4.75 Stars

Warning: this book covers triggering topics (child abuse,)

This book is #5 is the Det. Fournier series, and is another strong read from M.M. Chouinard.

The story was well written, it pulls the reader in instantly and moves at a fast pace. There is a nice balance of thrill, suspense, intrigue, and even romance!

I appreciate that the author writes from the POV of several characters, it helps to balance out the story. Despite being part of a series, this book is easily a stand alone read.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Her Silent Prayer’ by M.M. Chouinard in exchange for an honest review. I did purchase the Kindle/Audible combination on publication.

This is Book 5 in her Detective Jo Fournier series set in New England. While I have read the first two of the earlier books I had no difficulty slipping back into Josette Fournier’s world, though background is also provided for readers new to the series.‘.

In terms of plot just brief details in order to avoid spoilers. When the body of a young mother is found inside a closet that had been nailed shut during a heatwave, a murder investigation is opened.

Detective Jo Fournier realises that there are some aspects of the case that are reminiscent of a recent cold case involving the murder of another young mother. Yet all possible suspects have alibis. Jo wonders if this could be a ‘Strangers on a Train’ scenario. In addition, Jo cannot stop thinking about a case from eight years ago.

Throughout the series police procedural and psychological thriller elements are expertly blended by Chouinard. The chapters move between the viewpoints of the investigators, victims, and killers.

I have been reading so many British, Irish, and Scandinavian police procedurals recently that it did take me a short while to acclimatise to the American police titles and command structure.

Overall, this was another fast paced solidly plotted crime thriller with relatable characters and some great twists.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Her Silent Prayer' by M.M Chouinard.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for M. M Chouinard, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 7th April 2022.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Vacation' which I highly recommend. It is also the fifth book in the 'Detective Jo Fournier' series but can be read as a standalone.

I was originally drawn to this book by its stunning eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Gregg Olsen.' I am a huge fan of all three of these amazing authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of M.M Chouinard and if this is half as good as 'The Vacation' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists a prologue and 83 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in California, USA 🇺🇸

This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Detective Josette Fournier and Diana Montauk and an unsub. The benefits of third person perspective with are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'Her Silent Prayer' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book M.M Chouinard discusses/includes child abuse.

WHAT did I just read!!!! WOW!!! I mean seriously Wow!! I am shocked that this is the only book I have read in what is promising to be an amazing series!! This has GOT to start with a MASSIVE WELL DONE MM Chouinard!!!!

Firstly let's start off with the writing style, etc!! This is an extremely well written book which had me hook line and sinker!!! It is so smoothly and beautifully written with vivid descriptions I completely forgot I was even reading a book a few times. The blurb, title and cover really fit the storyline.

As you can tell I LOVED the storyline. I found it to be realistic, very fast paced and I read it in a day. I loved the setting and atmosphere and just well... Everything!!! ThE plot throughout is rammed with suspense, mystery, lies, surprises, tension, romance and morals!!! What I loved about this book is that we get to see from not just one but two Killer's perspectives!!! It is unusual to have 2 killers on the go in one book let alone two serial Killer's!!! It is so multilayered it just keeps on giving and giving. The other thing that I love is that it really does make you think about what you would do if you were Jo, especially at the end. We all know that justice is not always served and the devastation that can cause. Anyway, I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I was intrigued to read at the end that this is not the first book where we meet Diana but her story begins in 'The Dancing Girls' so I am most definitely looking forward to reading that along with all of Michelle's previous and future books. I was shocked when the second killer was revealed as they hadn't even come into my thought process so a HUGE WELL done there as its getting harder and harder to shock me but you managed to do it!!!


Although this is the fifth book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but I find it important that I like the rest of the team involved too and I am pleased to say that I had nothing to worry about!!

I loved getting to know every single one of the characters and thought they were portrayed perfectly with great character development. They were all realistic with their own little quirks and I liked each one for different reasons, even Diana!! I was completely invested in them and am looking forward to meeting them all again. Well maybe not so much Lieutenant Hayes who I thought was a female dog 😂 but we can't love all characters or it would be a pretty boring read! I love how Jo isn't just a strong kick butt female lead but she also has a vulnerable side too. I absolutely loved Christine Lopez and her energy drink addiction 😂. Arnett also has a strong personality and I loved the sarcasm between himself, Christine and Jo. They make an absolutely perfect team and I cannot wait to meet them all again. I would also love to meet Diana again as the "relationship" between herself and Jo absolutely intrigues me and I'd love to see what else they can learn from each other (hint hunt 😉)


Congratulations Michelle on yet another explosive success!!! I cannot wait to read more of what promises to be an explosive series. Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!

Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!! "

Overall an absolutely page turning, thought provoking must read that will leave you wanting more!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural and Mystery amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Sheryl Browne, Shalini Boland, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Gillian Flynn, Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Gregg Olsen and anyone looking for an explosive page turner!!!


394 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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An impressive read following on from the other books in M.M. Chouinard's Detective Jo Fournier series.

In this one, Her Silent Prayer, Melissa Rollins, a single mother to her daughter, Avery is found trapped inside a hall cupboard in her suburban home; she had been drugged and left for dead. Detective Josette Fournier and her partner-in-crime, Detective Bob Arnett are called to the scene in the town of Greenfern and are shocked by the horrendous crime scene they find there.

I believe Her Silent Prayer would work as a self-contained read although you most likely will want to read the other instalments of the series. For me, Jo makes for a near-perfect main character with her inner strengths and vulnerability. Although not without flaws, she shows empathy and the camaraderie and bond she shares with Bob are delightfully pleasing. They make the perfect duo along with the rest of the team and Jo's relentlessness and motivation are admirable. Michelle M. Chouinard’s overall style wowed me once again as did the wonderfully thrilling plot. I really appreciate the author's ability to not only draw me into the sordid, dark story immediately but also keep me enthralled until the very last page. For me, this tale has it all - a plot brimming with mystery, suspense with many twists, characters that are real and believable and a super ending. Michelle M. Chouinard has become one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait to see what's next in this magnificent series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

What a brilliant crime thriller this proved to be
With more than one serial killer mystery.
With Detective Jo Fournier and her team
Discovering things aren't as obvious as first they seem.

It starts with the murder of a Mum
But there are more murders yet to come.
How do they relate, why were they killed
And how can the murderer be caught and stilled?

Meanwhile her first case is on Jo's mind,
She's still looking for any clues that she can find.
But her search is placing her and her family in danger
She's being watched by someone who's a stranger.

Filled with suspense, clues and mystery -
And revenge filled killers, as you'll soon see.
Great characters, plot twists and clues to unravel
Keeping you turning the pages as to the end you travel.

An enthralling read, I recommend most highly so
I really hope you'll also give it a go.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
A page turning read and this is my honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is the 5th book in the Detective Jo Fournier series. the previous book was published in January 2021 so my mind was a bit fuzzy on the details. If you haven't read this series before I think there is enough detail for you and if like me you have but it was a while ago then there's enough there to remind you of what happened in previous books. I think quite a but of time has passed since the previous book too.

Detective Jo Fournier is extremely smart and in this book is hunting down not one but two serial killers. This story makes you question the legal system, its flaws and vigilantism. Most people know that the legal system is flawed. Not every criminal is caught and if they are not all are punished but does that mean we should take the law into our own hands? These two killers certainly thought so!

This book effortlessly weaves in morality and justice while staying true to the law. I thought it was a fascinating insight into the differing perspectives. Chouinard kept me hooked from the beginning with different POVs and the two different cases. When one case dipped the other picked up keeping both us and the detectives very busy.

If you are looking to get your teeth into a gripping crime thriller that will keep you guessing then definitely pick this one up.

Detective Jo Fournier book 5 – where have the others been in my life, I need to catch up.
Warning, as this book deals with child abuse.
Detective Jo Fournier and her partner Bob Arnett are called to the scene where a body is found locked, door nailed shut, in a closet. Who would do this and why, this sends the team on a hunt. They connect it to another unsolved murder, in both cases the victims’ children were under investigations for child abuse. Are there more? Woven into the story is back flashes to the killer’s own childhood.
While they are searching for the killer, Jo picks up new clues on a case that has been haunting her 8 years, and somehow those 2 cases totally complement each other.
The book had me on edge of my seat, or I should say no sleep as I couldn’t put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an early read

AWESOME crime thriller involving the vicious style murders of mothers who have lost custody of their child due to neglect, filed by their partners & subsequently being granted custody once again Great suspense & characters in a well written .story line & making you question the morality of vigilantism. Enjoyed immensely & RECOMMEND highly all her books in this series. Thanks to #NetGalley #Bookouture &# MM. Chouinard for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I love this series! Jo is a great character and her determination is admirable. This was another great, twisty story with Jo and her team investigating every little detail. I love that Jo and her sister are slowly forging a better relationship. I can’t wait for the next instalment in this series...

The characters in this book are hard nose and kick butt. Jo and her partner Arnett worked non-stop to get the answers that they needed to catch their man or woman. This books reads with some hard edges, but working as a cop, discussing things related to the law is very raw and sometimes can be tricky. For me the story reads very quick. I like the information that was provided to explain some of the actions that the characters took to get their answers. The book covered so much with the cold case for Bennie. I thought that the case with the serial killer was discussed more with the narrative. I would have liked the serial killers story discussed more and use the cold case as the narrative to gloss over. That would be a definite page turner for me

While Jo is tracking down someone who is murdering alleged child abusers, someone is tracking her down. This made for a great dual storyline that the author melds together nicely. I will admit that I wished part of the story would have continued on to the next book in the series as I was really enjoying the tension and the hunt. (That is not normal for me and is a testament to how much I liked how that story line was developing.) This installment also did a wonderful job of continuing to develop other characters in Jo's world, continuing to form a solid foundation for a great series! When do we get the next one?

Her Silent Prayer by M.M. Chouinard is a very highly recommended procedural/thriller.

Detective Jo Fournier and her partner Bob Arnett are called to the case of a single mother, Melissa Rollins, found dead trapped inside a closet with the doors nailed shut. The heat in the house was turned up to 95 degrees during a heat wave in Greenfern, CA, and Melissa died of thirst. With no sign of a break in, it appeared that Melissa knew her killer and let her in. Melissa was in a custody battle with her ex who had accused Melissa of child abuse. Then Jo uncovers a recent case where another single mother was killed and the two cases have unsettling similarities.

At the same time Jo is privately working a cold case from the past where a serial killer appeared to have committed suicide by jumping off the Golden gate bridge, but may have actually been killed. Jo needs to keep her interest in this case quiet as Lieutenant Hayes has it in for her, but so far thirteen out-of-state tourists have been killed with similarities that make it clear it could not be a coincidence.

Soon these two separate investigations are heading on a collision course and a killer is savvy to Jo's interest and is now following her.

This is my first novel by Chouinard and won't be the last. I haven't read the previous novels featuring Jo Fournier, but I felt this one worked as a stand alone novel too, although if you like a writer it's always a good idea to check out the whole series, which I will do. The writing is excellent as is the character development, especially considering this is part of a series. I liked the details provided about following the clues and uncovering more information to solve the intricate cases. Providing superior information regarding the police work in a procedural is always appreciated.

This novel veers into psychological thriller territory as the investigation evolves. You will find yourself saying, "Just one more chapter." Luckily the chapters are short and the pace quick. Her Silent Prayer is a good choice for anyone who likes procedurals and especially procedurals that are fast paced, well-written, complicated, and become personal.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

i was riveted from the first page and the first victim....and i couldnt stop reading this book.
but the most amazing thing i found about this book was the way the investigation went on...and how the office back ground people managed to find the killers location...amazing stuff

its my first book by this author and even though this is book 5 in the series it didnt put me off reading it, in fact it makes me want to read the other books in this series

will be keeping an eye out for this authors and her books in the future

Her Silent Prayer is an enjoyable police procedural with different threads that come together well to complete a twisty and suspenseful tale. However, I did feel the momentum of the main case was a little stilted at times. But once all the clues came together it really picked up and led to an exciting conclusion and I was engaged throughout.

And with likable characters who I'd like to read more about I can certainly see myself picking up more books from this series in the future as well as reading the ones I've missed out on.

Another ripping read from M.M. Chouinard in the Detective Jo Fournier series. Well plotted and thought out. Lots going on but it all comes together with surprises and twists. Highly readable!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Her Silent Prayer is the fifth in a series, but only the second one I’ve read. I had no problems catching up with the characters in the prior book when I read it. This book does have a partial spoiler about something that happens in that prior book. This one also has the return of a character from an earlier book that I didn’t read, so it didn’t have the same impact as it would for readers who have followed the series from the beginning.

In this book, Detective Jo Fournier and her partner Detective Bob Arnett are working on two different cases. One involves the death of a single mom found murdered in her own closet. The other is a cold case that Jo just can’t let go of. Jo is a great detective who works well with Bob, but is having issues with the lieutenant who is brought in as her new boss. I enjoy the procedural details of the story and watching the detectives search for suspects and motives, confirm alibis, and follow up on leads. When Jo and Bob meet with their technical expert, the discussions about cell phone towers and tracing potential suspects is a little too detailed and confusing. However, I was amazed when similar technology was used on a true crime television show I just saw so the author knows what she’s talking about!

I love how strong Jo stays when one of the cases gets personal and puts her family and her relationships in danger. I like how things turn out in the end and am interested in reading more by this author.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

For some reason, I read books 1 & 2 in this series (and enjoyed them!) but didn't read 3 & 4. I am picking up the series again with this book, number 5, and even though it isn't ideal, I think you can read this book as a standalone.

Jo and her partner Bob are tasked with solving a series of crimes. A killer is targetting single mothers, and killing them in brutal ways. Naturally, when it comes to mothers, people feel protective but there is much more going on behind the scenes here...... Lopez makes an appearance as well and thanks to her incredible skills, Jo and Bob will get to the bottom of what is happening and why.

As usual with this author, the book is fast-paced and quite gruesome at times, and expertly crafted.

5 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture.

This is a great read.
A woman’s body is found inside her closet after being nailed in from the outside.
Her friend raises the alarm and is shocked to find out Melissa is dead.
It seems Melissa was fighting for custody of her daughter as her ex husband had accused her of abuse.
Another woman is found dead and it seems she has also been accused of abusing her child so Jo and Arnett need to find the link.
Jo is also working on a case from her past but needs to keep it quiet as Hayes has it in for her.
The two investigations are separate but this makes the story more exciting especially as one of the killers has been following Jo and has threatened those close to her.
This is a gripping crime thriller.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Two murderers for the price of one in this latest great read in the Jo Fournier series. Someone is offing mothers in heinous ways. Jo still has an itch from a case years ago that she is gaining ground on. I liked how a previous case was intertwined with a current case. I marveled at the insidious methods of killing committed in the story. I liked that Jo continues to evolve and isn’t stagnant.
Lots of new and interesting revelations going on and I can’t wait to see where it all goes in book 6!

Her Silent Prayer has your gasping your breath from the first to the last page.

Jo and Arnett are determined relentless detectives that once they are on your trail you might as well turn yourself in. They also have a great back up team.

Women are being murdered at a quick rate and they all have something in common.

Jo is also determined to look into a past case as something does not sit right with her.

Jo made me nervous a few times but I had faith.

I don't want to give anything away but don't miss Her Silent Prayer.

You can read it as a stand alone but I will bet you will go back and start with Dancing Girls.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for another nail biting case with Jo Fournier.