I enjoyed this audiobook from L.V.Matthews, my first introduction to this author.

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and the narrator was very easy to listen to.

As for the plot, as a suspense thriller it was cleverly written and there were some surprises in store. There were several storylines for the characters which all pulled together well. I was kept guessing to the end. Great book.

Thank you to Netgalley, LV Matthews and WFHowes Ltd for the opportunity to listen to this in return for an honest review

Firstly I loved the narration of this book. I was engaged from start to finish and the main character Jen was well written and it was different she was a police diver it brought something new that I never listened to or read about before. I purely picked this book because of the title and cover and so glad I did and would definitely read/listen more by the author and hopefully the same narrator. Thanks to netgalley for sending me this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

The narration
I loved the narration. There were a few instances in the production where there was a scene change but an insufficient gap was included to distinguish this. That said it did not detract from an enjoyable audiobook experience.

My thoughts
A slightly odd but highly significant start as we come across Jen in the water. Rivers, pools and the water meadows become a recurring theme throughout the novel as activity or thoughts return there time after time. As the story gradually unfolds, we slowly become to appreciate the significance. That Jen is a sleepwalker is quickly established, as she finds herself in the water without any recollection of getting there.

Jen is a diver with the police, a demanding job but one that she loves. A single mum, son Sam is the apple of her eye. A tightknit circle of family (brother Bill) and friends (bestie Kerry) help her balance these two demands and have a fulfilling life after her dreams were snatched from her. Jen was a competitive diver, a good one, whose Olympic dreams were snatched away by illness. Her place was taken by her friend Claudia.

Claudia was the ‘uptown girl’ who went to the posh girls’ school, bright and attractive, she turned the heads of all the boys, and they all knew her name. Bill had a crush on her and one day summons the courage to invite her swimming with his friends down at the river meadows, an action that will entwine their futures together. It is Claudia’s return after many years away that cause the past to unravel.

This is a novel of many intense emotions, weaknesses, secrets and lies, but above all exploitation. There is ambition in the desire for Olympic success and all the trappings of wealth and fame that come with it, but this leads to jealousy and hate. There is desire and lust, with Bill’s crush on Claudia being the starting point, Jen’s moment of madness and an older man with great charm, who is a master of coercive control and exploiting positions of power.

The narrative of the present is peppered with memories of the past, evoked by Claudia’s disappearance. Every time the narrative seems to be heading off in a new direction, like the effects of gravity something causes it to arc back towards the black hole at the centre of the story. This epicentre is the old barn, where something happened to tie the friends together forever.

Jen is an excellent character, strong, determined and successful on her own terms. We see she has forged a new career in a tough job that she loves and one in which she is respected by her colleagues. It is a measure of love for her brother that she is willing to risk her career to protect him. He is a troubled man who has turned from an obsession about Claudia to an addiction that his blighting his life. He is not one of life’s sad losers, more a man who has played the cards he was deal badly and is compounding this by making bad decisions which impact on others. Once in a downward spiral it is almost impossible to recover without help, but his pride is preventing this. Claudia is the most complex character and I’m sure like me your opinion of her will vacillate as the story progresses.

The writing is a delight, and the pacing is expertly judged, moving along briskly but still finding time for a rich description life at the diving pool and Jen’s life at work. There is danger at times, but this is a novel that works by holding its suspense and not giving its secrets away too cheaply. So, expect deceit and surprises as the story twists and turns. This keeps the reader/listener on edge and alert, it’s not a novel you can tune out to. The scenes where Jen is diving as part of her work are perhaps the most gripping and suspenseful, as she gropes around in the semi-dark which is life a metaphor for her sleepwalking exploits.

I would like to thanks Net Galley the Author and Publisher for the access to an audio copy in exchange for a fair review.

Silent Waters is a psychological thriller with a difference. At the heart of the story is Jan, a female police diver and the only woman in the team. The author captures this distinction well, particularly in the camaraderie and how divers provide support for one another. The underwater scenes are very well written and there’s a real sense of cold and dark with more than a tinge of fear.

The action involves a missing person, Claudia, and the search team is brought in to look for her. Jan knows Claudia but doesn’t reveal this fact to her colleagues. Plus, Jan has bouts of sleepwalking and isn’t always aware of her actions. Add the fact that Jan is a single mum and we don’t know who’s the father.

Within the first chapters, secrets are exposed and building and you know that somehow they’ll be interlinked. Pacing is spot on with a lot of tension building quickly and but by bit, Claudia and Jan’s links with the oat, friendship and rivalries are revealed.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish; even tough the premise isn’t unusual, the underwater dive aspect added a very different element to the police procedural side. Well narrated throughout and a great bit if escapist fiction.

Jen is a police diver. She often dives looking for evidence, but she’s looking for a body - a former friend. They used to dive together as a sport.
Jen is a single mum and goes to her brother Bill and best friend for support with Sam.
Wow, twists and turns all the way. Compelling listen.

Police diver Jen Harper is struggling with her latest job. A woman, Claudia Franklin, has gone missing. Jen should really inform her boss that she knew Claudia years ago, however, there are lots of secrets involved in her difficult relationship with Claudia. More importantly, Jen has started sleepwalking again and the night Claudia disappeared she woke in the river she's now being asked to search.

Silent Waters by L. V. Matthews is one of those thrillers where there are so many secrets you really have to keep your wits about you to stay on top of the story. Just when you think you've figured out what has happened, another twist turns up.

As a teenager, Jen Harper was an aspiring diver with ambitions to perform at the Olympics. Claudia Franklin was her friend and rival. Jen's Olympic dreams never came to fruition and she went on to join the police force, Claudia, however, was successful.

While Jen made her way in the police and became a single Mum, Claudia married their diving coach and moved abroad. It is years later when the lives of the two women become tangled again.

The first secret to be revealed, one which has an impact on all the relationships in the story, is the identity of the father of Sam, Jen's son. It is hardly surprising when it is revealed that Claudia's husband, the dive coach, is the mystery man. This is a secret that Jen has protected for seven years. Another secret, one which is hinted at now and again but not revealed until late in the story involves the two women as teenagers and Jen's brother, Bill. Something devastating happened one summer and the trio agreed never to reveal it, promising to protect each other.

Now that Claudia is missing, presumed dead, you have to wonder if it is to protect this secret, or has Claudia discovered the identity of Sam's father; or is it something completely different? There are lots of secrets coming home to roost in this gripping thriller.

Thrills,.spills and a whole lotta action! This audiobook just has so much jam-packed into it that you won't want to stop listening! Jen is a police diver and is tasked with finding famous Olympic diver Claudia. However, she has a dark history with Claudia, and her family is all wrapped up in the secrets and lies. How much should she reveal to her colleagues, if anything? The story has a great twist in the middle that takes it off in another direction and several smaller storyline running. You have to wait to the very end to connect it all. It is such an engaging plot, and it is well narrated to express the highs and lows. Perfect for fans of crime thrillers like Shari Lapena or Lisa Jewell #silentwaters #LVMatthews #audiobook #netgalley

I loved this: I felt the pacing was perfect - no mean feat for a book which intertwines multiple characters and perspectives

4-4.25⭐️

A suspense thriller about family secrets and murder.
I had the audiobook read by Rebecca Norfolk who does a good job.

Jen Harper a police diver wakes to find herself in silt on the river, with no memory as to what’s happened as she sleep walks. 48 hrs later she’s called to the same stretch of water in search of a missing woman Claudia. There’s history between Jen and Claudia.

A police diver is a very new perspective for me to read about, it adds in the quirky behaviour of sleep walking with associated non conscious behaviour. There’s also a look into the world of competitive diving.
The storyline is kept tight evolving around just a few people. I enjoyed the right connection. I didn’t particularly engage with Jen, I didn’t find her very likeable.

It’s a bit different, and kept my interest well. It makes me wonder if it will become a series.

Jen, a former diver now police diver, has been sleepwalking. A case comes up, and she knows the victim but comprises herself and continues with the underwater search for the body.

I was hooked from the start of this fast-paced thriller and couldn't put it down. There are a lot of threads to this storyline that weave seamlessly. It is such a complex web of secrets. Something happened in the past and is threatening something in the present. It's so hard to say without spoilers. I enjoyed seeing it all unfold.

You are best going in as blind as possible. I enjoyed this tense psychological thriller from start to finish. I listened via audiobook and loved how she told the story.

I am not a huge water baby so I admire anybody who is and in particular anyone who happens to be in water to do their job as the lead character in Silent Waters does. Jen Harper is a police diver and she is called in to investigate the local rivers where a woman was last seen swimming. The description of Jen submerged underwater as she is searching and holding the diving rope were so well written and so utterly claustrophobic! This is a cracker of a book that had me gripped and engaged to the end with a story that had twists and turns and such a cleverly knitted plot. I devoured this one quickly and thoroughly enjoyed Rebecca Norfolks strong and skilful narration. I will be reading more of this authors work as it was so good! Thank you to Netgalley and W.F.Howes

This is a very well paced twisty thriller told from multiple viewpoints across different time periods.
The story centres around Jen, a Police diver, who has an interesting past linked to competitive diving. Hidden secrets from the past play out in the present as Jen is involved in the search for a missing woman, someone who had a significant impact on her life when she was younger.
There are lots of interesting characters and relational dynamics which develop at pace as the intrigue thickens. A definite page turner which will keep you guessing right until the end.
The narration was brilliant and added to the thrill of the read.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this book and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Jen, a police diver has swam as long as she can remember. Growing up in Bourne, her life revolved around swimming with her brother Bill and her friend Claudia, Bill’s first love. It seems like an idyllic countryside lifestyle, but little do they know that now they are older, each and every one of them is keeping a secret.

A complex and gripping psychological thriller. This is a fantastically well crafted plot, with lot of twists and turns, but no loose ends which I really appreciated. I was thoroughly gripped throughout and the writing really makes you empathise with various characters. Definitely an excellent read if you like being kept in suspense.

The narrator was great and very natural, immersing you into the story.

A small cast, but goodness these characters are ALL over each others lives.
It's pretty messed up, in a "I love reading this stuff" way.
The police diving side of the story was very interesting.
The drama side of the story was excellent.
At times I think you could suspect anyone and everyone.
The narrator did an excellent job, and the whole book kept me entertained.

The novel I recently enjoyed immerses readers into the captivating world of police divers, shedding light on the unique job that blends silence with powerful characters. It's a narrative that skillfully unravels the underwater mysteries, keeping you engaged with unexpected twists and turns.

The characters, brought to life by the author, make for a compelling ensemble, and the meticulous description of their underwater investigations adds an immersive dimension to the story. This book is a must-read for both diving enthusiasts and those who relish suspenseful crime fiction.

With its finely crafted characters and a plot that keeps you guessing until the very last page, this novel takes readers on a remarkable journey through the depths of human determination and the secrets concealed beneath the waves. It's an engaging literary experience that's not to be missed.

I don’t think I have ever read a book about a police diver before. It was so interesting to see things from this side of the investigation. I would absolutely read more.

This is such a binge worthy listen, I powered through it in a day. So many secrets and lies..and those twists.. wow! I need more books by this author now. I do love a story about complicated relationships and this one had so many of them. It was so very well done.

The narrator was fantastic and kept me wanting to hear more.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and WF Howes for my advanced listening copy. Out on September 14th.