Member Reviews
One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year! Pearce keeps building the suspense and weaving a web. Stella can’t see clearly and as a reader, at times neither can we. A real page turner and not to be missed!
This was a DNF. Unfortunately I did not get into this as much as I wanted. I couldn't follow the story line.
This thriller is about Stella, a one time child star in a TV series. She is now alone, her parents have passed and she only has her best friend Carmel to keep her company. Then she meets Marco and he recognizes her from her past celebrity status. She is a little flattered and soon Stella and Marco become a couple. He takes her to his cottage away from London, her friend and the drinks and pills that she has become dependent on. He goes away for many days at a time leaving Stella alone. She begins to hear and see things that disturb her and soon starts to believe that she is losing her mind.
The first half of this book was disjointed and really did not hold my attention, but the second half was much better, even if very predictable.
Can she trust him? Can she trust herself? It's a see saw of emotions as Stella tries to lift herself from the bottom where she lies and tries to figure out what her life is supposed to look like now. Well told and creepy because you know something's off but not quite sure what. Happy reading!
This was my first time hearing of Daisy Pearce, and she really did not disappoint. This was gripping from the prologue. I really found my heart aching for Stella throughout and just wanted to reach into the book and help her. Daisy's writing is utterly breathtaking and I'll be looking for more of her books now. Incredible book, would give it 6 stars if possible!
The Silence is a great quick thriller that holds all of the character and plot throughout!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Stella Wiseman, a childhood star, is now in her thirties, working in a hotel and living in the shadows of her past. That all changes when she meets Marco, an older charming man who wants to help her get her life together, he wants to take care of her and he gives her pills. The pills help her sleep, but now she has lost everyone around her and she is starting to see things. Is she losing touch with reality?
This story was creepy - probably not wise to read it when your home alone.
I found this story to be a slow-burner, the first third felt very fragmented and I found it hard to follow. Upon hindsight, I now wonder if this was intentional as it almost reflected Stella and her frame of mind at the time.
I found myself wanting to shake Stella a few times, I was over the whole damsel in distress act, especially once we learned a bit more about her past - but I guess that’s what made her perfect. Daisy Pearce did a good job of creating a lot of tension and suspense throughout this novel, I found myself questioning the intention of multiple characters, which pushed me to finish this book.
Wow! I loved The Silence. This is a great psychological thriller.
Stella was a childhood tv show star, now adult and out of the spotlight. She lives with her roommate Camel in the city, and the two girls go out together. Stella meets Marco, goes home with him, and the two begin to date. Then Stella's father dies, and Marco is there to take care of her. Stella's memory begins to disappear, and she can't remember large chunks of time. She loses her job and has falling outs with all of her friends, Camel included, so thank goodness Marco is there to help her again. Stella finds herself in a faraway cottage, isolated from everyone but him. She questions everything she sees and remembers, not sure what is real anymore or not. Marco tells her it is all in her head, but is she really going crazy?
I predicted how the story would continue, but kept hoping maybe I was predicting wrong. I can see this one turning into a movie!
TW: Gaslighting, physical/emotional abuse.
Stella Wiseman, former child star of a TV series, has lost both her parents and her best friend is about to move to Paris. Then she meets Marco, an older man who seems to adore her, and she is in need of his care as her life goes from bad to worse. Soon she is isolated in a cottage, dependent on pills given to her by doctor Marco took her to see, and convinced that the place is haunted.
The basic plot is fairly interesting, if generic for these types of thrillers. I found the main character to be hopelessly naive, willing to blame her oldest friends for what was happening but never once considering if it could be Marco. It was all okay but nothing that stands out amongst lots of other books in a similar vein.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Amazon Publishing UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
A loveable child star all grown up into a washed up, middle aged, single woman. Stella, aka Katie Marigold, is stuck at a dead-end job, her parents are gone, and she lives in a tiny apartment with her friend, Carmel. They spend their nights going out, getting drunk, and sleeping around.
But all of that changes when Stella meets Marco. Marco is kind, considerate and willing to take care of Stella in a way that she has been longing for. Their relationship moves quickly, much to the shock of Stella's friends.
Marco always seems to be around, ready to throw money and pills at Stella's problems, always the hero of the day.
Stella starts to notice that she is sleepwalking, forgetting things, and losing chunks of time in her memory. Her life is in a downward spiral and Marco convinces her, with the help of her psychiatrist, that a secluded getaway is just what she needs.
The more pills she takes, the less Stella is sure about. And when the locals start talking, Stella doesn't know what to believe or who to trust anymore.
While reading this book, I flew through the beginning chapters, totally hooked on the messy life of this childhood star. I found myself shocked to learn that she was in her 30's because her behavior made her seem much younger. As the story went on, the helplessness of the main character started to get on my nerves, I just wanted one of the other characters to shake her, and tell her to wake up! Even though the story dragged a bit in the middle, I was able to easily push through and finish in a few days. Overall, this book was a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the writing and the storyline. I would recommend this book to others for a quick, suspenseful read.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for a chance to read this book!
This is a well written book but it is predictable. I totally disliked Stella and Marco and found it hard to keep interested in the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.
** spoiler alert ** I raced through the first quarter of this book in one sitting.
The pacing was spot on,the story well done,I was wanting to slap Stella and tell her to wake up to this man.
There was an interesting reveal on exactly who Stella was as a child,and how she became quite so famous,and how toxic she was.
I think that's where it peaked. From there it followed a familiar route, though still engaging.
The last bit though,was a bit too ott for me.
Enjoyable.
There’s something really irritating about a book where the antagonist is obvious and the protagonist just doesn’t see it. Honestly that’s the only sentence you need to know about The Silence.
Something extra needs to be added to this story, an interesting twist. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed reading it but it’s lacking.
I rate this as a 2.5 / 5.
I felt this book was a bit slow paced for me, especially given the storyline. It’s not an original story, and I did find it a bit predictable. However, it was well written and I would read others by this author.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Parts of this book were predictable..the pills, the secrets, the man Marco really was. But other parts were not. While overall I thought it was slow going and ended up skimming more than reading, the end was not totally what I expected.
Once upon a time, Stella was a big deal, a child star, but now, in her thirties, she’s a washed up nobody. And she’s a perfect mark for Marco, a man who tells her he can reinstate her into show business. He lavished attention and drugs on her, and then moves her into a secluded cottage in the middle of nowhere. He tells her the time on her own is all she needs to get back on her feet. Readers will be able to see what’s coming, but that doesn’t lessen the excitement and thrills in store.