Thank you Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for an eARC ♥️

Meet Arles, a therapist with more baggage than a luggage carousel. She's just lost her hospital job, but that's not stopping her from starting fresh at a secluded mountain estate.
There's just one thing - an old photo that's been haunting her. Who is the girl in the picture, and why does Arles feel such a strong connection?
As Arles welcomes troubled guests for group therapy, secrets and lies start to unfold. You'll meet Louise, the woman from the photo, and her autistic son Geary, who's got some remarkable abilities. Then there's Stephanie and Lissa, squatters who become Arles's unlikely allies.
But things take a dark turn when a local girl, Bea, goes missing. Suddenly, Arles's past starts to collide with her present, and she's forced to confront her demons.
♥️Here's what I loved:
♥️•⁠ ⁠Arles is a complex, relatable character with a rich backstory
♥️•⁠ ⁠The plot twists kept me guessing until the very end
♥️•⁠ ⁠Thought-provoking themes without being too heavy-handed
♥️•⁠ ⁠Intriguing relationships and character dynamics
And here's what didn't quite work:
•⁠ ⁠Some parts dragged or stretched credibility
•⁠ ⁠Geary's character might grate on some readers
•⁠ ⁠Arles's therapist credentials are questionable
But the standout for me was the side story of Bea and her parents, Cass and Maggie. It's surprisingly compelling and emotionally resonant.
Verdict:
A gripping psychological thriller with a satisfying payoff. If you enjoy character-driven mysteries with complex themes, give it a shot!🔥

I found this book to be utterly confusing. The story line with the missing child was easy enough, but Arles at work was a mess. She was unreliable, but in a way where I didn’t enjoy reading her story at all. And the chapters start off with a guessing game of whose perspective we are in, a little clarity on that would go a long way.

Overall a miss for me.

Jenny Milchman expertly weaves a tale of psychological suspense with her latest, THE USUAL SILENCE.

Psychologist, Dr. Arles Shepherd is fired from her hospital job working with abused and neglected children. She has spent her life running (hiding) from her own childhood that included some horrific flashes of memories regarding her stepfather, Peter. We all know the story. Anyway, Arles decides to take the hunting lodge and land owned by Peter and open a treatment center for said children. But there is one client she really wants to know and help. We meet Louise Drake, whose son, Geary has never spoken, the Merritts and others dealing with family issues. We also meet Stephanie Fletcher and her precocious daughter, Lissa who was actually squatting at Fir Cove when Arles took over, hiding from Lissa’s father and are now Arles’s right hand um…women. But Lissa ‘speaks’ with Geary! Or does she merely listen? All of this while Arles finds herself losing time and becoming involved with local, Dan.

Meanwhile, Cass Monroe and his wife, Maggie are searching for their twelve year old daughter who disappeared on her way home from school. Cass is currently unemployed with a heart problem and has plenty of time to be scouring the countryside looking for Bea. He grudgingly joins forces with two podcasters who follow cases throughout the country on their show, to find any information about Bea.

All of these lives will collide in the wilderness as Arles continues to regain her own memories of her childhood, including the disappearance of her best friend, Rory. How do they all connect? Seems that Arles is now the common thread but why?

This one had me hooked from start to finish. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read that kept me up well past my bedtime. I was happy to see that it was only book one in Dr Arles Shepherd’s story. I will certainly be waiting for book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

did not finish. Started book but there were multiple triggering content that made me not be able to continue

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of "The Usual Silence" by Jenny Milchman. This novel is captivating and suspenseful, and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Milchman masterfully weaves a tale of mystery and psychological tension, drawing readers into the complex lives of her characters. The story is filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. With richly developed characters and a gripping plot, "The Usual Silence" is a must-read for fans of thrilling, character-driven mysteries. If you enjoy a story that keeps you hooked and makes you think, this book is definitely for you!

I don't know if it was just me or if the book was confusing? One minute, a young girl isn't home from school on time, and her father is justifiably headed into a primordial panic, the next place I find myself in is a shrink's office, who is on the verge of being fired? I recognize new settings for books, but this is hopefully not a new trope in literary circles, it feels more like Alice falling down the rabbit hole! It was slow going for me, the confusion of the rabbit hole, I honestly checked the cover, the Chapters, everything to make certain I was still in the same book, I thought years had gone by, I have not written a review yet, due to a feeling of was it the book, or did I miss some fundamental information or was my book missing an entire chapter? The last chapter was good, it drew me in, it held my attention, my heart pounding, even though I knew who the bad guy was, I couldn't wait to see what happened!
Thank you #Netgalley #JennyMilchman
carolintallahassee

Case Monroe’s twelve year old daughter is kidnapped on her way home from school just after she got off the school bus. Meanwhile, Psychologist Arles Shepherd is fighting her own demons from lost childhood memories. Soon Psychologist Shepherd and Cass Monroe find themselves intertwined in the mystery of who is killing the children.

When a therapist with significant child trauma finds the person she’s been looking for the last 25 years, but can’t remember why, she hatches a plan to treat the woman’s autistic son at a residential treatment facility in the woods of upstate NY. Their stories collide unexpectedly with the family of a missing girl from Maine.

The two storylines occurred simultaneously, but took a very long time to connect. The build up was slow. Finally, in the last quarter of the book, things start to happen… One after the other. So many calls to 911. So many red flags. All at once! I did find myself eager to know the ending, but not until the last 70 pages or so.

This story has no cell service deep in the woods, childhood trauma all around, oblivious parents, abuse, neglect, eating disorders, autism, secrets… red herrings are abundant. And what happened to Dan? I still have so many questions - I guess that’s why this is Arles #1.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review!

This ultimately wasn't for me. I predicted where the story was going pretty early on, but I just don't think it rang true. It just seemed like a lot of stuff converged in a way that defied belief.

That was a whole lot of story packed into one book. 🤯 It was kinda difficult to follow and at times felt convoluted. I understand it’s 3 different storylines and the plot is to see how they come together in the end, but the alternating stories made it more difficult to become fully invested in the characters. The transitions just did not flow smoothly. When all was revealed, it did make it somewhat worth the journey, but I just didn’t connect with the layout of this particular book. I did like the author’s writing though so I’d be willing to read another of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I went into this thinking I was going to love it but unfortunately I couldn't get into it as much as I hoped, there were points were I felt lost and confused which really put me off progressing with it.

The Usual Silence by new to me author J. Milchman is book one in the Arles Sheperd Thrillers.
I read the blurb and reviews of previous books and was intrigued. I enthusiastically dived in only to be faced with lots of characters, was confusedly asking me when do they come together. There were plot holes big as a crater, there was no rhyme nor reason. So I was kind of disappointed and being torn between giving 2 or three stars.

Thankyou @netgalley for my #arccopy of The Unusual silence by Jenny Milchman.

This book had all the trappings of an unbeatable thriller but it just didn’t land. I can tell that the authors intention was to have various storylines that seemed completely unrelated to come to a head in the climax. It didn’t work for me.
I felt like if only one of those stories was picked and focused on this would’ve been an amazing book.
My favorite parts:
The way the author narrates and explains the trials of a mother with an autistic child is spectacular! I truly felt her struggles and her anxiety. I would’ve loved for this book to be solely from her and perspective.

Things I didn’t like:
Arles, the main protagonist. She felt more of a caricature of someone with deep wounds than someone real.
Also, I wish the editor would add the names of the people on the chapters so it’s easier to know that the perspective has switched. Especially because there are so many of them to keep track of. I found that especially disorienting.

Overall I think this book was a miss for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! I’d like to be upfront and state that I did dnf this book 9% of the way in, after realizing the writing style was not for me.

There were too many perspectives within a single chapter, which made it difficult to develop emotions for the characters and their stories. As soon as I was getting settled with one storyline, I was being pulled into another characters, sometimes with little to no transition. It didn’t feel like there was breathing room to grasp things.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great twist and I was so shocked when all was real releaved. Loved the style of writing and kept me wanting to read more

Thank you Netgalley for the free arc! In my honest opinion this was a great book! Suspenseful, and kept me guessing as well as hungry for more…. I recommend this book and author!

This has potential, but it was a bit too incoherent for me. There were a lot of plot holes and conclusions the author came to without any reasoning.