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The Quiet Dead
The Quiet Dead | NJ Mackay
1 post | 1 read | 1 to read
Fifteen years ago, he confessed to the murder of his wife and children. As a teenager, Hayley DaSilva walked into a nightmare; discovering the bodies of her mother, twin brother, and friend all brutally slaughtered in her home... and her nine-year-old brother missing. Her father, Leonard DaSilva, confessed to the murders, but Ethan was never seen again. He lied. But why? Now, Hayley has fled her dreadful past in Thamespark - until the call from Detective Sebastian Locke. Little bones uncovered in a shallow grave belong to Ethan... and the investigation reveals holes in the case that prove Leonard’s confession was false. He didn’t kill his family. So why did he say he did? As DI Locke and the squad realise that a killer has been hiding in plain sight in the sleepy commuter town of Thamespark, the previously cold case becomes an urgent investigation. But as the squad gets closer to the truth of who really murdered the DaSilvas, it becomes clear that the culprit won’t hesitate to spill blood to keep their shocking secrets hidden... An absolutely unputdownable police procedural with a shocking twist, introducing Detective Sebastian Locke. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Cara Hunter and Sharon Bolton will love this. Praise for NJ Mackay: ‘Cracking thriller and a great female protagonist.’ C.J. Tudor ‘I couldn’t put it down... a must read... Niki is brilliant and talented.’ Phoebe Morgan ‘A cracking read’ Harriet Tyce ‘Grips you from the first line through to the nail-biting conclusion.’ Victoria Selman ‘So well plotted that you’ll find yourself staying up reading half the night.’ ????? Reader Review ‘Really brilliant read. Got straight into it from the first page - really kept you guessing right till the end.’ ????? Reader Review ‘Brilliant book. Didn’t want to read it all in one go as I was enjoying it so much.’ ????? Reader Review ‘Couldn’t put it down, such a good plot and the ending was totally mindblowing.’ ????? Reader Review
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OutsmartYourShelf
The Quiet Dead | NJ Mackay
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After attending a party, teenager Hayley DaSilva arrived home to a bloodbath. Her mother, twin brother, & his friend had all been stabbed to death & her youngest brother, 9-year-old Ethan was missing. Her father, Leonard DaSilva, confessed to the murders. Hayley fled her past & moved to America. Fifteen years later, DI Seb Locke receives a call to say that the bones of a young child have been found in a shallow grave. (Continued)

OutsmartYourShelf The bones are identified as Ethan DaSilva, & it looks as though he was killed shortly after the rest of his family. Why was he taken away & killed later though? Locke contacts Hayley DaSilva, now married & living a life of luxury, & she returns to the UK. When Locke uncovers evidence suggesting that Leonard DaSilva may be innocent, this sets off a chain of events that no-one could see coming. 2y
OutsmartYourShelf The plot of this book is good, but the pace is rather slow. It's definitely more about weighing up the inconsistencies of interviews with witnesses, & looking at the holes in the previous investigation, rather than being focused on action. I liked DI Locke, he is a single father to a young teenage girl & the mother is not in the picture although her shadow casts a pall over home events at one point. 2y
OutsmartYourShelf Hayley is difficult to like at first as it seems she is hiding something about what happened to her family, but the reader gains sympathy for her as the story progresses. The only issue I really had, apart from the slow pace, was the shoehorning in of a couple of scenes with a female prison psychologist - as if there HAS to be some romance aspect in a book. They were so brief & there was no chemistry between the characters on the page, 2y
OutsmartYourShelf it felt a little out of step with the rest of the book. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Hera Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5722046515

Read 4th-11th Sept 2023

#SummerEndReadathon @TheSpineView
2y
TheSpineView Well done! 2y
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