The fast-paced and twisty 2nd installment in the Detective Abby Pearce series, featuring a detective who has moved back home to Martha's Vineyard from the NYPD under a cloud of media coverage. Her partner was killed in the line of duty and Pearce was cleared of responsbility, but the investigation very publicly exposed her alcoholism.

The tranquility of the desirable and exclusive location is rocked by the brutal murder of an entire family who are visiting on holiday. At first they are relieved to find one member of the family has survived after all, although she is unresponsive in a trance-like state. However, it soon transpires that she is actually a stranger and they have no idea of her true identity.

Due to her high profile and NYPD experience, Pearce has a strange dynamic with her boss, whereby she throws her weight around to lead the murder investigation and manipulate contacts to steer the press conference. As the plot expands to organised crime gangs and leads her to draw on her contacts in the NYPD, Pearce finds herself bang in the middle and a potential target.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Another good installment in the Abby series and it's just as good as the first. Gripping, tense and full of twists all the way through. Can't wait to read the next one!

This is the second book in the Abby Pearce series, and even better than the first one! The book read nicely enough as a standalone, but treat yourself, and read the first one as well. You know you want to .... Highly recommended for anyone who loves a book so well written, you are almost too scared to finish it. TB

This is a fabulous read. It has a great story line whixh had be gripped till the last page. I love the characters of Abby , I look forward to reading more about her

Abby Pearce is an alcoholic, ex NYPD detective who moves back to Martha’s Vineyard where she grew up. In the book - number two in the series - there is a gruesome murder of a family where only one child survives. The teenager is catatonic and Abby and her partner Teena struggle to get anything out of her. There are no spoilers here, but let’s just say that this is one of those books where you turn the pages while almost not wanting to know what’s coming.

There are twists and tensions aplenty and I found I was engaged throughout although a few places did dip in pace. That may well be intentional to give our heart rate a chance to recover. The story is clever and the ending satisfies. There is a nice range of characters and elements of Abby give her depth without overwhelming the story.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

Abby Pearce is a homicide detective, living and working on Martha's Vineyard. When a family is murdered in their holiday apartment, Abby finds an apparently traumatised teenage girl at the scene who turns out to be a complete stranger. The real teenage daughter is being held captive by the psychotic individual responsible for the killing spree and it is imperative that Abby locates her quickly.

As she investigates the murders, Abby begins to realise the case is a little too close to home for comfort and she may be in danger herself.

I found this story frustrating, to be honest. It is told in the first person, from Abby's point of view, and the conversational style didn't work for me. Nor did the cliched and formulaic nature of the plot, with no real flow and pace until later on. Abby also seemed unaware of major developments affecting the case, such as the death of a key suspect, which I found odd for someone in such a senior role.

The saving grace for the story was the latter 30% of the novel when the pace and tension picked up, but even then the final showdown felt underwhelming.

There is a previous investigation in this series but I won't be rushing to read it.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Bookouture, in return for an honest appraisal.

⭐⭐⭐

The first book of this series was enjoyable for me, and the same holds true for this one. On pure entertainment value, this would get 5 stars. It was a quick, easy read. The plot kept me engaged. The twist took me by surprise. Abby is a solid lead, and the side characters are varied and likable.

However, I had a few issues, hence the 3 stars. One, how many goddarn times do we need to be told Abby has a drinking problem! If you read the first book, you are already very well aware. A few mentions in book two would have got that information across to anyone that hadn't read the first book. Instead (and I wish I would have counted) it is brought up ad nauseam. Almost every chapter! <b>(Side Note: It is mentioned several times that Abby hasn't had a drink in a while. She even tells Lincoln she hasn't had a drink since she met him. But she drank at the end of book one! I made of note of it in my review for book one. And even went back to double checked I was remembering correctly, and I was. This annoyed me a lot). </b> Second issue, the whole Lincoln debacle. Like...whaaaaatttt? It was just so cheesy and out of left field. Last, the ending was over the top. The person like a cartoon villain. Complete with maniacal cackling. 🤦🏻‍♀️

All that said, I am still a fan of this series. It's (obviously) not without its issues. Just lower your expectations and enjoy it as a quick, entertaining read and you'll be fine. 😉

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I am enjoying this series and find it refreshing. I love the main lead and the story was full of twists that kept me reading on.

Although this is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

The book follows Detective Abby Pearce, who has previously moved home from New York to Martha’s Vineyard.

I really liked the character of Abby and how she handles her cases, as with any good detective she has baggage and it was interesting how dark her past actually is. This definitely adds to the story and the complexity of Abby.

She needs all her skills in this book to deal with a traumatised victim of a family slaying. However she is in for a shock as the story unfolds, as nothing is as it seems. I really like the author’s style of writing and found I flew through the book as I wanted to know the outcome.

I can not wait to read the next book in the series and more by this author.

After solving the events in the first book, Detective Abby Pearce wants nothing more than to finally enjoy the slow and steady pace of her home island of Martha's Vineyard. Her hope proves fruitless when she is called to solve another crime at a luxury home rental resort The Beach House-- the brutal massacre of the entire Lavelle family consisting of parents Thomas and Nancy Lavelle and three of their children. The only survivor is their eldest 15 year old daughter Karin who appears to be shell shocked but the girl's identity is soon called into question when her grandparents claim she is not the real Karin. The pressure is on for Abby and her partner Tessa to solve both the murders and kidnapping asap which proves trickier with every clue they unearth; especially when Abby begins to suspect that both the adult victims and events leading up to the murder are somehow connected to her previous job as an NYPD officer.

The pace of this book, like the previous one, is very fast! Even with 66 chapters, the story moves at supersonic speed and it took me less than a day to finish this. I like how the author doesn't waste time or drag the plotline.. the action starts from page one and doesn't stop till the end of the last page.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Dana Perry for the e-Arc of the book.

The second in this series and another great book
Brilliant storyline
Full of twists and turns
Can’t wait for the next book

Silent Island by Dana Perry is the second book of her Detective Abby Pearce book series. As the name suggests, this series focuses on Detective Pearce as the central character and her time with the local police of the resort island called Martha's Vineyard, where she has relocated to after having served in the NYPD for many years.

I haven't read the first book in the series and so, going into it I didn't know anything about this character nor the previous story. I was still able to follow the story though, as the author has made very little reference to the previous book's case. The character of Detective Pearce has been fairly well-written with the usual motifs we find in any police procedural story - only it is a woman rather than a man who is facing all these issues and that was a refreshing change. She has a lot of past baggage that she is dealing with and also a drinking problem that she is trying to come out of.

On top of all this, there is a major massacre which happens in one of the prime hotels, that baffles the police as to why it happened. Detective Pearce is left to spearhead the investigation as she is the only person in the team who has actual experience in handling cases like this. What the Detective does and how she manages to solve the case is the story.

The author has done a good job in creating the mystery and thrilling aspects of the story in the initial chapters. Sadly, she was not able to sustain it very well in the latter part of the story; or atleast I felt so. I could guess who is the perpetrator about half way through the book. In fact, I was getting frustrated that a so-called-experienced cop is not able to figure out what other reason a person might have to be driven to kill all the victims. That destroyed the actual intrigue about 3/4th of the book. But otherwise, I very much liked the mood of the book and the flowy, light narrative. It is a fairly engaging book and worth 4 stars out of 5 according to me.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC provided in exchange for my honest review.

An eminent doctor and his family are brutally murdered with the exception of his eldest daughter. Abby Pearce leads the investigation, racing against time to uncover the killer and find the missing girl...
Silent Island is the second book to feature Abby as she adjusts to live away from New York. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, Her Ocean Grave. However, this book could be read as a stand alone novel as there are no major spoilers about the crime in the previous book.
Abby is still haunted by the death of her former partner in New York. Her drinking is under control but her love life has stalled. She locks horns with her boss but has positive relationships with others in her team.
The book is written from Abby's first person perspective so we view her internal struggles as well as follow the clues to catch the killer. We see her determination and dedication at work, whilst also seeing the personal side of her life which reveals her vulnerability.
The case itself appears straight forward at first but when Abby realises the daughter of the murdered family is missing, it adds a tension to the plot. Motive is key to these murders and Abby puts herself at risk when she decides that there may be a mob connection.
Silent Island is an enjoyable crime thriller novel and the lead detective Abby is carefully constructed to be flawed but easy to like.

Detective Abby Pearce's desire for a slower pace after leaving NYPD remains out of reach as murder strikes her island. This time, an entire family, except for one daughter, has been murdered in their summer rental property. With the surviving teenage daughter missing, another young girl is discovered in the midst of the carnage. She seems to be suffering from amnesia with no idea who she is or what happened. Abby suspects there's more to the scene than what is on the surface. As she tries to solve the murders and locate the missing girl, she uncovers more twist and turns than a roller coaster. It's a great second installment of the Abby Pearce series. I look forward to the next one.

Love this author. Love this series. This book is just SO good. It has everything. Suspense. Thrills. Twists. It is just wow.

Complex and fast-paced crime thriller set on tony Martha's Vineyard.

Detective Abby Pearce with Cedar Cliffs Police Department is stunned when she is summoned to the Beach House holiday resort to discover that an entire family has been stabbed to death. Parents and children lie in pools of blood behind the entry door. But wait -- there is a survivor among the carnage -- the Lavelle's oldest daughter, 15-year-old Karin, is nearly catatonic and mute. She is hustled off to the hospital and when her maternal grandparents arrive, everyone is shocked to discover that this girl is not Karin. So where is Karin and who is this substitute daughter left alive?

Abby and her partner, Teena Morelli, the only other detective on the small force, are immediately caught up in an investigation that makes less sense as the days wear on. As they follow one tenuous lead after another, it seems that all clues point to New York City and Abby's former job at the NYPD. No spoilers.

This was the first book I read featuring Abby Pearce, and even though it is the second in series, there were enough details of the backstory that I had no problem enjoying this one. I'd definitely like to continue reading future installments. I liked the character of Abby, struggling with solitude and alcoholism, past regrets, and returning home to the island where she grew up. The complicated and twisty murder mystery was engaging and it took me awhile to guess the outcome with all the red herrings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

After contacting Covid and being really poorly, unable to concentrate on my books, I'm finally able to say, I have finished Silent Island and I loved it. Reading about children being killed is always heartbreaking, but Det. Abby Pearce has her work cut out for her in this novel. Abby is a strong woman who had had to be teamed up with her colleague Teena once again. The two women leave no stone unturned......

This is the second book in the aeries about Detective Abby Pearce. I haven’t read the first one but had no problems following the story along. Sadly I have to say, that I didn’t really care much about the main character Abby. I can’t pinpoint exactly why though. Maybe it’s because the constant talk about alcohol or that she doesn’t grow over the course of the story.

This is the second book in the Abby Pearce series. I haven't read the first one unfortunately, but that didn't matter when reading this.
Abby Pearce has moved back to her home town, Martha's Vineyard, which is an island. It is meant to be a slower paced life for her as a homicide detective on an island instead of the busy city of New York.
An entire family who have come on holiday, is found murdered with one girl left alive at the scene. This is only the beginning, more murders happen and Abby soon realises there are connections to them all and even a connection to herself. Is her life now endanger?
I really enjoyed reading this book and I will give the first book a read sometime. I loved the twist and turns throughout and found it kept me gripped.