A gripping and creepy novel from Louise Oneill. Keelin is a wealthy married woman living on the remote island of Inisrun. Her husband, the charismatic Henry, ensures she has everything she needs. But when two Australians start interviewing everyone about the death of a girl at Keelin and Henry's house, ten years earlier, long hidden secrets threaten to crack the current perfection of the Kinsella's lives.

A saddening and terrifying depiction of domestic violence - both physical and emotional - this book gripped me to the end. You can never, ever judge a relationship from the outside and the greater the perfection, the greater the secrets.

I’ve read The Surface Breaks and Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill- both feminist, both satirical, both set in worlds distinct from our own. After the Silence is shockingly real- the author has clearly researched all forms of domestic abuse in order to confront it head-on. The novel begins as protagonist Keelin sits down with an Australian documentary crew to tell the media her side of the story that’s haunted her home town for exactly ten years. Keelin fled her physically abusive husband and moved back to the tiny island of Inisrun to protect her toddler son. In the years that followed she retrained as a domestic violence counsellor and married Henry Kinsella, the son of the hotel magnate who employs half the people on Inisrun. They have a daughter. Keelin cultivates a designer wardrobe. All is well- until Keelin recruits an island girl, Nessa Crowley, to tutor her now-teenaged son. Nessa is the eldest of the “Crowley girls”, three beautiful sisters who captivate the entire island. Keelin fears that Alex will fall for Nessa, but her fear is misplaced- her husband Henry is the one with a naked photo of Nessa on his office laptop. Henry has an explanation for everything, but his charm runs out on the night of Keelin‘s birthday, when Nessa is found dead outside from a head wound. Ten years on, both Keelin and Alex are shells of their former selves; Henry is struggling to shake his image as a potential murderer and urges his wife and step son to engage with Jake, the documentary maker, who’s own mother was murdered by his abusive father. Henry thinks that Keelin will bond with Jake over their similar history; he doesn’t expect Jake to immediately clock him as an abuser, who has Keelin literally under lock and key. As the family awaits the premiere of the documentary, Keelin scrutinises her decision to stay with Henry in spite of her past and her education. Alex’s shot at happiness is thwarted by the families on the island who view the Kinsellas as an almost supernatural threat to their way of life; Henry is still convinced the documentary will kickstart his career as a successful hotelier. Will anybody benefit from global coverage of a ten year old crime? This question seems to plague everyone involved in true crime media, from those that make it to those who watch it; the Kinsella/Crowley story is fictional, but as O’Neill points out, women go missing in Ireland every day. Women are beaten and coerced and killed by men who claim to love them and the way the media covers their suffering manages to blame them, always, for the despicable actions of otherwise “good men”. After the Silence can be enjoyed as a non-linear murder mystery but I’m purchasing a copy for my library in the hope that it will be read by students on social work, nursing and public services courses. The book contains two very different tales of abuse: in one, a teenage mother is isolated and battered by her violent husband. In the other, a professional, middle-aged woman is subjected to coercive control by a husband who controls her money, phone, and even the doctors she sees for medication. These women are one and the same. “They” might also be a murderer. It’s complicated- that’s the point O’Neill has written into every chapter.

After the Silence by Louise O'Neill is a tense, uncomfortable yet riveting read.
A decade has passed since the beautiful young Nessa Crawly was murdered at a party on the remote island of Inisrun, and the crime still holds the interest of the public to such an extent that a documentary is being made about the case. The prime suspect and his wife are still living on the island , along with their son, trying to hold their heads high in public, but in private things are spiralling out of control and the family seems on the verge of breaking down. More publicity and public scrutiny is the last thing they want or need, and so they decide to try to control the narrative as much as they can and hopefully clear Henry's name once and for all. The documentary team is delighted to have such exclusive access and cooperation, but will they be able to see through the manipulation and find out the truth, because it is clear to the reader that Henry and his wife Keelin definitely have something to hide.
I have rarely found a book so unsettling, there is such an ominous feeling looming over the whole thing, and I found myself so engaged by the characters that I was worried about their safety at times, particularly Keelin, who seems to have escaped one physically abusive man, but walked right into the arms of one who constantly manipulates her through a combination of gaslighting and coercive control. Paired with such a viscerally described remote setting , it made for an uncomfortable read but one that I could not put down, I read the whole thing in the course of a day, so desperate was I to find out what had really happened and where the characters would end up. Though the setting added to the ominous feel of the book, I actually loved it, I loved how well the author captured life in a small remote Irish community, the traditions that have lasted and the connections that form over generations , and the sense of suspicion that comes with change. The characters are so well crafted, and very realistic ,none are completely black or white, they all have shades of grey, making them more believable and giving the reader a better understanding of their motivations and actions.
The book does jump back and forward in time, so that the true story of what happened that night a decade ago is eventually revealed , and I know that some readers might not like this, but I thought it was well handled and never really had any difficulty in following the change of time period.
Overall I think this is an excellent book and one that I would highly recommend.

My first Louise O'Neill but certainly wont be my last!

We know from the start that Nessa Crawley has been murdered and Henry Kinsella has been accused, but never charged with her murder. On the 10th anniversary of her death a documentary team are allowed access by Henry to try and clear his name once and for all. We follow through interviews and also many other viewpoints flashing back between present day, 10 years ago and other moments to find out what really happened that night ... is it what the islanders think, the media has reported, or some murky area in between?

This book really got under my skin. The author managed to create a hostile environment which is one of my favourite things in a book, and managed to drop in little hints a long the way that had me gripped. This is a really clever look at themes of feminism and sex positivity, while also balanced against the toxic patriarchy we live in. I think one part that has really got under my skin is when Keelin says that she wants to tell her daughter evie to cover up, put more clothes on and be careful, which she knows is victim blaming, but at the same time she worries about her daughter.

I am rating this a 4 star only because I got slightly confused between some of the jumps back and forward in time, and it took me a little while to get into the book but once I did i was hooked.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery with a hint of psychological thriller to it. This book had me gripped from the start. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Books by Louise O'Neill and I are having a bumpy ride recently. One I love, the other one I can't stand. After the Silence was a difficult read, but, hey, so are her other books. But this one got me simply bored.
Don't get me wrong, I take no pleasure saying that about a book but being honest is part of a job I guess.
I was promised thrills and mystery but I only got frustrated. Sorry, I can not recommend it.

This is a book that I couldn't put down but am not sure was an enjoyable read. The book is darkly disturbing. The setting is eerie and my initial thoughts were that there was going to be some sort of supernatural element here. How far from the truth. It is a book about inequality, between those who have and those who have not. It is about relationships. Domestic violence bubbles throughout the book, it is a text book on coercive control The author writes a compelling thriller. The setting of a small island describes the relationships that develop in small communities that have known each other through generations. The characters are interesting and are all well drawn. Highly recommend.

Great mix between a whodunnit and psychological thriller.

The premise is different to what I was expecting with it starting out with an old murder case that a documentary is being made about.

The book keeps you hooked and I enjoyed it.

Ostensibly a mystery surrounding the death 10 years ago of the eldest ‘Crowley Girl’ this is actually more a story about Keelin Kinsella the wife of the main murder suspect. This is quite a dark story, slightly disturbing and unnerving but undoubtedly relevant and Keelin’s relationship with her husband told thought her eyes sent a shiver down my spine. This is a solid, credible piece of work by Louise O’Neill and it draws you in gradually but very effectively, this is an essential read.

This is a book that deals with the subject of a cold case murder and domestic violence and it’s done very well. Two journalists arrive on the small island of Inisrun where the story is set to do a documentary on the still unsolved murder of Nessa Crowley and we are taken on journey of alternating timelines and narratives where little by little the stories unfold.
The book was written beautifully but I’m afraid I struggled at times to connect with the characters especially that of Keelin Kinsella who I just didn’t like, maybe this clouded my judgement of the read as I felt I could have enjoyed it more had I liked her better. The controlling aspect of the story was a difficult subject to tackle but again Louise O’Neill did it with tact and compassion and is a very skilled author.
So overall it was a 3.5 star read for me rounded up to 4 as I did like a lot about this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books, Riverrun for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my goodnees but this was a great book. I can't remember when I last had to stay up into the early hours to finish a story before I could go to sleep.

#NoSpoilers There is a dark undercurrent of secrets and lies running through the piece, that hooked me from the first page and didn't let me go the last.

The author tackles difficult areas sensitively, but also doesn't pull any punches.

A moving story, incredibly well told.

Highly recommend.

I really liked the setting of the small closed Irish island in this novel it defiantly adds to the atmosphere of the story.

To me the main gene for this book was about coercive control and domestic abuse which was covered well and fairy tale ending here.

I wouldn't class this as a murder mystery to me it was more like a family drama!

After the silence by Louise O’Neill was a disturbing read. Life on a small island with all of its relationships and challenges helps build the story. The story which is ostensibly about a mystery, a crime thriller. Yet that, to me, is not the real story here. The two Australian documentary makers let us explore elements of the story- looking at context yet seeing motivation. I particularly like being given the insight into Keelin’s strong character, intellect and personality yet how she was subjected to such horrific domestic violence in her first marriage which then contrasted so starkly with her second- or did it? To be fair to Henry, alongside early alarm bells of potential coercive control, Keelin seems to be struggling to cope and relying on Henry by asking him to manage elements of her daily life to help her. Yet although we see Keelin request and seek help with losing weight and not having to manage money, the associated social isolation, financial dependence, needing to be told what to wear (and what to weigh) and the reliance on porn becomes a masterpiece in letting us see inside such situations. It raises loads of issues about abusers and their methods, and highlights how quickly you can get trapped in situations without other options. Moreover it leaves loads and loads of questions about what might trigger or create such traits and behaviours and perhaps leaves the biggest mystery of all - what about Alex. What a disturbing storyline highlighted by and wrapped up in a murder mystery. Brilliant thought provoking narrative. This one needs to be taken up by Netflix! This wasn’t one of my most enjoyable reads but it’s getting five stars because we all need to be disturbed about key issues such as this and it was brilliantly done

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and literary fiction however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different.

Although this is a murder mystery, the story of the main character, Keelin, is actually the more interesting. Keelin has suffered physical abuse from her first husband and has the strength to leave. Her second husband, Henry, doesn't lay a finger on her but the coercion and control that he exerts over a period of years is deeply disturbing. The murder seems secondary to this examination of how people can end up in these relationships and this aspect is very well written.
It is clear from early on that only one of three people can be responsible for Nessa's death or possibly, a combination. I was desperate to find out what had happened but felt slightly disappointed by the predictability of the ending and the lack of justice.
I would have preferred not to have the random irish words too, which I don't think really added anything.
A good read for all that and I was hooked.

Although this is being marketed as a murder mystery, it's really more of a psychological thriller focused on psychological domestic abuse. But, I enjoyed the storyline and would definitely recommend it to people who love human interest and character stories. In Keelin Kinsella, the author has written a brilliantly complex female character. It's similar to another book I've read recently (The Storm by Amanda Jennings) where the wife is not necessarily as much of a victim as at first seems and sometimes there is more to a story or toxic relationship than meets the eye.

It was a difficult read, however. The timeline is all over the place and lacks any chapter headings to help. Also set on an Irish island, this was peppered with Irish words and phrases that I didn't know such as "mo stoirin" (my darling apparently) and grinds (private tuition). I got used but it just made it a bit awkward and harder reading.

dnf at 35%

<spoiler> domestic violence, gaslighting, grief, mental illness, eating disorder </spoiler>

Ten years ago, a young woman disappeared under mysterious circumstances and life on the island never has been the same since.
Now, a team of filmmakers starts to do a documentary and confront all the people again with the unsolved case.

Listen, the dnf is more me than the book. The triggering stuff proved to be too much for me, too uncomfortable in the wrong ways that are personal to me and my story. If that hadn't been the case, I would have kept going, because I liked the concept.

We have this small Irish island, where everybody knows everybody else, and the protagonist and her husband are set apart because he has British money, and, well, the whole island thinks they are responsible for the murder. It's never been solved, yes, but the people are very, very sure.
The patchwork family of four is dysfunctional and everyone has a different way of dealing with things.

Apart from all that, we have the two gay filmmaker from Australia, one of them shivering with the weather because 19°C is not what he's used to in summer, and who are really charming and you'd love to tell them <i>everything</i>, but that might get dangerous.

If you want all that, and can handle the heavy topics, go for it.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I've been a fan of Louise O'Neill ever since I picked up Only Ever Yours from the bookshop on my way home from uni one day. I once read a review that said she "writes with a scalpel", and that's absolutely true. Each and every one of her works is unabashedly, unreservedly feminist, centring the stories and lives of women above all. After the Silence is full to the brim of sharply-delivered takedowns of the society we live in, such as:

"Don't you think it's interesting that we always ask 'Why do these women stay?' We never think to ask 'Why are these men violent?' or 'Why won't these men stop terrorising their partners?'

and

"That would be the first question people asked of Keelin, she soon discovered. And what about your children? Where were your children while all of this was happening? Funny, she thought. They never asked Henry that."

While I didn't necessarily enjoy (perhaps that isn't the best word to use, given its unpleasant nature) this book as much as I'd have liked, finding that it took me until over half of the story to get into it, its message is an important one. Our protagonist, forty-something Keelin Kinsella, was in a physically abusive relationship with her ex-husband until she managed to escape. Now, she finds herself confronted with a partner displaying yet another form of abuse, restricting her diet, changing the passcode on her phone, convincing her to get all sorts of treatments like fillers and hair dye and antidepressants, and gaslighting her until she feels crazy. Throughout the story, O'Neill stresses how domestic violence does not need to involve the abuser raising a hand against the victim, a fact that bears repeating due to the conventional image of DV being bruises and a clenched fist.

O'Neill also delicately explains to us why "just leaving" is impossible for most partners trapped in such relationships, and then exposes the misogyny ingrained into our daily lives: when Keelin and husband Henry are pictured together, his ageing is overlooked while hers is picked apart; when she and murdered 'Crowley Girl' Nessa are pictured together, she receives a letter pointing out every alleged physical shortcoming of hers in comparison. Our world is still unkind to women, and one thing I've always hugely appreciated about O'Neill is that she never lets her readers leave her worlds without knowing it and being determined to change it.

On the night of Henry and Keelin Kinsella's wild party a storm covered the island of Inisrun, cutting them off from the mainland. When morning broke the lifeless body of Nessa Crowley was found, her last breathe smothered by the sounds of music and thunder. The killer couldn't have left the island and no one was ever charged for the murder, but the islanders know who is to blame for the crime that changed Inisrun forever. Ten years later a documentary crew arrive on the island, determined to uncover the truth of what happened that night, to prove Henry's guilt and Keelin's complicity in the murder of beautiful Nessa Crowley.

This is a bold and beautiful novel by one of Ireland's best writers. I have been a fan of Louise for years and this book did not disappoint. From the first page till the last this book gripped me. It is powerfully atmospheric, compelling and gripping.
After The Silence is proof that Louise can write anything, from young adult to psychological thrillers.
Louise O'Neill writes about real life and how people deal with real life problems. It's a window into these characters lives and where it all went wrong. With every novel Louise writes, she gets better and better.

Keelin and Henry Kinsella, their daughter Evie and Keelin’s son Alex seem to have it all. They’re rich, have a fabulous house on the island of Inisrun but it’s all an illusion. Ten years ago Nessa Crowley one of the ‘Crowley Girls’ died at Keelins birthday party which tears the small island community apart with the blame firmly fixed on Henry. Ten years on two Australian film makers are producing a documentary about it and Henry has high hopes this will put the past behind them. The story is told by Keelin and interspersed with interviews of the islands residents.

I really like the premise of the novel and the setting on the small Irish island is fantastic as it creates a great atmosphere. The night of Nessa’s murder is depicted well, it’s almost Bacchanalian with a wild storm adding to the mood of the evening. The resentment of the islanders towards the wealthy Kinsella family comes across loud and clear with plenty of tension, suspicion and mistrust. The portrayal of the characters is good, Henry is not at all likeable and Keelin is an interesting puzzle. There’s an explosive atmosphere between some of the characters too. The mystery of Nessa’s fate builds well to a stormy crescendo, with a storm of hate coming the Kinsella way and their friendless isolation is clear. I did guess part of the ending but this in no way spoils the outcome. I had expected this to be a murder mystery drama and it is but one of the main themes is domestic control and abuse which I hadn’t expected. However, this is done well and is an important topic and a valid part of the storyline.

My one issue with the book is that initially it does not flow very well with some backtracking and it’s hard to make sense of what’s going on. However, this improves as the book progresses or maybe I get a better handle on it!

Overall, this is a good read with a good premise in a terrific setting.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.