I have been a fan of Katerina Diamond for ages now, and think I have read all of her previous books and they are always a highlight of my summer. I have such good memories of sitting in the sun with the latest Diamond book.
This book was certainly no exception - I was hooked right from the beginning.
As others have said in their reviews, there are BIG trigger warnings here, and the themes are very serious and very dark.
I wasn't a huge fan of this books ending, and it didn't really tie up all the loose ends. I also have to say that I knew who the 'baddy' was from the very beginning when they were introduced (I will say no more as I don't want to spoil it!!)
I was gripped, and it's a real page turner - even if the second half of the book goes a bit OTT!
Bring on Katerina Diamond's next one!!

Thanks to Katerina and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Silence before the publication date.

Katerina has again written a book about very topical and sensitive issues which, in my opinion, would make it a good candidate for a book club. ( e.g. Increased numbers of rape reports, low convictions rates, the contentious victim anonymity ).
There are some parts which are not for the feint hearted.
She has given each of the victims a voice to narrate their own experiences and their wide-ranging emotions.

DI Shona White, has a depth of understanding of the victims. In her early career, she had been raped by a senior officer. This left her with an impossible choice, to report the rape which would have almost certainly been an end to her career, or carry on as though nothing had happened. Yet the rumours surrounding Shona continue to circulate and her rapist continues to use his position to engage with young officers.
It highlights the conflicted emotions which Shona continues to experience and those of a victim who felt forced to withdraw her complaint.

A further thread runs through the book. It is narrated by an unidentified male. Starting with his childhood in an abusive household, it reveals his development after his father left the family to a life of poverty.
This raises the question of nature vs nurture.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this psychological thriller.

I love Katerina Diamonds work and this was no exception. A really tough theme with trigger warnings for sexual assault but I thought the subject was dealt with really well. I really admired Gail and Martha’s resilience in finding their attacker and was shocked when their identify was revealed. A really fast paced read which had me in the edge of my seat.

The Silence is a gritty book that delves into the subject of sexual assault and how this is dealt with personally and by the people who are meant to help these victims. It’s raw, detailed, and traumatic.
Having the trigger warning is good for people who maybe affected by the topics within.
Highly recommend Katerina Diamond. I am a big fan and have read all her books, this new release is not my favourite but it is still a good intense revenge story.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This revengeful crime thriller follows Gail Reynolds, who one night finds herself drugged and being assaulted by an unknown man in her own home.

When she goes to report the crime she speaks to DS Shona White, who after a conversation with a colleague persuades Gail not to take the report any further.

Three years later, Gail is still struggling to come to terms with her horrific ordeal. When at a support group she comes across a woman with a similar story, it gives her the fight to push for more justice and track him down.

Will she find her attacker? How far will Gail go?

This crime thriller is both brutal, shocking, and dark. With the crimes against the women and other events throughout I didn’t know whether to support the women or think they may have gone too far.

Right from the start and throughout it speaks of sexual assault, so if this is a trigger for you then this would probably not be a suitable read. I felt that it displayed the anger from the women, and it shocked me how they were all treated by the authorities. It also showed how strong the women could become when they try to work through what they have been through.

You do get to hear from the attacker too, with chapters in between disclosing what lead him to the actions he takes, not that this made me feel sorry for him in any way.

Overall, a revengeful crime thriller where a victim gains the determination to find her attacker and bring herself justice.

BEWARE OF TRIGGERS!
What can I say? I'm so disappointed. I really liked Katarina 's other books but this one ......! It started off well but I soon lost patience with and any sympathy I had for the main character Gail. It is also blatantly obvious very early on who the rapist is. This may be intentional but if so it's not something I enjoyed. If it hadn't been an ARC I probably wouldn't have finished it as I could feel myself getting more and more annoyed and frustrated as the book progressed. A brave attempt at a very difficult topic that needs highlighting but not for me.
Thank you Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Katerina Diamond for giving me the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

An interesting read and a worry perspective on the reporting of rape. Strong female characters though no redeeming qualities in any of the males ! Just became too violent and far fetched for me during the last third.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I’ve read all of Katerina Diamond books and this one was no different she is the queen of thrillers. This book was so captivating and dealt with the themes of rape and sexual assault in a sensitive manner.
The book was fast paced and kept me guessing throughout a perfect book for psychological thrillers fans alike, from the very first page I drawn and couldn’t put the book down it was so good I read it in a day! The characters were likeable also- Martha to name one.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and all the plot twists that it presented! Another cracking book by Katerina Diamond.

Loved this book!
The book starts with Gail being raped in her own home and reporting it to the police and the policewoman Shona doesn’t take it seriously. 3 years later we follow Gail’s life after the attack and how it’s affected her. She meets another woman at a support group who she believes has been attacked by the same man. They then work together to find out who he is and exact revenge. The story is told mainly from the POV of Gail with some chapters from the POV of the policewoman Shona and the rapist. The standout of the book for me is that a lot of Gail’s chapters talk to the rapist and really show you how she has been affected by this. The ‘investigation’ is mainly told this way and through Gail rather than a police investigation which is an interesting take and one I don’t think I have seen before.
Thanks to netgalley for the copy.

Twice Gail Reynolds has reported serious assaults to the police, and on both occasions her allegations have been deemed unworthy of any consideration. Lacking complete faith in the police and the legal system, Gail feels she has no alternative than to take matters into her own hands.

The subject matter in this story was never going to be an easy read, and certainly not one for those who may be triggered by the plot. Definitely an approach with caution offering. A dark, disturbing and shocking book, with deep insight into the chilling psyche of the perpetrator, and the spiralling unsettled mind of his victim.

From the start it is an intriguing read, with some very unpleasant characters. The transformation of victim to vigilante is sharp and explicit, though not without its flaws. It is fairly obvious from quite early on who the perpetrator is, with very few twists.

For such a compelling read, I felt the ending was rushed and left me wanting to know more. The author pulled no punches with this book, but let down the reader at the last.

Thank you NetGalley.

The Silence by Katerina Diamond was a dark, intense read that had me hooked. Loved that the scenes alternate from victim to perpetrator, so we could really get inside their heads. 5 stars from me.

I don’t really know how I felt about this book, it was fairly obvious from early in who the rapist was, but maybe that was the point. I felt it left too much hanging at the end about the aftermath of the crimes too. Other than that, it was a book to make women really angry about the sexual assault statistics and the online incel group was really chilling. I liked the main female characters, but there were no redeeming features in any of the males. I thought the author truly showed the anger and confusion that rape victims must feel. Not a read for anyone that could be triggered by the subject matter.

A book about rape is never an easy read, but this book delves into the psyche of one victim. She reported her rape to the police and was told there was not enough evidence. Then she was raped again how was this possible??? This is her story how this man takes over her life and she wants to find him!!!! This is only the beginning of a harrowing tale when a victim is not believed, the work of incels on line. These are women hating groups who spill their vitriol on line to other like minded men and the strength of one women who stands up and will not be a victim anymore. With the number of rapes coming to trial are in a massive decrease this is a very thought provoking read. Highly recommended and The Queen Of Crime has succeeded in blowing me away!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The Silence by Katerina Diamond is a dark read, as you might guess. The topic itself is something not everyone will feel comfortable reading, I hesitated before choosing to read this book, because of the subject matter, but it was a excellent read.

The Silence is a highly intense read and throws up a lot of questions about the way sexual assault cases are sometimes dealt with. There is an angry tone to the book and rightly so.

"The police do nothing, not always because they don't care - I'll give them that much - but because of the very intimate nature of it. It happens in offices, in bedrooms, in the backs of cars, or private cubicles in public bathroom stalls. There are rarely any witnesses, or if there are they aren't sure what they are seeing ."

I was pretty sure early on that I knew who the rapist was but the journey to find out for sure was interesting enough that I didn't care.

The main characters in The Silence weren't overly likeable but that didn't detract from the story and it didn't stop me rooting for them.

I always enjoy reading Katerina Diamond’s books and her new thriller The Silence certainly lived up to my expectations.
Lots of great characters and a story that had me on the edge of my seat.
I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one day.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️This is a book about Rape!! So please be cautious⚠️

💉Crime Thriller
💉 Thought provoking
💉 Twists
💉 Chilling
💉 Vigilante

So I’ve enjoyed Imogene Grey series and the work by this author. I applaud the author for tackling such a tough subject! Highlighting the struggles victims face when reporting rape, the statics of unreported and about that do not get prosecuted. The author highlights how men can just get away with taking what they want because they “ believe” they can!

This book had so much potential to be a great book especially with the topic, but the author lost me. I really felt for Gail and the pain she was going through from the start. But as we progressed I really disliked Gail and her friend Martha (I know I’m a horrible person). None of the characters had any depth to them unfortunately.

The transition to victimhood/ vigilante lead to a couple of the characters to be completely unhinged in such a way that was unrealistic for me. I totally understand why someone of her background may have a vendatta but the author just didn’t quite get it.

The couldn’t get with the constant repeating, “why am I not the only one” “I wasn’t special” over and over again.

I felt that the twist was easy to identify to be honest. Honestly it was such a shame as an important topic like this the author could really have made this more hard hitting, but she lost me on this.

I’m usually a massive fan of this author but for some reason I just couldn’t gel with this book. I wasn’t keen on Gail’s character and found I guessed the twist fairly early on. Having said that I was compelled to finish the novel so would rate it 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

In Katerina Diamond's The Silence, readers are plunged into a different kind of crime thriller that dares to explore the chilling psyche of a victim. Departing from the conventional narrative approach, Diamond primarily follows the harrowing experiences of Gail, the unfortunate soul subjected to unspeakable horrors. However, we are not entirely disconnected from the investigation, as glimpses into the thoughts of DI Shona White offer insight into the tireless pursuit of justice. Additionally, the inclusion of short chapters that delve into the twisted mind of the rapist adds an unnerving layer to the story.
From the opening pages, The Silence succeeds in gripping its audience with an unrelenting intensity. Diamond's skilful storytelling keeps readers on edge, desperate to uncover the truth behind the heinous crimes committed. The author's ability to maintain a tense atmosphere of suspense throughout the narrative is commendable, ensuring that readers remain engrossed from start to finish.
However, as much as The Silence captivates, it also disturbs. One aspect that left me unsettled was the peculiar dynamic between Gail and her attacker. The dialogue she maintained in her mind with her assailant was disconcertingly intimate, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator. While this unconventional approach adds a layer of complexity to the story.
Regrettably, the ending of The Silence falls short of the expectations set by the preceding narrative. It feels rushed and fails to tie up several loose ends, leaving the reader with a sense of frustration. While the perpetrator's identity, which I had already deduced, is revealed, it appears as though no further exploration of the story is deemed necessary. This abrupt resolution leaves numerous threads dangling, and while they may not be unanswered per se, they remain disconcertingly open, detracting from the overall satisfaction of the reading experience.
In conclusion, The Silence offers a different perspective on the crime thriller genre by placing the victim at the forefront of the narrative. Katerina Diamond's ability to maintain an intense atmosphere of suspense is commendable, keeping readers gripped from start to finish. However, the unsettling nature of Gail's internal dialogue with her attacker and the rushed, unsatisfying ending left me somewhat disappointed and frustrated. Despite its flaws, The Silence is an engaging read for those seeking a unique take on the genre, but be prepared for a conclusion that may leave you wanting.

I have read and enjoyed the authors previous work, so I automatically requested The Silence without knowing the fully what it was about. The Silence is about rape. So, if you are sensitive this is not for you.
Gail Porter wakes up in the middle of the night to find out that she has been drugged and raped in her own home. She tries to report it to the police, but because of some inconsistences the police doesn’t believe her. Two years later she is still struggling to come to terms with it. She visits a support group and meets Martha who was also has been attacked with similar characterises to hers and further investigation find out it is the same attacker. When Martha tells her that the attack was filmed and put on a website called ‘The sanctuary’ where men think that they have the power over women, and they deserved all they endured. The pair are sickened and devise a plan to get revenge not only on their attacker, but others like him.
Thank you, Avon, for a copy of ‘The Silence’ by Katerina Diamond. This is a dark and disturbing thriller from the author and a highly sensitive subject regarding rape and sexual assault and the author has done well in portraying it. This has well developed characters and storyline and I felt for Gail in what she went through and because nobody would believe her that she had to resort to sorting out her problems herself. I am not sure everything would happen that is portrayed in this story. But it is a good story, nevertheless. 4 stars from me.

I could not put this book down. It is so clever and really innovative. It is very disturbing (in the way victims of sexual assault are treated by society and the police) but I was completely glued to it. I read well into the early hours to finish it. Absolutely riveting - you'll be rooting for Gail and the other women all the way through. Really an excellent read. Totally loved it.