Had me gripped from start to finish. Well written and twisty and turney. Couldn’t put it down - will definitely read this author again

An amazing thriller from beginning to end. The twists and turns will keep you guessing over and over. Izzy's one week old daughter and Charlie goes missing. Suddenly after 5 years she starts receiving mail from charlie. Detective Gaby Darin puts a fresh pair of eyes on the case. You will not put this book down because you are going to want to know what happens. Another amazing read by the fabulously talented Jenny O'Brien.

Ooohhh my first time delving into the work of this author.
I will admit the cover I wasn't overly keen on. I am a person who will be won over completely with a good cover so I was a little apprehensive signing up for this tour if I'm honest...
NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY A COVER
How wrong was I.....
Absolutely loved this book. The first in a new Welsh set crime series....
It does grab your interest from the very first chapter.
A five day old baby has been taken by her father, vanished into thin air leaving a young mother distraught.
I loved her character Izzy, the mother of the young baby.....
How do you pick yourself up and get on with your life after your beautiful baby has been taken. How can you comprehend this happening to you even?
We meet DC Gabriella Darin in this series.
She's nobody's fool is she.....
Feisty, strong, ambitious and well able to ask the questions no one else will.
And what about Grace, Izzy's friend. Albeit, a very short friendship but with her disappearing so soon after Izzy's baby was taken, makes you question her involvement in it all.
I thought this was an extremely well written story, an interesting story line which will take you on a roller coaster of a ride.

I am delighted to hear that the next book in the series "Stabbed in Wales", will be available soon.

Well worth taking the time to check this one out.

A missing baby and partner, Izzy has tried to move on over the last 5 years but is still stuck in this nightmare. Charlie has taken baby Alys out to the shops and never returned. Then Izzy sees Grace Madden, her friend who was pregnant at the same time, just before Christmas in Swansea.
The police become involved in the search for Grace - DI Rhys Walker, a local, and DC Gaby Darin from Cardiff.
A submerged car is found in a nearby with two bodies in it and a major investigation is started again.
Full of subplots, diversions and danger the story picks up pace with Rhys’s obsession with Izzy becoming more apparent. His sister is her best friend and Izzy becomes closer to him.
Gaby is convinced something is not right and investigates on her own to try and solve the mystery.
Well written crime thriller with strong characters and an exciting climax.

Silent Cry by Jenny O'Brien, set in Wales and a fresh start for DC Gaby Darin formally from Cardiff. With barely a welcome, let alone a warm one from her colleagues she sets out to prove her worth investigating the 5 year old mystery of a missing baby girl and her father. To say that she doesn't get much help from her colleagues would be putting it lightly. However, being new to the team, she does see things others may not have or wouldn't want to.
An interesting plot and one where I thought I knew where it was heading but I was wrong. So with that red herring out of the way, there was only one suspect it could be, albeit an unlikely one.
Apparently this is the first in a series of novels set in Wales featuring DC Gaby Darin. I would like to see Gaby become a little more assertive if she's to have a following.
One inconsistency.... Izzy had an antique VW camper van which once morphed in to a car, then back in to a van in the next sentence. Apparently she was dragged out from under a crumpled bonnet too. A VW camper van is a rear engined vehicle with very little metal between a driver and front end collision other than a rib breaking bus style steering wheel.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Issie’s 2 week old baby and her partner the babies father went missing 5 years ago under mysterious circumstances and they have never been seen since. Are they dead or alive ? The police have no idea what’s happened to them. Out of the blue Issie saw a long lost friend ,after this she started receiving threatening post cards related to the disappearance of her baby and partner.

This is a story full of twists and turns and certainly will keep you guessing ,read this book and enjoy the story as the tension escalates.

Twisted,complicated story with some big surprises.. Characters were believable and the story moved swiftly.

It is always hard for an author to produce a real belter of a book when introducing a new crime thriller series. The problem is that the writer has to introduce the police characters and at the same time develop a convincing plot line.

I think that Jenny O'Brien has done an admirable job here. The plot lines of this story are told over a five year timeframe.

The story had sufficient twists along the way to keep me engaged.

The police procedural aspects have some potential for the future development of the central character, detective Gabriella Darin. What I enjoyed most was the clever use of real geographical locations in West and South Wales. They added a sense of time and space to narrative.

I won't say too much about the story line for fear of spoiling the enjoyment of other readers, suffice to say that not everyone is what they seem to be.

On the strength of this novel I will look out for future books in the detective Gaby Darin series. I will be interested to see how the chosen locations change.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for a copy in exchange for this review.

Alys Grant was only a few days old when her father took her out for the first time. Her mother, Izzy, was tired and fell asleep, but when she woke a couple of hours later there was no sign of Charlie Dawson or Alys. There was a hand-delivered postcard which simply said:

I've got Alys. Don't try to find us, Charlie

Five years later, there's been no sign of Alys, or Charlie or even of Izzy's car, which Charlie took, and Izzy is now trying to rebuild her life. At times she feels guilty that she's not still constantly searching for Alys, but what more can she do? Then, one day, in Swansea, she catches sight of Grace Madden who had been a close friend of Izzy's in the months before Alys's birth, but who disappeared at the same time as Alys. She'd been pregnant too and Izzy mentions the sighting to DI Rhys Walker, (who had been in charge of the case) when she bumps into him: he's the brother of her best friend from school, Rebecca.

And so it was that some life was breathed back into the case after years of it being largely dormant. There's a new member of the CID team, DC Gaby Darin, who comes with a reputation which isn't entirely favourable. She's concerned that Izzy might have been responsible for what happened, but Rhys Walker stamps that one on the head very quickly. Amy Potter, the family liaison officer lets slip to Gaby that she thinks Walker 'has a thing' for Izzy Grant.

I was delighted when I realised that the story is set in Swansea: half a century ago I lived there and the city and particularly Gower peninsula are a fond memory. I'd like to have heard more about both, but that's me being particularly greedy: we're here for the story and not for a travelogue. It's a good story too: who can imagine what Izzy had to go through when Charlie and Alys disappeared, particularly when it was only a few days since she'd given birth? Jenny O'Brien neatly captures the guilt Izzy feels five years later when she realises that she actually wants to live her life again and her conflicting feelings about the possibility of another relationship.

The book didn't quite do it for me, but as a series opener, it has a lot going for it. DC Gaby Darin is an engaging character: she's not perfect and there's an undercurrent of 'I could be difficult', but I'll definitely be interested to read about what she does next. I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to Bookbag.

Silent Cry is the first outing for DC Gabriella Darin, or Gaby as she is known. Gaby already has a chequered past in her police career but as the heroine of this crime drama Jenny O’Brien has made her an empathetic one. The story centres on Izzy whose partner Charlie and newborn daughter Alys disappeared without trace some five years previously. Izzy is trying to move on but she suddenly receives a card purportedly from Charlie. As events escalate the police in the form of DI Rhys Walker and his new partner Gaby head up the re-opened case. It’s a complicated plot with nothing as it seems and its fair share of red herrings but it’s both an engaging and a pacy read. I will definitely read Gaby’s. next case. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the ARC.

Silent Cry is a fabulous read and a brilliant way to introduce us to DC Gabriella Darin who has newly arrived from Swansea and becomes interested in the Grant case.This book has everything ,it is a fast paced police procedural ,full of twists and turns and even has a red herring thrown in ! The ending was a surprise though .I look forward to reading the next book in the series .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Izzy’s is devastated when her partner takes their newborn daughter out and never returns home.
Five years later she receives a note telling her that the baby is fine and to stop looking.
A slow moving story that failed to keep my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review

Jenny O’Brien writes an exciting dramatic story about a young woman, Isabelle Grant, who finds herself pregnant and unmarried. Even so she decides to have the baby and the father Charlie and her settle in to await the arrival. When the big event happens Izzy couldn’t be happier nor more tired. When Charlie takes baby Alys for awhile to give her a break she doesn’t know they won’t return.

The heartbreaking search goes on for years. Izzy doesn’t stop searching the crowds and the baby buggies. The police haven’t come up with any leads. When DC Gaby Darin joins the force she needs to prove herself and dives into the cold case. She discovers things just don’t add up.

It’s been five years and an unidentifiable post card is left for Izzy, can it help? When Isabelle sees an old friend in the crowd a friend from the time she was pregnant, she tells the lead detective Rhys, an old acquaintance, can he get the case revitalized?

This book gets harder and harder to put down as it progresses. You will be pulled in to the mystery and it will not let you go. You will cry and you will worry but you won’t guess till it’s revealed the shocking truths.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny O’Brien and the publishers for allowing me to read and give my honest opinion. I would definitely buy this book for a friend.

The plot was very good, the writing was good, but the ending and way the story laid out just didn't interest me. I don't think I would try another book by her.

I enjoyed this book. Great premise. Page turner. Well written. Interesting characters. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Fantastic twist at the end. Would definitely read her next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Ooh, really enjoyed this mystery. I love police procedurals so this was right up my street, especially as I am very familiar with Swansea and Carmarthen. Every time I thought I had guessed what had happened to the missing boyfriend and child, I was mistaken. Very, very clever plotting. Looking forward to the next book in this series and seeing how the astute and troubled Gaby Darin grows. Highly recommended.

Five years have passed since Izzy Grant experienced the worst day of her life when boyfriend Charlie, took their newborn daughter, Alys, out for a drive and never came home. Since then she has plumbed the depths of despair before gradually beginning to live a little more in the present whilst never forgetting the past. It all comes rushing back at her however, as when Christmas shopping in Swansea Izzy sees a face from her past, a woman she considered a close friend but who she hasn't seen since she disappeared at the same time as Izzy's family.

When an anonymous note is delivered through Izzy's front door the police, who have moved on but never closed the case, start looking for a second time into what happened even though no sightings of Charlie or Alys has ever been reported. DI Rhys Walker, still the lead detective, begins to re-investigate, this time with a new partner hoping to put a disastrous past behind her after transferring from Cardiff.

Izzy, no longer as shocked or helpless as she was, also begins to look into what happened, not trusting Rhys, who she has known all her life, to take her seriously. As things gradually move forward it becomes clear not everyone wants the case to be solved and Izzy finds her life in danger as it seems she is getting too close to the secrets someone close by is desperate to keep hidden.

This is an enjoyable read written in a free flowing style. Izzy is a sympathetic character as is DC Gabriella Darin, who is the named detective in this new series of books. Gaby's relationship with Rhys Walker is realistically shown as one where two strong minded people have to get used to working together for the first time while trying to solve a cold case beset with difficulties as it is thrust back into the headlines and public consciousness.

Although I worked out what happened and why about halfway through, the storyline was well developed until the last few chapters which became less realistic. For me the apparent need by the author to provide a satisfying ending was a big let down which left me feeling moe than a little disappointed.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a family based mystery.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Izzy worst nightmare comes true when her newborn daughter Alys disappear without a trace with her boyfriend Charlie.

DC Gaby is determine to find Alys when a note appear to Izzy warning her to stop and Gaby believes whomever took Alys is someone in Izzy past and it might surprise you who it is.

I won’t spoil it but it had great twist and turns and mother loves who won’t stop to find answer. I Gaby she was flawed and the past pain she deals with makes her better at her job.

#SilentCry #NetGalley
A clever thriller.
When Izzy Grant’s newborn daughter Alys disappears, her world shatters around her. Despite an extensive search the police find no trace of the missing girl, but Izzy refuses to give up hope that her daughter will be found.Then a note is pushed through her letterbox, warning her off.
I don't want to reveal much about this mind blowing novel. Go and give it a go.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for giving me an advance copy of this awesome thriller.

Every mothers worst nightmare. A complex book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Couldnt put the book down