Relative Silence
by Carrie Stuart Parks
Thomas Nelson--FICTION
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Thomas Nelson
Christian | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 14 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 02 Sep 2020

Good Christian Mystery/thriller book. I struggled to read it though due to the rough formatting.
Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.

I struggled to read this book, to be honest. While 75% of my issue actually lies with the horrific formatting, the book itself had its positives and negatives.

Piper was a decent heroine, but I felt like Tucker as the hero was a bit of a letdown. There just wasn’t much chemistry other than a few sparks on Piper’s part and some shared random movie lines. I guessed most of the story and found myself flipping pages to hurry through because it felt slow and couldn’t keep my attention for most of the middle. The moment we are introduced to one of the younger characters, I knew how that would turn out and was correct. The entire ending and epilogue were rushed and choppy with weird details that made little sense (Ashlee and Bailey? Why?) so that I just didn’t feel satisfied in how it all played out.

Many others who love long family dramas with intrigue and secrets in abundance will likely love this story. Just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it.

I know that reviews shouldn’t include technical issues with the book file, but I feel strongly in this case that it can’t be overlooked. I’ve read a number of NetGalley books now, and I expect a bit of roughness in the formatting. Fine, they’re ARCs. But for some reason, Thomas Nelson books are absolutely the worst. This one in particular was horrendous. The chapter headings were right in the middle of the text, along with completely random page numbers. There was a complete lack of proper breaks to denote scene/POV changes, including during dialogue, which made understanding who was speaking difficult in places, and I had to reread some scenes several times to clarify. This made enjoying the book extremely difficult.

I have decided not to leave reviews on any of this book’s sale sites until I can pick up an official copy after release. At that point, hopefully I can enjoy the story enough to leave adequate reviews on that alone. But this ARC was bad enough to make me second guess continuing to read NetGalley books. They’ve got to find a fix so that the hours I know formatters spend on crafting their book files aren’t wasted and readers aren’t frustrated by the messes the existing software creates.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A powerful family is rumored to be suffering from a terrible curse has a near miss from yet another loss. Piper is rescued by a stranger in a restaurant and it turns out that he has secrets in his past as well.

Interesting twists and turns in this novel.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks, and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always a fan of Carrie Stuart Parks, I was eager to get my hands on this novel. Drawing on some of her past life experiences (no pun intended), Parks brings the story to life in this mystery that evolves throughout the reading experience. Piper Boone has suffered a number of traumatising experiences in her life, including the loss of her daughter fifteen years ago. However, on her more recent radar is being involved in a shooting rampage with the gunman seems to have been approaching her. It was only the quick actions of a mystery man—eventually identified as Tucker Landry—that saved Piper from likely death. While she works with the locals on Curlew Island in South Carolina, Piper tries to track her protector down and offer some thanks. She also finds herself wrapped up in a mystery when her island neighbour appears to have gone missing without a trace. The Boone family have all come to the island for the annual shareholders meeting, which brings up some old wounds or at least ones that Piper has not addressed for some time. After meeting and befriending Tucker, Piper works with him to create a composite sketch of the shooter, which helps the police hone in on the man responsible. With secrets coming to light, Piper and Tucker begin to wonder if the whispers of a family curse could be somewhat valid and work to discover if there is anything to substantiate. While she has been sitting on much for a while, Piper finds the courage to address the loss of her daughter and seeks answers that have, until now, been dismissed as part of a horrible afternoon fifteen years ago. Slowly, things come together and Piper realises that the Boone family has more in their closets than well-pressed clothes. Someone has been trying to divert attention away from the truth and it might be Tucker’s insistence to turn over every rock that finally brings some answers, as painful as they could be. A strong piece that reminds me of some earlier work of Parks’ I read, this is one that will have readers talking for a while. Recommended to those who love a good family mystery, as well as the reader who enjoys novels where secrets prove to reveal much about the foundation of truth.

I remember stumbling upon the work of Carrie Stuart Parks because of her unique use of a forensic artist as protagonist, which opened things up and created a story I could not resist. While she has strayed from that—sometimes more effectively than others—this novel breathes new life into her work and left me quite pleased. Piper Boone may be meandering through life after the loss of her daughter, but she is by no means giving up. Her determination has left her eager to seek answers, even if it means stepping away from the protective canopy that her well-to-do Southern family has erected. She feels many emotions and puts herself out there, seeking basic answers and refuses to cower away as life passes her by. Parks uses her effectively to convey this and many other emotions throughout the piece. Resurrecting her forensic artist character in Tucker Landry, Parks brings back some new and exciting life to the story, as he, too, has a past that is not entirely filled with sunshine and lollipops. Tucker works through his own past and seeks to help others, including crack the mysteries surrounding the Boone family wide open, even when others would prefer they stay buried. The use of a handful of secondary characters permits Parks to develop a strong story with a few key plot lines that keep things exciting for the reader. The story flows well and keeps its momentum throughout, adding plot twists throughout to keep things from being too predictable. With a mix of chapter lengths, the reader finds themselves pulled into the middle of this South Carolina mystery and wanting more throughout. While this may be a standalone novel, I can see the potential for Tucker and Piper to return again, in some form or the other. Either way, this is one of the stronger novels that Parks has written and I hope others find things within that help them to see the same!

Kudos, Madam Parks, for a great piece that kept me guessing throughout. Your fans will surely appreciate this piece, as we wait to see what else you have in store in the next year or two!

Piper Boone is meeting with her friend for lunch who she hasn’t seen in a very long time when a shooter opens fire, and kills her friend Ami and injures Tucker Landry, a forensic artist. Piper is upset and rightly so, and she is insistent on meeting Tucker Landry, who has survived the shooting. She wants to thank him for what he did to keep her safe. Piper invites Tucker to continue his healing at her family’s home and finds out he’s got a past that isn’t too pretty. Though neither one can deny the attraction between the two of them, and their mutual propensity for movies.
Fifteen years earlier, Piper lost her daughter Dove in a boating accident, then goes through a divorce, and more she recently has lost her job as an editor. She’s become something of a recluse and I didn’t appreciate (or like) that her former husband is still around like he still considers himself a part of the Boone family.
Joyce Mueller, a friend of her mothers is missing, and her (Joyce’s) granddaughter Hannah comes down from Wisconsin to help with search of her grandmother. Piper feels this connection to this girl that she seemly hasn’t ever met before. There is a lot going on in the Boone family that Piper realizes she doesn’t know the whole picture and would like to understand. How did her sister and father die, and are they apart this so-called Curlew Island curse?
I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would’ve like to, but there were so many unanswered questions that there was no way that I wouldn’t finish. The mystery was compelling (and so was the writing) and well thought out in my opinion, and that alone kept me reading.

My gratitude to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A few years ago I read the first book in the Gwen Marcey series. I liked that but for some reason not that much and this is only my second book by this author. But I’m glad I picked up this book and will go back and finish that series as well as read other books by this author.

This was a fast paced murder mystery. From the first line in the prologue, to the first line in the first chapter to the last page there was so much going on with attempted murders, missing people and secretive family members. I had a few suspects but was definitely kept in the dark till the end. All I can say is one twisted baddie.

There were a few things I would have liked more detail on especially wrt Tucker. Even though he was the ‘hero’, he felt a bit side lined after 50% and is backstory felt a bit rushed. The ending to the epilogue was also a bit rushed, I would have liked more detail about a few things.

I received a review copy so not sure if the following has changed but the following could have been a bit better when jumping from Piper’s POV (first person) to Tucker’s (third person) - the POV’s jumped from one paragraph to another, I would have appreciated some sort of indicators, even if it was just a symbol between the two paragraphs. Also, Piper and Tucker would randomly start quoting moving lines - if these lines were in a different font, it might have helped me follow easier (I had to reread section a few times to make sense of going on).

But apart from that, this was a great fast paced suspense which kept me turning the pages and holding my breath to see how things will turn out. I also liked how Tucked and Mandy easily spoke about God with Piper.

Recommended to fans of suspense.

Being a Boone has it's perks. Piper's life is filled with wealth, prestige, boats, cars and the family private island. She would give all that up for the return of her three years old daughter who died in a tragic beating accident.
Years later, now divorced, she still mourns her child.
With a hurricane threatening life on the island, lives are in turmoil. Everyone is trying g to get up safely. A set of unlikely circumstances start Piper thinking. A young girl the granddaughter of her neighbor has arrived and somehow she is drawn to her. The disappearance of her neighbor, not find her sister, and the death of another sister leave her mind questioning events from the past. When she as an artist render an age progressive picture of what her daughter, she is stunned by what she sees.
A thriller, and much more!
Recommended!

Relative Silence has just the right mix of mystery, romance, and psychological suspense to make you read until the lat page is turned. I was rooting for Piper and Tucker the whole way as each mystery was solved. Carrie Parks penned an exceptional novel.

Relative Silence gives readers quite an experience. The story centers around the Boone family and their lives on the private and exclusive Curlew Island. The location is mysterious, but the skeletons in the family’s closet make this story a page-turner. Piper still reals from her own tragedy as she lost her child fifteen years prior. But the Curlew Curse strikes again as Piper is the target of an attack. She decides to rehash the past as things don’t add up. A missing sister, the robbery that lead to her child drowning, and her neighbor’s strange disappearance all lead Piper on a dangerous quest for the truth. Even if the truth means that someone in her family is a murder.

This story is full of complex plot twists and the off-beat characters enhance the overall drama. Quirky isn’t even the best adjective to describe some of the characters. Piper has so many internal issues stemming from her overbearing family. Tucker Landry saves Piper’s life, but he has so many struggles from his past that he can barely function. Mandy is with the Coast Guard and her southern accent gives off a weird vibe as it mixes with her Asian roots. Piper’s family lives super elitist lives, but their shallowness can barely mask their eccentric ways. The characters are broken and hidden secrets can’t be contained any longer. Plus, a hurricane is bearing down on the island, threatening to decimate the family estate. So much is going on in this story, but it all adds to the mystery and suspense that kept me flipping pages. Towards the end, some of the action seemed a little unbelievable, but I was so sucked into the story and characters that it didn’t seem to matter. I kept thinking, what else could happen? and then the next page would throw out yet another over the top twist. I couldn’t even guess the culprit – everyone was a suspect with the amount of baggage all of the characters carried.

I recommend suspense fans checking out this novel. It gives readers a fast-paced novel full of plot twists and outlandish characters. This kind of reminds me of some of the Agatha Christy novels like And Then There were None, where you have a cast of characters all in one place and any of them can be a suspect in the murder. This story definitely has an old-school mystery vibe to it.

Overall: 5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense: 5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Great read with lots of twists & turns you won't see coming. Highly recommended is you want to challenge your "who dun it" mindset.

I like the faith angle, but apart from that, I'm sorry to say this book was not a winner for me. The plot felt so forced and overly dramatic with way too much going on. I had trouble connecting to the characters, many of whom felt cliched. As a lifelong southerner, the overdone "southern-ness" also made me roll my eyes a bit.

I was immediately drawn into Piper's story and anxious to find out the answers to all of the questions. The cast of characters all had motive for murder, and stood to benefit from the deaths of key people. The story was compelling from start to finish.

I was really disappointed with this book. I really wanted to like it because of how much I liked the Gwen Marcey series, but this book just didn't live up to that series at all.

I figured out most of the plot fairly early on (and even then, the plot was very outlandish), I didn't like the main characters, I couldn't stand Mandy (her accent was incredibly annoying to read and also the fact that she apparently couldn't follow police procedures.) the overt southern stereotypes were incredibly annoying, and the characters felt very unreal. It was hard to even like or feel anything for Piper because she just felt so distant.

On a semi-positive side, there were moments I enjoyed, and the book did keep me engaged to a point. I did want to finish because I wanted to see what the outcome was, but then it felt like it ended kind of abruptly.

I feel bad writing and sharing such a negative review but I just liked her Gwen Marcey series so much it's made her books since then kind of a let down. I truly hope the author will go back to writing books set in the Northwest because I feel like that setting just lends itself to some cool and unique mysteries/stories.

Piper has endured much tragedy. She lost her three year old daughter in a boating accident years earlier. Now she is present at a shooting that has killed three women. As Piper tries to help piece together a sketch of the shooter, it becomes apparent that members of her wealthy family have been targeted all along.

This is a fast paced mystery with many twists and turns. If you love murder mysteries that keep you guessing, you will love this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

A fast paced and emotional read. The story hits high speed right from the beginning and does not stop until the very end. Loss, loneliness, forgiveness, and fear are a few of the themes that are dealt with. The suspenseful plot and the interesting characters make this a great read. A touch of humor was woven in that really added depth and rounded out this story. Another great read.

I enjoy Carrie Stuart Parks stories. I love how she captures the artist's attention to detail. With her latest novel, Relative Silence, I loved the mystery. As a word of warning, the story does start a little slow for fans of non-stop thrills. It appears to be a family narrative, but then the suspense speeds up right along the approaching hurricane. That is when Parks captured my attention, and I stayed up way too late, trying to finish the novel. I really invested myself in the family and the characters. I couldn't wait to see justice prevail and have some peace for Piper as she deals with her family and her dead daughter. Parks did a fabulous job at keeping the villain's identity secret. Even I didn't figure out before the end. I had it pegged at a certain character, but was proven wrong. Overall, Relative Silence is an amazing tale of a family and the woes a family can create. I loved the action in the second half. I honestly can't wait for whatever else she decides to create.

I received a complimentary copy of Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks through Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Fifteen years after the fateful day that Sandpiper Boone lost her three-year-old daughter, a gunman fires shots into the crowded patio of her favorite restaurant. Once again, her life veers off in a trajectory she never imagined. This time, she wants to know what happened, and why. For too long she’s lived under the murky blanket of regret and remorse. Maybe the truth as she knows it had nothing to do with reality.

Tucker Landry, the man who saved her from the sniper, could turn out to be the one person who can help Piper investigate the past. He, too, knows the cold waters of regret. Piper’s invitation to stay at the family estate on Curlew Island as he recovers from his injuries seems like the perfect opportunity to get to know her better.

But something seems terribly wrong on the island—missing people, dead bodies, and deadly family secrets. Piper and Tucker work to uncover the past and find a demented killer as a hurricane approaches Curlew Island.

Carrie Stuart Parks has mastered the art of suspense. You’ll wonder about the killer’s identity from the first page to the last chapter—and find yourself surprised at the who and why. I love how her flawed heroine and hero work through their hang-ups and come to new understandings about God’s grace in their lives. Parks never preaches, but her message remains clear—we have a grace-filled God who pursues us.

While I have only read one other book by Carrie Stuart Parks (Fragments of Fear), after finishing up her latest novel Relative Silence, I can say without a doubt that she has quickly moved up my list as one to watch for. The story drew me into the action right from the start--- with a heartbreaking prologue followed immediately by a shooting in chapter one... and it didn't stop right through to the very end. It was one that given the choice, I wouldn't have put down until I finished. As it was, I had to force myself away. I truly could not put it down.

I immediately was drawn in by Piper's character and everything she had been through in the past, only to find herself right back in the midst of tragedy. Her rescuer- Tucker- is no stranger to tragic pasts himself. The more I learned about both of their stories, the more I liked them both. It was a great romance, but certainly more subtle taking a backseat to the mystery and drama within the story. And that there was no shortage of. At each turn of the page, more was revealed to leave us guessing. While I figured out one of the larger twists in the story fairly on, there were always enough clues to suggest otherwise to keep me wondering. And the big whodunnit? Likewise, there was a little bit of suspicion thrown in all directions. I wasn't sure who to trust, and could only imagine how Piper must have felt--- not knowing who in her family and close circle could have set these events in motion. Even when Piper had it figured out, I wasn't quite there just yet... as one line in the book stated: No one had an alibi, and everyone had a motive! This was certainly not a family without it's drama and skeletons and all of these layers truly made one very intriguing story.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and one that fans of Christian suspense are absolutely going to love! I loved it, and find myself ready to read more from the author! It's definitely a must read.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

Carrie Stuart Parks pulls readers into her fast-paced stories with lots of action and just a bit of romance. Relative Silence is the story of Sandpiper Boone, haunted by the disappearance of her 3 year old daughter more than a decade earlier. Her wealthy family is full of secrets as they try to maintain the front of a "perfect family," but Piper has finally had enough of being silenced and is ready to find answers.

This was a one-sitting read! A complicated family drama is only made better by making the family ridiculously wealthy and slightly shady, right? As the story goes on, the reader can't help but wonder if the Boone family really is cursed.

It was hard to imagine Piper as a full grown adult. She still lived at home, happy to sponge off her family's business while not really seeming to be involved in it. Her strange habit of quoting movies was probably supposed to be cute and quirky...I found it annoying.

However, I loved the setting of this book. All of the wonderful references to Charleston and its surrounding area made me long for a beach trip. I found myself googling several recipes mentioned in the story.

This clean read carries a decent amount of suspense and a whopping bucketful of insta-love.