Quieter than Killing starts with a chilling prologue; a young boy listens to the sound of a car being washed, carrots being chopped and a boy in a red bedroom surrounded by a girl’s possessions. This outwardly domestic scene has an unfathomable undercurrent that let me know from the first short sentence that the latest book in the DI Marnie Rome series, her fourth outing, was going to be a real treat.
So starts another brilliant outing for DI Marnie Rome and her partner DS Jake Noah in a race against time to work out what links what appears to be violent attacks on people who have previously been convicted of crimes as disparate as kidnapping and assault. Then the new perpetrator goes too far and one of their victims dies. Who is picking these latest victims and why won’t they reveal who is hurting them? With crimes that seem to take no account of age, sex or years since the original crime, finding the killer is going to need the sharpest of detectives. Meanwhile Marnie is left shaken when her parent’s former home is burgled and her tenants badly hurt at the same time and are in the hospital.
During earlier books in this series we’re aware of the crimes committed by Marnie’s foster brother Stephen and his mischief-making is still ongoing, as are Jake’s problems with his younger brother who has been embroiled in the local gangs. This mixture of police investigation with their personal problems is one of the aspects I really enjoy and the two worlds are becoming too close for comfort for both officers. The pair find themselves investigating the gangs and their increasingly young recruits. And then things seem to get personal and with Marnie’s boss, and chief protector and supporter, off work with a serious illness, Marnie has to learn to confront attacks both personal and professional without him at the same time she has to prove herself to the woman drafted in to lead the Murder Investigation Team.
The plotting as ever is exquisite with perfect pacing which takes us down more than one blind alley, each time the tension rises to a new height. This is the twistiest of the series yet, but the author keeps a handle on the strands so that at no time did I consider any revelation, one too many. It is refreshing to be able to relish a story without feeling as if everything is positioned just to confuse, but that these events are not only possible, but likely to happen.
Of course the most engaging of plots wouldn’t get far without great characters and whilst the two detectives are already well-defined, they show parts of their characters that haven’t been quite so obvious before and they are joined by a great supporting cast. To Sarah Hilary, it doesn’t matter if you are a goodie or a baddie, she will add layers to both surprise and delight.
So we have plot and characters and even better Sarah Hilary adds a brilliant turn of phrase to the trinity. For anyone who is under the misapprehension that crime writers can produce a great book without knowing their crime as it is all about the whodunit and less about the well-crafted phrase, all I can say is read this book and experience how great a read can be when all three come together.
I am very grateful to the publishers Headline who allowed me to read an advance copy of Quieter than Killing ahead of publication of 9 March 2017.
Previous books in the DI Marnie Rome Series:
Someone Else’s Skin
No Other Darkness
Tastes Like Fear

Another strikingly good crime fiction novel in the Marnie Rose/Noah Jake series. In the dark and cold London winter, a seemingly random series of assaults is investigated by Rose & Jake. As you might except, there's actually nothing random about these attacks. Interspersed with this storyline, more and more of Marnie's history starts to come to life, as a burglary at her family home brings the past raging into the present.

Hilary's writing is poised, sharp and well crafted, her social observations are keen and her characters are developing in strength with each book. An engrossing and involving read.

I'm not sure how she does it, but somehow each of Sarah Hilary's novels surpasses the one before. Quieter than killing is the fourth instalment in the DI Marnie Rome series. They can be read alone, but I would recommend you get your hands on the others if you can - purely because they are so good!

A series of violent attacks has left two people seriously injured and another dead. All have previous criminal convictions so it seems an easy enough case for Rome and Jake. Find the vigilante, arrest them, job done.

If only....

When Marnie Rome's former family home is attacked, her tenants left badly beaten, it appears that there may be links to Marnie's foster brother, Stephen. But he is safely behind bars having committed a heinous crime years earlier.

Marnie reluctantly pays Stephen a visit, and gets more than she bargained for. Everything is pointing to his involvement, and when she questions him around this, he tells her that she needs to start looking closer to home.

His suggestion is ludicrous to Marnie, what he is proposing happened, that led him to his original crime. But with a murder investigation underway, and very little to go on, Marnie is forced to take into account every single thing she is told.

Whether she believes it to be true or not...

Quieter than killing allows us to get closer to Rome and Jake than we have been previously allowed, and what we already know about them is reiterated. They are both equally determined to come to the right result no matter whether that means compromising relationships, colleagues opinions of them, or having sleepless nights.

They are the ultimate team. And thank goodness they are for the case they are tasked with solving in this novel. Equally chilling (in more ways than one) and thrilling, Quieter than killing is possibly my favourite Sarah Hilary novel yet, and that ending?! Well, I literally cannot wait for book Five!

Quieter than killing by Sarah Hilary.
This was an absolutely fantastic read. I loved the story and the characters. DI Marnie Rome is on another case but this time it seems personal. Especially when her home is ransacked. Sign of a burglary that is committed by a child. Someone who knows all about Marnie. I was hooked from page 1 and I couldn’t put it down. I couldn't figure out who it was either. Definitely worth more than 5*. Thanks headline and netgalley.

I have read the whole series of the Marnie Rome books, and this latest one didn't disappoint. I would recommend reading the previous stories - this could stand alone, but is much more enjoyable when you know the whole back story. This one finds Marnie investigating a series of what appear to be vigilante attacks. How are these attacks linked to her stepbrother who is serving time for murder, and what part have gangs including children played in this? This is another page turner from Sarah Hilary. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

This review is written with thanks to Headline and Netgalley for my copy of Quieter Than Killing.
Quieter Than Killing is the fourth instalment in the series featuring DI Marnie Rome. In this novel, Marnie and her team are searching for a dangerous killer when she is the victim of a burglary and a child from the local area is discovered missing. They don't appear to be connected, but as Marnie delves deeper, she is able to forge links between the cases: links that trace back to Marnie herself. Can Marnie and her team find the perpetrator against the odds?
Police procedural novels such as Quieter Than Killing live or die by their main characters, the team of detectives involved in the investigation which is central to the plot. This is no different, and Hilary's characters are one of the novel's key strengths. Hilary gives us insight into each character's personal life. Not only does this give the characters layers which highlight their more human elements, but it allows Hilary to explore themes such as racism and homophobia which may not be pertinent to a specific plot. It took me some time to get to know the characters in Quieter Than Killing, as having not read any of the previous instalments, I was not aware of how the characters had been portrayed prior to this, but I am left wanting more from this group of characters, and have ordered the other three novels to make up for what I have missed.
There are three different strands to Quieter Than Killing, and this could have been confusing as I tried to piece together what was happening. However, this was not the case, and Hilary's fluid writing style allowed me to keep on top of the plot developments quite easily. The plot is clever, but not written in such a way that it is difficult to understand, which I found particularly appealing.
Through Quieter Than Killing, Hilary introduces the reader to several themes, such as abuse, gang culture and life in prison. I admire her for addressing these issues from the darker side of society as they are not often tackled with such honesty in similar novels. It would be easy for Hilary to rely on stereotypes to inform this aspect of the novel, but Quieter Than Killing is clearly thoroughly researched and this gave it a more authentic feel, which allowed me to become immersed in Marnie's investigation more easily.

I was looking forward to once again getting re-acquainted with DI Marnie Rome and her colleague Noah! One thing I will say is that I always really enjoy these books but have a feeling there is something 'missing'. I have come to the conclusion that Sarah Hilary has something planned and I think that is the reason I have that niggling feeling. These books are so enjoyable but I have now realised that what makes her books a little different to others is that nagging feeling. Did I miss something? What is going on? I actually think that this part of what draws me to return to the series as I still feel like as a reader we are only at the scratch the surface stage with these characters.

I always enjoy reading about Marnie as she has a seriously warped history between the death of her parents, her adopted brother Stephen and her strange detachment. I think that this is what makes me have that unsettling feeling. There is so much history and it seems Rome is surrounded by violence and it gives it that dark undertone that never goes away. In addition Noah her colleague is my absolute favourite. He and Marnie work well together but again with his own issues in his personal life it seems that neither of them have a straightforward home life. This book at first seemed a little jagged, and what I mean by that is there seemed to be so much going on. Marnie's family home is ransacked and that seems to be merely the tip of the iceberg. In addition there are a number of attacks going on in London, and to put the icing on the cake a child goes missing.

Something which I though was done exceptionally well was the narrative from Finn, I can't say any more for fear of spoilers but this really gave the book that dark edge and horrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. I found the start a little slower that I would have liked and I wondered at one point if I was keeping up correctly. With plot threads crossing as well as characters it finally started to unravel and make more sense. This is certainly a fast paced and complex book and I hugely enjoyed it, especially towards the last quarter. I think that this author has managed to produce a very dark series of books which I would highly recommend, however I think I will always have that sinking feeling while I almost wait for the worst to happen! I think this can certainly be read as a stand alone but think the build up and history of the series makes it that little bit more enjoyable.

Review will be published during release month.
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
Quieter Than Killing takes us on a ride of murder, kidnapping and revenge. DI Rome and DS Jake have new mystery on their hands. At first things don’t seem to fit any kind of normal profile. But as they dig deep and deep the connections start to from. And just when you think you have all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed you learn something new. So you have to ask yourself...... How far would you go for revenge?

Another wonderful story by Ms. Hillary. Just when I thought that Marnie’s life couldn’t get more complicated Quieter Than Killing brings out some very troubling issues. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Headline in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

In nearly every review I have seen of this book the reviewer has said how they believe that this is probably the best book in the series to date. That is quite a claim as if you have read any of the first three books you will know just how strong a series this is. From the award winning debut, Someone Else's Skin, through to the last book in the series, Tastes Like Fear, Sarah Hilary has created a wonderfully enduring and likeable heroine in Marnie Rome and her perfect partner in crime fighting, Noah Jake, and her books have captivated me and many other readers alike. This Quieter Than Killing was no exception and yes, I'd say the plaudit of best one yet is thoroughly deserved.

Now I don't want to give too much away about the story, but it is fair to say that at the end of Tastes Like Fear I was left with no doubt whatsoever that her foster brother, Stephen, was set to cause further upset in her life. Not content with turning her life upside down when he was a teenager, he is determined to undermine everything she thought she knew about her past. And with her childhood home being burgled and echoes of her past coming to light through the current case she is working on, it seems that this time, he may well succeed.

The case Marnie is working on is a perplexing one. Suspected vigilantism which makes victims of some of the kinds of people that the police would rather be arresting. But when one attack turns to murder, and another of the early victims and suspects go missing, there is a heightened sense of jeopardy and tension and the pace, while not quite frenetic, never shows any hint of slowing. Throw in Marnie and Noah's personal battles which are being waged throughout and you have a real edge of your seat thriller on your hands.

The characterisations are as strong as always, with Hilary throwing in a lot of suspicion and misdirection. When you are dealing with violent victims of equally violent offenders, along with convicted criminals as your only witnesses, it is hard to know who to trust. With Marnie's greatest ally also away on sick leave, she has to contend with a career driven new boss, one whom she doesn't quite trust, leaving her feeling very much on her own at a time when she needs all the emotional support in the world. This adds another layer of conflict, one which makes things that little bit harder for the team.

There is another, initially unexplained thread throughout which can make for some uncomfortable reading; the abduction of a young boy. Told from his perspective, the scenes in which he appears are slightly harrowing but not gratuitously so, and you can't help but will this particular section to a speedy and safe conclusion. It to see the implication of the impact of nurture on the development of young minds and this is something which Hilary touches upon, yet allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. However I can't help but wonder if this is another mirror to the past which will come back and haunt Marnie at a later date.

The conclusion of the book is fast paced, the team narrowing in on the killer with potentially deadly results. Hilary builds the action with her usual skilled ease and Marnie is as level headed and fastidious as always, in spite of the battle which is being waged in her mind. And it seems as though it is not only her past which is leaving her confused. Perhaps her present personal relationships may not be as clear cut as she thought either.

I really do love the characters of Marnie and Noah. Both have their issues; personal and professional conflicts which they need to conquer. Marnie is slowly coming closer to the truth over what happened between Stephen and her parents, something she needs to know but is scared of truly understanding. And Noah has to make the hardest decision of his life in this book and I will be intrigued to see how that plays out. Speaking of Noah, can't help thinking that maybe he should consider a safer career. In flower arranging or anything working with something soft rather than baseball bats and kettle balls. Poor guy. That Sarah Hilary really does have a mean streak.

I think this could potentially work as a standalone but wouldn't recommend it. While you get a little of the back story, there is a lot which links to the previous books in this and would be best served by having read them all. And besides, with a series this good why wouldn't you want to read them all.

A clear 5 star read for me. If you've loved any of the first three books then you really will love this.

Great story, Marnie Rome, as always is the epitomy of a crime fighter, and here, we have her nemesis conspiring against her, or do we? Great read - Sarah Hilary please write quicker, I cannot wait for the next one!

Long awaited fourth installment in the DI Marnie Rome series, and this time the crimes are a lot starting to look a bit more personal. Both Marnie and partner DS Noah Jake, are forced to confront home truths and make decisions that they aren't entirely comfortable with, as well as having to reveal more about their private lives than ever before.

As a fan of the series, I loved learning more about both Marnie and Jake, and seeing how their stories develop. That being said there is plenty of back story for those of you who are new to the series, so it could be read as a standalone.

And of course the crimes and criminals in this book are brand new characters, so anyone can enjoy it. It's a set of assaults that are being investigated, the police are sure they are connected, but joining the dots and working out the whys and wherefores are slightly beyond them.

I loved seeing into the minds of the police as they worked to solve this and anything else the case threw up at them. There are plenty of plausible suspects, and I was intrigued to see just how it would be resolved.

I found Quieter Than Killing to be another good addition to this series, and I am already incredibly curious as to what DI Marnie Rome will have to deal with in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The Fourth in what is turning out to be an excellent series of police procedurals. This does work well as a stand-alone but once you have read this you will certainly want to hoover up the previous 3 Marnie Rome books so that you can fully understand the backstory and what makes her tick.

Excellent, well written and researched and the plot grabs from the first page.

Totally recommended!

This one took me a while to read. It didn't hook me in until I was about 40% of the way through. My only complaint is the Stephen storyline needs to be concluded. 4 books into the series and it's still dragging.

I'm probably best described as an old fashioned reader of crime and I love character driven stories where the protagonist is a 24 hour meticulous cop with a deeply flawed self. I can think of no better examples of this than John Rebus; Ian Rankin's truer than life drink sodden Scottish detective. Another fine example is Michael Connelly's creation Hieronymus Bosch, the son of a prostitute brutally murdered, secluded in his penthouse overlooking the city of Angels, a city portrayed by the author in prosaic and very realistic manner. He is a driven loner separated from his wife, rebuilding his relationship with his daughter. The point here is that I, as a lover of crime, need to understand the foibles and eccentricities of the main character for the story to have any heart or sincerity. This just does not happen in Quieter than Killing.

DI Marnie Rome and her assistant DS Noah Jake are investigating a series of random attacks on the streets of a very wintry and cold London. Those who are the subject of the attacks all have one thing in common, they have just been released following a period of imprisonment for similar acts of violence. So who is carrying out these new attacks, is it some sort of vigilante seeking revenge and retribution? In addition Marnie's family home has been ransacked, is there a connection between the two events? Is her foster brother Stephen involved? even though he is incarcerated for the murder of her parents.

I have real problems with the plotline here finding it very odd and very confusing in the telling. The action is certainly fast and the characters, situations and events as they occur full of exuberance and vigour, but lacking any real credibility. I think it is vital in all good detective stories to really try to understand the main characters, what makes them the people they are. What drives them to this 24 hour obsession they have with their job. Dedication on this level must undoubtedly lead to the unravelling of close partner relations and possibly the introduction of alcohol dependency. Yet we never get to see the other side of Marnie she has a very dedicated partner Ed but the author never explores this relationship in any real detail. I need Marnie to be more human I want her to display character flaws that each and every one of us is genetically predisposed to....unless of course she is a robot! We therefore have a story without any real soul or heart ( possibly excluding the character of Zoe Marshall social worker with a good and emerging part) that is full of constant action but never seems to take the time to explore the personalities on display in any great depth.

Yes I am old fashioned in my choice of detective story but I am open to change, sadly however Sarah Hilary's DI Marnie Rome will not be the instigator of that change. A special thank you to the publisher Headline who supplied me with a gratis copy to read and review which unfortunately was flawed with typing errors. It does not make for easy reading when the name of the author and the book title are displayed randomly throughout the story in large print. This is not an uncommon occurrence and more time care and patience should be spent by publishers in the marketing and presentation of the kindle/mobi edition.

Sarah Hilary's writing is always fabulous. Having loved books one and two, but been a little underwhelmed by the plot of no. 3, I so enjoyed Quieter Than Killing. With great characters and a compelling narrative, this was a great read. Thanks for the opportunity to review :) I'll post a review on Amazon after publication.

This is the fourth book in the D I Marnie Rome series and it made for an excellent read.
The plot was complicated and focused on a series of attacks whick look as if they've been carried out by a vigilante seeking revenge on people who have been convicted of hurting others in the past. Then one of the victims dies and it becomes a murder investigation.
Marnie becomes personally involved with the case when it seems her foster brother, Steven, in prison for the murder of her parents, is targeted. An assault then occurs in her parents' house when her tenants are attacked and a box of Steven's possessions is revealed in the attic. Only Steven would know the location yet he is in prison. How does this link up to the murders?
Finally a young boy is kidnapped and it is a race against time to find him. This enormously complicated plot is tied up nicely at the end and the last page leaves the reader longing for the next book in the series.
Themes in the book include family relationships- Marnie and Steven, DS Jake and his wayward brother, Sol as well as Finn, the kidnapped, boy and his father Aidan.
If you have read the other three books you will be eagerly awaiting this one and well, if you haven't, you could try it as a stand alone or preferably read the previous three first. You still have time as this book is due out in March!
Great read for thriller fans and in my opinion this author keeps getting better and better.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book 4 in the Marnie Rome, Noah Jake series and reading it is so satisfying because you feel you are revisiting friends that you are getting to know better all the time. I love the relationship between Marnie and Noah, they work so well together. This book features gang warfare, child abuse and vigilantes with plenty of twists and turns keeping you turning the page. As usual, there are several red herrings and just when you think you know where things are going - all change! The relationship between Marnie and her step brother Stephen who has been convicted of killing their parents becomes more and more complicated in this book, and we are left on a slight cliffhanger which I can't wait to explore in book 5! Great read, highly recommend.

Trouble is afoot for DI Marnie Rome and her partner DS Noah Jake when a series of so-called vigilante killings are linked to Marnie’s troubled past when her family home is broken into and a hidden keepsake box is handed back to her. It seems the spate of crimes is linked to Marnie and she must once again confront Stephen Keel, her foster brother, who mercilessly killed her parents in a frenzied bloodbath. Stephen, now imprisoned, is serving out his sentence, so Marnie must pay him a visit in order to unravel how these attacks are linked and to lay the ghosts of the past to rest.
It’s an icy winter in the streets of London as investigations proceed in the wake of an unreported abduction of a small ten year old boy. One or other of the boy gangs that roam the streets are suspected of the crime spate, but it’s obvious that someone is playing dangerous games and stirring up trouble with a capital ‘T’, using the boys as cover. Time is running out for Marnie in this intense and sordid story of revenge, hatred and depravity. With her team stretched to the limit the suspense and mystery intensifies, the pace ramps up, as does the body count, until the novel’s dramatic, chaotic and thrilling climax, leaving behind a tantalising cliff-hanger to revealed in the fifth novel in the DI Marnie Rome series.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Lovereading and the publisher Headline for my copy of this action packed novel, sent out in return for an honest review. Whilst it is not my favourite novel in this excellent and award winning series, I enjoyed reading it, but did find some parts of it in the middle of the storytelling quite slow-moving. It’s a 7.5/10 from me.

The fourth in the series and they just get better and better. DI Marnie Rome and Noah Jake are leading an investigation in to what they think are vigilante attacks and unfortunately for Marnie her adopted brother is thought to be part of it, reaching out from his prison cell to cause mayhem once again. Their investigation is also linked to a separate case involving gangs in and around London.The story line is quite complicated but no more than you would expect, its certainly something to get your teeth into and leave you wanting more,

Sarah Hilary has done it again! Marnie Rome gets more addictive with every Book. Quieter than Killing was without doubt one of Hilary's best offerings! Rome's team has been built up as a solid,dependable, loyal team but are tested to the limit with their latest case. Linked to events in Rome's past the surprises just keep on coming. In one way by the time you get to the end it has drawn a line under some of Rome's past but I suspect that only leads to way for bigger things to come from Hilary. A strong, addictive and at times complex read. Yest again Hilary has smashed it out of the park! Cannot recommend this highly enough!