Gripping, gruesome, and unnerving, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Hightower pulls us into this darkness and leaves as treading in the depths the whole way through. As the story pieces together, sanity seems to crack around the edges, the deeper into the story we get the more we feel for our main character. The heart-wrenching grief we experience alongside this hardened gal is but the tip of the iceberg of the true horrors to come. Conspiracy, secrets, and the unexpected atrocious seemingly paranormal experiences will leave even the most unaffected horror hounds gasping for air. Hightower is a name to be reckoned with when it comes to the horror genre!

SILENT KEY – by Laurel Hightower

Cam and Sammy—My Heart! I Love everything about this book, which will keep you engaged until the very end—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press, for providing me with an eBook of SILENT KEY at the request of an honest review.

As a mother, Silent Key was such an intense exploration (literally and figuratively) of the love and connection between a mother and child. I went into this book honestly expecting more subject matter in relation to the cover, but I was surprised to find that this book goes so much deeper than that. Loss, grief, love, connection, desperation... It's devastating, bittersweet, beautifully written, and atmospheric. Very much enjoyed Silent Key, and recommend to anyone who enjoys eerie and unsettling vibes, characters with depth, a solid plot, and all the feels!

Laurel Hightower does grief, guilt, and the unbreakable bonds of family so well! I previously read Crossroads and when I saw Silent Key pop up, I had to read it ASAP.

The novel follows the story of Emma, a scientist whose life takes a tragic turn when her daughter Lily dies in a drowning accident. Wracked with guilt and consumed by grief, Emma becomes obsessed with finding a way to communicate with her daughter from beyond the grave. This obsession leads her to develop a groundbreaking technology known as the Silent Key—a device that allows communication with the deceased.

What unfolds is not just a story about technology and its implications, but a deeply human narrative about love, loss, and the lengths we will go to in order to find closure. Hightower’s prose is hauntingly beautiful, evoking a sense of melancholy that lingers well after the final page. Her characters are vividly drawn, their emotions raw and palpable, making it impossible not to empathize with their struggles.

As I delved deeper into the novel, I was struck by the ethical dilemmas Emma faces. The moral implications of her invention are explored with a raw honesty that made me question the boundaries between life and death, and the lengths one would go to for closure. Emma's internal struggles resonated with me on a profound level, as I considered what I might do in her shoes.

If you were a fan of her previous novel, Crossroads, then definitely give this one a read!

*Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

*UNtrigger Warning: THE DOGGOS LIVE!! 😀

OOOOO BOY!!! I loved reading this book! And I don’t even like stories with kids or kid characters with special powers! But Silent Key sucked me in from start to finish.

Ok, let me get the complaint comments out of the way first……….. The cover!! Yes, the cover. Why? Two reasons. 1.) It is a bit miss-leading and at the same time, 2.) It gives away too much of the end! There is zero diving until about the 95% mark in the story that was about 30 mins left of the book. If diving happens at the big finale only, don’t spoil that, you know? With the divers on the cover, I was expecting an undersea horror story. Silent Key kind of is but also isn’t. I think some people might get upset by the cover.

Same problem with the Jaws and The Deep book comparisons. No. Just no. Silent Key is only like those because there is some water, eventually, that plays a roll in the story… but again, this is misleading. Silent Key is nothing like those two books plot wise and I think the comparison is just going to make people angry. D:

Ok, now that that is out of the way, let me tell you how much I love this book!

The story does a great job of showing grief, trauma, hurt, and other difficult emotions messing with your head. The main character, Cam, struggles with trying to do the right thing when she has such emotional damage. Cam tries to juggle so many plates at once but it is hard when she is hurting so much. Mistakes happen.

I read a few reviews that complained that Cam was too obsessed with her dead husband to save the living people she loved. :/ I don’t understand this complaint at all. First, she finds out about a long affair her husband was having and then he dies in some crazy mysterious way! That is a LOT to take in all at once. And it’s not like she’s had years to come to terms with any of this yet. Only a short amount of time has passed by the time the story starts. So, maybe we should cut her a little slack?

I actually like Cam, but I like all the main characters. Even the little girl was ok. Dimi by far is my favorite! I liked him so much, that at the 92% mark I started dragging my feet on finishing the book because I was too worried about his fate! D:

The plot had me hooked the whole time. The mystery of what was going on was so captivating. It reads almost like a police drama with crazy ghost action. I love that. 😀 And what an interesting ghost / haunting story. I have so many questions!! I eagerly ate up every new clue or reveal.

Now, I will warn you, that there are a bunch of unanswered questions by the end of the book. Some reviewers reallllllly hated that. And I get it. That is a valid complaint. I didn’t mind this though. Not sure why? I think it didn’t bother me because it felt like world building set up for a series, and not just plot holes in a stand alone book, you know? I loved the questions I was left with and it just makes me want to re-read the book right away and cross my fingers this will be a series.

And that brings me to my biggest question…… will it be a series?? It sure felt like set up for a series, or at least one sequel. I really, realllllly want to visit these people again. I really hated to say bye to this world. The questions throughout the book, plus the cliffhanger at the end…. oh man, I gotta know more, STAT!!

Some people might be upset with the cover and the lack of answers, but I loved reading Silent key. The plot is filled with mysteries. The characters feel real and I want to root for them! The dog lives! I am seriously dying to know more. This was such a fun read. I really hope people give this a try. It really is such a fun and fresh ghost story.

I've been on an ocean horror kick, and this book scratched that itch. Creepy, solid book if you're a fan of books like Into the Drowning Deep or From Below, or ocean horror in general.

This one was suspenseful and eerie in the best ways. The amount of stuff this woman has to go through hurt my little heart. But, I couldn’t put this one down

Well when life gives you burnout from your job, sometimes this means getting to ARCs much later than you wanted to.

I have to start by saying that this book did a great job at blending multiple genres: horror, sci-fi and even thriller. I commend the author for their successful imagery with the horror elements, I was genuinely unnerved a couple of times with the graphic descriptions of the ghosts. I think that the first 1/3 of this book was incredibly successful but eventually got a little convoluted and the plot was stretching far at some points. The main issue I had was with the pacing, I found that it took a really long time (or what felt like it from the reader’s perspective) to get to the big finale. Once we reached the point in which the mystery is solved and the loop is closed it was all resolved in a matter of a few pages and just fell flat for me. Another main issue I had was just the language that the author used. Don’t get me wrong I love it when main characters have faults and swear like real people but these swears genuinely felt like something a middle schooler would say and really felt forced. I’ve never actually heard an adult speak in weird made up swear language so this really threw me off and pulled me away from the story a few times. I also have to say that one of the “final” plot twists just didn’t need to be included it felt so forced and there wasn’t much reason for it to occur. The plot could have easily been progressed in the same manner without this “he’s actually not who he says he is” trope. The epilogue was also a very interesting choice and left the reader wondering if another book will happen or??? Overall I enjoyed this book but was left wanting more from the horror/haunting side of things but I think the average reader would enjoy this!

Thank you Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “Silent Key” was published October 10, 2023 and is available for purchase on Amazon.

Laurel Hightower just never misses with her creeping sense of dread and perfectly constructed atmosphere in her stories. Huge thank you to Netgalley and Laurel for my review copy!

What a grippy, twisted story.
Hightower crafts a mystery wrapped in a supernatural twist!
A slow burn that built to a satisfyingly exciting climax.

Loved it. Can't wait to see what she does next.

A story that mixes pulp mystery and horrifying hauntings, all while keeping its funhouse sensibilities intact. Full review here: https://bewarethescarylibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/have-you-read-this-silent-key-by-laurel.html

Gripping, twisty and creepy. A very entertaining and well plotted story, a solid paranormal thriller that kept me guessing and reading.
Well plotted and intriguing
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was just fine for me. I was initially drawn in by the cover and premise, I love water horror and I love people being confronted with the supernatural. However, the plot DRAGGED for the first half. It did ramp up and ended well though in my opinion. Generally, I think a slow first half is fine if we are getting to know our characters or the world. However, that wasn't really the case here. I didn't hate the characters, but I didn't feel anything for them either and this book needed you to care about the characters to really feel the tension. Also why was there a romance subplot?! It really wasn't needed and there wasn't any chemistry in my opinion.

I really tried to get into this story, but couldn't. I kept picking it up and putting it down because the writing wasn't catching me. I kept waiting for something to happen, but I was just bored. I finally set it down for good at 50% because it wasn't getting any better. I didn't connect with the characters, their conversations always felt a bit off, the "romance" was not good, and everyone was so strange. Oh and I really was interested in it because that cover and the synopsis (comparing this to The Deep and Jaws) seem to indicate that it will take place on/around water, but there was basically none of that in the part I read.

Hey, big shoutout to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press, and Laurel for tossing this digital beauty my way!

Now, let's dive in – straight up, I'm a Laurel aficionado. Not just a stellar writer but a real gem in the writing crew. I mean, she's a friend too. Seeing her rock the debut and those novellas, and now landing with Flame Tree Press – it's like cheering on your pal climbing the success ladder, and boy, does she deserve it.

Now, onto "Silent Key." Couldn't wait to plunge into this one – pun fully intended.

What clicked for me: Like 'Whispers in the Dark,' Laurel pulls us into the chaos of a single mom trying to keep her kid safe. It's her sweet spot, and this time, she flips the script while keeping that Hightower signature flavor.

After the hubby's mysterious exit, our main character unravels some jaw-dropping truths about their relationship. They bolt with her 'adopted' Russian bro and the kid to her uncle's Texas ranch, aiming for a chill escape. Spoiler nudge: Supernatural chaos tags along, spicing up the getaway.

Laurel spins the tale with gradual reveals, layering up the narrative. It guides us to the intense core where everything clicks into place. You're in the dark for a bit, but when the grand reveal hits, it's a satisfying AH-HA moment as storylines mesh.

The finale? Rock-solid. Neatly ties up loose ends, giving you a sneak peek into what's next for the survivors.

What didn't quite hit bullseye: Dimi's tale and its wrap-up? I'm on the fence. It makes sense, but personally, I'm riding the mixed feelings train!

Also, the opening chunk felt a bit like a rinse-repeat when Cam, her kid, and Dimi hit the scene. Understandable in a police procedural vibe, but sometimes felt like treading water.

Why should you nab this? Cam is perhaps Laurel's most genuine and finely crafted character. You're cheering her on, rooting for her win, and when things get wild, you're ready to be her backup. 'Silent Key' is a genre cocktail, deftly mixed by Laurel – one of the most solid "paranormal-mystery-thrillers" I've seen lately. Shelf-worthy, no doubt!

"Silent Key" by Laurel Hightower is a captivating detective mystery infused with supernatural elements. The "Silent Key" is an enthralling journey through themes of love, loss, and the eerie unknown.

This is the third book of Laurel Hightower's that I've read, and I can't overstate how much I love her writing enough - she nails the emotional aspect of horrifying things so, so well. In other books, she's written from the POV of a mother character, and that's also the case with this one - but it isn't repetitive at all, with each of her characters standing on their own solidly. I also have to note that for some reason I thought this was a novella when I started it, and it flew by so quickly that I didn't realize it was just over 300 pages until looking it up online! I was so immersed throughout, I didn't even notice the length! And that's a sign of a great book.

I couldn’t get into this story. It’s truly a shame as I was so looking forward to it after reading the summary. I got through the first few chapters but just found I couldn’t connect with the story and characters. I stepped back from it for a while before trying again but it unfortunately just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I feel bad, but I just could not get into this and made it a quarter of the way prior to giving up. The synopsis was interesting, but I was unable to connect with any of the characters.

What a creepy book. Anything underwater is super creepy. The suspense was built gradually to the exciting climax. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.