A riveting and well written historical fiction based on a real case. It's a great depiction of the life of poor in Glasgow during the XIX century.
It's a bit slow at the beginning but it takes heed after some chapters and kept me reading.
Even if it deals with very serious topis like infanticide it's a not a heavy or dark novel.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Hear No Evil by Sarah Smith is loosely based on the real life trial of Jean Campbell, a young deaf woman accused of throwing her child into a river in 1817 Glasgow. In order to prove that she was fit to be tried in court, she was moved to Edinburgh where Robert Kinniburgh, the founder of a school for the deaf is hired to try to communicate with her and allow her to tell her story. With a lot of trial and error they manage to communicate via a combination of signing and lip reading , and the story she tells is truly harrowing. So disturbed was Robert by this story that he begins to investigate , in an attempt to prove Jean's innocence.
This book gripped me completely, so much so that I read it in a single sitting, desperately wanting to see Jean vindicated. I was also fascinated by the descriptions of the Deaf experience, there were some truly thought provoking passages that gave me a small amount of understanding of how difficult it could be to be unable to communicate effectively with the rest of the world. Jean is a very sympathetic character, and the book is written with a lot of heart, there is a real emotional connection to the characters and the story being told.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thus is a historical fiction inspired from a real life event of a deaf person. I really enjoy this historical fiction because I got to learn the conditions of deaf people and how society treated them back in Edinburgh, Scotland. A nice story of historical importance.

This was a beautiful, lyrical book which will stay with me. Based on the real trial of a deaf woman in 1817 this is clearly a thoroughly researched novel where the research is held lightly in the prose so that the whole story rings so authentically true, and relatable that I cared very deeply for the characters and their fates. Set in Scotland it also creates the feel of place, as well as time, so vividly.

Very interesting social history telling of how society treated deaf people and how they had to fight to get heard. The dead baby, the mentality ill woman, the church services for the deaf all cast more light on life in Regency Scotland for the poor and the better off. The tale is interesting and well told.

This story gave a great insight into a curious historical story. I enjoyed learning about life in Edinburgh in the 1800s and how it must have been for the hearing impaired.

A great and fresh novel about a real life figure from the past who was accused of killing a child. The woman was deaf and in 1830s Glasgow, the trial of someone deaf was not the usual thing and so we have a unique view of a unique situation. It's a great way of exploring a unique story in history and what it means like to be deaf now and what it must have been like back then, if you were accused of a crime, if you were a woman etc. Compelling story!

I'm not usually a big historical fiction fan but the synopsis of this book was so intriguing and I am very glad that I picked it up.

'Hear No Evil' is based on a true story from the 1800s, of a young deaf woman who is accused of throwing her baby into the River Clyde in Glasgow. Jean Campbell, the accused, is moved to a tolbooth in Edinburgh and a local teacher from the Deaf & Dumb institution is brought in to communicate with her during her trial.

Despite the difficult story - there's also powerful insights into the impact of poverty and mental illness - the writing is surprisingly gentle. Initially it took me some time to get used to the style and the quick changes between cities and points in time (pre and post-incident), but I was quickly immersed and I was impressed with how easily the conversations in sign language were integrated into the written story.

This is a really brave book - creating such a powerful, fictionalised account of a difficult piece of history (with what sounds like not a lot of information to work from!). I felt very satisfied on finishing the book and appreciated the insight into experiences of being Deaf and the development of sign language.

Hear No Evil is historical fiction loosely based on the true story of Jean Campbell, a deaf woman in 1817 arrested for being seen allegedly throwing her child into the river Clyde, the book follows the court case, Jean’s interactions with her interpreter Richard Kinniburgh and navigates through a world of deafness.

I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started this book so unfortunately it took me longer to read than I’d like. The book itself is actually very easy to read, despite the subject matter (and I’ll admit I cheated and read up on the real Jean to prepare myself) it’s almost got a charm to it, it’s not gratuitous despite discussing domestic violence, the discrimination of the deaf community or infanticide. The tone is quite comforting, a lot of the book felt like a conversation to me, with Richard engaging in conversations about how deaf people communicate, how sign language came to pass and the intricacies and variety contained in this. I found this book very enlightening and open hearted in this approach, how it helped me understand an affinity I don’t possess and does so in a very gentle way. The book talks to you, not at you and the author comes across very patient in her explanations to the reader.

I will say that unfortunately it felt like Jean, the truth of what happened to her son, and the court case, was more of a subplot, the trial itself was rather brief and the verdict rushed and not particularly the purpose of the story but a formality, which was a little disappointing. Richard is the main character to this story in that, at least to me, his presence was stronger, not Jean, which, for a book about how deaf people can be devalued and silenced, again was a little disappointing. I wish the narrative had allowed Jean to have more of a voice, to hear her thoughts, understand her feelings, as was given to Richard. At one point there is even a conversation about translating vs interpreting Jean in Court and how it would be possible to deny her truth and reword it for the sake of the jury, again this highlighted how even those sympathetic to disability hold the power. Possibly this was the purpose of this but it felt incredibly out of character for a character, Richard, and his wife, who talk throughout of empowering deaf people to consider such a controlling method.
This is not particularly a criticism, this isn’t a long book and would need to be a lot longer to both in-depthly follow a court case, Jean’s life and Richard’s role as an educator to the deaf and his beliefs. Jean was just a character I did care for very quickly and I would have loved to know her more and to have her at the forefront of this story.

Overall I did really enjoy this book and it’s enlightening approach. The writing is pleasant and tactful and Jean Campbell was an endearing character, I just wished I spent more time with her.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy to review, I’m really glad I had the chance to read this

I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book, but I was not disappointed! Great story and masterful writing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

A really interesting read.

This book is an exploration of the prejudices against and suspicion of deaf people in early 19th century Scotland.
Jean Campbell is accused of murdering her baby, and cannot defend herself as she has been deaf and dumb from birth. With the help of Robert, a teacher of the deaf, she is able to communicate, but can she overcome prejudice and fight her corner?

A well-woven story, based on fact. Well worth a read

I found it difficult to get into this novel at first but am glad I persevered as once it hit 25% then for me, the novel really got off and running. I did at times find the short chapters distracting but the further I got into the book the less I noticed this.
I didn’t think the story went into enough depth about Robert Kinniburgh in fact it seems to credit him with achievements already made by Thomas Braidwood. In fact the authors not refers to Thomas Braidwood as having been developing BSL in the early 19th century when he had actually quit Scotland for Hackney in London by 1783 having begun his school in Scotland in 1760 much earlier. A second school for the deaf was created in Edinburgh by a grandson of Thomas Braidwood’s and it was on his quitting having allegedly embezzled charitable funds that Kinninburgh was recruited and actually went to Hackney to train under members of Thomas Braidwood’s family. The methods he used were not his own and this isn’t apparent in the novel.
That said, it was Kinninburgh who gave a lecture in Glasgow leading to the creation of a school there and he was a gifted teacher who did much to spread the word about sign language and deaf education methods throughout Scotland.
This is my own obsession with historical details and as the plot is almost entirely fictional it doesn’t really matter. Smith’s characters are with some deliberate exceptions, warm, likeable and three dimensional. Martha the maid being a particular favourite of mine.
The author also has a great skill in setting the scene as I could really see, feel and smell both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
I shall miss Robert, Jean, Martha a co now I have read the final page.

Enjoyable slice of historical fiction,not just for the what happened/who did it questions,but to see how deaf people were treated in the past.
Interesting to read its based on a true story.
Some great characters,good and bad, it was a good read throughout.

1800s Glasgow is expertly brought to life in this accomplished novel which takes as its base material the case of Jean Campbell, a young Deaf woman accused of murdering her baby.
It was pleasingly different to other crime novels set in the period as it interweaves the narrative with the historical origins of British Sign Language. It does so naturally, with a light touch that doesn’t detract from the swiftly-moving mystery at its heart. There are some poignant scenes and a genuine warmth and humanity from some of the characters.
I would highly recommend this for fans of historical crime fiction and those looking for something just a little bit different in the genre.

For a story that centres around some weighty themes including infanticide, poverty and domestic violence, Hear No Evil is a surprisingly gentle novel. The prose is measured and a little underwhelming at times, although I did enjoy the Victorian-style short chapters and character descriptions. Smith uses Jean Campbell’s case to explore the lives of deaf people in Regency-era Scotland, and as such the plot is often secondary to the historical context.

But in many ways this is no bad thing: Smith’s exploration of deaf experience makes for a unique piece of historical fiction. I was interested to find out more of the history of sign language, and Smith raises some thought-provoking questions about communication, disability and social attitudes. I also enjoyed the descriptions of 1817 Edinburgh and Glasgow: following in Jean’s footsteps, you feel as if you are moving through a fully-realised historical world.

The plot may not be the strongest, but Hear No Evil is one to read for its brilliant historical world-building and captivating exploration of deaf experience.

A captivating novel about the plight of the hearing-impaired in Regency Scotland with a dash of murder mystery thrown into the middle....

Cleverly plotted and blessed with a cast of unforgettable characters, this riveting novel, written with lots of empathy, introduces the readers to some unusual and rather frightening aspects of the social conditions prevalent in and around the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow at the end of the 1810s.
A engrossing and rollicking fictional journey that should definitely appeal to anyone interested by some little known social issues never really previously tackled in English historical fiction.

A highly recommended read that definitely deserves to be discovered👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and John Murray for this terrific ARC.

A well written historical novel based on a true story. How were people with hearing problems treated in the past? This story opens the doors on how society has dealt with hearing loss, the communication issues and the problems created not only by the disability but also social attitudes. Set in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1817, the description takes the reader to the heart of these cities. A must read.

Normally I love novels like this but for some reason I couldn’t get into it. I picked it up and put it down so many times that it left me frustrated. The synopsis was well written and had me excited for get cracking but it was a slog to the plot twist and then once that happened I was left a little deflated. Was that really it? Just that.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read that was captivating right from the start with beautiful writing, good characters and rich and vivid setting descriptions.