Fear the Silence is the first standalone thriller by Robert Bryndza.
In short, Maggie’s husband is found dead at their home in a suspected suicide but Maggie is totally unconvinced that he would take his own life and desperately needs to find out the truth. After his funeral she escapes to their holiday home on a tiny island in Croatia where she soon discovers a letter written by her husband containing clues to a dark secret which sends her on a very dangerous journey.
I enjoyed this dark, creepy thriller, packed with plenty of tense drama. The majority of the story is set ‘not in sunny relaxing Croatia’ but in a dark, foreboding stormy Croatia where Maggie is all alone and the silence is deadly…just let’s be clear it’s put me off of holidaying alone on an island no matter how beautiful it is!!!
Anything written by Robert is a great read and Fear the Silence is no exception.
Big thanks to Robert Bryndza, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

I love any Robert Bryndza book. This one was a mystery, thriller that I enjoyed . Having said that, I felt this one was a bit of a whirlwind ..the part about Croatia, seemed to be the thriller part, but it also seemed the character was not above arrogance when it came to her vacation home , and her profession which is mentioned often, like don’t anyone forget how important I am...
this was a great read but for that and one other thing…the character calls out De costa from a racial comment when she was in college..I personally do not think that any of us should be held accountable for things that were said by us by our younger selves , we have all made verbal mistakes not knowing how they could affect our future, therefore I wish the author had figured a different way to end the blackmail scheme. That’s my honest opinion.. Thanks to Netgalley, Raven Publishing and the wonderful Robert Bryndza . 4 stars

I have liked Bryndza’s series work. This however, was a bit lacking for me. There is a lot missing in the explanations of some of the characters. There is stuff that is so far out there. After a fairly suspenseful ride the ending is a bit disappointing.
I was given a copy from Netgalley. opinions are my own.

Trauma doctor Maggie is a happy woman. She has a job she enjoys, a good marriage & few worries. That is until the night a shooting victim comes into the department. It is her husband, Will. He does not survive. Maggie believes that it was a burglary gone wrong until evidence points to Will having fired the fatal shot.

Consumed by grief she goes to the holiday home Will had designed on a small Croatian island. It is out of season but she doesn't care. However when she finds a letter left to her by Will she realises that something from Will's past as a forensic pathologist has led to his death. If she wants to find out what that is, she is going to have to put herself in danger & she has no idea who she can trust.

I have been a fan of Robert Bryndza's Erica Foster series from the start so I wanted to read this stand alone & I was not disappointed. Maggie is a formidable protagonist & I was rooting for her all the way!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this terrific book.

3.5

I love a Robert Bryndza novel and was excited to read his first standalone thriller. For me, it wasn’t quite as good as his two series which I adore but it definitely had me gripped and I finished this in less than 24 hours. Maggie is a great leading character and you can really empathise with her throughout this novel. The terror and fear definitely amped up throughout the book and there were times where I felt myself holding my breath. There are plenty of twists and turns and you end up feeling suspicious of everyone at times. It wasn’t a big surprise to me who was behind it all in the end which is why I didn’t rate this any higher but it’s still a great read with a murderous plot and I enjoyed the political elements too.

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing, Robert Bryndza and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

I avidly read all of Robert's books. From the Erika series to the Coco ones. I was very excited to read this one as he is one of my favourite authors.

However, this one was in my opinion not the same. It started off great and I couldn't put it down. But, half way through it just became more and more bizarre and unbelievable - don't get me wrong it was still easy to read, but not on the same level as previous ones.

I can't wait to read his next book.

Thanks for the advance copy Netgalley

I really enjoyed this one SO much! It was a fast-paced, high-velocity ride! The author grabbed me from the start and didn't let go until the end. The overall narrative was extremely well done! Very dark, very twisty ... and it was interesting and compelling! I just really enjoyed the entire experience of reading this one! The story, the characters, the exploration of how well you really know the people in your life ... it's all just really good. This author very obviously knows how to use external factors such as the weather or the setting or even specific things/events to create very real tension. If you love a strong and twisty psychological thriller, this is for you! Definitely recommend!

"Fear The Silence" by Robert Bryndza is an expertly-plotted standalone crime thriller that will keep readers gripped until the last page.

The book follows Maggie Kendall, a 47-year-old trauma surgeon working in A&E. As a trauma medicine doctor, Maggie always strives to save a patient’s life. No matter how severe the injury, how complex the situation, she and her team are calm, focused, and decisive. But when her husband is wheeled into her London hospital’s Trauma Unit with a gunshot wound to the head, she freezes, unable to function as her team fights a losing battle as Will flatlines.

Will committed suicide, she is told. Her happy, successful, loving husband killed himself using a gun he owned for six years and she was clueless. This information is almost as torturous as his loss; the stinging guilt, wondering what she missed. She stumbles through days with no family left to lean on, her wealthy mother-in-law distant and cold. So, Maggie wraps up her life and decides to go to their holiday home on a small Croatian island to retrieve a few of her husband's things and recover from her loss while doing so.

It is winter, and the island is deserted but for its caretaker and his son. Her first night alone in the stunning cliff-side home, Maggie is jumpy. A letter from her dead husband, written six years previously and hinting at dark secrets to come, makes her question how well she knew her husband. The plot thickens as curious tidbits pop up, making her realize there is more to her husband's death than meets the eye. Weird incidents on the island bring her to suspect her life is at risk. Guilt and questions about Will’s death plague her as she falls into a fitful sleep, a winter storm battering the island with wind and rain. Maggie awakes to sounds in her dark and isolated house. The power is off, and a quick check of her security app produces blank screens where camera images should be. Has someone broken in, or is she imagining things? She has to piece together the pieces, and fast, before it is too late. Someone wants to bury those secrets and will go to great lengths to do so. After all, "Three can keep a secret... If two of them are dead."

This psychological thriller has lightning fast pacing and fine plotting. The story was an entertaining and an interesting action-packed tale. I like strong heroines, and Maggie was just that. She's one of those heroines that you positively want to root for and pray for her success The stormy and isolated setting supports the tension and is lovely to read about. The characterization is as strong and balanced as the scenery. Very well done. Thriller fans will find a great discovery in this author.

Robert Bryndza's writing is compelling and suspenseful, and he expertly builds tension and atmosphere throughout the book. At one point I wondered how the author would wrap up the story, and let me tell you, it was exactly right! I rate it 5/5 stars for its gripping and engaging story. This novel will appeal to readers of crime thrillers and anyone who loves intrigue and action. Recommended of course!

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for providing me with this ARC and the opportunity provide fair and unbiased feedback and a review.

This standalone mystery thriller never quite hooked me.

Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Kendall, age 47, is a trauma surgeon at Guy's Hospital in London. When her husband, Will, is found shot dead in their fashionable home, Maggie can't believe the verdict is suicide. In her grief, she travels to Tisina, a small Croatian island, to stay in their vacation home while she sorts through things and comes to grips with her new situation. The main thing she needs to deal with is a mysterious letter written 6 years prior delivered to her by a solicitor engaged by Will -- that she knew nothing about. Apparently Will was keeping a huge secret and it's connected to a very powerful person in the UK government.

I wish I could say this was exciting and suspenseful, but I can't. It all started out well and was, at least, fast-paced, but I could not believe how quickly the story turned into melodrama with Maggie in constant peril. Her escapades in Tisina and afterwards bordered on fantastical. The character, being a doctor, seemed quite clueless and dumb most of the time. Very one-dimensional other characters populated the narrative and much of the story was spent in Maggie's head. The "delusion" sequence put me off completely. In any event, this was definitely not my favorite. I've read all of Bryndza's other books and I hope he writes more of those.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review. My recommendation is to skip it.

I really enjoyed this standalone, it got a bit slow in parts but then ramped up. It was a very intelligent read and setting was amazing. Just loved the descriptions you can tell that the author has a real love for the place and people and this came through.

I wasnt sure about a few things but not going to mention them as they are plot spoilers but I get that they were necessary for the direction of the story just made me think twice.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

Loved it! This is only my 2nd by this author, and all I can say is I need to read more from him.

Maggie’s husband of 24 years was found dead by a gunshot wound at their home. The doctors and police have ruled it as suicide.

Maggie travels to their holiday home on a Croatian Island to grieve her husband and come to terms with his death. While there she discovers a letter written to her by her deceased husband. Here are where the terrifying twists and turns begin along with a dangerous scavenger hunt … escalating to an explosive ending.

Highly atmospheric, locked room (in more ways than one) and super high tension. This one had me on the edge of my seat!

Highly recommended!

Although this was well-written and a good overall story, it was too melodramatic for my taste. I mean Murphy’s law was alive and well in this book. Everything that could go wrong for the protagonist, Maggie, did, over and over again.

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I must first thank both NetGalley as well as the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Fear the Silence is an easy beach read, it is not of the same quality as either of Robert Bryndza’s other two outstanding series.

This was a wild ride and I was totally here for it! This was my 1st stand-alone by Robert Bryndza and he is now on my always-read list! I was hooked right from the jump on this book and loved that the bad-guy got their comeuppance in the end, that is my fave thing ever!

#FearTheSilence
#NetGalley.

This one was just ok for me. It started out great but going on I felt many parts were just unbelievable. It was the first book I’ve read by this author. I will be checking out others though as I’ve heard such good things. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

What would you do if your spouse committed suicide, and you had no warning? What would you do if you got a cryptic letter from him soon after? In Robert Bryndza’s standalone psychological thriller, we follow Maggie as she uncovers truths that place her and those around her in danger. Suspense and danger await you in this chilling tale.

Fear the Silence begins on a normal Sunday. Maggie and her husband spend a lazy Sunday together before she headed off to work at the local hospital. Her night changes forever when a gunshot victim arrives and it’s Maggie’s husband. At first Maggie thinks Will is the victim of a break-in, but the police tell her it’s a suicide. She didn’t even know Will owned a gun.

The tale that unfolds slowly builds until Maggie travels to their vacation home on a small Croatian island to mourn quietly. Strange things happen, and then she receives a letter from her husband. It’s dated after his death and not from the family solicitor. It talks about his death and where she can find the key to unlocking the truth.

From there, the tale took off. As Maggie looks for answers, it seems others are too. They’ll stop at nothing to keep their secrets. Danger, death, escape and twists kept me reading as Maggie uncovers something big with far-reaching implications.

Fans of thrillers, fast-paced action and conspiracies will want to pick up this thriller. The author did a great job of building the suspense and raised the stakes as the story progressed. Some twists and Maggie’s clever thinking made for an engaging tale.

Fear the Silence was a gripping thriller. A woman loses her husband to suicide but when a letter comes from him after his death everything is turned upside down. Did he kill himself or was something sinister going on?

The beginning of this book was enthralling. I did get a little bored about 70% of the way in because it was alot of action all at once. It made the story almost unbelievable. I'm glad I kept going tho because the ending was worth it. I think Robert did an amazing job of tying up all the loose ends and giving me all the feels.

Thank you Netgalley for a ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Fear the Silence by Robert Bryndza is a thrilling stand-alone mystery that takes place in London and on a small island of Croatia. It is full of suspense and action, and the short chapters with cliffhanger endings drove me to keep reading.

When Maggie's husband Will is brought to the emergency room with a gunshot wound while she is the doctor on duty, she knows nothing will ever be the same again. She can't believe he took his own life, which is the conclusion reached by the authorities. When she goes to close up their vacation home in Croatia for the winter and her life is threatened, she knows something is very wrong and learns things about her husband that she never knew during his life. This puts her on the run to find out what really happened as she tries her best to stay alive.

The protagonist, Maggie, was a character to root for. She was smart and brave as she took risks that put her life in danger over and over. The author does a great job of making the desolate Croatian island seem like a menacing presence. The setting almost seemed like an additional character.

I will recommend this to readers who like thrillers with strong protagonists.

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

According to the police, Will has committed suicide after being found dead with a gunshot wound. His wife, Maggie, cannot come to terms with this: Will had everything to live for so why would he end his own life? Things start to become clearer after the funeral when Maggie realises that Will was, indeed, involved in something, something that has ultimately led to his death. Now her own life is in danger – is she prepared to risk it all to expose the truth?

This is the first standalone thriller written by Robert Bryndza and being a huge fan of both his Erika Foster and Kate Marshall series, I did not even read the synopsis of Fear the Silence before downloading it as I knew I would love it. I was not disappointed!

Robert Bryndza has written a gripping thriller that has you on the edge of your seat as you are taken on a journey from London to a beautiful yet claustrophobic island in Croatia. The setting of the book is perfect, the title hinting of the isolation and fear Maggie feels as she slowly discovers exactly what her husband had been hiding from her. Like Maggie, it is difficult to know who to trust and I found myself shocked by events on more than one occasion.

The plot is a clever one that does not always go in the ways I thought it would. This definitely kept me on my toes as I tried to work out whether this was going to end well for Maggie. I did enjoy the ending and thought it was a clever way of concluding the plot.

This promises to be another success for Robert Bryndza.

I am a huge fan of this author so I high expectations from this one and boy, did he deliver.

This is the first stand alone book that Brynzda has done and I loved it!! It was fast paced, and a real page turner.

Thanks for the ARC.