A brilliant standalone novel - I chose this because I'd read the Kate Marshall series and loved those. This has all of the brilliance of Robert Brynzda's previous crime / thriller novels. Very tense, atmospheric and immersive!

Maggie, mid 40s, successful doctor in a busy London hospital, married to the lovely Will, living in their own house in London, with a newly built state of the art holiday home in Croatia, seems to have it all. Until Will is rolled into her trauma room one afternoon, apparently having committed suicide. Maggie doesn't believe that Will would commit suicide but no-one else agrees and there is no evidence to suggest foulplay - that is until Maggie visits the holiday home and receives a letter out of the blue, written by her husband before his death, revealing a series of clues which lead to evidence suggesting a prominent politician and friend of Will may be behind his death. From that point the story's pace ramps up as Maggie's life is threatened and she is forced to race across Europe for her life. A cracking read, perfect for summer holidays.

Fear the Silence by Robert Bryndza is a superb read and well worth the time spent! Great plot and characters.

A stand alone thriller by Robert Bryndza. Dr Maggie Kendall thought that life was great - a husband and a job that she loved in a busy London hospital.
Until one evening when she’s at work, Will comes into the ED with a fatal gunshot wound supposedly self inflicted.
Maggie’s world falls apart. Will’s posh and dysfunctional family take over the funeral arrangements , and Maggie is left reeling by the police investigation.
She decides to visit their second home on a very small island in Croatia, but once there strange things happen. First a letter sent by Will written six years ago, and then she has the feeling that someone is trying to kill her. Anyone she talks to about Will is hurt.

A good story, although I’m not a big fan of those written in the first person, and sometimes a little far fetched. A good stand alone read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Raven Street Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review

This book pulled me in right from the beginning. The dark, gritty atmosphere enveloped me in the rush to find out what happened to Maggie's husband.

As a trauma surgeon, Maggie receives the shock of her life when a patient is wheeled in with a gunshot wound - the patient is her husband. Thinking he was a victim of a burglary gone wrong, she is surprised to find out it was self-inflicted. After the funeral, Maggie travels to their vacation home in Croatia to close it up for winter. Once there, she finds a letter from her husband that is very disturbing and implicates him in a huge crime. Shocking events turn to terror and she realizes someone will do anything to protect their secret.

Oh My God this was fantastic. I loved Robs other books but didn't know if I would like a stand alone, but it was fantastic. So full of twists and turns, I couldn't put it down

Fear the Silence is the first standalone thriller by Robert Bryndza.
In short, Maggie’s husband is found dead at their home in a suspected suicide but Maggie is totally unconvinced that he would take his own life and desperately needs to find out the truth. After his funeral she escapes to their holiday home on a tiny island in Croatia where she soon discovers a letter written by her husband containing clues to a dark secret which sends her on a very dangerous journey.
I enjoyed this dark, creepy thriller, packed with plenty of tense drama. The majority of the story is set ‘not in sunny relaxing Croatia’ but in a dark, foreboding stormy Croatia where Maggie is all alone and the silence is deadly…just let’s be clear it’s put me off of holidaying alone on an island no matter how beautiful it is!!!
Anything written by Robert is a great read and Fear the Silence is no exception.
Big thanks to Robert Bryndza, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

I love any Robert Bryndza book. This one was a mystery, thriller that I enjoyed . Having said that, I felt this one was a bit of a whirlwind ..the part about Croatia, seemed to be the thriller part, but it also seemed the character was not above arrogance when it came to her vacation home , and her profession which is mentioned often, like don’t anyone forget how important I am...
this was a great read but for that and one other thing…the character calls out De costa from a racial comment when she was in college..I personally do not think that any of us should be held accountable for things that were said by us by our younger selves , we have all made verbal mistakes not knowing how they could affect our future, therefore I wish the author had figured a different way to end the blackmail scheme. That’s my honest opinion.. Thanks to Netgalley, Raven Publishing and the wonderful Robert Bryndza . 4 stars

I have liked Bryndza’s series work. This however, was a bit lacking for me. There is a lot missing in the explanations of some of the characters. There is stuff that is so far out there. After a fairly suspenseful ride the ending is a bit disappointing.
I was given a copy from Netgalley. opinions are my own.

Trauma doctor Maggie is a happy woman. She has a job she enjoys, a good marriage & few worries. That is until the night a shooting victim comes into the department. It is her husband, Will. He does not survive. Maggie believes that it was a burglary gone wrong until evidence points to Will having fired the fatal shot.

Consumed by grief she goes to the holiday home Will had designed on a small Croatian island. It is out of season but she doesn't care. However when she finds a letter left to her by Will she realises that something from Will's past as a forensic pathologist has led to his death. If she wants to find out what that is, she is going to have to put herself in danger & she has no idea who she can trust.

I have been a fan of Robert Bryndza's Erica Foster series from the start so I wanted to read this stand alone & I was not disappointed. Maggie is a formidable protagonist & I was rooting for her all the way!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this terrific book.

3.5

I love a Robert Bryndza novel and was excited to read his first standalone thriller. For me, it wasn’t quite as good as his two series which I adore but it definitely had me gripped and I finished this in less than 24 hours. Maggie is a great leading character and you can really empathise with her throughout this novel. The terror and fear definitely amped up throughout the book and there were times where I felt myself holding my breath. There are plenty of twists and turns and you end up feeling suspicious of everyone at times. It wasn’t a big surprise to me who was behind it all in the end which is why I didn’t rate this any higher but it’s still a great read with a murderous plot and I enjoyed the political elements too.

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing, Robert Bryndza and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

I avidly read all of Robert's books. From the Erika series to the Coco ones. I was very excited to read this one as he is one of my favourite authors.

However, this one was in my opinion not the same. It started off great and I couldn't put it down. But, half way through it just became more and more bizarre and unbelievable - don't get me wrong it was still easy to read, but not on the same level as previous ones.

I can't wait to read his next book.

Thanks for the advance copy Netgalley

I really enjoyed this one SO much! It was a fast-paced, high-velocity ride! The author grabbed me from the start and didn't let go until the end. The overall narrative was extremely well done! Very dark, very twisty ... and it was interesting and compelling! I just really enjoyed the entire experience of reading this one! The story, the characters, the exploration of how well you really know the people in your life ... it's all just really good. This author very obviously knows how to use external factors such as the weather or the setting or even specific things/events to create very real tension. If you love a strong and twisty psychological thriller, this is for you! Definitely recommend!

"Fear The Silence" by Robert Bryndza is an expertly-plotted standalone crime thriller that will keep readers gripped until the last page.

The book follows Maggie Kendall, a 47-year-old trauma surgeon working in A&E. As a trauma medicine doctor, Maggie always strives to save a patient’s life. No matter how severe the injury, how complex the situation, she and her team are calm, focused, and decisive. But when her husband is wheeled into her London hospital’s Trauma Unit with a gunshot wound to the head, she freezes, unable to function as her team fights a losing battle as Will flatlines.

Will committed suicide, she is told. Her happy, successful, loving husband killed himself using a gun he owned for six years and she was clueless. This information is almost as torturous as his loss; the stinging guilt, wondering what she missed. She stumbles through days with no family left to lean on, her wealthy mother-in-law distant and cold. So, Maggie wraps up her life and decides to go to their holiday home on a small Croatian island to retrieve a few of her husband's things and recover from her loss while doing so.

It is winter, and the island is deserted but for its caretaker and his son. Her first night alone in the stunning cliff-side home, Maggie is jumpy. A letter from her dead husband, written six years previously and hinting at dark secrets to come, makes her question how well she knew her husband. The plot thickens as curious tidbits pop up, making her realize there is more to her husband's death than meets the eye. Weird incidents on the island bring her to suspect her life is at risk. Guilt and questions about Will’s death plague her as she falls into a fitful sleep, a winter storm battering the island with wind and rain. Maggie awakes to sounds in her dark and isolated house. The power is off, and a quick check of her security app produces blank screens where camera images should be. Has someone broken in, or is she imagining things? She has to piece together the pieces, and fast, before it is too late. Someone wants to bury those secrets and will go to great lengths to do so. After all, "Three can keep a secret... If two of them are dead."

This psychological thriller has lightning fast pacing and fine plotting. The story was an entertaining and an interesting action-packed tale. I like strong heroines, and Maggie was just that. She's one of those heroines that you positively want to root for and pray for her success The stormy and isolated setting supports the tension and is lovely to read about. The characterization is as strong and balanced as the scenery. Very well done. Thriller fans will find a great discovery in this author.

Robert Bryndza's writing is compelling and suspenseful, and he expertly builds tension and atmosphere throughout the book. At one point I wondered how the author would wrap up the story, and let me tell you, it was exactly right! I rate it 5/5 stars for its gripping and engaging story. This novel will appeal to readers of crime thrillers and anyone who loves intrigue and action. Recommended of course!

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for providing me with this ARC and the opportunity provide fair and unbiased feedback and a review.

This standalone mystery thriller never quite hooked me.

Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Kendall, age 47, is a trauma surgeon at Guy's Hospital in London. When her husband, Will, is found shot dead in their fashionable home, Maggie can't believe the verdict is suicide. In her grief, she travels to Tisina, a small Croatian island, to stay in their vacation home while she sorts through things and comes to grips with her new situation. The main thing she needs to deal with is a mysterious letter written 6 years prior delivered to her by a solicitor engaged by Will -- that she knew nothing about. Apparently Will was keeping a huge secret and it's connected to a very powerful person in the UK government.

I wish I could say this was exciting and suspenseful, but I can't. It all started out well and was, at least, fast-paced, but I could not believe how quickly the story turned into melodrama with Maggie in constant peril. Her escapades in Tisina and afterwards bordered on fantastical. The character, being a doctor, seemed quite clueless and dumb most of the time. Very one-dimensional other characters populated the narrative and much of the story was spent in Maggie's head. The "delusion" sequence put me off completely. In any event, this was definitely not my favorite. I've read all of Bryndza's other books and I hope he writes more of those.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review. My recommendation is to skip it.

I really enjoyed this standalone, it got a bit slow in parts but then ramped up. It was a very intelligent read and setting was amazing. Just loved the descriptions you can tell that the author has a real love for the place and people and this came through.

I wasnt sure about a few things but not going to mention them as they are plot spoilers but I get that they were necessary for the direction of the story just made me think twice.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

Loved it! This is only my 2nd by this author, and all I can say is I need to read more from him.

Maggie’s husband of 24 years was found dead by a gunshot wound at their home. The doctors and police have ruled it as suicide.

Maggie travels to their holiday home on a Croatian Island to grieve her husband and come to terms with his death. While there she discovers a letter written to her by her deceased husband. Here are where the terrifying twists and turns begin along with a dangerous scavenger hunt … escalating to an explosive ending.

Highly atmospheric, locked room (in more ways than one) and super high tension. This one had me on the edge of my seat!

Highly recommended!

Although this was well-written and a good overall story, it was too melodramatic for my taste. I mean Murphy’s law was alive and well in this book. Everything that could go wrong for the protagonist, Maggie, did, over and over again.

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I must first thank both NetGalley as well as the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Fear the Silence is an easy beach read, it is not of the same quality as either of Robert Bryndza’s other two outstanding series.

This was a wild ride and I was totally here for it! This was my 1st stand-alone by Robert Bryndza and he is now on my always-read list! I was hooked right from the jump on this book and loved that the bad-guy got their comeuppance in the end, that is my fave thing ever!

#FearTheSilence
#NetGalley.