I wanted to love this one, and I certainly did love aspects of it. For me, the pacing was just off. It felt slow at times, and I didn't ever find myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it.

I did love the character of Cam and her dynamic with her sort of adopted brother/former international assassin type guy, Dimi. I liked the character of Eric Morgan, too, but the romantic aspects felt forced. I would have loved to have the dogs included more in the story as it unfolded. It is said that animals have an awareness of things we can not see, and I think this story could have capitalized on that perfectly.

Overall, this was a decent story with some great characters. I'm definitely going to be checking out more works by this author.

This book was just the right amount of creepy! Kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. Loved the characters as well as the overall story. There were definitely some chapters I couldn’t read at night! 4 stars for me!

Cam Ambrose leaves her job as a detective with the NYPD after her husband is murdered. She moves to her late uncle's house along with her daughter Samantha and her best friend/ adopted brother Dimi. Strange things start to happen in the house leading to an investigation to save the lives of the ones she loves.

Silent Key is full of mystery, dread, and chilling moments. This is a haunted house story unlike any other. Cam is a strong main character who is a great mom and friend while figuring out the mystery behind the supernatural happening that are plaguing her family. There are elements of haunted house and water horror. This is a great story with compelling characters and plot. I highly recommend this novel to fans of horror.

In the horror thriller novel Silent Key by Laurel Hightower, NYPD Detective Camilla "Cam" Ambrose struggles to find her footing after her entire world view is forced to shift following the brutal and mysterious death of her husband Tony leaves her with the gut wrenching reality that her husband (and their young daughter) have been keeping terrifying secrets from her. Nobody wants to believe that ghosts are real, let alone that they may be tormenting your little girl, but Cam is committed to protecting little Samantha from any and all threats, even the ones she doesn't understand.

Horror is not typically a genre I reach for, and since I was going into this book blind I thought I was just picking up another thrilling mystery. The problem I personally find with horror books is that the fear of the paranormal does not translate as well on paper as it does on screen. But this is the first book to prove me wrong. Hightower does a great job of building anxiety that slowly creeps under your skin and leaves you with the dilemma of trying to decide whether or not you really want the answers to the questions you have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for this advanced reader copy of Silent Key by Laurel Hightower to be reviewed.

The way I get so excited each time I know Laurel Hightower will be releasing a new story, novella, or novel! SILENT KEY is a solid addition to Hightower's impressive collection of writing. She knows how to craft total badass characters, especially women. Her wit and intellect are given life with these characters she creates. Fans of Hightower's previous works might liken Silent Key more to Whispers in the Dark as opposed to Crossroads, Below, etc as they relate to plot and themes. It's real life grief and hauntings and ghosts... and it's blended with police and mystery and paranormal. I loved Whispers in the Dark as it was my introduction to her writing and it was just easy to fall in love with the mystery in Silent Key, too. The relationship of the main character and her daughter was something I became super invested in. I NEEDED EVERYONE TO STAY SAFE!! I am just so impressed with the way she can write characters and have us instantly feel for them and be protective of them, constantly worrying for them and wishing for their success. There are quite a few twists and turns along the way and Hightower does a great job at exposing hidden truths at just the right times and the best ways possible. Hightower is such a powerhouse when it comes to writing and I am already eager for what is next!

On Goodreads, this novel is described as having elements of Nick Cutter’s The Deep and Peter Benchley’s Jaws. I think these comparisons are misleading and you will be disappointed if you go into it hoping for some type of oceanic horror. I'm not sure where these comparisons came from as only a very small portion of the story takes place under water.

Silent Key is more a ghost story/mystery focusing on a recently widowed former detective and mother trying to protect her daughter from supernatural forces. I enjoyed this story. The narrative moves along at a good pace and I liked the relationship between Cam and Dimi. Worth the read.

This is a character driven tale of grief and despair. The writing is very good and the story very spine tingling. I love it from start to finish! Great prose and well developed characters and plot. This is one I would recommend to fans of Darcy Coates

Silent Key by Laurel Hightower has a little something for every horror fan, and it's a must-read for October.

Former police officer Cam Ambrose is dealing with the death of her husband, and the death of his memory, as she learns after his passing that her husband had been keeping major secrets. Cam, along with her 5 year old daughter and her Russian gangster "brother", flee New York for rural Texas, hoping to get a fresh start. But something dark has its eyes on Cam's little family, and it will take all her wits and resources to save them.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the grief was handled well, the premise was very original and the dread was palpable. Silent Key needs to move to the top of your Spooky Reads TBR! Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the chance to review this advance copy.

Laurel Hightower's first full-length novel shines as a supernatural thriller. In this world, everyone readily accepts ghosts as real or isn't trusted with that information. Cam's husband has been killed and she and her daughter move from NYC to a small town where she meets her neighbour. She also finds out her husband had an affair their whole marriage and that he and their daughter are seers; they can talk to ghosts. Turns out a ghostly loop has been left open and her daughter is in danger. The pace is quick and flies as quickly as a best-seller. This was a quick read that kept me riveted. The ghost story fits in nicely and doesn't take away from the thriller atmosphere. I loved all the characters but wasn't thrilled with the ending. Not so much that I'd dock a rating though.

Silent Key is a mystery wrapped up in a ghost story. Ghosts, submarines, code breaking and an adorable little girl who can communicate with the dead.

Sammy was by far my favorite character. A sweet little 5 year old with other worldly powers, grieving the loss of her father, who also spoke to ghosts. Cam, Sammy’s mother, knew none of this until her husband died leaving all kind of secrets, including an affair.

This could easily be a series and I want to know the continued tales of Sammy, as she grows in her powers.

What a fun police horror book! The pacing was wonderful. I never felt bored. The characters kept me engaged and the ending was super well done.
I really enjoyed the plot. The blend of supernatural with a bit of romance with some fright was amazing.

This was such a fun read! It was nothing like I expected it to be and that's not even a bad thing. I don't usually go for detective/police stories, but everything else about this novel was so weird and intriguing that I barely noticed it was a cop-book.

What I loved:
-The thrills! The mystery! This was creepy right from the beginning and kept me guessing throughout. An honest page-turner.
-Paranormal Activity. This was some verrrry unique paranormal content compared to anything I've read before. It all felt so bizarre- I loved it.
-Pacing. Not once did I feel bored or that things needed to move along faster or slow down. Perfectly paced.
-Conclusion. What a great open ending.
-Unique plot. How did she piece all of this stuff together? Russians... cops... ghosts... underwater shenanigans... Texa cowboy-type... What is even going on here? But she did the damn thing.

What I didn't:
-Protagonist Pottymouth. I get that it was part of her character and probably meant to humanize her... but at times, it just felt silly. I just didn't dig it.
-Characters. I didn't particularly feel invested in any of the characters (looking at you, Dimi). It was still lots of fun regardless, so I am not sure that mattered!

NYC Detective Cam Ambrose, her best friend Dimi, and daughter Sammy head out to her Uncle Bert's place after the mysterious death of Cam's husband, Tony. Unsure of what or who killed him, they flee to a small town to try to protect Sammy. Cam learns that everyone around her holds secrets, both the living and the dead. As Cam tries to deal with the fact she knew little about her late husband and the supernatural world he was involved with, she fights to protect her daughter from the ghosts of the past who threaten everyone she loves.

Silent Key is almost more of a police procedural than a horror novel. Libraries with mystery fans who are open to some supernatural elements should consider this title. I think it would appeal to fans of shows like The X-Files. Laurel Hightower, author of Below and Every Woman Knows This, has crafted a book that is a mix of several genres - mystery/suspense, romance, and horror. A read alike would be Children of Chicago by Cina Pelayo, another book that blends mystery with horror.

This atmospheric, emotional tale leaves you holding your breath the whole time. The story starts in media res, and you get to meet the characters as they’ve already experienced supernatural tragedy and are trying to save themselves from further trauma, and things don’t quite go to plan. The characters in this book are really wonderful, and while the young child read a few years older than the age she was given other than that I really felt the weight and authenticity of the characters. There is one character, especially, a Russian ex-mobster, who could have come off as a parody, and yet he was balanced and convincing, given the world. The story is a compelling and unique take on a haunting, and it was a lot of fun, without letting you have a complete sense of what “safe” might look like. The writing wasn’t overly colorful, but it still had an emotional edge and had genuine dialogue that all felt quite real. There wasn’t much world-building, per se, but one thing I enjoyed was that while there were clearly supernatural things happening, the story starts with our characters not understanding them, in terms of the hows or whys, but the book isn’t interested in any lengthy exposition dumps trying to justify the supernatural elements, they are just accepted as an unknown and unnerving reality, and that was refreshing.

The book was well-written and moved at a really fast pace, and this left me a little divided. The chapters were all quite short, and they flowed well into each other, really propelling the book forward in constant motion, never staying in one place for too long. On one hand I appreciate that about a suspense story, where the structure and the narrative elicit parallel experiences of urgency. On the other hand, I would have really loved to spend more time with these characters, and get to know them more. Never mind there are glimpses at secret backstories of characters and families that are only teased, but even with the characters we spend most of our time with, I just would have liked to feel a deeper connection with them. They never felt rushed or not fully fleshed out in terms of characters, which is to say it never felt like lazy writing, but rather I just always felt like we were too rushed to really spend time with them, being with them on occasions when there weren’t fires to be put out. I recently read a novella by this same author which I really enjoyed, and these short chapters and kind of constant narrative energy felt like they would have been perfect in a story that was 150 pages shorter, but here it didn’t feel quite as effective. Letting us slow down with the characters a little more could have ramped up the tension and strengthened our identification with their struggles. So that, combined with a little bit of a hand-wavey explanation at the end, is what holds this back from a higher score. As it is, though, I really enjoyed the characters and the story itself, and thought this was a great read. When the biggest complaint is that you want to spend more time with the characters that is generally a good complaint to have!

(Rounded up from 3.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Flame Tree Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a very engrossing supernatural mystery about a former New York detective who moves to Texas with her five year old daughter following the horrific death of her husband. Cam thinks she a her daughter will be safe in Texas at her uncle's old ranch house, but it seems that the supernatural forces she is trying to escape might be able to find her wherever she goes. Brilliant characters and a chilling plot make this a creepy, griping read, but there is also a sweet second-chance romance amongst all the darkness. Highly recommended.

Lets start with the book cover which is... well it IS relevant, but only to a very small portion at the end of the book so don't let it be the sole reason you pick up The Silent Key. The synopsis compares to Nick Cutter's The Deep, well disregard that entirely too, this is absolutely nothing like that.
Good thing those were two of three reasons I picked it up then- third of course being that I love Flame Tree Press.

This is not your average haunting, it is weeeeird- but cool weird. There are no cold misty breaths to warn you the ghosts are coming, no creaking doors or soft steps, they come in with a bang and go out with a crash and it's not easy to work out why.

The Silent Key follows Cam, her 'brother' Dimi and child Sammy as they flee the scene of her husband's murder in New York. A solid start as they relocate to her recently deceased Uncle's Texas farmhouse, a relatively remote location with only one nearby neighbour.

Whilst I really liked Eric - the inevitably lovely, lonely man living next door- I was also irritated by his entire existence in the book. This grieving widow who's scumbag husband had been cheating for years is somehow immediately trusting a total stranger? Falling head over heels in a matter of days and trusting her childs life with him? Oh stop it.
No ghosties or happenings when Eric is nearby, purely so we can call him the safe place because certainly no other explanation is forthcoming.

I've come to learn this about myself; I only like children in books when their snarky, independent or funny. Yes, I'm a bad person. Sammy can see and speak to ghosts, which would be interesting if we ever got to see or hear anything other than her mumbling in corners, making doe eyes at people and refusing to talk about anything at all.

Dimi and Maksim made the novel for me. The dangerous Russian criminals that keep you spinning on whether or not you can believe either one of them- both with developed character histories and interesting dialogue. I also loved to hate the mistress, so well written she almost made my own blood boil!

I've come to the main character last, which may already tell you how I felt about Cam. For me she instigated the plot movement but no more. I didn't care about her at all. Unfortunately The Silent Key is written in first person from her perspective so there's no escaping her bland voice.

I could have done with a little more explanation on some plot lines and a whole lot less repetition on others, the setting isn't as descriptive as I'd like and the pace slowed in places to allow for the inconceivable romance subplot. Overall The Silent Key was an interesting take on a ghost story but I'm not convinced by Hightower just yet.

REVIEW: Richly layered and a slow burn, Silent Key centers on Cam Ambrose as she moves to Texas with her daughter. From there, her detective background comes to the fore as she experiences some very strange occurrences around the events of her uncle’s death and more. Part procedural, romance, horror, and mystery, this is an ambitious work from Hightower, who is always worth a read.

This book was featured in my newsletter, DISPATCHES. Here’s the link:
Dispatches #8 October 2023
The campaign URL for this campaign is: https://mailchi.mp/c9a5a7ba7640/dispatches-issue-6148340

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect (because I mostly wanted to be surprised) and I found it quite suspenseful and eerie. There’s a little bit of everything in here; Russian crime mobs, murders, ghosts, other paranormal events, and even some darker, claustrophobic scenes.

What I really liked:
-The characters felt realistic to me.
-The ghost scenes were unique.
-Pitties were painted in a loving light (my heart loved Atticus).
-There were some really suspenseful parts.

What I didn’t like:
-The ending felt very abrupt to me. The dive didn’t happen until almost the end, and (while it was suspenseful), it just felt rushed to me.

Otherwise, I thought this was wonderfully spooky and it kept me guessing. I don’t want to give too much away because I feel like the reader should go into this book without knowing a lot.

Laurel Hightower's first novel also feels like her first foray into the world of mystery/thriller. The characters are so real, and the story is full of emotion. That's consistently one of my favorite things about Laurel's writing. There's some really brutal stuff in this story, but it feels less like horror than her previous titles. I think this one will appeal to a wider audience, especially fans of Sue Grafton. The main character has a similar unfiltered girlboss perspective that pairs well with the powerful storytelling. Check it out if you like contemporary thrillers, as this has a lot of the same ingredients and style.

Listen to your kids. It can be hard sometimes as they can speak absolute nonsense, but they also speak the truth, and they may need you to listen. Perhaps they wake at night and tell you that things are not right in the house, you can dismiss this as childish fantasies, but their fears could be based on something. The Ambrose family believes their daughter when she says that she sees ghosts. Sammy may be the only things that saves the rest of the family from the same fate as her father and Great Uncle. Something is haunting the Ambrose family and wants revenge.

Cam Ambrose is a successful detective for the NYPD, but her family always comes first. When her husband is found dead his remains are left disfigured in a bizarre manner. Cam soon discovers that he was having an affair before he died, and her daughter Sammy says that there is a ghost haunting them and they must leave the city. Cam decides to move her remaining family to rural Texas and the house her uncle left behind, but it soon transpires that his death was more bizarre than her husbands. What is happening to the Ambrose family and what did they awake?

Many of the best ghost tales that you can think of are based on ‘real life’ stories. They work so well as there is a real fear in protecting your family, be it from a poltergeist or animated doll. Laurel Hightower’s Silent Key recreates this sense of the familial with a fictional household. The centre of the story is the Ambrose family. The powerful matriarch, the innocent child, and the mysterious brother. No matter what they face, they face it is as a team, trusting in one another.

This trust is key to the book working. Cam believes her daughter that there are ghosts. Her husband spoke of them too before his death. This belief means that the book can enter the spooky zone immediately, we do not have to sit through a hundred pages or more of scepticism. The family unit also helps develop Cam’s relationship with her new neighbours, the man who lives in the property next door, or the police. Her first thoughts will always be for her daughter if this means doing something ‘wrong’ she will not care.

There are some unerring moments in Silent that makes it a great ghost tale, but it also has aspects of a thriller and crime story. As an ex-police officer, Cam goes about trying to solve her ghost problem in a procedural manner. Not being hampered by being employed by the law, Cam takes on a maverick approach.

As the book progresses the supernatural world and our own comes closer, but no matter how fantastical things become the book remains grounded because Hightower wrote a character in Cam who refuses to be overwhelmed. Cam is the centre of the book, her actions, her love for her daughter, and her loyalty to her brother all dictate how things play out. It feels like Hightower allowed the character of Cam to lead where the story went, and it works. The door to the otherworld is left open and you can see the Ambrose family having to deal with the supernatural again.