Remain Silent is the third book in Susie Steiner's Manon Bradshaw mystery series.  I very much enjoyed this author's first two novles in the series and was eager to read this one as well.


Remain Silent is, in some ways, a very tough read.  It is the second book that I have finished recently that has a theme centering on the plight of illegal immigrants.  Ms. Steiner portrays what happens to these characters including Matis, Lukas and  others, with such brutal reality that it was painful to read.  The message is an important one however and something that needs to be considered. 


Manon herself can be acerbic, funny and a woman who makes many pithy parenthetical statements.  In this book, Manon is overwhelmed with challenges.  She has a young son, a teenaged son and a partner, Mark, who is in the hospital.   Manon's lament on how she wishes that she had been treating Mark better will strike a chord with anyone who has faced challenges in a relationship.


Around all of this, of course, there is a mystery.  The murder is that of one of the immigrants and Manon is tasked with solving the case.  Readers who have read the series will welcome back characters on her team including Davy.

SPOILER:


The afterword by the author reveals some of what she, herself, has been experiencing and this, too, has been quite sad and difficult.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in an excellent series in exchange for an honest review.  I hope that Ms. Steiner will continue writing.  She is a talented and clear eyed author.

3 1/2 ⭐️‘s

Manon is not your regular detective. She flies by the seat of her pants, and manages to get the job done in the best possible of ways. I love Manon and her unconventional, outspoken ways along with her partner Davy. That being said, this was not my favorite of the series. The story just didn’t capture me as I had hoped after the first two in the series and the ending was quite abrupt. Reading the afterword it was quite heartbreaking to find out that the author was diagnosed with brain cancer after she finished this book. Heartfelt prayers for you, Susie!

I’m a fan of British police procedurals. There are some things I don’t like about them that I’ve seen in recent years, though. Among them are (1) a lot of detail about the detective’s home life, especially kids, (2) a plot focusing on human trafficking (for sex or labor). This book includes both (1) and (2), and yet I loved it. Steiner is just that great a writer.

This is the third Manon Bradshaw novel and, while they’ve all been excellent, this one is superb. Manon is just so real. She’s driven to achieve justice in her work, which makes her butt heads fairly frequently. She becomes obsessed with her cases, though she feels guilty about neglecting her family because she loves (and is driven crazy by) her teenage son, toddler son and partner, Mark. She despairs at her weight, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, terrible housekeeping and bad attitude. But don’t think she’s too self-critical. She’s got a lot of opinions, strong ones, and doesn’t hesitate to share them. Her rant on how we, in the 21st century, have embraced ignorance and rejected expertise, is hilarious and depressing at the same time.

As for the plot, Steiner manages to bring freshness to yet another trafficking plot. Hers is not about sexual slavery, but about Baltic men lured into work bondage. Without being heavy-handed, Steiner points out the hypocrisy of her countrymen for being anti-immigrant, while jumping to hire the Baltic crews for the tough, dirty jobs no Briton wants to do.

A beautifully written, standout novel.

Manon is stressed. She’s anxious, she’s bored, her relationship is in the crapper. She's going to couples therapy as a single because her partner won’t come with her. She’s got a part time job in cold cases. That is, until she’s in the park with her young son and finds a body swinging from a tree. The body is that of a migrant worker and before she knows what’s hit her, she’s assigned back as SIO on the case. Davy is once again her second in command. And he’s no happy camper either. Engaged, but not sure it’s the right thing and keeps casting eyes at buxom Bridget.
Seems everyone has a real anti-immigrant mindset these days. Britain wants the Eastern Europeans gone. This book covers the talking heads, the protestors, the neighbors fighting declining property values. But who else will catch the chickens? And those immigrants, exploited, barely one step above slaves.
We also get to see the internal team politics which I found fascinating. Manon’s boss is all talk and budget cut worries and no practical experience. Davy isn’t happy to lose top billing to Manon, no matter close they are.
Steiner does a good job of balancing the personal lives with the murder to be solved. I love her take on what’s important in a relationship, the “scratchy, old towel” analogy. Manon is just so real. What she was feeling, I felt myself thinking, that would be me. There’s also quite a bit of humor here. When she takes on a wandering husband, I could have stood up and cheered.
The book takes some wild turns as it winds its way to the end. I didn’t see some of those twists coming.
This is the third book in the series and the first two were both five stars for me. And I’m happy to report, so is this one. But oh my God, not sure I was at all ready for that Author’s Note.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

This British mystery is Susie Steiner’s third installment featuring DS Manon Bradshaw, a unique and talented police detective. Steiner’s novels, including Remain Silent, offer much more than just an absorbing mystery. Rather like Harry Bosch, Manon offers us glimpses of her imperfect life outside of police work; this third novel is in fact a thorough character study of a middle-aged parent working to balance a demanding job, personal family issues and challenges, and her own doubts and fears. The story makesforgoodreading if you enjoy true- to- life characters with your action and crime solving.

I love Susie Steiner's Manon Bradshaw series so much! I had previously read the first two in the series and this third one didn't disappoint. Manon is such a great character. She's by all means not perfect! But that's partly why she's so great. Steiner is so great at character development and, for me, that's why her books are so readable and enjoyable. You get great character development in the secondary characters too - not just Manon. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing. I'm hopeful that Steiner is able to continue to the series despite her health problems. I can't wait to see where she'll take Manon next!

With a twist I didn't entirely see coming, Remain Silent was definitely worth reading. The support is interesting with a lot of different subplots that twist the narrative this way and that. It was an interesting story with many smaller interesting stories that didn't really seem to be necessary, entertaining though they were. Overall, worth reading but not one I'm likely to read again.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Remain Silent” is a thriller by Susie Steiner is the third book in the DI Manon Bradshaw series. Manon ,on a walk with her son, finds a Lithuanian immigrant hanging from a tree and begins to investigate.

This was a quick read, with a great mystery and 3 dimensional characters. I enjoyed it

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Manon Bradshaw is now "married" (not legally) and happy to be part of the Cambridgeshire police force on a part-time basis in the cold cases department. This arrangement allows her to also be a mum to her toddler, Teddy, and her adopted teenage son, Fly. But things aren't as blissful as she envisioned them: she attends marriage counselling on her own because her husband, Mark Talbot, thinks that it would just be her "wanging on," there's meal planning, laundry, dishwasher emptying, and she's always exhausted because at 46, is feeling too old to chase after a toddler.

While out on a walk with Teddy, Manon discovers a body of a Lithuanian immigrant hanging from a tree with a mysterious note attached. One thing she knows for sure is that things are going to change. Manon finds herself back on force full-time to try to solve this case—is it suicide or could it be murder?

The story unravels through multiple perspectives. Steiner further develops her characters via their personal lives and relationships. Manon is layered, complex, and just plain endearing. Steiner writes her with such care—she is vulnerable and relatable. She is not only a good cop, but she's a mother that loves deeply, fiercely, and unapologetically.

When is this series going to be made into a TV show? I could totally see this as a dark copper drama like Luther or Broadchurch. In fact, Davey reminds me of Justin Ripley from Luther.

The acknowledgements at the end of the book completely shattered me. Susie Steiner, I don't know if you will ever read this, but please know that you are an incredible talent and that it was my sincerest honour and privilege to have reviewed this book.

3 for neutral, unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book, I think likely because it’s a series and has so much background, family things going on that I was completely lost. Will update once I’m able to grab and read first two and then this one. I did try, but did not enjoy being completely out of the loop. Do think you should definitely read the first two before reading this, if you are like me and have a hard time not understanding all the details.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Remain Silent.

I've read the first two books in the series, so it wasn't hard to follow along in the third installment.

Manon Bradshaw is adjusting to life with a baby and adopted son, getting older, and handling cold cases. When she discovers a dead man hanging in a tree, she is pulled into the case, probing the suspicious death of an immigrant and the squalid conditions the man and his friends have been enduring.

The writing was good, but the story started off slow. There's plenty of exposition on the main characters, including how the immigrants ended where they did and how they were exploited by human traffickers.

The only issue I had with the exposition is that it didn't make me like anyone better, nor dislike them. I felt distant from the entire cast of characters.

I never warmed up to Manon in the first two books, and the third is no exception.

The author notes that while writing this book, she faced a health crisis and reverberations of her ordeal is clear in Remain Silent.

Manon complains incessantly about getting older, getting heavier, about not eating this or that like she used to, not being able to deal with the politics and bureaucratic wrangling that comes with advancing in the police force.

Then, her life partner faces a health crisis of his own.

I understand life mirrors art (or is it the other way around?) but Manon's personal issues clouded the plot.

I was looking forward to a basic police procedural, which is how it began, then it diverted slowly, but surely into a story about Manon and her domestic life as she worries about being left alone with the kids, how much she will miss her partner, how she took him for granted, etc, etc.

I do hope the author gets well and remains so in the future.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

I’ve read and reviewed two earlier books by Susie Steiner featuring Detective Manon Bradshaw (Missing, Presumed in 2016 and Persons Unknown in 2017) and really liked both of them (****), so I was happy to get a copy of Remain Silent, Ms. Steiner’s latest featuring Detective Bradshaw. In my earlier reviews, I expressed my fondness for novels by Tana French and Kate Atkinson, and noted “I have to say that Steiner’s protagonist, Manon Bradshaw, reminded me a bit of Elizabeth George’s Barbara Havers of the Lynley series. Like Barbara, when we met her (In Missing, Presumed) she was a no-longer young woman with an interesting and successful career – but she was dissatisfied with her situation, and she REALLY wanted to be in a relationship. She was nearing forty, and trying to get her life in order… “

In Persons Unknown, Manon had sort of given up on that whole finding-a-relationship thing, and transferred back to Cambridgeshire to work and live with her sister Ellie, Ellie’s toddler son Solly, and Fly Dent, the twelve-year-old boy Manon adopted. As Remain Silent begins, Manon has recently married and is living with her husband Mark, a preschooler son named Teddy, and teenager Fly. She is working part-time for the Cambridgeshire police force, looking at cold cases. She’s somewhat bored with the work and trying hard to adjust to what she thought was going to be nonstop domestic bliss, but has turned into lots of bickering about things like whose turn it is to clean the kitchen. She has resorted to couples counseling, but that has recently devolved into her going alone because Mark thinks the sessions would just be her complaining.

One day, when she is on a walk with her four-year-old son in their quiet suburban neighborhood, she is shocked to come across the body of a Lithuanian immigrant hanging from a tree. There is a mysterious note attached, and before she knows it, she is back on the job full-force, trying to solve the mysterious death…was it suicide? Or murder?

Like Steiner’s other books featuring Manon Bradshaw, there is plenty of wry humor and quirky self-revelatory commentary throughout…which is sorely needed, because the story of the migrants’ lives, including the details of human trafficking, is brutal. TBH, I had a hard time with it, mostly because I was reading to escape from the harsh realities of today’s world situation, and the plight of the Latvians was so well done, with the characterization written so well, it was somewhat painful for me. Mixed in with the stories of the economic migrants is the strong anti-immigrant stance of many in the U.K., which is very similar to what we are seeing more and more in the U.S., (having a racist xenophobe in the White House has tended to make it acceptable for those with an inclination to be racist to just do it overtly, rather than seeing the thinly veiled bigotry more common in recent years, prior to 2016).

Overall, I loved the way we get to know Manon more and more with each book in the series. This one works fine as a standalone, although fans of the earlier novels will perhaps appreciate it a bit more as we see Manon’s character continue to evolve. I truly hope the author’s health improves, and that both she and Detective Bradshaw are around for many more years. Four stars (it would be five if I were less sensitive to the plight of the migrants…but that’s me, no lack on the part of Ms. Steiner). Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Having been a big fan of the first 2 Manon Bradshaw books, I was delighted to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of Steiner's latest in the series. I found Manon even more relate-able than previously, and there was some wonderful humor which helped offset some of the very serious issues in the book. I wouldn't have chosen to read a book about human trafficking, but it was handled as well as possible in the story and was eye-opening. I hadn't been aware of the discrimination against Eastern Europeans in the UK, and it is, unfortunately, all too similar to this type of thing in the US.

I particularly liked the parts of the book about Manon's personal life and the office politics. I think she's a great character, and I hope the author is able to continue the series. Manon reminds me of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway, one of my other favorite characters. This book was suspenseful and thought-provoking, and I highly recommend it.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

I really didn’t expect where this book was going. I had worried the installation of the series would not live up to the first two but in fact I would say it exceeded expectations. A slow burn at first but you have to stick with it to get to the goods. Can’t recommend it enough

I am a big fan of Susie Steiner's first two books about Detective Manon Bradshaw, so was very excited to get an advanced copy of this third book in the series. This one centers on the suspicious death of a Lithuanian immigrant found hanged in a tree - by Manon herself - but with a note which seems to suggest he was murdered. This central mystery was interesting, as was the discussion of the exploitation of Lithuanian immigrant workers and the hatred for them in the small English town where the book is set. And as with the other books, the writing is very literary and is as much about the personal life of the gruff but lovable Manon and her partner Davy as about the mystery. Perhaps a touch less satisfying than the first two books in the series, but still an excellent literary mystery that keeps Susie Steiner right up there with my other favorite literary mystery writers like Tana French, Jane Harper, and Kate Atkinson. (So if you're a fan of those authors' work, definitely check out this series as well!)

I would say that if Susie Steiner writes a 4th book in the series I'll be first in line to read it, but was devastated by the author's note at the end in which Steiner reveals that she has not entirely treatable glioblastoma. Sending my wishes for continued good health for her and if by some miracle she's able to keep writing, I will indeed be there.

This is the third installment of this series, which I did not realize at the time of requesting. Still, it captivated my interest despite this fact and kept me reading.

Felt it was a little slow getting into the story, but once it started it was well worth the wait. I’m glad I kept reading. If your a fan of Susie Steiner books don’t miss this one. If you’ve never read her before I recommend you start with the first book in the series. It’s a great series.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review 😀

Not my favorite read for this year. I never read anything by this author so I’m coming in as a new reader.