Member Reviews
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: A captivating , whodunnit , family drama , sitting on the edge of your seat mystery . I really enjoyed this story, I honestly couldn’t put it down. This was one of those story where there’s so many twist and turns . It’s ugly, messy , and you will probably dislike the characters because they’re so frustrating and not really nice . This is an entertaining murder mystery , where everyone seem to be a suspect . I figured out who the murderer was pretty early on, but as I read on the mystery cast on all the other characters did make me doubt a bit .
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What I find unique about the story is that the main character are Deaf, soI was happy to get a peek into this community.? This reminds me of my cousin , who is simply amazing . I have a couple of people in my family that fluent in ASL and I’ve always wanted to become as well.
Over all enjoyed this story.
I was so excited by the premise of this book. It was unique, maybe the most original idea for a thriller that I've come across in a while. Unfortunately, the book itself did not fulfill the expectations raised by the synopsis. The dialogue was so stilted and unnatural. The pace was slow enough for paint to dry. The female MC was dreadfully boring, and I figured out the "bad guy" very early on. I won't be recommending The Silent House.
2 stars (mostly just for the stellar premise)
I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Avon and Netgalley.
I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, it was terribly predictable and the identity of the killer was obvious long before the tiny and inconsequential “twist” at the end. Actually, I guess there were two twists. One made no difference at all and was completely unnecessary, and the other offered a weak motive. Still, the premise of the book was interesting, and I appreciated the attention given to the deaf community.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
This is a thriller with deaf characters. I enjoyed the fact we follow an interpret for dear people. I felt the characters where developed, and I also cared about most of the characters. I have to say I felt the story line was a little bit hard to follow and felt break because the fact at the end of some of the characters had flash backs. I wish they would had done a character flash back before the murder then a character on present day. If they did that I think the story line would be easier to follow. I loved the ending, and I totally did not see that ending coming. I was kindly provided an e-book of this book by the publisher (Avon) or author (Nell Pattison) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC for The Silent House by Nell Pattison.
The Silent House centers around a murder investigation but with a twist. Rather than the typical cop or victim’s family member perspective, the novel takes on the post of view of Paige, a BSL interpreter for the deaf. In the close-knit community, Paige struggles to put aside her personal connections while the police ask her to interpret during their investigation into the murder of her sister’s goddaughter. As you read, the suspect list only grows, making Paige and the reader question who can be trusted.
I thought this book offered a unique perspective, and it provided some great information into the life of someone with hearing impairments. I found myself guessing toward the killer, but there were so many other options, I wasn’t sure until the very end! There were a few spots throughout that I felt the plot slowed, but it picked back up before long.
Overall, it is a solid read!
Thank you netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Silent House was a very, very good suspense read. I didn’t get it figured out until the last little bit of the story.
Imagine being profoundly deaf, only to wake up to the murder of one of your children. This is the center of the story. I enjoyed reading a book that featured a culture that does not get too much attention. The deaf community is a very interesting community that is tight knit. So much of this story is told using BSL because the book takes place in Britain. I loved that the author used italics to show when someone was signing versus someone who was speaking using their voice.
This story is twisty and misleading and really does a fabulous job of developing the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope to read more by this author soon! Bravo!
I wish I could pick 3 1/2 stars for this book. The premise of the story was very interesting and frankly a little scary to think about. For a deaf person to not know someone was in their house and the damage that could happen in that situation would be terrifying. The book dragged a little at times and I was a little bored at times in the book. Ultimately, though, I never guessed the ending and that for me is the hallmark of a good mystery.
I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Nell Pattison for providing me with an ARC of the title The Silent House!
This sounded so, so good, but it fell a little flat for me. This was suuuuper slow burning and I found it hard to keep paying attention to what I was reading. The plot was very predictable, so that didn't help either. The conversations around the deaf community were very interesting, though. That was probably my favorite part.
Thank you again to those that allowed me to read and review this ARC!
I didn't love this book.
The dialogue was not good, the pace repetitively plodded along, and I figured out the antagonist within the first few chapters. I was also really tired of Paige, our protagonist, getting "bile" in her throat. (I think she must have an undiagnosed gastrointestinal issue.) Speaking of our protagonist, both she and her sister were horribly annoying...I couldn't stand either. Further, Paige's voice read way older than she actually was. I would have guessed she was in her fifties.
That's really all I have to say about The Silent House. The premise sounded so promising, but I was disappointed...and frankly, bored.
Available now.
**Many thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Avon for my advanced copy.
Unfortunately, this was pretty slow for me. The premise sounded creepy and good but it ended up being slow and boring with almost no character development. It was also pretty repetitive. The plot had great potential but just didn’t deliver in the end.
Everyone reads about a murder from the perspective of a police officer, but what about a special worker? In this story, we are given the perspective of a murder from the deaf community as a sign language interpreter tells her story of being called in to interpret for the parents of a murdered child.
What I loved about this book was the unique viewpoint of the main character.
Full disclosure here, I am deaf and I wanted to read this because I am deaf. As far as I know the author isn't deaf BUT...
After studying English at university, Nell Pattison became a teacher and specialised in Deaf education. She has been teaching in the Deaf community for 12 years in both England and Scotland, working with students who use British Sign Language.
I could tell very quickly that the author knew what she was writing about, as far as the deaf community goes. How we struggle to find work (I am lucky that way) and communicate with those who aren't deaf. One of my favourite quotes from the book goes something like this...
Contrary to popular belief, lip reading isn’t easy when you don’t know the context of what people are talking about, and only twenty per cent of English speech sounds can be seen on the lips – my brain has to fill in the rest. I read lips and reading that made my day!
The Silent House is a slow burning police procedural that is quite atmospheric. Paige is a sympathetic addition to the case. And although I liked Laura as a protagonist, her propensity to ignore problems was a little frustrating. There is definitely a sinister element to the unfolding story. While the first two thirds of the novel are a little slow, the final third moves at a blistering pace. With unexpected twists and stunning turns, Nell Pattison brings this spellbinding mystery to an absolutely jaw-dropping conclusion. A fantastic debut that I really enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 star read rounded up, The Silent House is an amateur sleuth mystery with an unique lead. Paige Northwood is a sign language interpreter who hires out to help the deaf in different types of scenarios and now on call to the police department. Paige can hear but is part of the deaf community because she was the only hearing member of her family. She is called to the crime scene of a dead toddler to discover the child is her sister's god child. A totally deaf household where no one heard what happened to the child. After being in every witness and potential suspect interview, Paige is haunted by the case as it drags up memories of a child's death in the past. Determined to find the truth, Paige begins to investigate with her sister Anna but danger shows up front and center for the girls. The whodunit is not a big shock but the story reads smoothly and quickly for a good read. There are a couple of situations that bug me enough to lower this book by a half of star but I enjoyed Paige's unique story enough to read more from this author. Suspenseful and an easy read for a page turning, original mystery. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
I read Silent Night first and then this book and I wished I had read them in order. I enjoyed this one much more than Silent Night, as I found that one to be very convoluted. I felt it was a bit obvious who the killer was, though parts of the motive were less so. I enjoyed learning more about the Deaf community.
Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This cover is what really drew me in, and the hook was intriguing; so I was looking forward to getting started on this one.
Paige is a freelance interpreter for the deaf/hard of hearing. When a call for a job puts her right in the middle of a homicide investigation, she's conflicted, but decides to accept. A child has been murdered, and Paige knows her. Knows the family. Knows the suspects. Personally invested, Paige soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery and at the heart of some heavy-handed threats. Can she help solve the murder before it's too late?
I liked this book.
The hook is great: a dead child with complex family issues and underlying drama set this up for a list of suspects and options for intrigue. Pattison does a good job of setting up doubt and casting blame, reeling in our suspicions and throwing the reader off the trail to keep the plot moving.
I think I struggled with a few aspects. First, Paige's involvement seemed unwarranted and unprofessional at times. For as much as we're supposed to view her as a moral compass--how much she insists that she can't break her professional obligations--she certainly inserts herself into every aspect of this case, from interviews to spying on suspects to fraternizing with both the detective and a suspect. Obviously, there is some suspension of disbelief here, but I found it hard to root for her when she quite obviously bent the rules only when it suited her and was shocked when her actions caught up to her.
Second, while I really liked the angle of the interpreter and the nuances of the deaf community, I found the plot to be predictable. I could definitely see where some readers would like this on-the-nose mystery. It's pretty straight forward, and for all as many characters as there were, I was fairly confident I had it figured out before the halfway point.
I will also say, most of the action happens "off-camera." Murder, violence, climax--most of these we hear second hand, given details leading up to and following the event. Again, some people might prefer this structural style of mystery, but it just wasn't for me.
Overall, The Silent House is a pretty good read with an interesting angle but a few too many easily-readable characters.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.
This was an interesting read. Some parts of the book were a little slow at times. Definitively want to read more from this author though. Thank you for the opportunity to be able and read this book.
3.5 Starts rounded up
This is a thriller with one of the most interesting premises I have read in awhile. Paige Northwood is Deaf but not deaf, which is to say that she grew up in the Deaf culture, because her family was deaf; but she is able to hear. As a result of her childhood, serving often as an interpreter in her family, she has now become an interpreter for the police. Northwood is called upon to interpret when a terrible crime is committed in another Deaf household.
The idea of a crime being committed in a "Silent House" is very innovative. I also really liked how the majority of the dialogue in this book took place in sign language, which was notated in italics (which made it feel more like sign language). The beginning of the book was completely riveting, when a child is killed in silence, and none of the witnesses in the household could hear the intruder, For the first third or so of the book I was glued to the page. Then the plot slowed down somewhat. While I liked hearing about Paige's family, and meeting her sister, I felt like a lot of this and some of the other exposition kept the murder mystery from moving at a brisk clip. I also did not love the ending of the book, and felt like there were several other ways it could have gone to be more impactful.
Overall this was a great premise and had a great start. I see that Pattison is planning a sequel starring Paige and I'd be up to read it to see if some of the plotting and dialogue can be tightened in her second effort. Overall, an impressive and innovative debut that shows a lot of promise for the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and Nell Pattison for the advance copy to read! This review is honest and my own.
Taking place in the deaf community, a little girl has been murdered.
Paige is asked to be the interpreter and instead of stepping away when she realizes the conflict of interest, she digs deeper!
This book has lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I think the descriptions in this book are spot on when it comes to the deaf community.
Thanks #netgalley
I really wanted to like this book because the premise was so good. But it was so long and so little actually happened. I kept losing sight of what the real mystery was. Too many characters and the different time lines were confusing. So many 'chapters' ended with showing someone could have been the perpetrator it got boring. Better editing would have helped- no way should this book be so long.
The Silent House has an incredible hook: a shocking murder takes place at night in the household of a profoundly deaf family.
When the Hunters wake up, their 18-month old daughter is dead. But who would want to kill a child? Was it an intruder, or someone closer to home?
I loved the deaf rep in this book, as I have never read a book from that perspective before. There was also an interesting twist.
Unfortunately, that’s where my enjoyment ended. I’m not sure how a book that starts with the murder of a baby could be so...boring. And I couldn’t bring myself to relate to any of these characters because they were either too annoying (I would have fired Paige right off) or over the top (Bridget for starters). And this book makes it seem that England’s deaf population is part of some underground crime syndicate.
I don’t think I would read anything else by this author, certainly nothing that features Paige.
I appreciate the opportunity to review this from NetGalley and HarperCollins.