All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

It is 1990’s Cabramatta, Sydney and Ky, a female journalist, returns home to find out the circumstances of her brother’s murder. The town with its large community of South East Asian background appears to put up a wall of silence, which frustrates her quest.

I read this book from the wrong angle. As an investigation into trying to find the killer, the detailed back stories of several characters slowed down the pace of the narrative. On reflection, the story is more about the different factors which led to the murderous situation - trying to fit into Australian society as an immigrant, family expectations, historical culture,drugs, gangs and current opportunities. Reading the novel in this way, gives an insight into the Vietnamese way of life and the challenges faced.

I particularly liked the details such as some families never taking the polythene of the couch to preserve its newness and referring to older female community members as “Auntie” as a mark of respect.

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien. #AllThatsLeftUnsaid

I was attracted to this book for the whodunnit mystery elements but found it to be so much more than that. It has a realy interesting half true/half fiction backstory that I found equally mesmerising and heartbreaking and I'm coming away feeling like I've learnt a new perspective.

The characters are that perfect mix of flawed but loveable and although not the fast pace thrillers I'm usually into, this book feels perfect for what it is.

I really loved this debut novel from Tracey Lien. It paints a very human picture of life in Cabramatta for Vietnamese refugees, told through the eyes of a young woman from that community. I am a big fan of crime fiction and so the detective elements of Ky’s quest for the truth really appealed to me but I also loved the way in which the relationships between family members and friends were portrayed. I shall certain read more by this author.

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracy Lien is an impressive debut that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. A powerful and moving story centered around the aftermath of the brutal murder of Denny Tran, it is a thought provoking and often harrowing read that really does get under your skin.

Set in 1996, the story takes place in Cabramatta, Sydney, Australia as Denny Tran celebrates his high school graduation with friends. Later that night Denny is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant located in Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violence and an indifferent police force. Returning home for the funeral, Denny’s older sister Ky is haunted by the words she said to her parents when they called to ask her if they should let him go out to celebrate with his friends: ‘Just let him go.”

Determined to uncover the truth of what happened to her brother, Ky sets out to track down and talk to witnesses herself, but is met by silence and a refusal to admit to seeing anything happen at all. Ky’s torment at her own part in what happened to Denny is palpable as she struggles to understand her Vietnamese parents approach to grief, the cultural divide between them widening as she finds herself feeling more and more alone.

With flashbacks of Denny’s life meaningfully scattered throughout the narrative, Tracy Lien ensures he is still very much a part of the story, making the senselessness of his death even more painful as the horror and devastation of a life cut short is brought sharply into focus as the loss of the optimistic, likable Denny begins to become a stark reality.

A richly detailed and complex debut that once started I found hard to put down, All That’s Left Unsaid is a moving and unforgettable read that explores themes of grief, cultural divides and a family in turmoil. Tracy Lien has written a powerful and thought provoking story that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.

With a compelling cast of characters, All That’s Left Unsaid is a beautifully written literary crime debut that I would highly recommend.

I loved this book. It gave huge insights into how it felt to grow up as a Vietnamese refugee/migrant in Cabramatta in the 90's. It was a highly emotional read about female friendships, family relationships and the difficulties of maintaining ethnic values while trying to fit in. It also highlighted the inadequacies of public services in aiding assimilation. It is the story of Ty who managed to get away from Cambramatta to pursue her career, and her return to find out who was responsible for murdering her younger brother. Despite being killed in a restaurant why did nobody choose to see it and bear witness? A great read

What an amazing read! The book begins with us meeting Ky (pronounced Kee) who is at her brothers funeral.
The family are Vietnamese who have been living in Australia a long time. Ky is living in Melbourne when her brother Denny is killed in a restaurant and with no autopsy she has no idea what happened and why. For closure she sets out to return home to Cabramatta to try and discover exactly what happened that night.

Through out the book we meet different characters with different backgrounds Lulu has lived in that same town as Ky for the last 10 years, Minnie who is Kys childhood friend, Sharon a teacher at their school and Flora a wedding singer. The book was very powerful and also interesting read about all the different cultures and ways of each. Also how Ky feels that a lot of Asian families have to put on a front and how all their families previous sacrifices have been worth it. She is also sick of always being told what Asian women can and can't be.

I would say this is a character building novel rather than having lots of action but I absolutely loved this and the way the book still had lots of content as parts flashed back to the past. I managed to finish this is a couple of days , I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for others by this author.

This book broke my heart, and left me in an emotional wreck. It was so good, with characters that had me by the heartstrings. Can not recommend enough.

the premise was certainly compelling and relevant but the execution didn't particularly grab me. i'm sure other readers will be able to find this much more heart-rendering and involving that i was able to.

Mesmerising and haunting, these are the best words I can use to describe this amazing book.
All that’s left unsaid tells the story of Ky as she tries to discover the true sequence of events that led to her brother’s murder in a closed off community where a culture of mistrust in the police force means she has to take matters into her own hands.
The word community was used a lot in this harrowing tale however it seemed that everyone in Kys orbit felt trapped and alone at the same time. Her entire world and of those around her was full of pain, raw , gritty and deep cutting pain.
Whilst most of us (me included) have gone through the pain of growing apart from childhood friends and have experienced the pain and loss , this book took that concept to a whole new level of pain.
The book was full to the brim of loss and loneliness . It appeared to me that no one in this book felt truly able to connect to anyone around them and each had their own sense of guilt about the decisions they had made. And although by this point your probably thinking jeez lauren this sounds like the most depressing read of the year it wasn’t. Because at the heart of it there was always a glimmer of hope.
And although it became quite apparent early on that there would be no fairy tale outcome the ending was real, and human and certainly did not disappoint. The story is a little slow to start but stick with it and you wont be disappointed, I for one cant wait to read more from this talented author!

When Ky Ran returns home for the funeral of her murdered brother, she cannot understand why nobody saw anything. A tale of racism that doesn't just focus on the journey to find the killer. I found the book over sharing in detail and it just didn't grab my attention.

I enjoyed reading the story of Ky and her regrets, doubts and how she was trying to find out the truth about the night that changed everything in her life.

The pre-published reviews were most promising. One describes the novel as gripping. The premise is intriguing: it starts with a simple phone conversation between Ky's parents and daughter Ky. Should brother Denny (Ky's brother) be allowed out to celebrate his graduation? They agree to the celebration but Denny is murdered at a Sydney restaurant. Ky returns for the funeral and starts to investigate her brother's death. Disturbing revelations follow.
I enjoyed the first few chapters but then the pace dropped and I found it far from gripping. At this point, I gave up but came back to it again after reading another favourable review. I delved further into the story. but I struggled with the back stories which were far from the "gripping" description promised.
Sorry, but despite all the good reviews, this novel did not appeal to me!
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I enjoyed this books but it did drag for me halfway. The chapters were quite long so the pace got lost for me. I found the plot really intriguing and I wanted to find out what happened to Denny. Overall, a thought provoking read

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting, yet heartbreaking book . Quite thought provoking. A recommended read.

I thought this book started off well but then it kind of got lost on me. This was more character focused than plot and I understand some readers enjoy that but I prefer a faster pace with plot twists so sadly I did not love this like I hoped to.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HQ for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading a couple of chapters towards the end of September I came back to this afresh, and though it felt brief there was plenty to consider.
The plot focuses on the older sister of teenage Denny who goes out to celebrate the end of school and is killed in a local restaurant. His parents refuse an autopsy - believing that what’s done is done - and nobody there will tell the police anything. His older sister returns to her childhood home to try and speak to the witnesses and see if she can uncover the truth about that night.
While the spotlight is on the murder, the background to Denny and his family has to be known to make sense of events. What we soon learn is that the heroin epidemic that swept their town impacts the lives of many on the periphery. Nobody could have foreseen the sad events of that night, but it is clear that everyone involved made choices and sometimes those choices do not fully reveal their consequences until much later.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this in advance of publication.

This was a very original and moving story. It took me a while to get into it but I am glad I persevered because it was beautifully thoughtaout and well written. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

Not a book I book that could get into. I kept picking the book up but the storyline did not absorb me enough to want to keep reading. Perhaps I need a faster pace from a crime novel. However , I am sure it will be a popular read for a wide audience.

Oh my heart! This was such a powerful read and gripped me from the get-go. I am thoroughly enjoying the establishment of the genre of Australian crime, but how unique was this extraordinarily good offering from Tracey Lien. The backdrop is the integration of Vietnamese immigrants in Australia. When Denny, one family's much cherish teenage son is brutally murdered in a Vietnamese restaurant the local police get nowhere in determining what really happened. Denny's journalist sister, Ky, returns home for the funeral and starts digging to determine what really happened to her brother. The clash of culture and in turn brave yet awkward lives of the community who try and fit in combined with Ky's laser beam focus on determining what or who killed her brother made this a heartbreakingly brilliant read. I LOVED IT.

Wow! What an incredible debut. This is a multi-layered, deeply moving novel about grief and youth and what it's like being an outsider. I cannot believe this is Tracey Lien's first novel.. I will be recommending this book to everyone!