This is my first book by this author. I did see a lot of posts about the first Paige Northwood book, Silent House, when it came out earlier in the year but I never got round to reading it. However, the fact I hadn’t read the first book did not detract at all from my enjoyment of this one, although it did make me want to go back and read it to plump out the back story that is reprised briefly in this book.

From the title and cover, you might expect this to be a Christmas book, but it isn’t at all. It is a thriller set in the enclosed world of a school for the deaf. A child goes missing on a school residential trip, and a body of a teacher is found. The protagonist, Paige, is an interpreter brought in to assist the police in solving the crime within the close knit deaf community.

I have never read a book set within this world before and I thought it was absolutely fascinating and illuminating, shedding light on issues that many of us probably give very little thought to in our day to day lives if it is not something we are affected by directly. This is where novels come into their own, educating us without seeming to, which hopefully might give us all some additional insight and compassion into daily struggles we might otherwise unaware of.

I thought the author created a raft of really interesting characters in the novel and an intriguing dynamic. Watching the inter-play between the adult and teenage characters was gripping. You would assume that the children would prove to be the less reliable narrators, but this is not necessarily the case. There are also some interesting issues explored in the book, including recovering from abusive relationships and online child safety. Plenty of meat to get your teeth into here.

The plot was extremely twisty, I had absolutely no idea who was behind the crimes until the very end. If I had any criticisms, it might be that the novel was a little unevenly paced, with a flurry of frenetic action right at the end. There were also some decisions made by Paige in the story that frustrated me, because there didn’t seem to be any consistent logic behind them, other than to serve the plot. One minute she was revealing stuff to someone that she shouldn’t, the next failing to tell someone something that she should. However, this is really me nit-picking. On the whole, I enjoyed the book and the positives far out-weighed any minor niggles I may have. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a gripping thriller and is looking for something with a little more depth than the norm.

I enjoyed this thriller form start to finish! However, I did think there were two many other clues and people it could be and the ending was very sudden with who it was. I wish their was more elaboration during the ending on the motive.

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

What an intelligent mystery book this turned out to be. I thought this would be something a little different as it is set in a school for the deaf and it might show some of the challenges and assumptions that deaf and non-deaf people face all mixed up with murder. Well, for a hearing person such as myself, it was a fascinating book for all of those reasons and it was taut and suspenseful into the bargain.

Wish I had paid a little more attention as I discovered this is the second book with Paige as its "heroine" as I would have liked to have read them in order. Not the end of the world as I shall remedy that shortly by reading the other 2 volumes.

All in all a book that is very well worth your time and I suggest you treat yourself to an enthralling read.

So first of all, when I applied to read this book I didn’t realise it was part of a series as I haven’t read the first. I don’t actually think it matters, now I know, there is reference to the first book however I didn’t actually notice so if there was any spoilers it’s fine 🤷🏽‍♀️🤣

I loved this. The chapters were short but fast paced, I felt like I was there and I was soo involved. From the beginning I had my eyes fixed on my ‘suspect’ and honestly I thought it was them all the way through! I thought I’d be right and I was convinced I was. But.. I definitely didn’t expect what was actually coming 👀

I loved the use of BSL, I don’t personally know any sign language but I would definitely love to learn some as it’s so useful. I loved Paige. She was brilliant. I loved her character and I just wanted her to have a break!!

It was a brilliant thriller and I definitely can’t wait for the next book - I am also going to read Silent House which is the first.

I enjoyed this thriller, especially the setting in a deaf school which was really interesting. Although this is the second book in a three part series, it can be read as a stand alone novel because the author recaps the pertinent information from the first novel. My only frustration with this book was the number of time the otherwise apparently competent DS Singh seemed to do stupid things while investigating - not interviewing the teens by themselves, and not pressing every time someone was obviously withholding information. I realize these were plot contrivances to prolong the mystery but if the DS had given a reason for doing things this way, it would have helped with the suspension of disbelief. With that being said, I was sufficiently intrigued with Paige’s story to want to go back and read the first back as well as the upcoming third book.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The second book of what could be a very gripping series!
I enjoyed the first book, 'The Silent House', but I definitely liked Paige more this time round. The story is majority told from her point of view, and I felt her character was stronger, well-written, and more developed.
Through excellent writing, Paige came across a highly likeable character, with such depth and personality. She is a character that I certainly hope to read more about.
The story itself was intriguing and had me gripped from start to finish. Like the first book, I had goosebumps the whole way through, desperately wanting a happy ending. As the case progressed, I didn't massively worry about Leon's safety, instead constantly guessing what was going on inside the school.
I would liked more effective police work, as it seemed Paige did an awful lot considering she's only an interpreter, but I did like the way the story was told and how it unravelled.
A steadily-paced story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Can't wait for the next!

There was a lot to like about this book!

"What happened while they were sleeping?
A school for the deaf takes an overnight trip to the snowy woods. Five teenagers go to sleep, but only four wake up. Leon is missing, and a teacher’s body is found in the forest…"

Our main character is BSL interpreter Paige Northwood. I usually don't enjoy police procedural style writing but I loved the suspense created throughout this book, especially how the chapters counted down to the body being found.

I also loved the representation of deaf/hard of hearing people in this book. The author Nell, specialised in deaf education and began to lose their hearing in their twenties, they now wear hearing aids.

I liked all the characters however I did sometimes find the main character Paige, a bit annoying at times, doing things she was told not to do and keeping things from the investigation when she felt they were "unimportant" but they clearly were.
However that didn't take from my enjoyment and I still really did like Paige.

Silent House by Nell Pattison is another Paige Northwood book and there's more coming out too! I usually don't read series, but this author and this book have really intrigued me!

I gave this 4 stars and it's out today!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

A school for the deaf takes an overnight trip to the snowy woods. Five teenagers went to sleep but only four wake up. Leon is missing and a teachers body is found in the forest. Sign language interpetor, Paibe Northwood is brought in to help with the investigation. Everyone at the school has a motive for murder. As Paige becomes increasingly involved, she suspects there is something sinister going on. The clock is ticking to find Leon.

I havent read the first bookmin this series but it did read well as a standalone, even though there is quite a few references to the first book. It was a bit slow to start with but and I struggled with it to begin with, but I'm glad I stuck with it. We learn of some of Paige's back story. There's plenty of twists and a good plotline. I was constantly changing my mind to who the culprit was.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #NellPattison for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y’all know me, I love a good solid mystery especially when I don’t figure out the ending. Silent Night is the second book in Nell Pattison’s Paige Northwood Series. Paige Northwood is a deaf translator who works with the local police department to assist in solving crimes committed against the deaf community or involving the deaf community. While Paige is not a police detective, she gets up to all sorts of investigation shenanigans.

In Silent Night, a staff member of the Lincoln School for Deaf is murdered and a student is missing, while away on a weekend trip. It’s snowing heavily and while the death of Head Teacher Steve Wilkinson is troubling, the missing teen Leon is who the police are anxious to find. As the police investigator DS Rav Singh & DI Forest continue to investigate, the secrets being held by some of the students living at the school are beginning to unravel.

I really enjoyed this book, and I especially enjoyed learning more about the deaf community, which is at the heart of the mystery. I liked that while the book is a mystery, it truly has a lot of educational guidance in relation to the deaf community.

In terms of the actual story, I thought the plot was well written and the writing is fasted paced. I found myself getting highly annoyed with all the teenagers and their secrets, which just added to the mystery of the story for me. And let’s face it, it’s highly realistic to think that a bunch of teenagers are keeping major secrets!

The characters in this book are solid. We learn quite a bit about Paige and especially one of her past relationships, since her ex-boyfriend is a prime suspect in the murders and the investigation at the school. I really enjoyed how Pattinson reveals a secret per chapter, or at least that was how it felt. This helps to keep the reader invested but also intrigued throughout the entire story. The added elements of location and the snowy weather increase the tension in the book and add a level of creepiness that is perfectly crafted.

My only compliant with this book, is that I felt Pattison gave away too much from the first book. I would have really enjoyed going back and reading Silent House without knowing so much of the plot and resolution. I think some references to the first book would have been great, but in this case I felt like too much info.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about Paige Northwood!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Silent Night If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to Harper 360 and Avon for my advanced reader copy.

Paige returns again as interpreter for the deaf when she is assigned to a new case. Picking up only a few months after 'The Silent House', some familiar characters return in this puzzling crime.

I could not fathom how this story was going to unfold. It was pleasing to see Paige as such a stronger character compared to the previous book, but I still found some of her actions frustrating. Paige is fully involved in the investigation of a headteacher’s murder, helping to sign for the deaf children at the school. This does lead her to make her own enquiries, with her sister’s help. I found this a little bit annoying because I wanted the police to be involved, rather than sneaking around without their assistance.

Paige’s ex-boyfriend, Mike, returns in this story. He is as cruel and manipulative as ever. Pattison cleverly crafts the plot to influence readers into considering Mike and his involvement with the school. However, his behaviour towards Paige was sickening and I was desperate for her to show her strength and courage towards him. Paige’s reluctance to involve her friends and use police support reinforces the victim that she had become and how this feelings are still buried deep inside her. I think this was quite a poignant element to the story and I believe that Pattison treated this aspect of the narrative with care.

Despite the case leading to more questions than answers, I still did not feel fully invested in the story. Although Leon is missing, I did not believe he was in danger. Instead, I found I was more curious about what was happening within the school and the developments taking place there, rather than the hunt for Leon. I guess this is because of how the plot focuses more on the establishment, rather than seeking more clues about where Leon has headed.

This was a pretty good read. I love how the writer has conveyed the intricacies of sign language. It made it all the more interesting to read, especially when I considered how people of hearing were mixing with those who could not: the levels of communication that I take for advantage are needing more consideration, especially with a murder investigation developing.

It appears that there will be more from Paige in the future and this is just the second book of a promising series. I think I’m really curious to know how Pattison will keep the stories fresh and different. Furthermore, I am very keen to see if evil Mike will return, and what sort of relationship with develop between Paige and DS Singh.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 !!!!!!!
Book: The Silent Night
AVAILABLE NOW- Released November 12, 2020
Author: Nell Pattison
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Sipping Synopsis: Paige is back as a BSL interpreter for the police department. She is called in to help interpret for cases involving deaf suspects and victims. In this story, she is called in to help with a case involving a missing teenager and a dead school employee. As always, Paige gets in too deep in the investigation and finds that everyone involved is hiding something.

Final sipping thoughts: I really like Paige’s character-although she makes me want to yell at her sometimes. She is an observant woman who does not always do what she is told. Now in the real world, Paige would have been fired so quickly. I think this story showed a little of her Achilles heel with the return of an ex. I was so mad during these parts of the story and wanted Paige to stand up for herself. Another great aspect of this book and its predecessor (The Silent House) is the ties into the deaf community. I love how Pattison brings literary exposure to that part of the world. I am so excited to read the third installment The Silent Suspect in the Spring of 2021. I hope to see more of a development between Paige and Singh.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @Harper360, @Avon and @writernell for an advanced copy of @TheSilentNight.

#NellPattison #TheSilentNight #Harper360 #Avon #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #AmazonReads #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #thriller #mystery #suspense #bookreviewer

Second book in a great series!

Paige, a British Sign Language interpreter, is called in by the police when a teacher and student from the Lincoln School for the Deaf disappear on an overnight trip to the snowy woods.

With compelling mystery, suspense, and engaging characters, this is definitely a series to read! Silent Night can be read as a standalone, but I'd recommend reading in order. #ownvoices

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

A very suspenseful and interesting read. A fascinating insight into the deaf community which was very skilfully interwoven into the story. This is quite a creepy whodunnit with a bit of a twist. The setting is very atmospheric and this adds a lot to the story and to the suspense as it builds up. I enjoyed it and I enjoyed the careful unravelling of the crime. I would definitely read more novels by this author.

Silent Night by Nell Pattison is an excellent thriller about a school of the deaf.

A school of the deaf takes a trip to the woods. When everyone wakes up, Leon, a student, is missing. Next a teacher’s body is found. Paige, a sign language interpreter, helps the police with the interrogations. All of the students seem suspicious, and they are all hiding something. All the students have an alibi. What really happened? What is everyone hiding? Are the missing student and dead teacher related?

Working this case makes Paige face her past. What is Paige hiding?

I loved Silent Night. I especially enjoyed how much I learned about the deaf community in this book. I’ve always been fascinated by the deaf community, and Silent Night was an entertaining way to learn more.

Silent Night is told from Paige’s perspective. This was very interesting because she is an outsider to the situation. She doesn’t know any of the characters besides one person from her past. She is not part of the investigation, but is there to interpret when needed. There are some parts from one of the student’s perspective. This was interesting because it wasn’t until near the end of the book where I figured out which student it was.

There was so much suspense in Silent Night. This is your typical thriller with great character development. I felt like all the characters actions made sense and really fit with their personalities. Silent Night takes you through the suspense of figuring out what happened to Leon and the drama of Paige’s life.

I highly recommend Silent Night to thriller fans especially if you want to read a novel about the deaf community.

Thank you NetGalley, Edelweiss, Avon Books UK, Harper Collins Audio UK, Avon and Harper Collins for Silent Night.

3.5*
Whilst, as I did, you can read this book as a stand-alone there are references to Paige’s backstory so, as ever, perhaps we should all 🎼 ‘let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…’! That said this story does stand on its own merit.

Paige is brought in on a missing teenager case. Leon is considered vulnerable as he is deaf and has disappeared when on a school weekend away. The weather is bad and when the headmaster, who is leading the weekend, turns up dead concerns about Leon increases – but is it because he may be another victim or is he the murderer?

In this Paige Northwood is a freelance sign language interpreter who often works with the Police. She is the voice of this story. The police have brought Paige in as the school Leon attends and is a boarder of is specifically for deaf students. So not only is Leon deaf but so are many of the other characters. Paige herself is not deaf but her immediate family are so she is not only qualified as an interpreter but understands other issues that can come into play when dealing with people from the deaf community.

Paige has been brought in by the newly promoted DS Singh – they have worked together before and have a good, professional working relationship. There is also something else at play but as Paige is seeing someone, Max, she puts this aside in order to be as professional as possible during the investigation.

At the school there are teachers, the deputy head who is temporarily in charge and the pupils – a few who board and the rest who attend daily. The investigation centres around those that board since Leon did, one particular friend who doesn’t board, the school staff and a social worker.

Silent Night is a story which moves steadily through the police investigation as various characters are considered, information is gathered and leads are chased up. Paige, as the interpreter, is central to what is found out and takes a more active role checking out sources than may be expected or, indeed, acceptable as she is caught up in her concern for Leon and her dread that he is being considered as much as a suspect rather than just a victim. When DS Singh finds out he is pretty annoyed especially as he worries that it will bring Paige into harms way.

This is a story that will have you working out whodunnit as you are reading and certainly wondering why the students who are mixed up in the investigation are holding secrets that might help find Leon and catch a killer.

It is when a second victim is discovered that the investigation hots up and the danger that the students are in puts even more pressure on the investigation – will they catch the killer before more deaths occur? Will they find Leon? Who is the killer and why, why are they doing this?

All is revealed in this story with it’s feisty main character, Paige, and a team of police whose voice is DS Singh. So we get both the police procedural and a ‘private detective’ angle albeit it one who is working with the investigation rather than separately. It’s an interesting angle which needs a good balance to work and I think Nell Pattinson achieves that.

This is a good story and a smashing read. It brings lots about Paige into the book and we, the reader, get to know her and we see how she has got to this place in her life. It’s important to this particular investigation too, not just background, and it allows us to meet her circle of friends and family.

It gives a fascinating insight into the deaf community and the, often complicated, ways in which communication happens. A unique, to me at least, which I enjoyed very much.

At the heart is a murder investigation and a missing persons case and that is both unique and twisty. With a wintery setting which doesn’t make things any easier and compounds the urgency to find Leon.

This is an enjoyable and absorbing read – a series that is definitely one to keep on the worth reading list.

Thanks: Thanks to Ellie at Avon for the invite to read and providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in return for an honest opinion, all thoughts are my own.

Atmospheric, chilling and unique thriller with some serious statements.

I was beyond excited to reach for this book based on the description. Especially lately, thrillers too often follow a beaten path with the same motifs and characters in new editions. I was looking for something new - and I'm so glad I found it in Pattison's Silent Night!

This. Book. Was. Insane! It had everything I love in a good thriller and more. In this novel, we are introduced to a missing child case from an overnight trip from a school for the deaf to a chilling, snowy forest. After a fifteen-year-old Leon just vanished, a teacher begins to look for him. But after neither comes back. DS Rav Singh is called to the scene, accompanied by a sign language interpreter Paige Northwood.

I was blown away by the complexity of the plot as much as the wintery, atmospheric setting. This book illuminates the difficulties of living as/caring for a death teenager - something that could have gone very wrong, but the author managed to tackle this issue very respectfully. Since I listened along to the audiobook as well, I found that the parts of the book featuring a death person were narrated by a person with a speech impediment, which I really appreciated, although it was quite difficult to listen to with comprehension.

With this excellent, tense plot, the only thing I didn't like was that the story was made even more complex with the private life of Paige, who herself is dealing with a serious issue. In my opinion, it slowed down the pace and wasn't integrated as well as it could be,

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Since the first Covid lockdown started earlier this year, I’ve been struggling with my mood and struggling to read my usual genre of books. I saw the blurb for this book, and it looked interesting, but that turned out to be an understatement! I was totally hooked and enjoyed every single page, reading it in just two sittings. I enjoyed it so much that I then went and downloaded the first book in this series of three and devoured that one quickly as well. Now I can’t wait for the third book featuring Paige Northwood. Paige was the only hearing person in her family whilst her parents and sister were deaf, so she became fluent in sign language. She works as a freelance interpreter for the deaf but is getting more jobs from the police coming her way, as she’s proved her skills to them.

A group of staff and students from a residential school for the deaf go on a weekend’s camping in nearby woods, and there’s a murder. Although Paige is only supposed to be interpreting, she can’t help but get involved in the case, especially as an ex of hers is one of the group and therefore a suspect.

A fantastic read that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Paige Northwood grew up in a family where she was the only hearing member of her family and as such became British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for them and many in the deaf community.

The story begins when a weekend trip with a group of pupils from The Lincoln School for the Deaf turns sinister after the headmaster is discovered dead and a pupil, Leon, is missing. Paige is brought in to assist the police investigating the case. This is the second outing for this character, having been first introduced in Pattison’s previous title – The Silent House.

Paige is working alongside newly promoted DS Singh, who has the challenge and pressure of working his first murder case. As case develops we are introduced to the characters and the number potential suspects and motives increase. Secrets from the past, including Paige’s, are revealed and new alarming secrets come to light. It soon becomes a race to find Leon and the killer.

I enjoyed this book, it has a different feel to many crime fiction titles I’ve read in the past and I found the insight into the deaf community quite fascinating. I liked the style of writing, chapter lengths and in particular the inclusion of accounts of the events leading up to the murder counting down from sixteen hours to fifteen minutes before tragedy struck. This a fast paced thriller with many twists and turns along the way to keep the reader engaged. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys the crime fiction genre.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ah the second book in the series.

I was excited to have the opportunity to read book 2 after finishing book 1.

Paige and Singh work well together and you kind of wish there was a little more going on there.

Paige is trying to help the police search for missing teen Leon. He is an at risk youth who happened to he at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The twists in this book are well thought out and each character has a specific role in this story!

I enjoyed this installment of the series and cannot wait to read the next.

Thanks #netgalley.

Silent Night is the second instalment in a unique crime thriller series, featuring British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, Paige Northwood and set in the Deaf community. Freelancer Paige is called in to assist the local police and DI Forest from CID when Leon, a 15-year-old deaf student disappears during a trip in which five students and three members of staff from Lincoln School for the Deaf had been staying in one of the cabins in the woods over the weekend. Strangely, the headteacher, Steve Wilkinson, has also vanished into thin air after he went looking for the missing teenager; his brutally murdered body is discovered a short time later. While the police and Paige are desperate to get to the bottom of where Leon is and what exactly happened, when the investigation starts and the police begin to check and chase leads and interview witnesses, including those who were also present on the trip, and they quickly realise that many of them are obstructing the case by keeping secrets, intentionally leaving certain things out and, in some cases, flat out lying.

To make matters worse, the five students on the trip were permanent residents of the school, which is registered as a children's home, including Leon, whose mother had passed when he was 11 and his father imprisoned a year later. Can they get to the bottom of what happened to both Leon and Steve and why? This is a captivating and thoroughly original series and this sophomore offering is even better than the first. The mystery is exciting and compelling with a remote setting in the woods that makes it so, so rich in atmosphere. It's a quick, enjoyable read and flows nicely from page to page making it perfect to curl up with and devour in a single sitting as the chilly Autumn evenings ebb away into increasingly more Wintry ones. There were twists and turns I could never have predicted as the plot unfolded and a lot of the characters cannot be trusted or taken at their word as many seem to be hellbent on hindering the investigation. An inclusive, compulsive and gripping must-read. Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.