Genre: Thriller / Crime / Paranormal
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 14th April 2016
Pages: 322
MY REVIEW:
I received an advance copy of The Silent Twin by Caroline Mitchell from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Bookouture.
This is the third book I have read by Caroline Mitchell. They have all been in the same series. A trilogy of books about Detective Jennifer Knight. A cop with a giftthat many other cops don’t have. Don’t Turn Around was the first instalment and you can read my review of it here.
The second in the series was Time To Die and again, you can read the review here. I have loved the series so far. A crime novel with a paranormal twist brings it closer to the horror books that I love so much. A bit disappointed that this one is the last in the trilogy but as eager as ever to get reading it due to the wonderful stuff that came before.
This is what I thought.
Jennifer Knight is taking on quite possibly the toughest case she is ever likely to have. Abigail and Olivia are twins. Abigail has gone missing. It’s every parent’s nightmare. Their parents are no exception. Except they are. Their father, Nick, is a Police Sergeant and their mother, Joanna, is an eccentric entrepreneur. Is this a kidnapping?
Jennifer is tasked to be their Family Liaison Officer and with an abundance of puzzling clues and puzzling people, she has her hands full in trying to find Abigail and also keep the family peace.
When Jennifer talks to Abigail through her sister Olivia, she thinks she is still alive, but neither know where she is being kept. Someone close isn’t telling the truth and knows more than they are saying.
Characters wise in this one, we have a mixture of lovable ones and hateable ones. In terms of the police in this one, Jennifer is mostly on her own. She is, as ever, fastidious and dedicated to her role and wants nothing more than a quick resolution to the job. The girl’s father, Nick, is a mess. A police sergeant on the other side of the fence this time and struggling with everything. Their mother, Joanna, is also a mess. She just seems to be totally nuts, driven to madness by a past that is horrific. Olivia is the sister left behind. She hasn’t spoken since Abigail went missing. Some think it is shock. Some think it is fear.
There are a host of other people playing much smaller parts in the story. They all fit in extremely well, as they always do in a Caroline Mitchell book.
The plot? It’s horrific and harrowing. Let’s face it people, unfortunately we are no stranger to this sort of scenario these days. It seems to happen more and more often and it is the sort of story that we all dread hearing on the news, when a child goes missing. A lot of books feature this sort of scenario. Some of them take it to the extreme. Some of them just go for the sensationalist story, to over exaggerate things and make it as brutal as possible.
Not Caroline Mitchell. She has written this story in such a way that, it certainly highlights the dangers children face these days. She has also concentrated on the story from the point of view of the parents, showing what each one has to go through, together and alone. She has also shown in a perfect way what it must be like for the police officer handling the case. It is just as scary and in some ways even more so for them. They are the person that is being relied upon to fix things. If they do, they win. If they don’t, they fail. Not a nice position to be in.
One thing that you will notice due to the fact that it keeps jumping up and punching you in the face, is the fact that you will not have a clue who done it! This is one of the best novels I have read in years for totally confusing you as to who you think the villain is. You will change your mind multiple times. You will curse Ms Mitchell multiple times. You will swear multiple times.
When you hit ninety percent of the book you will sit back with a smug smile on your face because you will have solved it during the epic run to the end. When you hit ninety-three percent you will think how could I have been so stupid, and will solve it once again. At ninety-six percent you will call Ms Mitchell a name (sorry Caroline, I didn’t mean it, you just annoyed me for the fifteenth time) when she twists the entire story on its head again and takes you in a direction you would never have seen coming. If you claim that you did, you are a big fat liar liar pants on fire!
Negative? To me it wasn’t the best of the three books. That’s it. That’s all the negative I got. I am sorry to see this character being put on the shelf so to speak and I truly hope she comes back off it again.
On the flip side of that, I cannot wait to see what Caroline Mitchell produces for us next. One thing is certain, I will be picking it up. This lady can write bloody good stuff!
To summarise: book number three in a trilogy featuring a fantastic detective with a difference. Gritty, harrowing crime that will keep you with your nose thoroughly stuck in your reading weapon of choice until you are done.
General rating:
★★★★★ can't give anything less.
Crime / thriller rating:
★★★★★ and again.
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Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
I’m alone in the dark, please can you find me …
Nine-year-old twins Abigail and Olivia vow never to be parted. But when Abigail goes missing from Blackwater Farm, DC Jennifer Knight must find her before it’s too late.
Twin sister Olivia has been mute since Abigail’s disappearance. But when she whispers in Jennifer’s ear, Jennifer realises it is Abigail’s voice pleading to be found.
A damp and decaying house set in acres of desolate scrubland, the farm is a place of secrets, old and new – and Jennifer must unravel them all in order to find the lost girl. But could Olivia’s bond with her twin hold the key to finding Abigail? And can Jennifer break through her silence in time to save her sister’s life?
A darkly gripping, page-turning thriller that will enthral fans of Rachel Abbott, Alex Marwood’s The Wicked Girls and Mark Edwards.
Originally from Ireland, Caroline lives with her husband, four children and two dogs in a pretty village on the coast of Essex. Five years ago Caroline and her family encountered real life paranormal activity in their home. Paranormal Intruder is her best-selling true story.
Caroline's new novel, Don't Turn Around has recently been published by Bookouture in a three book deal as part of her DC Jennifer Knight series. These edge of your seat crime thrillers are infused by Caroline's experience in both the police and the paranormal. To find out more please subscribe at www.caroline-writes.com.
And for more about Caroline, visit her site or find her on social media:
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