The Silent Friend is a novel that totally gripping. It deals with lies, deceit and betrayal but most of all family.
Louise didn't have a happy childhood, her parents just about tolerated her, so as soon as she was able she left home and never looked back.
Whilst just having moved again Louise found herself watching a drama unfold across the street one of her neighbours have been arrested and it looks like the wife is extremely upset.
Not sure if she should go and see if everything is ok, she thinks that it's best left alone.
A few days later theres a knock on her door and it's her neighbour who is deeply distressed.
After inviting her neighbour Isabelle in it soon becomes apparent that Isabelle is pregnant and having been told that her husband Carl has been arrested for harmful intent and burglary.
Isabelle is determined that Carl is innocent but having been refused bail she doesn't know what to do.
The story unfolds as the months pass and Louise and Isabelle bond and and build a strong friendship.
But not everyone is telling the truth, which one is keeping secrets and can their friendship survive?

This story is told from the perspectives of two friends, Louise and Isabelle, and crosses between the past and the present.

Louise wasn’t close to her family and wants friends, so when new neighbours, pregnant Isabelle and her husband Carl, move in, Louise is hoping for friendship. Carl is arrested by the police but Isabelle is convinced that he’s innocent. However, it turns out that Louise knows Carl.

I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this advanced reader copy. I heard this was a never put down book, and that is what happened to me as I became engrossed with the storyline. The author wrote the book as if you are right there with her telling the character's perspective. Pay attention and watch out for the silent friends you might have in your life. Louise and Isabelle have things to do; will the ending show those triumphs?

Pretty good read. Not putdownable for me as took a bit to get into the story. But once you do your invested. Great twist that I wasn't expecting which made the story worth the read.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Intriguing and pretty much unpitdownable read that once started had to get to the end to find out what was going to happen,I liked the characters and how they were portrayed,all in all this was a very good book

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

I was not expecting the ending! I loved that so much! What a wonderful story of friendship. You think the protagonist is meek at first but that is just a first impression. She has layers and she is beyond strong.

Easy thrilling read you could finish in one sitting. The author didn't overdo it with the twists and the pace was good. Isabelle and Lousie are both characters you root for. I enjoyed that it also included forgiveness and moving on not just a straight thriller.

Once you start this you won't be able to put it down. So many excellent and shocking twists with heart-pounding suspense. It will keep you guessing to the very end.

3.5 stars rounded up
Louise grew up with parents that didn’t show her love. Didn’t have a sense of family. It’s no wonder she fell for Carl and his lies. Predators prey on the weak. This was a mystery that also makes you feel a bunch of feelings, which I don’t normally experience in a mystery book. Louise does end up finding her “ family” and does the right thing by turning herself in to law enforcement. This book has mystery, love, redemption, forgiveness, and starting over.
Great book. Thanks to bold wood books, NetGalley, and the author for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Silent Friend by Alison Stockham is told by two different women Louise and Isabelle.

Louise has just moved into her new flat, she has always longed for a family for some type of closeness so when her new next door neighbour Isabelle and her husband Carl move in she forms an unlikely friendship with her after Isabelle’s husband has been taken away by the police in which Isabelle believes her husband is innocent in the crime that has been committed and he’ll be home very soon.

The Silent Friend is a book that has aspects of twists and turns, betrayal and lies. The twists are very good and has you guessing throughout the book. Once I started to read I couldn’t stop as I wanted to see what would happen next.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to fellow book readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher BoldwoodBooks for the copy of this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Bookes for the chance to read this book. This story which is told by two women Louise and Isabelle is a tale of lies, so many lies, twists, betrayal, scams and redemption. The scams are shameful and during one a man is badly injured. It leads to an arrest but even from inside a murder is committed,
and tension and threats continue to mount, Fearful of the consequences of her part in the scams Louise turns herself in and serves a short sentence. It's a time for reflection and contemplation as to what her future looks like.
After her release from jail there is a surprise waiting for her leading to a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Boldwood books and NetGalley for my ARC of this. Louise has always longed for a family. Connection. So when Isabelle and her husband move next door Louise and Isabelle form a quick and unlikely friendship. As they don't seem to have much in common. Except that Louise does have a connection to Isabelle's husband. The twists are good and I didn't guess at some of it. I am taking a star off because it took quite a while for the story to get going. But once it did, I was fully invested.

This is a fast paced and easy read book!
I wouldn’t necessarily says it’s a thriller. It’s more family drama but overall, a good read with likable characters that you root for.

The twist that comes about a quarter into the book is really good. You hope Louise works things out and can handle her business. You want Isabelle to stop being a naive and stick up for herself.

The ending is good!

This was great book which had me hooked from start until finish. The story is told from Louise and Isabelle perspective. It jumps between past and present timelines which helped build the suspense within.

Louise moves to a new neighborhood and befriends pregnant Isabelle, whose husband Carl was arrested for murder. Turns out that Louise and Carl have a connection I did not see coming. Excellent book which I will be recommending. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me.

Louise has never experienced the love of a family, she is craving that closeness, and gets involved in a criminal scheme. Nothing violent was supposed to happen - until it did.

Her cohort, Carl, has a pregnant wife, and Louise lives in a flat across the road. When Carl is arrested, Louise meets Isabelle and they become very close, and once the baby is born, Louise feels she has found the family she never had. Isabelle has no idea that Louise knows Carl, and the truth about his business.

I enjoyed this book, it was slightly slow to begin with, but soon became interesting and I could barely wait to see what would happen next.
Coming from a family that is close, I can't understand families that are not actually families, that lack that feeling of belonging. But I do know that it happens.

I don't think this book belongs in a thriller category, but it is a heartwarming book in a way, with some violence thrown in, and criminal activities.

Very enjoyable and entertaining.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Louise has just moved into her new flat when she hears a disturbance across the street. A police car has arrived and taken what looks like the husband away. Soon after she gets a knock at the door and there stands Isobel, the man's wife, welcoming her to the neighbourhood but in need of some company. Louise and Isobel soon strike up a friendship and Louise learns that Carl, Izzy’s husband, has been arrested for burglary with actual bodily harm, something Izzy’s says he would never do. She is convinced of his innocence and expects him to soon be home. Carl worked with an accomplice who distracted the elderly whilst he rummaged around for what he could take. Little does Izzy know that the last accomplice was rather closer to home than she would ever imagine..
Wow! I raced through this and was surprised early on by the twist .(I’m not giving anything away). It's a very clever concept, perfectly executed and even 50% of the way through I couldn't imagine what was going to happen. I quite liked Louise even with her naivety (or savvy?) of what she had done. She came across as a caring person wanting to do the best for her friend and baby in rather unusual circumstances. A brilliant, highly entertaining read I thoroughly recommend.

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"The Silent Friend" by Alison Stockham is a book about family and belonging - what makes us who we are and how very fragile it can be. It is more of a family drama rather than a thriller, exploring themes such as family bonds, loyalty, friendship, and the consequences of our choices

The book revolves around two women, Louise and Isabelle, as they navigate their lives. It jumps between past and present timelines and is written in the third person from Louise's point of view. I must say that the transitions between timelines were well executed.

Louise lives across from Isabelle and gradually becomes entwined in her life. After Isabelle's husband is arrested, Louise befriends her and provides support during her pregnancy and after the birth. Louise sees Isabelle as her soul mate. After all, they are both lonely, victims of the actions of others, and abandoned by those who were supposed to care.

As their relationship develops, Louise realizes that not all is well in Isabelle's life. Although Isabelle's life may appear perfect on the surface, closer examination reveals cracks. Isabelle is too trusting and weak, but motherhood builds her character. From a weak, dependent woman she transforms into a strong, self-reliant, and independent one.

All Louise ever wanted was a loving family, and Isabelle and her child provide just that. However, one can't escape from their past or misdeeds, as Louise discovers. Louise and Isabelle become good friends, even though Louise wasn't honest with Isabelle. She knows more about Isabelle than she lets on, and her next move will determine the course of their friendship.

The book didn't have the high-octane intensity I expected, but I still enjoyed it. The pace was a bit slow, and there wasn't much suspense, although a couple of twists did catch me by surprise. I appreciated the interactions between the two women and the level of detail that went into them. A good story creates an emotional connection with the characters, and this story certainly achieved that. The protagonists were well-drawn, and I could relate to them. I liked that the characters were portrayed as real people with flaws.

Initially, I didn't like Louise and thought that Isabelle was too naive. However, as the story unfolded and their characters developed, I grew to care more about them. Louise had an unloving childhood, which doesn't excuse her behavior, but I liked that she eventually took responsibility for her actions. The author did a great job of depicting her redemption.

This is a story of hardship, choices (both good and bad), guilt, and love. Louise's journey is one of broken dreams, second chances, acceptance, and redemption. One valuable message to take from the book is that home is where the heart is. A tighter plot would have improved the book overall, but I still found it a worthwhile read and would recommend it. 4/5 stars.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to netgalley and BoldWood books for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

It was a slow paced and enjoyable read nonetheless. A bit repetitive at times. The twist came pretty early on when we learned what the secret Louise is hiding from Isabelle. It was more of a book of a woman getting stronger despite being lied to rather than a thriller, in my opinion. And the struggles that Louise goes through throughout the book about where lies her loyalty. That being said, I still would recommend this book as I loved it.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Alison Stockham for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Silent Friend, to be published 27 June 2023. This was a great relationship novel depicting two women who met under unusual circumstances and spent the next years in an on again, off again situation. It was a little slow for my tastes but anyone who likes relationship issues should enjoy it. 4/5 Stars. #NetGalley. #BoldwoodBooks #AlisonStockham