A father and daughter, trying to build a relationship, stumble upon a dead woman, and her terrified, mute, young son.

The father, James Pinter, a retired investigator in the military, is deeply reluctant to do any more than report the death to the State Police and move on, but his teen daughter Molly is shaken, and moved, especially as her own mother is recently dead by suicide, and she’s awkwardly forging a relationship with the father she barely knows.

The State Police dismiss the dead woman as nothing more than an addict, and James begins wondering what the real story is, as he and Molly noted some things that point away from a drug overdose.

When James shares his concerns with Wayne Tully of the Navajo Nation’s Tribal police, and the dead woman’s sister Kay insists James find out what happened to Linda.

James and Molly become involved with Kay and Wayne’s lives as they dig into Linda’s history, talking to her friends on the reservation, and learning more about how the dead woman, a former drug addict, had pulled her life together and gotten clean. Linda also worked at a corporation that employs most of the people on the reserve and surrounding area, and was a responsible employee.

As James investigates, he angers a family of criminals who have their fingers in the crime, including drug trafficking, both in and outside the reserve. And lastly, Molly and James meet a determined reporter, eager to use this case to advance her career.

The mystery is complex, but is comprehensible, while the plot moves at a good pace. Author Lisa Boyle does a good job getting into both James’ and Molly’s heads as they have to learn how to relate to one another, while dealing with their own pain, whether from a mother’s loss, or from James experiences during the Vietnam war. And I liked how their relationship developed over the narrative, as they learned to communicate and work together, resulting in the two deciding on a path for their life together.

This was an absorbing story, and I look forward to reading more Pinter P.I. stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A chilling and atmospheric thriller with a gripping storyline and a cast of characters harbouring dark secrets. A true masterpiece

This book was hard to put down as I kept reading to find out...what happened to Linda...and why? James is a truck driver, going to pick up his 14 year old estranged daughter Molly, since her mother just passed. What James doesn't know is that Molly is perceptive and incredibly smart, more like her dad than either of them know. They stop at a gas station to refuel...and all of a sudden things get really really interesting as the pages turn in a story that is gripping, and interestingly enough, loosely based on true events. Lisa Boyle gives us a multi-faceted book: relationships between father/daughter, investigative practices, corruption, and even Navajo tribe vs the white man, and does it very well while packing a punch. Excellent job, and now looking forward to book two....
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Before reading this book, I skimmed through other reviews and I'm glad that I did. I was able to go into this book with the right mindset and I ended up really liking it!

It's more of slow/medium pace, but every part of the book was filled with information and kept you wanting to know what happened. I love history and this being a historical fiction with a touch of crime, made it even better. The book reminded me of the show Longmire because of the police factor and also the tribal lands.

The characters were all so diverse and each one brought a great aspect to the story. I also enjoyed that there was some romance and also the bonding of an estranged father and his teen daughter.

Thank you Net Galley and author Lisa Boyle for this ARC in return for an honest review.

In the Silence of Decay by Lisa Boyle
Pinter P.I. #1

Interesting, informative, and immersive ~ Great historical fiction that drew me in and made me care!

What I liked:
* Molly: recently lost her mother, moved in with her distant father, artist, bright, enjoys puzzles, inquisitive, fourteen, unsure of her future, has great potential, would like to get to know her better
* James Pinter: truck driver , owns his own big rig, ex-military CID officer, stationed in Vietnam and Germany, suddenly received guardianship of his daughter Molly and is learning to be a parent, intelligent, capable, ready for a job change, liked him and eager to see him again
* Wayne: Chief of police on a reservation, educated, wise, professional, grandfather was a code talker in WWII, married to Barbara, strong leadership abilities, friendly, good man
* Kay: high school teacher on the reservation, divorced, carrying secrets and guilt over her sister’s death, a bit haunted, attracted to James
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* Learning about the uranium mining waste dam burst in 1979
* That it reminded me of the era of the Vietnam war and brought back memories of a high school project that sent letters with cookies to servicemen
* The family ties on the reservation
* Watching James and Molly get to know one another and grow closer as parent and child
* The police procedural aspects and that the murderer was found by the end of the book
* Knowing that there is another book to look forward to in the series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The bigotry, waste of a good woman’s life, the corrupt big businesses practices

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This was a very enjoyable read, did not pick the killer at first but after reading about book #2 I knew there was a problem with my first suspect. Well done.👏👏👏📖📖

At the start of the book, a seemingly suicide is discovered by a young girl who has stopped at a fuel outpost, just outside of a reservation. Her father, who just gained custody of her, a former military investigator turned truck driver, can’t get it out of his head. And so begins their journey into finding out the truth, that she was murdered. There are a ton of characters involved in the story: some extremely interesting and a few thrown in to throw you off the track. I had the murderer figured out early in the story, but couldn’t figure out why I suspected them. The end is satisfying, but the middle third is a little slow.. But I stayed with it to the end.

📚Book Review📚 The Silence of the Decay by Lisa Boyle
Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery
Multiple POVs
Publication Date: 10/24/23

When I first laid eyes on this book, thanks to NetGalley⸺its catchy title and cover intrigued me. After reading the synopsis, I was all set for a thrilling 1979 mystery. But, here's the twist⸺halfway through, I realized it wasn't exactly thrillerish! 😅🕵️‍♀️

So, what's the deal? I had to take a quick detour back to the book details, and that's when it hit me – it's more of a historical fiction with a mystery. So, I had to settle back in with a different mindset shift! 💡📖
What’s the book about?

Picture this: It's 1979 in the heart of New Mexico. Our main character, James Pinter, is a former CID detective turned long-haul trucker. Life's been peaceful, but all that changes when his daughter, Molly, stumbles upon the mysterious death of a Navajo woman.

Now, the crime scene takes place off the reservation and the authorities quickly classify it as a simple overdose. But not on James' watch! He's got that detective's instinct, and it's screaming foul play. 🕵️‍♂️💥
With a twist of fate, James informs the police on the Navajo Reservation about his instincts and they enlist his help, and together with his teenage daughter in tow, they embark on a rollercoaster ride to uncover the cold, hard truth. But the plot thickens as our dynamic duo finds themselves trapped in a web of drugs, deceit, and secrets that could blow the lid off everything.

Now, let's get to the good stuff:

🌟 As someone with Navajo roots and family still rooted in the heart of New Mexico, I couldn't help but appreciate the author's dedication to research and storytelling. This book shines a light on real issues from not-so-distant history that continue to impact the region today. I want to add more but I can’t without giving away the plot.

🌟 The author's writing style? Top-notch! And the character development between the father and daughter? Absolutely heartwarming. From estranged to a heartwarming bond, their journey is a testament to love and growth.

Although the book was different than I had expected, I thought it was interesting and fantastically written.

I would definitely read more from this author.

And thanks again for the free copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the perk behind the curtain of the Navajo Nation in the 1970’s. As the first book in the series it set up a really likeable cast of James, Molly, Kay, Wayne and Barbara. A fast paced little mystery, that kept me guessing. Looking forward to the next instalment! I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent first dip for this author into the waters of the historical mystery. I found the characters interesting and the information about the events in which the mystery is grounded well done. I live in New Mexico and know a little about the history of the Navajo Nation during the 1970s, and the way it was portrayed here seemed accurate. I look forward to future books in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for the Arc and opportunity to read this great book!

Wow! Excellent book. Characters were well developed and the the flow of the story is flawless. Loosely based on true events with of course some fictionalization, the story is gripping and grounded. It’s set in 1979 and it was interesting to remember the days before electronic and comparatively, how harder it was back then to glean information and share findings.
The book included a synopsis of the second book in the Pinter PI saga and I definitely buy that book.
Great writing and setting and overall a 5 star read. Don’t miss this book if you enjoy good detective work!