Customer Reviews

In Silence

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have all of Erica Spindler's books, because she always surprises me. They are tightly plotted and full of unexpected twists. IN SILENCE is no exception.

When Avery Chauvin returns home after several years, it is to face the death of her father. Avery is a reporter. She comes home and immediately gets involved with the friends she left behind. Including two brothers, one a cop, like his dad, and the other a lawyer, trying to put his life back together.

Cypress Springs, Lousianna is a small town, that faces all the small town problems, as well as, some big town problems.

There is a great deal of tension in the family of her friends. Especially between the brothers.

Suddenly, this small town has had a rash of unusual, unexplained, deaths. Alot of people have died, either in weird accidents, or some have just gone missing, Or like Avery's father, committed suicide.

The feeling of a tightly closed community comes through clearly. And now Avery is on the outside. She tries to understand what is happening. But her conclusions not only scare her, but put her on a direct course to confront true evil of the mind.

This is a gripping story, and anyone who has lived in a small community can understand the terror of knowing someone you know is capable of true horror.

The terror and fast pace of the story kept me glued to my chair. I read it in one sitting. This is an exciting and unusual book.

I bought this one at discount and figured, at most, it would occupy some summer "laying by the pool" time. To the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised and was drawn into the story. I had never before read any of Spindler's books, but now plan on reading some others.

The story has a great hook and the action moves at a good pace. The characters are believable and interesting. Although there are only a few obvious suspects, the author actually got me misdirected a few times and the ending was in (relative) doubt until the climax. All in all, well worth reading.

I can't believe I have just now read my first book by Spindler. There are so many guilty people in this story. It seemed everyone was hiding something and covering up what really happened. One should give credance to their insticts as there is usually some reason for feeling that way. I'm so glad Avery found the right guy while going through the worst nightmare of her life. I have 2 more of Spindler's books waiting for me.

Excellent book! Well written. Grabs you into the story right away. If you like this genre, you'll love this novel. The story twists and turns. Just when you think you know who-done-it, your wrong and Spindler takes you down another path. I could not put this one down. I am looking forward to reading another Spindler book.

IN SILENCE continues to showcase Erica Spindler's talents that keep her reading audience wanting more. It's a book that grabs you and won't let you stop reading. It should come with a warning: Caution - can cause sleep loss!

Avery Chauvin returns to her hometown of Cypress Springs, LA to bury her father, the victim of a suicide. Avery can't believe her father would kill himself and has a very difficult time coming to terms with his death. Upon entering the town, she is pulled over by her old high school flame, Matt Stevens, who is now the sheriff. He welcomes her home with open arms and it's obvious he wants to rekindle their romance. In fact, most of his family are hoping for reconciliation and make sure Avery knows she's still welcome as part of their family.

But all is not as it should be - soon things start happening that makes Avery begin investigating and there's plenty to look into. One thing that's apparent is Matt's twin brother, Hunter, is person non-grata in his family home and Avery is determined to figure out why. Then there is the anonymous phone call telling Avery that her father was murdered. Next a local woman turns up dead and another woman is in town to look into the mysterious disappearance of her brother a few months ago. Seems several people have been known to vanish without a trace in Cypress Springs in the last few years.

IN SILENCE is a blend of romance and suspense. The romantic episodes are not a surprise but the rest of the book is definitely unpredictable. Just when I thought I figured things out, something else was brought to light to make me wonder if I was correct.

Character development was vivid. I could see Matt sauntering like the football stud he had been in high school. I could see the unhappiness in Hunter's eyes whenever his family shuns him. I could feel Avery's determination to find out what happened to her father. And as for the support cast, well some of them are so insipient that you just want to slap them; others are very likeable.

The story itself is at times so unpredictable that you're surprised the idea hadn't occurred to you previously. I enjoy a story that keeps me on my toes, and IN SILENCE definitely did.

Between this book and DEAD RUN by Spindler, I am absolutely a fan. She definitely does not disappoint the reader and you'll enjoy the stories tremendously.

Avery Chauvin is a hotshot investigative reporter with an important Washington, D.C. newspaper, when she receives a phone call " ... From Buddy Stevens. Family friend. Her dad's lifelong best friend. Cypress Springs' chief of police. Avery, it's Buddy. I've got some bad news, baby girl. Your dad, he's ... Dead." Awash with grief, consumed with guilt and haunted by a deep sense of foreboding, she takes a leave of absence from her job and goes home to Louisiana to bury her father.

" ... He had killed himself. Gone into his garage, doused himself with diesel fuel, then lit a match." He left no note, said no good-byes, and the only thing Avery finds from him is a message on her answering machine. He had wanted to speak to her. But his last words did not sound desperate, so Avery went about her business and let the message sit. She had no way of knowing what was on her dad's mind.

Cypress Springs is one of those anachronistic American towns that appear, for all intents and purposes, perfect, safe, unchanged, homogenous and crime-free. "Avery ... drew her rented SUV to a stop ... [on] Main Street." As she looks around, she realizes that all of the familiar landmarks that encircle the town square are as they were when she was growing up. The place looks as if it is stuck in a time warp. After twelve years away from here, living in the city, working for a national newspaper and moving on with her life, Avery is amazed to see that everything in Cypress Springs is as she left it --- except that now both her parents are dead.

Once she settles in, Avery listens to everything she is told by the sheriff; after all, he has been a surrogate father to her all her life and she relies on his reportage. However, much of what he tells her just doesn't make sense. Slowly, as she delves into her father's death, she tries to fit the clues into some kind of clear picture. But she soon becomes consumed with haunting questions about her father regarding the kind of man he was, her relationship with him, and how he, a doctor, a person who loved life, could immolate himself. But in her shocked state, it is difficult to put her finger on exactly what sounds "wrong."

IN SILENCE is a very suspenseful story told in quicksilver prose. As the narrative races to its climax, Avery Chauvin is forced to shed every single notion she has ever had about where she grew up and the people she knew. Little by little she begins to suspect that something is dangerously wrong in her hometown. Could it be that under the façade of pretty houses, attentive neighbors, little league and girl scouts, a sinister evil operates under a shroud of dark secrets? And while these thoughts make her uncomfortable, she is too smart to ignore them.

After learning the number of "accidental deaths" that occurred over the last year, Avery's professional antennae start to crackle and every step she takes sets off alarms. "She had always been so firm in her beliefs, so self-confident. She had been able to access the facts, make a decision and move on. That's what she wants to do, that is who she believes she is and what makes her such a good journalist. But, now she doesn't know what or whom to believe. Could it be that people who she has known all of her life, depended on to always be there for her" have always been involved in a conspiracy of discrimination and murder?

IN SILENCE immediately captures the reader's attention and asks provocative questions: Do we really ever get to know anyone? Are our beliefs based on truth, interpretation of "truth", or is truth a slight-of-hand phenomenon created by what others want us to believe? How do private agendas shape and direct action? And at the center of this aggregate of conundrums, who can we really trust?

More than just a beach read, IN SILENCE explores the prejudices and preconceptions that can fulminate in an isolated and insulated community. The deadly consequences born of a narrow worldview that puts one in a position wherein s/he becomes the center of the universe. Spindler examines how ordinary people, who mean no harm, can get caught up in a mob mentality, which reduces individual responsibility for acts they would never commit on their own. Readers may ask themselves, "If my life and the lives of my family members would flourish in perfect surroundings and never be threatened with crime or outside influences, would I choose to live there? And at what price?

Erica Spindler is a terrific writer. She has a body of work that speaks to her talent and each of her thrillers is better than the last. With IN SILENCE she proves once again that she is one of the best mystery writers out there. Enjoy!

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

Erica Spindler is by far my favorite author! Her books contain suspense, thrills, action, and none of that "he touched her inner thigh" crap. I love Erica!!!!

This story begins as Avery Chauvin comes home to her small town Louisiana hometown, due to her father's death. When coming home she is confronted by old friends and lovers from the past. Searching for clues as to her father's apparent suicide Avery happens on to wierd things that are happening in her hometown of Cypress Springs. Upon discussing the wierd clues and then witnesses to events that occurred in the past coming up dead, Avery begins to wonder....who really in this town can she trust?

To me this is a story of non-stop action and romance (though not in the typical Spindler fashion of romance that were used to) this story combines a great plot, with a climatic ending that literally will leave you speachless (or In Silence)!

Enjoy, I know I did!

Avery Chauvin is an investigative reporter who goes home to smalltown Louisiana to attend to the affairs of her father after his death. While there, she is welcomed back by her ex-boyfriend and his family who have chosen to stay in this "Pleasantville-like" town where things appear to be perfect. After finding out about an unusual number of accidental deaths and disappearances, Avery decides to stay for awhile, looking into the situations surrounding the town.
This is a pretty good yarn with some surprises at the end.

It still amazes me why this author is classified as writing romance and even romantic suspense. The romance part of her books is weak at best. In this particular novel it seemed forced and nothing led into the sex scene. No friction, no deep seeded lust, just one minute they're fighting and the next they are falling into bed together.
The suspense and mystery part of it is very good. Even though the killer was obvious you still aren't quite sure all the particulars. My only qualm with it was that the author did not use enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Nevertheless, I continued reading through in one sitting to get to the end.
I have read other Erica Spindler books and have never quite enjoyed her style of writing. Maybe it's just me, but I've come to expect a little more in this genre. The book was 458 pages and yet I never really felt any connection to the characters. The only positive point to this novel is the unique story line and continuous suspense throughout the book. I do have to warn you though, this book does get a tad on the graphic side. It could be too much for some people to handle. If you can not get through the prologue, you will not be able to handle the rest of the story. So buyer beware.