Not one of my favourite reads, hard to get into the story line and the characters and it was a toil to get to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately I really did not connect with this book. The style of writing was difficult to follow as timelines changed mid chapter with no explanation. I didn't quite get the relationship with Jake either, it all seemed too contrived. Unfortunately I gave up 60% in so I don't know if everything came together towards the end but for me it was just too much of a jumble.

This book starts out as a really good whodunnit with distance memories of reading Agatha Christie and then suddenly you realise this book has slipped into something much darker and you are no longer simply reading a good whodunit but a dark psychological thriller. As the story progresses you’re not sure who is messing with whose head including your own!! There is a real sense of claustrophobia and desolation that takes over the further into the story you get which is perfectly helped by the remoteness of the setting and the closeness of the small community. And what a twisted ending in so many ways... If you enjoyed The Guest List or Hunting Party. Y Lucy Foley then you’ll love this.

The book starts with the ten year anniversary of Nessa Crowley’s death on the remote Irish island Inisrun. Two Australian documentary makers land on the island to mark the anniversary with a new documentary trying to uncover what really did happen that fateful night...No-one could have got on or off the island that night but no-one is ever charged with her murder.

The Crowley girls are, liked and resented in equal measure by the islanders of Inisrun.
A pair of Australian filmmakers working on a documentary about a true-crime story that took place at Inisrun, a small, remote community, they hope to bring to justice the killer of Nessa Crowley.
Keelin and Henry Kinsella held a party at their house ten years ago, Nessa Crowley's body was found in their garden the following morning.
An accomplished and compelling mystery that I am happy to recommend.
I want to thank NetGalley, Quercus Books and Louise O'Neill for a pre-publication copy to review.

I loved the premise of this book, wherein a documentary crew decides to investigate and re-visit all evidence relating to a long unsolved murder.

The book focuses on Henry and Keelin Kinsella, whose lives changed forever when a young woman, Nessa Crowley's lifeless body lay in their garden after a wild birthday party at their big house.

No-one was charged with the murder due to lack of evidence and witnesses. But the islanders constantly blamed the Kinsellas. So, ten years later, when a documentary crew arrives, everyone hopes that they find evidence that will prove Henry's guilt and Keelin's complicity in the murder of beautiful Nessa.

This book was gripping and good. The narration shifts between the events leading up to the party, and the present day where the crew consisting of Noah and Jake interview the Kinsellas and other people involved. While the narration itself was good, I hope there was more clarity in the timeline of events.

It also focuses on Keelin's various family relationships. Her son, Alex, whom she loves and wants to protect but he seems distant to her. Her daughter, Evie, who worships her husband Henry but seems to blame Keelin for everything that happens. Her violent ex- husband from whom she is lucky to escape and find comfort in the arms of Henry, who slowly begins to control every aspect of her life.

While the final reveal was kind of predictable, the entire set up of the book was good. It kept me hooked on till the end to see what new evidence the crew will be able to reveal and whether the truth will actually be revealed or get buried again.

Thank You to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC!!

** spoiler alert ** Oh this was so good.
Whilst the central story is the murder ,it's lead up and the aftermath of a young female on a small island,what kept me gripped and turning the pages was the absolute toxic relationship between Henry and his wife.
His complete control over anything and everything she did,yet always making her second guess herself.
It really highlighted that not all domestic abuse is physical.
I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

After the Silence is original, gripping and a completely enthralling read, full of suspense. It could easily be Louise' O'Neil's best novel to date.

Louise O'Neill's work can be very hit and miss for me. I acknowledge that she is an incredibly accomplished author, who delves bravely into difficult topics without ever pulling her punches. She has the gift of writing a compulsively readable narrative even when I'm not much enjoying the story - as has been the case with some of her previous work. Here, she looks at a true crime type set up, exploring both the vagaries of truth, lies and self deception, and marital/ domestic abuse. I know she's said that she's interested in writing flawed anti-hero type protagonists who are female and she certainly pulls that off but once again it would be hard to fin much to like in her MCs, even as readable as they are. I devoured this but I'm genuinely in two minds about whether I liked it. It'll work on me, that's for certain.

I found this book to be gripping, suspenseful and thought-provoking. I particularly enjoyed the conceit of the true crime documentary.

Louise O'Neill goes from strength to strength and this novel is her best yet. Now writing from an adult perspective she delves into the lives of Keelin and Henry Kinsella. Some years after a death occurs during Keelin's 37th birthday party two Australian journalists descend on the small Irish island to make a documentary about the death and in particular Henry Kinsella's part in it.

After The Silence is an intriguing read with well-drawn characters and descriptions of the island and the Kinsella's luxurious home. The book not only covers the mystery of a beautiful young woman's death but also the controlling nature of marital abuse and the unhealthy small mindedness of a close-knit community.

The only issues I had was trying to follow the timelines - it would have helped to have had dates. Also, Irish phrases, as beautiful as they are, makes difficult reading unless there is a translation for them. Louise O'Neill's many fans will not be disappointed. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read and review After The Silence.

I was really excited about this one. I loved the premise of a documentary investigating an good murder on a secluded island.
However, the execution was poor. The flashback style is usually great for me, but there was no indication to the reader that it was a different time to the previous paragraph, or how much time had passed.
The frequent Gaelic references were never explained either which I found frustrating. There is a huge emphasis on domestic violence, and while I think this is something not to be shied away from, the relevance to the story is weak at times.
I liked the actual plot and interesting characters though, and the twists were good.

Well, who killed Nessa Crowley? Ten years after her murder at a riotous party hosted by the Kinsella family on the remote island Inisrun off the coast of Ireland, two Australian journalists come to put together a documentary intended to solve the case. The Kinsella family are unpopular because of their privileged wealth and status so are obvious suspects. The wife of Henry Kinsella has suffered one abusive marriage from which she escaped with her son Alex. She has many psychological issues which have an effect on her marriage to Henry. The book deals exceedingly effectively with the nature of abuse and its consequences. That is essential to the story but it might also make it a difficult read. The documentary is a clever way of rehearsing the details of the case. Readers will decide early on who was the murderer but the truth is held to the very end. This is an unusual approach to a murder mystery and it works well.

Whilst the book is about the identity of a murderer, painstakingly revealed through flashbacks and character viewpoints, I was drawn in by the complex characters and themes of domestic abuse in its many forms. The depiction of an isolated Irish island and its undercurrents as a background, combined to form a powerful novel.

After The Silence is a claustrophobic, tension fuelled novel from Louise O'Neill who as ever shows a huge amount of insight about the inner turmoil of women everywhere.

After the Silence is set on a small island within a close knit community - This community is torn apart by the loss of one of their own on a stormy, unforgettable night.

Years later a documentary about the tragedy is on the cards, threatening the fragile peace that really was never that peaceful. With sensitivity and clever plotting the author explores themes of control, self esteem and the secrecy that can exist in family relationships and wraps it up in a beautifully crafted and descriptively haunting psychological thriller.

There's a reason I'm a huge fan of this author and here is another example.

Highly recommended.

Whilst this book is well enough written in some ways, I find the constant jumping back and forth in the different timelines, and introduction of new characters without any explanation, completely interrupts the flow of the narrative. The author’s device of dropping in tantalising snippets of information about ‘what happened ten years ago’ as the story proceeds, has the same effect. I am not a fan of this style of writing, I much prefer a linear plot line which is more natural, in my personal view.
I have not read any of this author’s previous work, so was not aware that this is her style of writing.
I also have a major problem with the central theme of marital abuse, physical and mental. I would not have chosen to download this book had I been aware of this content. The graphic descriptions of such abuse make this a very uncomfortable read, and not remotely interesting to me.
I find the habit of dropping in phrases of incomprehensible Gaelic with no explanation, very irritating.
The story of Keelin and Henry Kinsella, and their son Alex, and their claustrophobic life on the island is so unremittingly dark and depressing, without a single shaft of lightness anywhere, I found it impossible to continue reading any further. The novel is clearly not for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Thank you to Louise O'Neill, Quercus and NetGalley for the ARC of After the Silence.
Gripping, a real page-turner . Not an easy subject but the relationship between Keelin and Henry is complex. He controls her, yes, and the gradual giving up of that control over her own life is gut-wrenching but, there are reasons why she doesn't fight it.

This book just didn’t work for me. Although it didn’t initially grab me, the story then picked up and I became interested, wanting to know what happened next. But once the main storyline of wife beating took hold, I just didn’t want to keep reading any further. I also found the liberal use of Gaelic quite irritating, I’d rather know we were in Ireland by use of descriptions of the place and people.

I really enjoyed this book. The story, whilst not entirely unpredictable, is gripping and well-written, and the setting on an island allows the author to create a convincing sense of claustrophobia which increases the tension. The characters are good, and I found the use of Irish Gaelic interesting rather than intrusive. All in all an excellent and compelling book, and I would definitely read other books by Louise O'Neill.

Team of documentary makers decide to find out the truth about Nessa Crowley murderer ten years after her body was found. The inhabitants of Inisrun seem to know who to blame but they won't tell.

A decision made, in that moment, they would think later. One that could not be undone without ruining them all.

Gripping story about secrets and most of all relationships within a family.

This has a very creepy atmospheric and thrilling pace. The story goes slowly at first and then builds up and up till it gushes over at the end. The characters are well written and very complicated and feel real. I love the use of the Gaelic tongue and how you feel transported to this little Ireland island. I can see this doing really well.