Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Silent House by Neill Pattison. This is a different type of police procedural - characters are different and all in all not a run of the mill crime thriller.
Strong plot - good book - 3.5 stars.

Not a false note is struck in this taut, well-crafted thriller. Paige Northwood is involved in the investigation of a horrific murder at the Hunter home, because of her work as a BSL interpreter. She is used to the more distressing aspects of this work but it’s made even more difficult by the fact she knows the family through the Deaf community.
To say more might involve spoilers, but what lifts this book above more run-of-the-mill thrillers is the way it revolves around a family who are Deaf and tendrils of danger and blame snake out into that community. The use of BSL flows naturally through the dialogue and any character actions which stem from being deaf/Deaf are also included without fanfare or being overwritten.
It is a refreshing take on a genre that can be hackneyed and dull in a bad author’s hands.

Lexie is killed in her bed and no one has heard anything as the whole household are deaf. Paige Northwood is brought in as a BSL interpreter to aid the police in communicating with the family during their investigations. Paige’s sister is Lexie’s Godmontger and Paige is caught in the middle as the investigation escalates.
A good book and different setting for a crime novel.

I just didn't 'get' this one.

It all just felt a little disjointed and even though their were a few twists along the way they seemed too far fetched to be believable.

I was originally really intrigued by the premise of this book but once I started reading it just didn't click with me, the plot felt a little thin, the narration was flat and I guessed the murderer really early on.

Sadly it just wasn't for me, hence the 2 stars. But on a plus note I did enjoy reading about the deaf culture which ismtbwritten about in length often.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book, I couldn’t put it down! I was a bit suspicious when I saw the reviews in goodreads but I ed to give t a chance. It was a brilliant read, faced paced from beginning to end. Just when I thought I knew the murderer, everything was flipped on it’s head. Thank you for letting me review this title

A mystery for the books. Stories like these always intrigue me not for the content, but for how close to reality some things are. I love stories like this where you think you're on the track of finding a culprit or someone to blame, but it turns out being the person you'd least expect - the sweet old neighbor across the street, your best friend, always someone you'd least expect. Tru;y a great read.

I loved the premise of this book, BUT I found it so hard to believe so many people were deaf. It was very well written and I found it very interesting to learn more about sign language and interpreters, but just had a hard time that 75% of the community couldn't hear. Besides that aspect, it did keep me guessing until the end who the murderer was and I would recommend for a friend to read.

This book started out with a bang and never let up the whole time. The characters were very relatable and the story line grabbed me and I had to figure out what happened before the end. This is one thriller that you won't want to miss. It starts out with our main character Paige being called on to interpret for a deaf family after the cops have been called to an investigation of a murder of their daughter at their residence. Because the family is deaf they were unable to hear anything as their daughter was murdered in the room next to them. The couple tries their best to talk to detectives however Paige scenes that there is something else that they are hiding. What could it be? And how deep will Paige go in order to get the answers that she is looking for? It isn't very often that
I've read a book about a hearing imparted family so it was a nice change especially when they don't turn them into a joke but actually present them as real people. This was a very original plot and I've never read anything like it before. A very refreshing change of pace to a lot of murder thrillers that I've read. The characters in this story were all really well written and I found myself pulled into what was happening and rooting for them. Nice read
I'm I glad that I got the chance to check out this one.

This book was centred around a deaf club and many of the main characters were deaf! It was obvious the author had many dealings with deaf people as it was clear she had a very good understanding or sign language and interpreters.

The story ( although disjointed at times) did keep my interest, a few twists along the way... though I did think a couple were a little far fetched and I was right with guessing the murderer.... though I did have a few suspects earlier on in the book. A reasonable book which I read quickly.

Review for 'The Silent House' by Nell Pattison
Read and reviewed via NetGalley

This is a book about a child who is murdered in the deaf community and the self employed BSL interpreter for the police investigation Paige and how her personal life gets involved. This book has a unique storyline in the fact that it is based in the deaf community so most of the book is spoken through sign which definitely gave it 5/5 for ingenuity.
I thought it was very well written, I struggled to put it down and the characters were all very realistic. For this again 5/5 stars.
I loved the fact that throughout the book it gives each of the suspects a reason for the murder and things that they said and did for you to suspect them.
I found it an excellent psychological suspense thriller up until I figured out who did it which made it unfortunately lose a star for me. So there we have it I end the review on 4/5 stars but only losing a star due to me guessing the killer which all books Lose a star if I guess. However I would recommend this book to fans of crime, murder, mystery, thrillers, suspense and psychological books. I will add it wasn't an easy guess but I did still work it out but others may now.
Rated 4/5 on Goodreads and Amazon

I received this book from NetGalley, the description grabbed me from the start, its hard to imagine someone coming into your hoe and killing your child while you sleep. I liked the angle that most of the main characters are deaf and the story is told from the view point of the BSL interpretor
I liked the main character Paige however found it hard to like many of the others, that being said I felt that added to the mystery as I found myself blaming everyone at some point in the book.
Whilst it was enjoyable and the ending kept me guessing for most of the book I felt some of the interaction with the police both frustrating and at times not overly beleiveable
all in all a good read
4*

A fantastic setup, and an intriguing protagonist (BSL interpreter working for the police), but ultimately the book was a disappointment. First, because the the answer was obvious pretty early on (if you paid attention to the prologue).

Second, Paige and Anna’s relationship was bizarre. Anna seemed, and was treated like, a teenager by her older sister—I was gobsmacked when I figures she was 28!—and Paige was rather unlikeable as the protagonist, given her unprofessional behaviour.

Third, the writing. The flat narration seemed like a detailed outline rather than a final novel. “This happened and x felt this, then that happened, and it was scary, pleasant, sad, etc...” In other words, all telling, very little showing. I read through to the end only to check if I was right about the killer (I was), though the motive seemed far fetched.

I really enjoyed reading about Deaf culture, though. Despite being unimpressed, I hope this will turn into a series.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I have mixed feelings on this book. The story was interesting and had potential but none of the characters were likable so I had a hard time really getting into the story. The story starts with the crime and is mostly told thru the perspective of the sign language interpreter. What bothered me about this book is that the interpreter had a minor connection to the victim and decided to use the knowledge she gained during police interviews to conduct her own investigation. When characters make silly decisions like that I have a hard time taking the book seriously. Also the book had an interesting angle because most of the characters were deaf and I was really hoping that that angle would be explored more. Other than the fact that a sign language interpreter was used there was nothing to bring in the deaf angle. Overall this was a good read but it didn’t have the pace or twists I was hoping for.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really was excited for this read. I learned American Sign Language early in my life and spent a lot of time in the deaf community growing up learning as much as I could. When I read the description for this book I had to read it. I was very disappointed. The book did not hold my interest. The writing style and characters seemed underdeveloped. I really wanted to like it but just could not get into this one. Thank you net galley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this eARC. All views and opinions discussed here are my own.

I was honestly so excited to read this book when I was approved for it because I haven't read any other books with representation of the hearing impaired but i'm so sad to say I just didn't enjoy this book. Considering that a brutal murder literally takes place in the first few pages you would expect that this would be a thrilling and exciting read but it honestly just wasn't. It was honestly just quite boring and i'd guessed who the murderer was as soon as their character turned up.

*
*
****SPOILER*****
The character of Bridget was just so OTT and her personality was all over the place that it just seemed obvious to me that it was her; also the fact that Jaxon went willing with the person who cleaned him up just made it obvious that he knew them well. There was nothing shocking or exciting about the reveal.
*****

One thing I really struggled with was the writing itself; it just felt very awkward and quite stilted and clunky at times. It didn't really flow well for me and the plot honestly just felt a bit insane. The characters had no defining qualities or personalities about them and they all just melded into one person. The police officers were honestly the worst characters of them all because they were so unprofessional throughout the book and just acted like caricatures; not only that but Paige would have been fired within two minutes for unprofessionalism and breach of confidentially, she spends the whole book being irritating and should have lost this job straight away.

I hate to say it but it just felt quite amateurish; the plot felt paper thin and.the characters weren't defined or developed. Honestly can't recommend this one.

An enjoyable crime thriller with good twists and strong characters, and an intriguing plot. Some of the subplots felt a little forced but didn't detract from the overall story line. It felt a little over long and drawn out at times and I didn't fully connect with the main character or her sister Anna. But overall, a good read!

I was looking forward to reading this book, but sadly found it lacking. The idea was good, a murder in a house where everyone is deaf, but the way that the interpreter - who had a link to the family -behaved was very unprofessional.
I guessed who the murderer was, pretty early on. It was so obvious. I did finish the book, but didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. For a murder/thriller, there was a distinct lack of police procedures.

I am very sorry to say I did not enjoy this book at all.
The idea is amazing in the sense that having your main characters deaf and making them face the murder of their child which happened WHILE they were sleeping in the very same house really makes you think.
However the idea was executed very poorly.
We have a lot of beginnings and just one underwhelming ending. We have a bit of a plot, a teeeeeny tiny bit of character development and characterization, a very complicated web of relationships and past events troubling the waters.
What annoyed me the most was, firstly, the clear and obvious lack of professionalism and integrity from the main character but somehow she ends up all forgiven and a hero. That is wrong on so many levels and shows that any one with too much time on their hands, if they just care enough and are grieving enough, can interfere to their own liking with serious police murder investigation AND end up heroes. I found it both sad and amusing that at some point one character points out precisely this problem yet the author goes on to entitle the interfering character. I can not stand by such things.
Secondly, this was presented as a detective /police thriller. I expected procedures, investigations, police involvement. Not to read about a very lousy sister and a BSL interpreter playing Dora the explorer when her life and others 'are at risk.

The positive is that the writing is good. Although it annoyed me to no ends, I did finish it and some passages were written very, very well. Too bad they were so few.

Long story short, it was a let down and I would not recommend.

Such a great idea,you've got a murder in a house full of deaf people,who would not have heard an intruder coming in.
You've got a whole host of suspects in the deaf community all caught up in the tangled family lives.
You've got an interpreter,already somewhat involved with the family,who pretty much decides to play detectives.
The book never lived up to its promise for me,and I only found it ok throughout.Paige,our main character wasn't particularly likeable,and her references to Caitlin got irritating after a while.
Tell that story or don't. But don't go on about it with no detail just dropping vague clues.
The who of the story wasn't that hard to guess,so no surprises there.
I'd definitely read Pattison again,I like that he has new ideas,I just didn't love this particular story.

What can I say an intense book. Brilliant story line when reading this book I was trying to imagine what it would be like if I was the Parents. Would definetely read more by this author