*After the Silence* by Louise Neil was an intriguing read, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The premise of a small, insular community reeling from a tragic murder had so much potential, and the author did a great job of creating an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere. The setting felt vivid, and I could almost hear the waves crashing on the remote Irish island.

The story follows Keelin, who moves to the island with her controlling husband, Henry, and becomes entangled in the mystery of a young girl’s murder. I appreciated the exploration of domestic abuse and manipulation—it added a layer of depth to Keelin’s character. However, I found the pacing uneven. The build-up to the twists felt drawn-out, and some parts of the story felt repetitive, which made it hard to stay fully engaged.

The mystery itself was compelling, but I saw some of the reveals coming, which lessened the impact. While the characters were complex, I struggled to connect with them emotionally, which made it hard to invest in their outcomes.

Overall, *After the Silence* was a decent read with strong themes and a vivid setting, but the execution didn’t fully work for me. I’m glad I gave it a try, but it’s not a book I’d revisit.

Sad and emotionally heavy thriller, perhaps most relevant to an Irish audience but still enjoyable for those of us who are not. While some of the plot twists were fairly easy to work out it was nevertheless engaging and a worthwhile read

I’ve had this book on my Kindle for ages and picked it at random. Keelin and Henry Kinsella are being interviewed for a documentary about the unsolved murder of Nessa Crowley which happened ten years ago at a party the Kinsellas were hosting. Henry was the prime suspect but no case is ever brought against him. The documentary makers hope to reveal the truth about what happened that night.

I got into the story quite quickly and I liked the remote setting of the island off Ireland and thought this was described quite well. For me, this book felt a bit all over the place and didn’t really work. It’s far too long and drawn out and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I wanted to sympathise with Keelin but couldn’t. Throughout there are mentions of domestic abuse. Henry is Keelin’s second husband after she flees abuse from her first husband. Henry seems controlling and you wonder if Keelin has moved from one abusive marriage to another. I think this is an important subject to raise but I didn’t feel it was dealt with very well in the story as it almost felt shoe horned in with multiple characters.

The plot was so very slow and quite uneventful. I had worked out whodunnit early on and was disappointed to be proved right. It moves between different timelines but this isn’t clear and it can be confusing to try to follow what happened when. The random Irish phrases throughout aren’t explained so unless you know Irish you don’t know what they mean.

I had high hopes for this book as I enjoy a mystery but sadly it didn’t deliver for me.

This book took some brain-power to keep up with. I was a little confused by the different time settings of the chapters, as there was no real indication that we had switched time frames at the beginning of each chapter. I got used to it as the book went along though, and it became much easier to follow.

There's not much to the story at all - It unfolds like you'd expect, with no shocks, twists or surprises. Story-wise, there's very little substance tbh, but Louise's writing style kept me turning pages without getting bored. Honestly, I was hoping for a big twist, which never came.

It was a meh book for me.

This was a gripping piece of crime fiction with a gripping thriller hook. I have previously only read Louise O'Neill's YA fiction so was excited to read some of her adult writing. In this book you know a murder occurred 10 years ago on a remote Irish island but the exact circumstances around it and the perpetrator are not known. When a pair of documentary filmmakers come to the island to investigate Keelin is forced to confront what she has tried to forget, This book really kept me guessing through out and I honestly at times did not know who or what to believe. I enjoyed the multiple timelines as it helped me gain a full picture of Keelin's life and the events that led up to and following the fateful night of the party. This was a throughly enjoyable and gripping read.

This was a really interesting and gripping story, I was hooked from start to finish and couldn’t wait to find out what happened

Ten years ago during a party on Inisrun island a massive storm blows up. The following morning Nessa Crowleys dead body is found, noone has ever been found responsible for her death. Now a documentary is being made about her story. What secrets will unfold.
I loved this book from Louise O'Neill, she tells a great story with some great characters.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

Another good read from the author. Good characters and full of suspense, moving along at a pace that keeps you reading.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

great characters and a suspenseful read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

This was such a good read, can't believe it had to finish! I will definitely read some more by this author in future. Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A story set on an island off the coast of Ireland with themes of coercive control and marital discord. I found it slow going and could not finish.

Louise O’Neill is one of the authors who I would read absolutely anything from. This is a new kind of story for her and yet it is truly remarkable

I am a big fan of Louise O’Neill, having read all her previous novels and will, quite frankly, read her shopping lists. Nevertheless, the synopsis of After the Silence really interested me as it seemed a substantial departure from her previous works… An obscure Irish island where a tightknit ‘small-town’ community is visited by a film crew investigating a tragic death of a young local woman ten years previously. While on the face of it, a very different type of story (and genre!), O’Neill’s voice is recognizable here with her continuing focus on gender and violence against women through a feminist lens.

Undeniably one of her more commercial offerings, the narrative jumps between the past and the present focusing on the Kinsella family whose affluence and ties to the tragedy/murder has led them to fall under the cloud of suspicion. Particular mention must go to the masterful analysis of domestic violence and coercive control, and O’Neill’s depiction of a bleak and unfriendly island was an effective atmospheric backdrop to the central mystery. I also want to highlight how much I enjoy her unflinching depiction of her central characters "warts and all", and how she does not shy away from writing "unlikeable" female characters.

With all that being said, this novel is a Louise O’Neill novel, and so it definitely feels more character driven than the typical thriller/mystery. If you are reading principally for a good thriller, you may be left a little underwhelmed as the central mystery is, whilst still gripping, certainly the least interesting part covering well-trodden ground complete with familiar tropes to the genre. The main reveal is guessable from quite early on. Instead, this is best appreciated as a complex character study, examining how and why people are trapped in unhealthy/abusive relationships and will not leave, as well as a critique of the true-crime media industry (particularly the sexist undertones to such coverage).

Why did I wait so long to read this? Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy and I apologise for taking so long.
This was a really gripping psychological thrilled with really important issues such as domestic violence and coercive control - which I myself suffered.
I thought this was going to be a tough read for me and it was in places, but it was dealt with well.

I love the way Louise writes and wouldn't hesitate to read more by her. .

Louise O'Neil is a very talented author! I really enjoyed reading this book.

The book was slow to begin with, but after a few chapters, I really felt that I became invested in the storyline.

The book moves backwards and forwards in time and this added to the tension.

I did find at times that the storyline was lacking, but I perservered and ended up really enjoying this book.

I will look out for more by this author

Why did I leave it so long to read this book. A real page turner and a story that will keep you engrossed. An atmospheric story set on an island off the west coast of Ireland, when documentary makers come to investigate a crime that happened over ten years previously. Louise O'Neill certainly knows how to write!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to receive an ARC

I loved this book so much. It's a gripping thriller with plenty of depth and discussion of important issues such as domestic violence and coercive control. I love the setting and the concept - the documentary filmmakers added a really interesting layer to the narrative.

I love everything Louise does but her move into thriller/crime fiction has been a successful one. Five stars.