A good read but probably not one of K. l. Slaters. best. She has written much better books in the past I think.

One of my all time favorite books! How have I never heard of this author before? I need more and am so glad to see how many other books are available because I think I've just found my new favorite author.

The writing is amazing and captures you right from the start. While I was able to forsee some parts of this plot, I never put it all together. I loved the drama of it and questions that plagued me throughout it. But especially why two ten year old girls would make a vow of silence and most of all, why would they hurt an elderly lady so badly? It was almost too much to read the first chapter, where the girls made her cry for not having biscuits and lemonade. And then to read where there was no food and how she had gotten thinner, it was almost unbearable. But I had in my mind who each of the girls was after the first few chapters and I was glad to see that I was right. I just knew, almost as if I had actually known the girls in real life, who was who from that vague description in the first chapter.

Honestly, I couldn't put this down. I needed to know who did it and why because my mind kept saying, that can't be right. I was right there with Dana. It didn't add up. It just couldn't. My heart was always with Juliette and Maddy. Chloe and Brianna, not so much. But Juliette resonated with me. I loved her character and my heart truly broke for her. Chloe was someone that was hard to love but so realistic, all the same. I could feel the stress between the sisters, feel that static between them, like it was heavy in the air I was breathing too.

This was so well put together and intriguing. Fans of The Silent Patient will also devour this one. Not once does the plot slow and by the end, you're even reevaluating your own family dynamic. If you can't find something within this family that doesn't resonate with your own, you're clearly not looking hard enough!

Many thanks to K L Slater, Bookouture and Net Galley for giving me a chance to read and review this wonderful book.

It's no wonder that K L Slater is my favorite author, for those of you who have read her books knows what I am talking about and those who haven't read any of her works, be warned that you are missing the best.There's a quality in her writing that just holds you at the edge of your seat.No doubt about it. Most of her books can be read in a day just because it's hard to keep it down even for a sec. The mystery may not be out of the world but the twists and turns that make it an excellent read is crafty.

The Silent Ones is more of a domestic thriller with each and every character making it more complicated than ever. I liked the writing and the tension that keeps mounting right from page 1 as 2 the sisters fight to clear their children's name in a macabre world of social interrogation and people justice. There are sub plots and family dynamice in play that keeps the reader hooked. Avid readers can probably guess one part of the story but the why and the final twists comes as a huge surprise which is what K L Slater excels at.
5* worthy stars from me.

I was impressed with the theme of the plot, and it grabbed my attention instantly. Something distinctly unusual. It’s not what you’d call every parent’s nightmare, as it’s an unexpected occurrence that few parents would expect or predict. You would never dream that your child could commit such a heinous act. It conjures up an uneasy feeling about how well we know or understand our children. That is distinctly chilling. I suppose the families of the Jamie Bulger killers had to cope with that. The killers were the same age, too, and the Defence said that they were too young at ten to understand what they were doing! Absolute nonsense. The mob reactions made my blood run cold. It annoys me intensely how you can be hung, drawn and quartered by the media and the public before you are charged or found guilty. The self-righteous behaviour sickens me. Basically, people can be like animals when the mood takes them. It crossed my mind that it was more of a human interest genre than a thriller. Not that it matters. It was a terrific thought-provoking read despite a slightly slow, winding, tentative start. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I loved this, plenty of guessing to be done, plenty of times I was wrong too, family discord is endless in this but then we all think our children are innocent, maybe, maybe not, if you love a good mystery then you'll enjoy this, brilliant read and would recommend it so much

I loved this book! I read it in one day which is unusual for me. It was a great read but also an easy read at the same time. I was kept gripped throughout the story.
I didn't see the twist and the plot playing out as it did and I really enjoyed that about this book. I found the story line new and interesting and this book isn't similar to anything that I have read before.
I liked the different styles of narration and I felt that this was quite a 'real' story. You can imagine events playing out in this way in a small village where everyone knows each others business. I found the characters likeable and I was invested in how the book ended.
I am looking forward to reading more from this author and I am adding the other books to my list to read
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before its release.

My first book by K.L. Slater. Why haven’t I discovered her before? I’ll be certainly looking out for more.
A book full of twists and turns with an excellent ending that I never saw coming.
DI Conor Neary brought the two girls into the station following the awful incident involving 81 year old Bessie Wilford, a neighbour and friend of their grandparents.
The girls seem to have a pact of silence and say nothing.
There is evidence, but the girls still won’t speak. Dana, a family therapist, is brought in to help. She notices little things, not just with the girls but with their parents and wider family. Little looks between them. And she felt all was not well.
The way the villagers turned against the family was painful to read, but the way news spreads these days with social media is frighteningly fast.
It’s an intriguing story, and also surprising in parts as things from the past are dragged back to the surface.
Punishment, innocence, guilt. It has it all.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

I’ve read a few of K.L slaters books and LOVE her style of writing, I enjoy stories in the first person narrative it helps you feel more connected to the characters as if they are real life persons, the opening chapter is of two girls being cruel to an elderly lady Bessie and a terrible accident happens which will change the girls and their families lives forever...
A story of secrets and how far would you go to protect the ones you love?

5 shiny big fat deserves stars! Thank you to netgalley for my copy of this book in an exchange for my honest review. I was engaged the whole time of reading this book I’d highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book there was plenty twists along the way & love the way it all tied up nicely at the end. A well written highly enjoyable book that I would recommend to anyone!

This is the first novel I have read by Slater, and let me tell you now, I'll without a shadow of a doubt be seeking out her other work.

The Silent Ones had be gripped from the off. It begins with telling the story of what triggers the events of the rest of the book. It's clever though. It doesn't tell us who's responsible. It simply describes two young girls who we later discover are Brianne and Maddy.

As the book unfolds you get a gut feeling about who you can and can't trust. The majority of the book is written from Juliet's point of view (Maddy's mother) however we do see parts from other family members viewpoints. It's very clear we're dealing with a dysfunctional family plagued with secrets.

In terms of my gut reaction to who you could and couldn't trust, I was more or less bang on, apart from the big reveal. I didn't see that coming at all.

This book was an easy 5* for me. It was a pacey read and had everything you want in a pyschological thriller. I didn't feel like there were any gaps in the story, and I was totally immersed in trying to find out what happened.

If you suffer from a pre existing heart condition check with your Doctor before reading! I loved this book and it kept me gripped from page one.
The premise seemed simple, two ten year old cousins Brianna and Maddie are arrested for the assault of an elderly woman. Their mothers Chloe and Juliet are brought into this nightmare world to support their daughters through the police procedure.
I didn’t have a clue where the story was leading and I loved it. The story is written in different timelines and viewpoints. I don’t think anyone would be able to guess the twists. Have read all of K L Slater’s previous novels and she just keeps getting better, can’t wait for the next instalment.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC.
#TheSilentOnes #NetGalley

Omg, I was hooked. All boils down to revenge. Those poor girls. I cannot imagine going through life thinking it was my own fault for my little brothers death. A family full of secrets with many twists.

"The girls backed out of the room and had just stepped into the kitchen when they heard it...a scuffling sound, like the movement of feet."

I just finished The Silent Ones by KL Slater. It's described as "a gripping psychological thriller," and I would say, I 100% agree. Two little girls are seen leaving the scene of a crime, covered in blood and are pegged for the murder of an elderly woman and family friend in their village. When they're arrested, as the title alludes, they are speechless. Wound in knots, they appear to have made a pact with each other not to say a word. The pages that follow took me down a curvy road of questions, darkness, family secrets, and one twist after another. There are definitely a few psychos and creeps as characters! I don't know how KL Slater did it, pulling it all together so nicely at the end. But, wow, wow, wow, you need to add this one to the top of your priority read list. The characters you want so badly to trust will leave your head spinning. 5 Stars!!

A huge thanks to @KLSlater @bookouture and @netgalley for the opportunity to get a tight grip on this page-turner for a few days.

Solid 3.5 stars. I was really interested in the story. It was kind of predictable, and the end was kind of flat. Like, you’re reading and then BAM you get the reveal...aaaand it’s done. Still, not bad. I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-copy for my honest review.

Another gripping exciting thriller of a book from K.L. Slater. Once you pick this up, you won't be able to stop until the very end. It's full of plot twists and turns and the characters are very well developed throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the plot. Was very hard to put down.
I give this book 5**** just because i loved it
Cant wait for other books

I ordered this book from @netgalley without reading the description. As I read and saw that it was about children, I wasn’t sure how I would like it. This book was very enjoyable. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Quick read!

K L Slater is high up there on my ‘must read’ authors. Her writing and storylines grip me from the very beginning and this one was just as amazing as all the rest and I have read all of her previous novels.

The Silent Ones is told mainly from the present day and covers two days whilst flitting into the past on several occasions looking at the bond between sisters Juliette and Chloe and the extremely different relationships they have with their parents. This storyline emerges as the novel progresses and throws up several dark twists and turns.

At the beginning Juliet and Chloe who are running their own business, mainly lead by Juliet, are taken to the police station as both of their daughters, Maddy and Brianna, have been involved in an ‘incident’. The telling of this part is brilliant as the mothers have no idea what is going on and feel scared and ill-informed. We know that they have harmed an elderly lady, Bessie, who is known to the cousins’ grandparents, but do not know the seriousness of the situation.

The local community already have the information about Bessie being hurt and have tried and convicted the two 10-year-old girls immediately with the typical backlash of social media as well as physically threatening the households of both mothers as can be common today.

Juliet has been engrossed in expanding her business and her husband, Tom, has just started a new job so they have both been working hard and could have been neglecting their two children, Maddy and Josh. Juliet seeks help from her friend Beth, who Chloe dislikes, when they sisters must stay at the police station with the two girls.

As part of the police questioning a child psychologist, Dana, also with a ‘shady’ background is brought in to assist.

I loved the novel; the storylines and the characters were excellently portrayed in what is quite a dramatic family orientated psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoutre and K L Slater for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Brilliant read, highly recommended.

Great twists in this book! The characters were well developed and I was pulled into the plot right away. I really could not stop reading! My jaw literally dropped open several times.

When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing?

As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart. And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about two 10 year old girls who are cousins that were apparently present at the beating is an elderly woman in her own home. The police apprehend them, they remain totally silent and then the woman dies.

This book was honestly pretty boring for me. It took until 50% for anything to even start happening. Up until then it was a lot of the girls refusing to talk at the police department. Once we got through that and they started talking we did find out the family has some secrets and we found out what those were. I figured out the perpetrator somewhat early on and kind of had an inkling of what the family secret was so I can't even say I was that wowed at the end reveals. K.L. Slater has been pretty hit or miss for me and this one was a bit of a miss.