Oonagh O'Neill opens a can of worms when she explores an alleged suicide. This might be part of a series but it's plotted well enough that it's fine as a standalone. A good twisty mystery.

I didn't realize this book was part of a series when I started to read it, but honestly it didn't really matter, obviously I missed some of the back story but it didn't affect my overall enjoyment of this read.
This was a great mystery with so many twists and turns, when I thought I had it all figured out my head would be sent spinning once again.
I will definitely be going back and reading first two books in the series.

I recently bought a new kindle after my old one broke. For some reason I was unable to download this title from the cloud onto my kindle, therefore I will be unable to review this title. I am sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Firstly everyone has to know, that I honestly tried so many times to start it, however after few pages I just put it aside.


But this month I forced myself to finish it and this book was good. Nothing great, nothing bad, just right in the middle.


Honestly, I think this book needs a trigger warning, because of the topics, that are described in it. I´m not easily disturbed, but this book made me feel uncomfortable quite a few times. So I just can imagine, how can it affect someone who is triggered by child abuse and rape. Although, even if the idea of the book was solid, I wasn´t a fan of writing style. I felt bored almost all the time I read it. But this is my problem, not the book.


Talking about characters, I have to say it felt that it was a second or a third book in a series, because you had small glimpse into a past and you know, that something happened to them, to make them who they are now. So once again it´s my fault, that I didn´t checked before reading, because it was a little bit irritating to not know the whole story.


The ending was certainly unexpected, however it left more questions, than answers.

All in all I recommend this book even though I didn´t enjoy it as much as I hoped to, but maybe you will like it a lot more.

Oo y’all doesn’t the title just scream to read it?! I loved the characters and the storyline. It was such a great read and I recommend it!

This is the third book in the series, and wow, I can honestly say they just get better. I can't wait for some more of this kickarse journalist. Recommended!

Third installment from detective oognah. Crime thrillers I love. This did not disappoint a must read.

This book is a police book if you like those kind of stories. It was very fast paced, compelling and had me wanting to read more all the time. This is a new author for me is part of a series.

Top notch writing, excellent storyline and brilliantly drawn characters. Talbot is a writer to watch.

The Quiet Ones, the third novel to feature Glasgow based journalist, Oonagh O’Neil, is by far the best instalment to date; this is one of those series' where you count down the days until the next book is published, and I love being that invested in it. It starts in explosive fashion and you are catapulted right to the heart of the story with no messing about. Hands down, one of the most satisfying and intense, pull no punches opening to a thriller I've read in a long time. From then on I was hooked and loved the gritty, grisly and often rather graphic descriptions and depictions. My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty for the entirety of the book.

There is so much action and excitement it's difficult to find a moment to breathe, and as the investigation begins to unfold I am reminded of just how wonderful Oonagh is as a protagonist. She approaches everything with integrity and a has a tenacious attitude about her; you can rest assured that with Oonagh on the case she will do everything in her power to bring closure to the victim's families. She is also really likeable, affable and relatable. If you enjoy thrillers that aren't afraid to take you on a wild ride of ups and downs and have plenty of grit and teeth to them then you cannot go wrong with this novel (or series). Many thanks to Aria for an ARC.

Usually when a celebrity dies, their peers rush to the media to profess their sadness for the loss of a good friend. So why isn’t this the case when Scottish football coach, Harry Nugent, is found brutally murdered? Investigative journalist Oonagh O’Neil believes that there is a story here, something in Nugent’s past that has been well-hidden. What she discovers is a cover-up of immense proportions that threatens to put her own life in danger.

After reading and enjoying the previous book in this series, Keep Her Silent, I was pleased to be given the opportunity to be one of the blogs on the tour for The Quiet Ones. If this series is new to you, it can be read as a standalone, so please don’t be put off by the fact that you haven’t read the first two.

The third book in the Oonagh O’Neil series sees Theresa Talbot tackling another topical and emotive subject, namely the abuse of young boys at the grassroots level of football. One of the things I admire about Theresa Talbot is that she is not afraid to shy away from controversial topics, telling the stories of the victims in a sensitive yet informative way. The chapters set in 1983 that were interspersed throughout the story were particularly hard hitting as we read about the abuse of a hopeful young footballer and how it affected his whole life. I felt increasingly angry as the book progressed, about how these people were able to hide in plain sight and continue their crimes undetected.

Just when I thought I knew where this book was going to go, Oonagh’s investigations opened up another line of enquiry, one that the police had not yet discovered. I admired how, even though she was going through some turmoil in her own life, her doggedness helped to expose the truth behind the death of Harry Nugent. There were definitely shades of Jimmy Savile here, with a cover-up involving numerous people, and it was, at times, unsettling to read.

The Quiet Ones is a superb read and one where the plot will remain with you for quite some time.

Theresa Talbot is back with The Quiet Ones, a shocking, gritty and twisted crime thriller featuring her brilliant sleuth, investigative journalist Oonagh O’Neill. Powerful, nerve-twisting and heart-pounding, The Quiet Ones is a fabulous crime novel written by an author at the height of her storytelling powers.

When the death of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent is announced, the legendary sportsman is painted as a pillar of the community by the tabloids whose passion for the game helped to influence millions to take up this sport. Harry had been not just an inspirational figure to many, but a man who had used his position in society to help those less fortunate than he was. However, there is something far more sinister going on beneath the surface than most people realized. Something is clearly not quite right and Oonagh O’Neill finds herself giving into her gut instinct and looking into the reasons why most people seem keen to distance themselves from Harry Nugent.

As Oonagh begins to dig deep into the life of the man beneath the footballing legend, she is flabbergasted by what she discovers. The man the tabloids thought a hero and a pillar of the community had a closet full of skeletons and had been keeping close to his chest shocking and scandalous secrets which propels Oonagh down a dark and dangerous path and straight into a tangled and terrifying cover-up that chills her to her very core. Just who was the real Harry Nugent? How many people had his sick secrets and dark desires damaged and destroyed? Oonagh knows that she is in very dangers waters, but she simply cannot stop now. She must
keep investigating and uncover these terrifying scandals – even if it places her in mortal danger!

Somebody wants Oonagh to keep her nose out of their business and they will go to any lengths to ensure that their secrets stay dead and buried – even murder…

The Quiet Ones is intelligently written, brilliantly suspenseful and packed with so many twists and turns that readers will be left breathless. Theresa Talbot is a fantastic writer who has written a spine-chilling page-turner that is thought-provoking, nail-biting and thrilling from start to finish. Oonagh O’Neill is a fabulous detective who is incisive and meticulous in her work, but also humane, compassionate and fiercely intelligent.

Theresa Talbot gets better with every book she writes and with The Quiet Ones, she has penned a gritty, gutsy and terrifying page-turner that continues to cement her standing as one of the genre’s most exciting and most talented writers.

When Harry Nugent is found hanging from the stairs of his home at first it seems like suicide. However, the fact his tongue had been cut out & shoved in his mouth seemed to disprove that! Football pundit, ex coach & renowned for his charity work-it would be expected that people would be falling over themselves to talk about him. The fact they are not, stirs investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil's interest. Initially the police seem to think it is gang related but it is something far darker.

This was a hard hitting book. It explored some very upsetting areas. The chapters featuring Tommy Gallagher really brought home the damage done by Harry Nugent & his like. It is not always an easy book to read but worth the effort. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

The third in the series of the investigative journalist, Oonagh O’Neil, novels, once again tackles a heinous crime that is currently topical. The grisly death of a high-profile football coach opens a dark and powerful web of lies and secrets that exist in plain sight, yet no one appears to care.

The appeal of this story is its authenticity and topicality. There is no gratuitous description in this story, but the themes are dark and hard to read about. The story follows Oonagh’s investigation into the football coach’s death, and what lies behind it. It leads her into some dark places, with frightened victims, and powerful culprits, who will stop at nothing to save themselves.

Oonagh is a clever and tenacious investigator, who uses her contacts ruthlessly, and her personal experiences to get to the truth. Her flaws and overuse of alcohol, make her relatable, and real, Given what she sees and experiences in the course of her investigations, it isn’t surprising she needs to forget sometimes.

The language and behaviour give the novel’s setting authenticity and the plot is cleverly twisted and layered with menace and suspense. The ending ties up the investigation well and concludes this disturbingly poignant story convincingly.
I received a copy of this book from Aria in return for an honest review.

THE QUIET ONES is the third book to feature the Glasgow-based investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil, although it is just my second. I must have missed Book #2 along the way somewhere...lol I wasn't disappointed though I do recall the first "The Lost Children" being the best so far.

It begins with the apparent suicide of ex-football coach turned businessman Harry Nugent, although we are privy to his death in the prologue which is anything but a suicide. But what we do not know is who is pulling the strings orchestrating his death?

Harry is found by his wife hanging from the balcony banister inside their affluent home. Everything points to a suicide until they discover his tongue has been cut out and thrust into his mouth. That, and the bruising to his wrists and ankles indicating he'd been tied up, told them that this was anything but a suicide.

An investigation lead by DI Alec Davies and DS Jim McVeigh begins and it isn't long before they uncover some nasty little rumours circulating about the illustrious former football coach. It seems Harry Nugent's business ventures covered up a much deeper, darker and even more sordid secret. And it seemed, since his death people appeared to distance themselves from someone who has supposedly been exalted among the football fraternity. But no one was talking to the police.

Enter Oonagh O'Neil. The one woman investigative journalist who seemed to go where no man can. She gains the trust of her interviewees, of those victimised and abused at the hands of Nugent and his merry men - or their loved ones. She is empathetic and sensitive but pulls no punches.

Then two more bodies are found. One with his ears lopped off, the other with his eyes gouged out - both with them shoved into their mouths. The parallel to the three wise monkeys is not lost on Oonagh. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. But the question is - is it a threat? At first thought it bore some resemblance to a gangland murder, but Oonagh knows it is more than that.

When Oonagh's investigations take her to Breakmire, an abandoned former psychiatric hospital, she is left wondering why here? What drew Nugent to this hospital? It's where he met his wife Sarah, a former nurse - but what else? Oonagh knows there has to be more. And when she finds just how far and how deep this story goes, she is both shocked and saddened for the victims...and sickened and enraged by Nugent and his depravity.

The story primarily unfolds through Oonagh's eyes, with the occasional POV of DI Alec Davies for a police perspective. There are a handful of chapters from 1983 by a Tommy Gallagher and, while these were heartbreaking to watch unfold, I felt they really didn't fit neatly into the story. What purpose did Tommy's chapters have except to tell his story in part? He had nothing to do with the end result, so I found it a little pointless. Hannah's story would have been a better one to weave into the narrative.

A discrepancy I found was the timeframe which didn't seem to match up with regards to Tommy after Alec came across him one evening. Then in the next chapter he was recalling the assistance he gave Tommy by getting him into a hostel and how he'd been tossed out after found flouting their "no drinking" policy. Alec recalled that that had been 3 weeks ago, and yet in the next chapter it went on to say that "it has been two weeks since harry Nugent's murder and they still had no real leads etc." But Tommy appeared well into Nugent's murder investigation so how could it have been three weeks since he was turfed out of the hostel that Alec organised for him when Nugent had only been dead for two. It just didn't tally.

And then there is the overt use of some phrases, which just seemed too cliched to be used so often. "As wide as the Clyde" is one that springs to mind, which was reference a number of times. There were a few others that I can't recall now, but which I did find a little repetitive whilst reading.

But on the whole, THE QUIET ONES is still a good read. I found it a little slow and convoluted at first but it soon gained momentum with those short snappy chapters I love so much!

THE QUIET ONES is a difficult story to read in part, though it is not graphic, the subject matter is horrifying. However, Theresa Talbot writing has shown both sensitivity and compassion in portraying this story that, I understand, has been at the forefront of Scottish news recently. It is heartbreaking and harrowing to think of what those poor boys went through all on a promise of greater things at the hands of those they trusted. The cruel and casual disregard for not just mankind, but children, while it is difficult to read, is all the more so being a fictionalised reality. Theresa noted at the end of the book in an AUTHOR'S NOTE her conversation with a taxi driver and his own experience at the hands of men like Nugent and how it inspired this story.

A solid addition to the Oonagh O'Neil series, THE QUIET ONES is still a compelling read which I have no hesitation in recommending to fans of this genre.

I would like to thank #TheresaTalbot, #NetGalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheQuietOnes in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Ones by Theresa Talbot is the third book in The Oonagh O’Neil series. Oonagh O’Neil is a television journalist in Glasgow, Scotland who is being shoved off the anchor desk for the latest new young thing. While Oonagh resents it, it does give her the opportunity to do more in depth pieces since she does enjoy research and production. Oonagh has a troubled past that continues to haunt her and has her overindulging in alcoholic beverages. To make matters worse, a certain gentleman with the Glasgow police seems to be ignoring her. When Oonagh learns that Harry Nugent’s death is the result of foul play, not a suicide, she sees the possibility of a series. Despite not having official permission to do her story, Oonagh begins digging into Harry’s life. While Harry’s life appeared squeaky clean on the surface, Oonagh soon discovers that the man had a nasty predilection and she wonders if this is what got him killed. The more Oonagh digs, the more dirt she uncovers. The Quiet Ones deals with a sensitive subject and I am glad that the story did not go into detail. Oonagh is an older protagonist which I appreciated (I can relate more since she is closer to my age). Oonagh has established connections and is a good researcher. People seem to open up when she talks to them which helps her get juicy tidbits. The mystery was complex with new details emerging as the story progresses. I like how murder is multifaceted and we get information from various sources including flashbacks. The tension built the further I got into the book and as Oonagh finds out more about Harry’s personal and business dealings. My favorite phrase from The Quiet Ones deals with Harry and is “up to his eyes in something brown and smelly.” I do want to let readers know that, unfortunately, there is extensive foul language. I found The Quiet Ones to be a slow starter and the pacing varied depending upon the scene. Oonagh O’Neil is a character that I could not like. I wish the author had made the protagonist more relatable and friendly. The author’s detailed descriptions allowed me to visualize the characters and the scenes. I recommend reading The Oonagh O’Neil books in order so you can get the background on Oonagh. The ending will have your jaw dropping in shock.

A Very Good If Somewhat Grisly Read

Harry Nugent, a famous Scottish football coach, supposedly commits suicide and the media paint him as a pillar of the community. However, investigative journalist, Oonagh O'Neill, gets the impression that other celebrities are trying to distance themselves from him. Oonagh's investigation leads her to a haunting cover-up that places her in mortal danger from dark, sadistic people.

This is the author's third book in this series but the first I have read. It was fine to be read as a standalone with only occasional references to the previous novels. The novel is set in Glasgow, and the author's depiction of that city is very authentic. It is a book of short chapters which I prefer, although others may well disagree. The book starts off in a thrilling and quite grisly fashion, which certainly gets the reader's attention hooked immediately.

Oonagh is an interesting character, and I found myself involved with the author’s depiction of her. She has integrity, is likeable, affable, but also tenacious when it comes to her investigations. There are plenty of twists and surprises in the story, and it is a difficult read at times due to the subject matter of sports coaches and grooming, which is all too topical recently. The one main reason this book lost a star is that there is rather too much gratuitous swearing throughout it, which is not necessary to add anything to the story.

There are dark, deep secrets interwoven throughout the storyline right up to and including a very satisfying conclusion. There are numerous side issues and events which keep the reader on their toes, and I liked the spattering of humour that the author included, especially the conversations between Oonagh are her somewhat embittered boss.

All in all, an entertaining read and will probably lead me to search out the first two books in this series.

Digger95

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Honestly, this was a hard hitting read. The book starts with the death of a well known, renowned football figure Harry Nugent - and the way he dies and his body is found is absolutely brutal. Oonagh McNeil is a journalist looking to cover the story who finds herself investigating what happened to him and the brutal deaths of other men which followed. What connected them - and who wanted them dead?

Oonagh and the police uncover much more than they probably expected to but the scary thing is we know that things like this happen in real life, thanks to very high profile cases of TV entertainers using places such as hospitals for their own 'benefit'.

The ending was a complete surprise - I actually kept turning to my partner and saying I need to get to the end, I need to know who did it - and I didn't guess it at all - it was a complete surprise but one that made total sense.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author and I'd love to read more about Oonagh, she is a very interesting character.

Firstly Thanks to Vicky at Aria for my e-arc of the new dark thriller from Theresa Talbot, The Quiet Ones

This is my first read by this author, and to start I didn't realise I was reading the 3rd in a series, so straight away, this is very easy to read as a standalone, though by the end, if as like me this is your first, I can only imagine you will want more of investigative reporter Oonagh O'Neil.

When a rich, football coach and now businessman, Harry Nugent is found in an apparent suicide, It's soon discovered there is not only more to his death, He was in fact murdered, there is much more to the man himself... and its nothing good.

With no one wanting to talk, rumours soon surface about Harry's foul predilection for the young boys he was coaching.

A cold, dark story of corruption in high places, disgraceful men and women of power abusing their positions for their vile gain. This is a disturbing and at times grim tale

Written as Oonagh investigates, it's also interspersed with DI Alec Davies's investigation, and back to 1983 where young Tommy's story is told, he being one of Harry's early victims.

Oonagh is a character I took to almost straight away, a strong character with a need to make things right, she doesn't let up in her pursuit of justice and I like both the character in DI Alec Davies and the relationship they have.

This is really quite a current thriller, paced perfectly throughout and a cracking finale.

With stories coming out now in real life from footballers who had their dreams shattered by these despicable men, this book shocks and pulls no punches.

A  tragic yet compelling tale, this is an excellent chilling thriller.

Highly recommended

4

The Quiet Ones was not an easy read but it was extremely compelling and fascinating. Although this was actually book three in a series, I was quite happy to just dive straight in and this novel worked fantastically well as a standalone. The essence of this story was shocking and distasteful but I am happy to say that the author Theresa Talbot approached and delivered it with compassion and respect. A great read if you are partial to atmospheric thrillers. A well earned five stars and very highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Aria via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.