Sent to me by Netgalley…this is a book of murder and mayhem…family dynamics…how does an old man do this deed…murder…what about the grandson…although the story moves slowly at times, the conclusion arrives…

This was the last book of the trilogy and I found the entire plot line intriguing and I loved Kate Wakeland. She was determined who kept me hooked to the story. Though slightly longer than what I usually read, I found this an apt ending.

When Senior Detective Kate Wakeland came across a vehicle which had almost struck a young boy on his bicycle, she wasn’t to know that what would follow would change her life, and the lives of those around her. Running Jordan home that morning because his bike was wrecked, the horror of first one body, then two more saw Kate calling for immediate backup and ambulances on scene. Her partner Franco arrived and once the first body – with a faint pulse – had been rushed away, they searched the rest of the property. The farm was at the base of Witness Mountain where nearby a carnival had run in the 90s. Kate had had much to do with the carnival people and still didn’t feel at ease with her thoughts…

It was 2019 and Tallman’s Valley was in the Blue Mountains, a couple of hours from Sydney. The area and much of the state, was surrounded by bushfire, fierce and unyielding. Kate’s husband Pete was in the RFS (Rural Fire Service) and was out daily, fighting the fires. Gosper Mountain, nearby, was in trouble – but the investigation into the multiple killings continued. As Kate dug deeply into the past and current day, her suspicions grew around several people. But she couldn’t put her finger on what bothered her most. Would she find the answers before it was too late?

The Silent Town is the 3rd and final episode in the Tallman’s Valley Detectives by Aussie author Anni Taylor, and it was a spectacularly thrilling conclusion which I thoroughly enjoyed. With heartbreak and tears, evil and depravity, hope and love, all finding a place in The Silent Town, it was well written, incorporating the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020 and the author’s usual style of gripping, gritty suspense into an excellent finale! Highly recommended.

With thanks to Anni Taylor via NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have read this entire series and this book ties things up nicely. My only complaint is I found that it sometimes dragged a bit more than the others in the series but still so good.

Ms. Taylor’s writing style is very engaging. I enjoyed following Kate through the journey she took with many characters from the previous novels making an appearance again.

Kate is called to a shooting scene. Two people are dead, one hanging on to life and two children missing. She must deal with wildfires and small town secrets to find out the truth of the case.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ms. Taylor and her publisher for letting me have an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. Please keep them coming! This is an author to follow.

In the third book in the series, Kate begins investigating a shocking multiple shooting on Witness Mountain while dealing with the hindrances caused by the devastating fire season. She begins to realise that the shooting and silent town may be linked. Could Kate be in danger as she investigates to find the truth? Another good entry to the Tallman's Valley Detectives series, with a thrilling plot that keeps you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in return for my honest feedback. (

Needless to say I did not read the two previous books in the series but don't feel that I especially missed out on at least major details. There was sufficient back story presented about the Carnival and so on to get an indication of what had gone on previously - certainly enough to prevent the "err? What?" issues that can arise in some books.. Set in the Blue Mountains near Sydney the book is set mainly in 2019 with the horrendous fires blazing all round and this aspect was just terrifying. The Senior Sergeant running the case is nearing retirement and her husband a firefighter, so both have a lot of stress in their lives and are looking forward to retirement. It starts with an apparent suicide following his apparent murder of his wife and shooting of his daughter, she at least survives. Much revolves around the former carnival run by a dodgy family and closed down years ago, and events occurring since then. There's child abuse (not graphic), murders, paranoia, drug running, drones, virtual reality and, of course, policemen who are not quite what they seem. Sorry to say but the real 'bad guy' was fairly obvious to me although that didn't really detract from the story. The writing is certainly atmospheric and the pace keeps up throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Senior Detective Kate Wakefield has always felt that there was something rotten festering at the core of her home town of Tallman’s Valley in the beautiful Blue Mountains. She’s caught glimpses of it before but never been able to put her finger on what it is that feels so wrong to her. But now she’s about to come face to face with the evil that lurks in the silent town below the surface.

This is the third book in Anni Taylor’s terrific Tallman Valley series featuring Kate Wakefield and her partner Detective Jace Franco. In the midst of the devastating fire season that swept the Blue Mountains and regions of Australia’s East coast in the summer of 2019/2020, Kate and Franco are called out to a multiple shooting. An elderly couple are dead, their daughter greviously injured and two of her children found hiding on the property. While some members of the investigating team believe it to be a murder suicide, Kate is disturbed that not all the facts make sense and continues to search for other explanations. Discoveries on the property will also have far reaching consequences for Kate and Tallman’s Valley.

In one way or another, all the three novels are connected to the old funfair that closed thirty years ago, and the shady family that owned it. With the old buildings finally demolished and new housing being built in its place, Kate is hopeful that that era of her town’s history is finally closed. I love the way Anni Taylor has connected threads and characters from the previous books to the events in this novel and pulled them all together to resolve all Kate’s concerns. The plot is well paced with plenty of twists, people with dark secrets and some very dramatic scenes, some involving very real dangers of rapidly moving bushfires. Those familiar with nearby bushfires will be able to relate to the smokiness and the strange light they cause.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about this series, is that as well as being an exceptionally good detective, Kate is such a normal person. In her sixties and planning to retire soon, she has the same concerns as the rest of us, in her family and private life. It’s also refreshing to have a detective who doesn’t have any addictions, remembers to eat and sleep and look after her health – such a rarity in crime fiction. I’m sorry to say goodbye to Kate and wish her well in her retirement!

This is a really good book! It is a bit slow to start, but totally worth it. Detective Kate has a shooting to solve, and there are ties to the past and the old carnival. With wildfires tearing through the valley the book is very intense. This is a very interesting story, with some good twists! I love the ending!

I can't not wait for the audio version of this book!!
This was just as fantastic and on the edge of your seat as the other two. When this becomes available on Audible I'm starting them all over again.

A good addition to an outstanding series. Once again Detective Kate Wakeland steadfastly follows her instincts to the truth. The description of the fires is so realistic and made me feel sorry for the people who lived through it. I very much liked the parts on VR. Some parts of the plot were unclear to me. Overall a solid read

The third and I believe the last book in the Tallman's Valley Detective series. Kate and Franco are working together again although the introduction of a new detective and the fact that Kate spends a lot of time following her own agenda, does affect the status quo.

Kate is 60 and is approaching the end of her career. The book opens with the demolition of the old funfair and this stirs up demons for Kate, as her family has suffered greatly over the years from the actions of the funfair's owners. She is happy to see the old buildings pulled down but cannot dispel a feeling that there is more to do in order to remove a cloud over Tallman's valley.

As in all her books Anni Taylor builds up the Australian atmosphere beautifully. This time there is a major bushfire occurring in the Blue Mountains and it seems to be coming closer. Those of us who live in Aussie can relate to her descriptions of the pinky/orange sky and the choking smell of the smoke. In one scary scene Kate and Franco have to shelter in place in their car as the fire front rolls over them. It is all very realistic.

Kate's police work is intriguing and very thorough. She refuses to accept easy answers and pushes on on her own when the others believe they have finished. There is a traitor in the camp too and it is fun to guess who it might be, or even if it is more than one. The final scenes are very exciting and leave you knowing you have just read a good book.

In the third book in the series, Kate begins investigating a shocking multiple shooting on Witness Mountain while dealing with the hindrances caused by the devastating fire season. She begins to realise that the shooting and silent town may be linked. Could Kate be in danger as she investigates to find the truth? Another good entry to the Tallman's Valley Detectives series, with a thrilling plot that keeps you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.