On the night of a wild party at Henry and Keelin Kinsella’s luxury house on the Irish island of Inisrun, there is a violent storm cutting the island off from the mainland. When morning comes, the body of young woman Nessa Crowley is found in their garden.

Nessa Crowley was one of the three beautiful sisters and the islanders were horrified by the murder. Knowing it had to be someone on the island at the time of the killing, Henry is the obvious one to blame, especially as he isn’t a born and bred islander, but with no evidence to convict him, he is never charged. From that moment onwards, Keelin and Henry are vilified by the other islanders, their artists retreat is burnt to the ground and their children struggle with the aftermath of the event.

As the book begins, two young Australian documentary makers arrive to try and solve the murder, to try and prove once and for all who killed Nessa Crowley. Henry offers them lodging in a small cottage the Kinsella’s own while they hold their interviews.

As soon as I saw Louise O’Neill had a new book out, I just knew I had to read it and in fact agreed to be involved in the blog blast having no idea what the book was even about. I have read two of O’Neill’s previous books, Only Ever Yours which was a YA dystopian novel and Asking For It which was also a YA novel which looks at the after effects of a rape. I think her ideas and her writing, tackling important issues is brilliant.

In After the Silence, O’Neill writes a brilliant psychological thriller which moves backwards and forwards in time. We don’t know what happened on the night Nessa Crowley died although it is obvious that Henry and Keelin do and they are nervous that the documentary makers will find out the truth. Keelin is our main focus, a woman who was born on Inisrun but now finds herself an outsider, abandoned by her friends and barely tolerated by her children.

It wouldn’t be an O’Neill novel without there being more to the story and we hear how Keelin suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her first husband and father of her son. We hear how she escaped and came back to the island on the death of her father and how she fell for Henry. However, despite Henry never physically harming Keelin, he controls her in different ways. He monitors her social media (deleting posts that might upset her). He keeps her medicated on a concoction of pills that keep her calm. He decides what she will eat, encouraging her weight loss, He chooses the clothes she wears. It is disturbing to read but as the book progresses we start to see why she might chose to stay with him.

O’Neill is very good at drip feeding the reader with little titbits of information that enables us to pull together the threads of the story. This book is an excellent psychological thriller, full of atmosphere on the beautiful and bleak island of Inisrun. I was completely gripped throughout and I was kept guessing to the end. A tragic and beautifully written book.

Some good writing here but it was obvious from the start ‘whodunnit’- and I’m someone who typically needs Wikipedia to explain movie plots to me after I’ve watched- so you won’t be in it for the tension. I was kept engaged mainly to find out why Keelin stays with Henry and if she would leave.
Don’t read on as the next bit may give away a plot detail.

I’m also not a fan of the victim-blaming ( oh she was a manipulative slut after all!) aspect of the denouement.

A young woman, Nessa Crowley, is murdered on the small Irish island of Inisrun they never caught the killer although the islanders had their suspicions. Now 10 years later a film crew from Australia come to the island to make a documentary about Nessa’s death.

I really wanted to like this book but I just never warmed to it. Although well written I didn’t find any of the characters likeable and the plot just dragged.

The author writes sensitively about the element of domestic abuse, physical, psychological, coercive control and gaslighting which runs through the book but it was a trigger for me and made it a hard read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC

A stunningly dark domestic noir. I absolutely loved this book. It will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended for fans of Liz Nugent and Hollie Seddon xxx

Another book that I devoured in 24 hours. For those of you who are fans of Louise O’Neill, After the Silence is different from her other books – but don’t doubt that it’s an absolute smasher. Let’s start with the book’s characters. Each of the main characters (Keelin, Henry, Alex) is well-developed, which of course means that I changed my mind many times regarding what they had or hadn’t done. While I didn’t hate any of the character per se, none were very likeable, especially Henry. This includes Nessa for me. I don’t necessarily think the author set out for everybody to love Nessa but she did a great job in showing how people often anglicise someone after they have died.

Of course, having unlikeable characters also means that the story is always intriguing, and the way the plot was unravelled had me always wanting to read one more page. Plus, I enjoyed reading about this small island off the coast of Ireland. The author really captured what it’s like to live in a small place in Ireland (gossip, judgement, people know your business) and the descriptions of the island really added to the eeriness of the case.

But After the Silence is not just a story about a murder. It also focused on the topic of domestic abuse. This tough topic was well researched and handled with care. What I found best about it is how it showed that domestic abuse isn’t just about violence; psychological abuse can be just as damaging. The book was also very supportive of women and the author’s passion for feminism was strongly at play. In this book we see strong, independent women, although for some characters, it might not seem that way at first. We also see the varying ways women are controlled not just by the men in their lives but society as a whole. For instance, as Nessa’s case plays out in the media we see how Henry is allowed to age but Keelin is criticised for doing the same thing (as if it were a choice).

In my eyes, Louise O’Neill can do no wrong. I really loved this book and hope you will too.

I’ve read a couple of Louise O’Neill’s books before and they were fantastic so I was really excited to read her first foray into the world of adult thrillers! I can confirm that After the Silence did not disappoint at all – it is an impressive and nuanced read with themes that are relevant and gripping. The story follows the making of a documentary investigating the death of a young woman on the isolated Irish island of Inisrun. The narrative is split mostly between the documentary process and the impact it has on the islanders and the events of ten years ago when Nessa Crowley lost her life in suspicious circumstances.

After the Silence is not a short book but it is the sort of book that consumes the reader completely which makes it very difficult to put down. The characters are flawed yet compelling and the relationships between them are complex and feel incredibly authentic. Something I think After the Silence does phenomenally well is it’s portrayal of domestic abuse. It shows the trauma of physical abuse with heartbreaking realism but it also demonstrates how important it is to remember and acknowledge that abuse within relationships does not have to be physical to be intensely damaging and dangerous. The horrific impact of coercive control and gaslighting is thrown into stark relief in this often harrowing read. O’Neill is immensely talented at writing about gender stereotypes, double standards and the way women are treated and spoken about in society. She doesn’t hold back at all and cuts right to the core of these timely themes in an intelligent and incisive manner.

The island of Inisrun and the customs of the community that lives there is brought to life perfectly in the mind of the reader. I loved the use of the Irish language throughout, it gives the book a really gorgeous tone and adds a lyrical quality to the prose which I loved. The setting is crucial to the story and plays a large part in making After the Silence such an engrossing read. You can disappear into this story and get lost in the dark and complicated lives of these characters. If you like your thrillers with a sharp, thought-provoking and uncompromisingly honest edge then I think you will enjoy this book. Highly recommend!

I really wanted to like this story because it's set in my home country of Ireland but it jumped around quite a bit time wise without warning which was confusing.
Also at times the characters were a bit bland and hard to connect with.
2.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for letting me review this book

I’ve been in love with Louise O’Neill’s writing since I picked up Only Ever Yours and felt horrendously uncomfortable while I read this book all about girls being ‘bred’ and trained to eventually be companions for men, with those being unsuccessful becoming concubines or teachers. I was hooked. Her writing moved me, and after that I have followed O’Neill’s career closely, patiently awaiting the release of each book.

After the Silence is slightly different to O’Neill’s previous books in that this time we are presented with a murder mystery. A young woman dies at a big party and ten years later a documentary is being made about the murder that shocked a small island off the coast of Ireland. However, just like O’Neill’s previous books she has created characters with depth who are a true product of their relationships, past and present. The story of what happened on that fateful night is slowly revealed to the reader, but not until you’ve accused every delightful (or not) character that attended Keelin Kinsella’s birthday party that night.

However, it is important to note that this is so much more than a whodunnit. It’s an insight into complex adult relationships that may look perfect from the outside but in fact are far from it, and the cost of keeping up appearances.

Overall I really recommend After the Silence, and while you’re there I’d also have a look at Louise O’Neill’s other books too.

I will start by saying I am not a fan of domestic thrillers or books written around this subject so normally steer clear, but when I have loved an authors other books as I have with Louise O'Neill then I had to give it a try and my gosh I am so glad I did!
At the start of the novel we know that a girl has been murdered, we don't know who did it, but we know that it must have been someone on the island and so begins one of the best locked door mysteries I have read. The isolation really comes across as you are reading this, the setting of the island and the close knit community really has everyone pointing fingers.
Keelin is a very relatable character, her experiences with domestic violence and coercive control were an intense read and may not be for everyone, but the way in which the book is written is so sensitive.
I loved the mixed media with the switch between story and interview, the different points of view and the multiple timelines. There was a trail of breadcrumbs, but it kept me guessing right to the end.
Definitely recommended read.

While a very different outing for Louise O' Neill with her first crime novel, it still retains some hallmarks of her previous releases, which is always a good thing in my eyes.
Similarly to Asking for it, we are presented with a small community in rural Ireland, where everyone knows everyone and the community has its own way of doing things. Life seems simple in places like this, but there is always an undercurrent of tension waiting to be left out, and so it is here when Island golden girl Nessa Crowley is murdered. Her death has repercussions for everyone on the Island and the reader is taken on the journey (through the making of a documentary years after the shocking killing) to finally try and find out who the murderer was.
While I did have an inkling what may have happened before I reached the climax, it didn't matter as I was so caught up in wanting to know and wanting to see how it all unravelled.
A solid crime story, with a particularly small-town twist, I really enjoyed the touch of Gaeilge in it, as well as O' Neill's trademark dissection of patriarchial relationships and male-female dynamic.

While ‘After The Silence’ is a psychological thriller, the reveal of the killer is almost secondary to the well researched examination of toxic relationships, domestic violence and coercive control.

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher #QuerusBooks and the author #LouiseONeill for providing me with a digital ARC of #AftertheSilence in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. I thought this book would be just a murder mystery but it is much more than that. This book includes physical and emotional abuse, secrets and lies and the extent that mother’s love can go to. I loved this book and it soon became difficult to put down and I look forward to reading more by this author.
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First off big ol content warning for domestic abuse - both physical and psychological and coercion/controlling relationship.

I'd recommend this to anyone who like true crime podcasts/documentaries (in particular West Cork) or fictional versions of them (Sadie comes to mind).

I'm broken. This was heart wrenching. This is not just a murder mystery but an exploration of domestic abuse and violence towards women, and how society and the media treat women as a whole...which is not surprising considering Louise O'Neill's previous novels. I think this novel brilliantly examines how abusive relationships manifest differently, and how easy it is for anyone to become trapped in one, regardless of circumstance or knowledge of certain behaviours. After the Silence also touches upon why it is women in particular who read/consume stories about true crime and crime fiction, especially when the stories are also concerning women - and why is the media so drawn to a particular type of woman (young, white, slim, beautiful) when it comes to telling these stories.

The premise of the book seems simple: two documentary makers come to the (fictional) island of Inis Rún off the cost of Cork, to make a documentary about the murder of Nessa Crowley, in hopes to find out who done it and/or gain closure for the family. She was found dead after a party celebrating Keelin Kinsella's birthday at 'the big house'. It's been 10 years since the murder, and while no one was convicted for it - Henry Kinsella, Sasanach and blow-in to the island was the prime suspect, and still treated as such by the islanders. The book goes back and forth from the months just prior to the murder, the filmmakers interviewing islanders and those connected with the case, and the present day as Keelin sees it. We also get snippets further into Keelin's past.

This book starts out as what could be a standard whodunit, but turns into a psychological and dark read. The characters and characterisation are brilliant - every character has their own place, and every one is fleshed out. It's a disturbing and uncomfortable read at times, but a fascinating one all the same. You <b>feel</b> this book rather than enjoy it -which is true of every Louise O'Neill book I have read (the first two...and the other two are glaring at my from my bookshelf as I type!)

It's well written, and you really get the feel of a closed community on a small island. I loved the use of Hiberno-English and Irish throughout the story. While it may cause others to need to check a word here and there in a dictionary it really added to the atmosphere of the book. Most of the full sentences that were in Irish were translated after the fact anyway, so I don't really know what people are complaining about...I have read many books set in America with Latinx characters using Spanish that I may not have understood but in context it's easy to figure out or look up. Mo stór (my darling) is never translated in the novel, but it is used as an obvious term of endearment in context.

Jeanette Winterson once said of O'Neill "She writes with a scalpel" and that still rings through with this.

AFTER THE SILENCE by Louise O’Neill...what can I say? It’s cracking! I was up so late reading this book. Bookworm problems hey?! 😜

I have to say, I’m rather partial to a dark and chilling crime/mystery these days. Not sure what that says about me! 😉 I like depth, intrigue and tension...AFTER THE SILENCE hit all the right notes. Ooodles of atmosphere, suspicious and complex characters, a haunting island setting and deadly secrets bubbling to the surface. I really enjoyed Louise’s style of writing. I found it very thought provoking, poignant and gripping as I was trying (but obviously failing 😂) to piece everything together. What happened to Nessa? Is Keelin all she seems? How can I feel so much anger towards Henry?😠 How far do we go to protect the ones we love? The true crime element was so interesting and the emotional impact it has on a small community. Despite being a slow burner, it didn’t lack pace or movement. The themes of abuse and control are depicted with understanding and are of course tough to read, yet imperative to this book and insightfully written. And the ending was satisfying. So hard with this sort of book but Louise nailed it! 💁🏼‍♀️

If I had to sum up AFTER THE SILENCE in two words....unsettling and powerful. Highly recommend folks.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my netgalley approval to read and my gorgeous hardback. I absolute adore this authors writing,its modern storytelling at its finest.

This is a dark tense tale of love,loss,lies and secrets.

What happened to Nessa ? Whos hiding something?

Thought provoking and will get under your skin as family dynamics are examined in the hunt for the truth. Relationships laid bare and with each chapter a layer is removed .

Published 3rd September and do check out the other blogs taking part in the tour.

After The Silence is set on the island of Inisrun, off the coast of west Cork. Home to the wealthy Kinsella family, two Australian filmmakers wish to make a documentary to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Nessa Crowley, a tragedy that forever haunts and divides the community. On 14 March 2009, whilst Storm Ida was raging, young Nessa Crowley was found murdered following a birthday party at Hawthorn House. Famous for their debauched parties where champagne, nudity and drugs were in abundance, owners Henry and Keelin Kinsella have always been blamed for this young girl’s death, despite the fact her killer has never been brought to justice. In revisiting the past and opening up old wounds, will the Kinsella family secrets be revealed and will the identity of Nessa’s killer be unmasked?

This is the kind of storyline that seeks to expose the truths that lurk behind closed doors and explores in depth the history of the Kinsella family and their connection to this remote island. The author has paid great attention to creating fully developed backstories for these characters, placing much emphasis on setting and how that impacts on life for Henry, Keelin and their two children Alex and Evie both in the past and present day. The strength of this storyline lies in the creation of two complex main characters that remain at the heart of this novel, with the author expertly depicting a relationship that is highly toxic. Coercive control, or inter partner terrorism (a term I was unfamiliar with) underpin Henry and Keelin’s marriage so that as you learn more about these two characters past lives you realise that maybe history is repeating itself. The more the spotlight shines on Henry the more I found he is someone I had absolutely no time for, a weak, damaged man whose controlling, insidious behaviour is sickening. Through his character,the author has the opportunity to comment on the prevalence of such relationships and how wealth and status does not provide immunity from the type of behaviour explored in this novel. Although Hawthorn house is supposed to be a haven, I couldn’t help but feel it’s the complete opposite for Keelin, instead it’s a place from which there is no likely escape, a carefully constructed prison. She’s like a fragile,caged bird, her wings clipped and therefore cuts a lonely, unhappy figure, a state of being further exacerbated by her weakening relationships with her son and daughter and indeed her friends. Of course the subject matter is distressing but it is integral to the storyline and and having read plenty of fiction tackling these issues I thought the author had clearly done her research.

Whilst setting is important to the storyline, I do think this would have benefitted from a more vivid description of the landscape, which perhaps would enhance the sense of isolation. What the author has excelled at is creating an atmosphere of total isolation in terms of the division between the islanders and the Kinsellas as well as the sense of isolation for Keelin as an individual. With their English background and wealth and privilege and superiority marking the Kinsellas as unwelcome interlopers it would seem this division is insurmountable even with a local, (Keelin) bridging that gap. For me that division is further entrenched with the death of Nessa Crowley, with the islanders casting blame for this tragedy squarely on the shoulders of the inhabitants of Hawthorn House. Even without this tragic event, how could the Kinsellas be viewed as anything but unwelcome intruders given the history between the Irish and the English? Jonathon and Olivia with their sons Charlie and Henry are seen as minor celebrities bestowing their good fortune upon the poor inhabitants of this island so it’s inevitable a them and us situation will exist. The author has conveyed these feelings beyond doubt in conjunction with the Kinsellas ostracism from the whole community following Nessa’s death. This in turn adds to the overall hostile, unwelcoming atmosphere making me question why on earth the Kinsellas still remain on the island ten years after the anniversary of the girl’s murder.

I did find the inclusion of Irish words and phrases slightly unnecessary, especially as I had no idea what they meant! I’m assuming the author felt their addition added authenticity and atmosphere to the narrative. I found it irritating at times, given I had to google the meaning but this is a minor criticism. Some readers may find the way the narrative switches between the past and the present confusing (I didn’t). I liked the way the filmmakers, Noah and Jake are used as a device to take the reader back in time to investigate Nessa’s death with parallels to be drawn between the experiences of both Keelin and Jake who develop a rather odd tentative relationship. Unfortunately this is a strand of the storyline that simply peters out with the reader only gaining a glimpse of Noah’s character. I would have liked more snippets of conversations between the documentary makers and interviewees as these were a refreshing change of perspective and could have heightened the sense of mystery and intrigue. I enjoyed the few passages where the island speaks as a collective, compounding the sense that the Kinsellas really are not welcome.

As I’m unfamiliar with this author’s writing I’m unable to make comparisons with any previous books she has written but my impression having read After the Silence is that the mystery element is not as well developed or executed as the depictions of a toxic marriage are. From the very beginning I was desperate to know, just like the islanders, who was responsible for Nessa’s death. The build up is quite excruciating because it’s left until the last possible moment to divulge exactly what happened to this young Crowley girl. I’d been hoping for more of a shocking revelation. Instead the ending felt like a sunken soufflé, tension gradually building throughout but proving ultimately to something of an anti climax. However I will say that when the truth is finally exposed certain characters behaviours are more understandable. For me this was a slow burner, with plenty of background detail to give weight to the drama and I did enjoy the book as a whole. It just didn’t blow me away. I think this novel might appeal to fans of Lucy Foley’s The Guest List since they both feature similar settings. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Not so much a murder mystery as an insight into a coercive marriage. Henry and Keelin Kinsella appear to have it all but have they? 10 years ago after Keelin's 37th birthday party a body is found in the grounds of their house. As a massive storm was blowing at the time no one could get on or off the island. So who did kill the Crowley girl and why? Although I didn't really like the characters it was a good read. Thanks to Quercus for allowing me to read it early.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #Quercus Books for an ARC of #AftertheSilence by #LouiseONeill.
Louise O'Neills first foray into crime/psychological fiction is a dark and compelling read.
The story centres on the 10 year old murder of Nessa Crowley during a vicious storm on the island of Inisrun. Nessa was attending the birthday party of Keelin Kinsella. The island was cut off during the storm so nobody could arrive or leave which means someone on the island murdered Nessa. But who? This is the question two documentary makers want answered in the lead up to the 10 th anniversary of her death.
Keelin's husband Henry Kinsella was the prime suspect 10 years ago and the locals still believe he is the murderer.
Keelin is local to the island but Henry is a "blow in" from England eventhough he has strong familial connections to Inisrùn. Their family includes Alex, Keelins son from her first marriage and their daughter Evie. Everybody in the Kinsella household is still living with the consequences of that fateful night.
The story moves back and forth in time with various characters giving their version of events. Slowly a picture begins to build, Keelin's abusive first marriage and the damage done. Henry and his constant search for approval from his distant mother. Alex living with the effect of his friend's death and Evie attending school in the UK to avoid the islanders toxic attitude to her family.
Keelin's friends can't understand why she wont leave Henry and so gradually distance themselves from her.
O' Neill's great talent for creating unlikeable characters who you actually empathise with is present throughout this book. Her writing on domestic abuse and coercive behaviour is superb and when you read the acknowledgements you can see why. The research into the topic is excellent.
We do discover who the murderer is but
#AftertheSilence is so much more than
a whodunnit it is also a study in maternal love - the need for it when it's not given freely and the overpowering protective instincts of a mother who loves too much. All credit to Louise O'Neill I found #AftertheSilence darkly amotspheric but the clarity of her writing kept me turning the page.

This is a great mystery thriller.
As a documentary crew are there to film, many of the chapters are in an interview style which I liked. It really gave it a documentary feel to the story and was easy to follow.
Keelin takes centre stage in the book and when you're not reading parts of the interview, other chapters are from her point of view as you learn more about her and what she’s been through.
I had no idea throughout the book who had killed Nessa so it was great to finally find out. It also helped to answer some questions about the other characters about why they did what they did.
This is a gripping thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A gripping, dark and exciting thriller that I read as fast as I could.
I loved the storytelling and the character development, how the author describes the relationship and the atmosphere.
The plot flows and kept me hooked and guessing what was going to happen.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.