three books but this can be read as a stand-alone. I maybe should go back and read the first three just to get a better handle on the main character, Robyn Carter, the main character who is investigating a serial murderer. Robyn is an amazing character--strong, independent, and does not give up. She is determined to figure out the mystery behind the serial killer throughout the reveal of many hidden secrets along the way, and I did not figure it out before she did which, to me, is the sign of a GREAT suspense, mystery novel! Held my interest from page 1. Definitely a gripping thriller!!

I am a massive fan of Carol's books and I started reading this book as soon as it arrived on my Kindle - after the cliff-hanger of an ending to book 3, I really wanted to start book 4 as soon as possible!

The book started out with a bang straight away and the story was off at a steady pace, building up gradually towards the end, I will be honest and say that it did take a while for me to get in to the story as I felt it was at a slower pace that the other books in the series but that is really my only criticism of the book!

I liked how the book went from the past to the present and back to give an added edge to it and extra suspense to keep you guessing.  It is an intricate plot that has been woven very well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  For me one of the highlights was just picking the book up and getting reacquainted with the characters I've learnt to know and love. 

I don't want to say any more as I don't put spoilers in my reviews but I will say that it is a solid 4 stars from me and another excellent addition to this series - looking forward to book 5!

Book 4 in a brilliant series but unfortunately for me the weakest in the series. A decent read but well below the standard of the other 3.

We are back with Detective Robyn Carter and her team as the body of a man is found shot dead in his car in a park by a young child.
Soon afterwards a woman is found murdered at the bottom of her stairs in her house and when Robyn makes a vague connection between the two, she suspects they were both murdered by the same person.
When another body turns up on a golf course, apparently dying of a heart attack, Robyn is convinced that foul play has taken place and at the hands of the same killer. Can she and her team unravel who is killing this group of connected people and stop them before more lives are lost?

The story here is a fairly simple one with of course plenty of threads and complications along the way. There is a lot of time devoted to flashback segments that don’t appear relevant to the story(but of course are) and this only becomes apparent towards the end.
It’s a story of abuse, of greed and secrecy and of course ultimately murder. There is a large cast of characters and i did find it difficult at times to keep track of all the main protagonists. A shame really as they are all central to the story but I didn’t find them memorable enough to recall them by name a few chapters later.

It moves at a bit of a snails pace and does seem to take forever for the investigation to garner real results without too much happening apart from interviewing the suspects over and over again. The book just feels too long. Took to long to tell it’s story. The flashback sequences I get and are there for a purpose but there is just too much of them and it felt like padding a bit. There’s just no way there’s enough of a story here to justify a 400 + page book.

Another real annoyance(and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) was in book 3 we are left with a fantastic cliffhanger relating to Robyn’s personal life. A real bombshell that just had you counting the days until book 4. Well here it is and the storyline is given lip service at best. It’s barely touched upon or developed which I think was a big mistake and a bit of a disservice to the reader. I hope this will not turn into a never ending saga theme throughout the series. Anyway, it felt like an afterthought from the author in this story, despite being dropped from the sky in large capital neons at the end of book 3. A huge hook thrown out by the author and then rather awkwardly touched on in here. Such a shame.

Despite all the above criticism I still love this series and Robyn Carter. Perhaps if I read this as a stand-alone I would have marked it lower, or perhaps I would have marked it higher as I wouldn’t have had the first 3 books as reference and been as disappointed in this one. It’s a bit like one of your favourite tv series where there’s always a season that isn’t great but you still watch it because you love the characters and their world, so you persevere despite the weak season. Well this is the weak season in this particular series.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I know Robyn and all her characters in her life and was glad to have them back but unfortunately the story just wasn’t up to scratch. The lack of development of the cliffhanger from the previous book was also a real annoyance and not a wise choice in my opinion

I look forward to book 5 and hope it gets back to the standard of the first 3 because they really are special books and the character of Robyn Carter certainly deserves the best of storylines from her creator.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Carol E Wyer for the ARC.

This review is written with thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of The Silent Children.
Detective Inspector (DI) Robyn Carter is back, and it's not long before a young boy discovers the body of a man shot dead in his own car, and Robyn is called to lead the investigation. With leads in short supply, a few days later, a young woman is found dead in her home, and Robyn believes the two murders are connected. But what reason would someone have to kill these people, and what secrets are they hiding? Robyn knows she has a serial killer on her hands, and she must catch them before they strike again.
I have made no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of Robyn Carter, and this novel does absolutely nothing to change my mind! In The Silent Children, she's still reeling from the cliffhanger at the end of ​The Missing Girls (I won't give it away, but I strongly recommend you find out for yourself) and this makes her vulnerable, particularly when she learns that the first victim's wife was desperately trying to become pregnant. This shows the reader a slightly different side to Robyn, although the feisty lady we know and love is still in there somewhere!
The Silent Children has flashback chapters interspersed throughout the novel, starting when a boy, who is not named, is very young, and continuing as he grows up, until he is an adult in the present day. These scenes created a sense of intrigue, as I tried to work out who the boy was, and how his colourful past bore relevance to Robyn's investigation. The investigation itself is full of tension, as the novel becomes bloodier and gorier with each murder, and Robyn and her team are caught in a web of lies that they must untangle against the clock. I was constantly on the edge of my seat, and was genuinely upset when I had to stop reading to eat or sleep.
I have already mentioned that The Missing Ones ends on a cliffhanger, and Wyer has only left us hanging again! I am now waiting impatiently for the fifth book!

Although I love Carol E Wyers wonderfully wicked sense of humour in her women’s fiction, I have been loving how she is exploring her darker side in this crime series featuring Detective Robyn Carter which is set in Staffordshire. Having loved the first three books in the series, I was excited to get stuck into The Silent Children and what a breathtakingly brilliant addition to the series this is!

Problems at work with office sharing are probably the least of Robyns worries here but it certainly doesn’t help her now that DI Shearer and his team have had to relocate from their offices to hers so that the counter terrorism unit can move in. That means she’s not in the best of moods when she is called out to a murder that has taken place in an area mainly used by children and families. In fact, the prologue was so truly horrific that when it changed from being a lovely family day out for two young boys and their grandmother to one of those young boys being utterly traumatised by discovering a murder victim in their car, I was just as traumatised as they were!! And as I’ve actually been on that Gruffalo trail with my own grandchildren, it hit me even harder as I could visualise the scene perfectly in my head, knowing exactly how awful the discovery would have been for that young boy. Such a magical place should have remained untouched by the horrors he would have seen and I would hate to think of the therapy ANYONE would need after that-I personally would never be able to look at The Gruffalo again without major flashbacks!! And I LOVE The Gruffalo!

Once again Carol Wyer has delivered a taut and unrelenting narrative that packs a punch straight to the gut! There were so many twists and turns and complex plot threads here that I had absolutely no idea what was waiting for me around those blind corners in the maze of suspicion! Robyn is such an engaging character creation, likeable and determined with an intriguing personal story. Each book also brings something new and fresh to her professional life and I am thoroughly enjoying each and every intricately crafted case that comes her way.

The Silent Children is more twisty than eating spaghetti whilst driving around Spaghetti Junction!! There is not a chance in hell you will work out who the murderer is here and why they are embarking on one of the most horrific killing sprees Robyn has had to face so far! And I’ve no idea how she finds the time to do a little personal searching of her own on the side, but after a chance remark by Amelie leads Robyn to make a rather shocking discovery it ended up leaving me on such a cliffhanger that I need book 5 in this series and I need it……NOW!!!!!

I absolutely loved this book - the best so far in the series.
The story centres around the murders of three people at first and Robyn has to work out if and how they are related.
There’s also flashback chapters from the view of another character and it tells the story of the bad experiences he’s had in his life and the effect it had on him and his sister.
Robyn welcomes a new arrival into her home - a gorgeous little cat who Amelie falls in love with!
I can’t say too much more as I don’t want to spoil it but if you’re wondering if there’s any developments following the cliffhanger of the last book, then you’ll have to read it to find out!!
This is brilliant book that will have you gripped throughout.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy to read and review.

The Silent Children (DI Robyn Carter book 4) - Carol Wyer

The silent children is the fourth book in Robyn Carter series.With a complicated case and Robyn's personal struggles Carol Wyer takes us through a roller coaster ride with lots of twists along the way. One thing I noticed about her books are that she doesn't place her bad characters on the dark side completely. She places them in a grey area and tries to give you a perspective of what drives them to do such horrific things.And that's what I love about her.

There are two completely different narratives in the story. The past and the present.

In the past version, we learn about two kids growing up in an abusive household. The author puts us through pain along with the children and no matter what happens, they were asked by their mother to keep silent.
*" The boy studied the bruise turning yellow at the base of his neck. With quick fingers his mother tightened his tie, and pulled his collar high above it. Her eyes alone said, We will not speak of this... "*

At present, Robyn is frustrated after receiving a photo of her ex-fiancée Davies, taken after his death. She tries to dig more while a man named Henry Gregson is found murdered on the Gruffalo Trail in Cannock Chase and on his phone is a draft text: **I can’t keep this secret any longer.** The recipient is unnamed.
Robyn gets dragged into the case and she enlists her cousin Ross to investigate more about Davies. Few days later, a woman is found in a pool of blood at her apartment. As she investigates both the murders with her team, the suspect list gets narrow (while body count increases) and they come up with road blocks in every direction they take. The plot is so complex that I began to feel frustrated along with Robyn Carter. The victims are loosely connected through a quiz team ( Kind of !!) and why would anyone want to murder members of a quiz team?. As the past and present alternates, every piece of the puzzle slowly falls into place.

When you read a series, the characters are so important as you get to know them better with each book. Although Carol has done excellent work with Robyn's character, personally I feel that she should focus on adding depth to the characters Robyn's team.

Overall, its an entertaining read and a great addition to Robyn Carter series. I would definitely recommend this to police procedural/thriller fans.

Thank you bookoture and Netgalley for the review copy.

4/5 Stars

Okay after the cliffhanger at the end of book three I'd been itching to get my hands on a copy of this installment.
I love how the background character story continuing from book three flowed through the book but didn't interfere with the main case of this book.
So the main case what can I say...
I confess I was hesitant when I first started as I think the gruffalo hunting activity and the setting of Cannock Chase in the first few pages had me worried where it was going. I even googled to see if in reality kids are sent around Cannock Chase hunting for a monster given the history of the area I have to say I'm stunned anyone thought that idea was okay.....but anyway back to the book review.
I do love a book with twists and turns, with this book I was back and forth guessing where it was heading and as usual had no clue as to the real killer. With various ideas thrown into the plot to keep you guessing until the end.
I really liked the present and past sections and how that fit into the overall character stories connected with the case. It took me quite some time to connect the two eras together and even then the plot thickened rather than falling into place.
Would have like more on the personal case in the background but with such an in depth main case can understand why it got a little lost in the background.
Looking forward to book five to hopefully tie up some more character loose ends

This is the fourth book in the Robyn Carter series. Having read them all so far, the series is getting stronger with each book.

DI Robyn Carter and her team are called to investigate the murder of a man found dead in his car by a young boy. When a young woman is found dead in her home Robyn begins to wonder if the incidents could be connected when it is established that they possibly knew each other. Robyn is then asked to investigate a third death which seems at first to be unrelated as the man had died from a heart attack but on further investigation it appears that all three victims knew each other and there may be a link between all the deaths.

As with the previous books we delve into Robyn’s life, at the end of the last book we were left with the cliffhanger of whether Robyn’s fiance Davis is still alive. Robyn takes steps to try to find out the truth.

This is a good book, it deals with Robyn and her team trying to solve the murders but also has a different thread running through it concerning a brother and sister. It has several twists which keep you intrigued until the end. Another good story which we have come to expect from Carol Wyer.

This is book four in what I think is a cracking series so, if you haven't already read the previous books, do yourself a favour and read them first. Robyn has a bit of a past so you may also find it useful to get the full background on her prior to this book as things move on with them here too.
So, a young lad makes a gruesome discovery whilst out in the local wood; a man's body in a car. Inspection of his mobile phone indicates that he has a secret. Enter DI Robyn Carter and her team to investigate. Eager to get to the bottom of things and discover the secret he was desperate to tell, Robyn starts her investigation in the usual ways but nothing is really helping. Then another body is found; dead in her own house. Could the two deaths be linked and, if so, will widening the investigation glean the results the police so desperately need to find the motive and bring the perpetrator to justice before more deaths occur?
Boy was this a ride and a half! Jam packed with action and intrigue right from the off and not letting up until the very end. I am very reluctant to say anything more about the actual story here as I think it is important to discover certain things at the times that the author decides appropriate but I will say that is a rather interconnected and a bit convoluted tale that the author has cleverly plotted and very well, shall we say, executed here!
There are all the usual trademarks of what I would expect from this author by now. There is the banter and interaction between Robyn and her tight-knit team, the way they all work together so well together and independently, sharing the work and sharing their information at the end of the day. Boy I'd love it if they could be on hand if I ever needed help!
Throughout the book, as we follow the investigation as it proceeds in the present day, we also hear from someone's past. From their sad and horrible childhood through to near the present day. This kept me guessing quite a bit throughout as there were several candidates for their identity along the way.
In amongst all that is going on, we also have Robyn's fiance thrown into the mix once again. This doesn't really distract from what is going on in the main story though, just popping up every so often which I found quite credible being as how Robyn's interest in the matter was piqued by the appearance of a certain photograph. Robyn does the right thing in the end, leaving it to cousin Ross to investigate for her. I can't help but wonder if this series arc will continue in a book set more around him in the future. Looks like the author may be setting up for this event. Could be wrong though...
I am also glad that I started this book on a day when I had nothing else planned, well apart from going out for my Sunday roast, I had to put it down then. But when I got back I was eager to get back into it, to crack on with the story that had, thus far, kept me completely in its grasp. As I read on and the book reached its climax, when all was revealed, I was left completely satisfied, nodding my head at a job well done by the author. Oh what a tangled web the author weaved here. Brilliant!
All in all, a great addition to an already impressive series. More please, and soon. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another fantastic read by Carol Wyer. As much as I love this author's chick lit, I really love her thrillers as well; I couldn't choose if I had to! This novel can be read as a standalone, but if you haven't read any of the books in this series yet, I strongly advise starting from the beginning. It is so much fun starting a new series, knowing there are already 4 books to get your teeth into.

Robyn Carter is involved in another twisty, turny case. The past has a great bearing on the present day and there are red herrings aplenty in this book. As usual, Carol Wyer skilfully weaves all the strands of the story together and the end result is well thought-out and taut thriller. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

A well-deserved 5 stars from me.

This was a complex but thoroughly enjoyable police procedural with familiar and likeable characters. A complex web of relationships spanning the years interweave to leave the reader guessing until late on. Highly recommended series.