I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Silent Witness by Carolyn Arnold Also by this author: The Little Grave, Stolen Daughters, Black Orchid Girls, Her Frozen Cry
Series: Detective Amanda Steele #3
Also in this series: The Little Grave, Stolen Daughters, Black Orchid Girls, Her Frozen Cry
Published by Bookouture on 24th September 2021
Genres: Crime, Suspense, Thriller
Pages: 305
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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It’s 4 a.m. when her mom shakes her awake. “Get up baby, we’re going to play hide and seek.” The little girl presses back into the dark space, holding her breath as she hears the shots ring out. She knows she’s next…
When the bodies of a local family are discovered on a quiet street in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele takes charge of the case. Brett and Angela Parker were shot three times each, leaving no hope of survival, and their tidy suburban home has been ransacked. But there is no sign of their beloved six-year-old, Zoe.
Zoe is the same age as Amanda’s daughter was when she died, and Amanda can’t bear the thought of another little girl in danger. She’s organizing a search for the child, when she notices something strange about the ottoman at the foot of the Parkers’ bed. She opens it to find Zoe, mute and traumatized, but alive.
With Zoe completely uncommunicative, Amanda must find another way to untangle what destroyed this seemingly perfect family. It’s clear that the killer is searching for something the Parkers had, and until she has this monster behind bars, Amanda fears that he may return for Zoe. When she learns that Brett Parker cut short the family’s recent lakeside vacation, she wonders why. What happened at that lake house, and did it ultimately get them killed?
Amanda heads out to Lake Chesdin on the feeling it might be key to the case, and when she finds a cell phone in the murky waters next to the Parker cabin, she knows she’s made a breakthrough. But then terrible news reaches her from Dumfries; Zoe has been taken from her school playground.
Someone wants to silence the Parker family for good, can Amanda catch them before the little girl she’s desperate to protect pays the price?
A completely gripping and addictive crime thriller that will keep fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni entertained into the early hours.
Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is the third book in this series but all can be read as standalones.
This book was a real heartbreaker. Poor little Zoe goes through so much, it’s easy to see why Amanda has such strong maternal feelings for her. It was really nice to see Amanda open herself up. She was so closed off at the beginning of the first book and she has grown so much since then.
This case was really interesting. At first, there were just so many questions. Nothing seemed to add up. There seemed to be no motive and no suspects. Amanda and Trent are relentless though. They uncovered clue after clue and eventually everything pieced together. Amanda lived up to her surname with balls of steel in one scene.
Carolyn does such a good job of showing that a Detective has a life outside of the job too. She expertly weaved in Amanda’s mother’s trial and how this was affecting Amanda and her family. She showed how much dedication you need for this job and how sometimes you have to cut yourself off to really focus.
This was a tense and thrilling story that I could not put down. I read it late into the night as I just had to know what happened next.
About Carolyn Arnold
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has nearly thirty published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.
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@bookouture Thank you for reading THE SILENT WITNESS and sharing your thoughts. Very happy that you enjoyed. 😁