What the hell did I just read?

This was the question my mind was repeating when I was blankly looking at the last page.

I am still unsure I’ve put my head around that ending twist. Or around the way each character made me feel.

Silent Lies was a title love! I mean, it’s poetic, mysterious, and contradictory, you can’t miss the appeal. So I was curious. Like a cat, I looked at my prey, I played with it, and in the end, I was the one who got eaten!!!

Okay, enough ramblings, more details!

Are you looking for some amazing characterization? Because this book is filled with some of the best (or worst!) protagonists I’ve ever met!

People are never what they seem.

Mia, our widow, mother, therapist. I can’t say I warmed to her despite the image she reflected. Something was always off. I would think her cold, and then she’d do or say something selfless or regarding her daughter and I’d see her as the poor woman trying to go on with her life. But then, her therapist and grounded side would make me wonder why she would help a stranger.

It’s difficult when death means you end up in the arms of someone else.

I couldn’t make up my mind about her. I still can’t! The grief of a woman who lost the man of her life was real and painful, I believe those were my favorite moments spent in her company. Imagining the loss, the doubt, the pain, and the aftermath of a disaster falling on you as a burden you’ll forever carry was enough to keep her on my good side.

Alison. Wow, what a character. There is no way I can fully explain what happened between us. We went through phases with each chapter. I was worried, I was full of doubts and questions about someone knocking on your door to destroy your life one more time, voluntarily or not! One page, she was the fragile woman I thought needed protection, the next she was the weirdest character you could find. Nothing made sense and I loved it!

There are other important characters in Silent Lies, even if they are dead. I did not like any of them. I did not hate any of them. I felt like a spectator in a dark Greek tragedy. This read is cathartic and so powerful in the way it makes you look at everything single detail of life differently, and it makes you feel the need to understand, to feel the same emotion to try and play the “What would I do?” game.

I, as a reader, was a photograph picking the best angle. But there is no best angle here. It takes a comprehensive and expert exploration of the human mind to come up with so many threads, so many stories, so many worlds and to make them collide to create one of my favorite endings ever! I need to thank the author for keeping me on my toes about EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this book!

Doesn’t true freedom mean having no desires? Not wanting anything other than what we need to live?

The writing was different from everything I’ve read so far. It felt very simple at first sight, but each sentence was carefully chosen to let you in on some absolutely dark minds. I need to applaud again the tension coming from the people themselves rather than the action or words.

You’ve probably guessed by now; this is a character-driven thriller. They talked to me, they gave me the creeps, they jumped out of the pages to meet me, and I’m glad I opened the door. Sort of. I’m still freaked out!

We bear the scars of our past, permanent tattoos carved onto our skin, whoever we are.

Slow-paced creepy stories lovers, get a copy right now! Silent Lies is a perfectly written, compelling web made of truths and lies, an addictive puzzle bound to stay with you!

My wedding is next week. Things are insane. Yet, when I found out the Bookouture would be doing a blog blitz for the newest publication by Kathryn Croft, I threw all caution to the wind and signed myself up! Kathryn Croft is one of my favourite writers of psychological thrillers. I couldn’t resist!

As I previously mentioned, Silent Lies, is the newest release by Kathryn Croft. A fast paced plot filled with multi-layered, manipulative characters had me binge reading this novel late into the night! From the moment I started the book, I was hooked by the prologue.

The story unfolds and is completely filled with tension. Mia, reeling from the loss of her husband, is still trying to make sense of his suicide and supposed involvement with one of his students, Josie. Five years, Josie is still missing and a mysterious woman, Allison, who tells her that her husband did not kill himself, visits Mia. With this revelation, Mia is pushed down the path of uncovering the truth.

The story is told in two different perspectives: the first one is told through the eyes of Mia as she tries to figure out the truth and combat her many feelings about her husband and the gossip surrounding his death. The second perspective comes from Josie as she discusses her roommate and life on campus. I do not want to reveal too much more about the plot, but the style of the story makes you feel as if you are an insider into both perspectives. I loved watching the parallels.

Croft’s writing style is easy to become lost in and I found myself flipping the pages frantically by the time I neared the end of the story.

Overall, if you are a fan of psychological thrillers with a sort of “chick lit” vibe, then I feel like this will absolutely appeal to you. 5/5 stars from me!

Wow!
The prologue certainly grabbed my attention and that was it, I was hooked!
Mia is trying to move on since her husband, Zach, committed suicide five years previously. She's a likeable character and you can't help but feel for her. She is raising their daughter, Freya, and has since qualified as a counsellor. She is also in a new relationship with Will, but it still a doting daughter-in-law to her late husbands parents, who adore their Granddaughter.
When Alison turns up on her doorstep as a new client and seems to have known Zach, things start to unravel. She's an odd character and she starts to make Mia question the past. Did Zach have an affair with his student, Josie? Did he commit suicide?
The chapters alternate between Mia at the present time and Josie from five years ago. I couldn't wait to find out what this Alison thought she knew.
It's a tense read and at times frightening as Mia seeks the truth. And that ending!!! Woah, I never saw that coming! Absolutely gobsmacked!
Brilliantly written, as always. I'm a big fan of Kathryn Croft!

A month ago I discovered that Kathyrn Croft was coming out with a new book. The moment I found out I got very excited. I ended up reading her book The Girl You Lost earlier this year. I loved that book so much. I ended up giving it 5 stars. So I couldn't wait to see what Kathryn had up her sleeves this time around. Was I impressed by this book? Let's find out!

This book ended up impressing me right from the start. I was sucked in right away. It starts off with a prologue of 5 years before the main story. It takes place at Mia, the main character's husband's funeral. Here we find out her husband isn't who she thought she was. Then the book goes back to the present as Mia is trying to live her life until one of her patients tells her that her husband didn't kill himself. This sends her on a mission to find out what actually happened the night her husband died.

If you are looking for a book that keeps you guessing then this is the book for you. Kathryn does a great job of leaving each chapter with a cliffhanger ending. That kept me invested the whole entire time I was reading. I didn't want to put the book down because I had to know what was going to happen next.

Another thing that I enjoyed was the different point of views. You have Mia whose story is being told from the present. She's trying to discover what actually happened to her husband. The other point of view is from Josie. Josie is one of Mia's husband's students. Her story is told from the past while Mia's husband was still alive. I really enjoyed how their stories came together. At first you don't know too much about these characters but as the story goes on the truth begins to unravel. I do have to say I enjoyed having the story being told in the past and present. As I said earlier Kathryn loves to write cliffhanger endings. Mia's story would end and there would be a cliffhanger and then the next chapter would be Josie's story. So I would have to wait a little bit longer to know what was going on.

The last thing I enjoyed about this book was the characters. They've each have dealt with so much that I enjoyed these characters and felt horrible for what they were going through. I wanted to jump into the book and be a shoulder for them to lean on. They've both been in some horrible situations that I felt I needed to help them anyway I could. I do have to say Kathryn is great at writing creepy characters. Alison is Mia's patient that tells Mia that her husband did not kill himself. You read about her in Mia's POV and in Josie's POV. She really creeped me out. I did not like her one bit.

Overall I thought this was a great story. I really enjoyed the wild rides Kathryn takes us on with these characters. She is a phenomenal writer. She did a great job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. I made some theories about what I thought happened. I ended up being very off. I really enjoyed that it wasn't a predictable ending. I honestly can't wait to read more of Kathryn's books. I will be looking forward to her next book whenever that may be.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Silent Lies’ by Kathryn Croft in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Mia Hamilton has a happy life with her husband university lecturer Zach and when baby Freya arrives her life is complete. Zach befriends Josie, one of his students, and as Josie has problems with her dysfunctional family Zach listens to her problems as well as helping with her coursework. But Mia’s happiness is smashed the night Zach is found dead on the settee in Josie’s flat. There is blood but no sign of Josie’s body so the police believe Zach has killed Josie, hidden her body and committed suicide.
Five years later Josie’s flat-mate, Alison Cummings, turns up at Mia’s house saying that Zach didn’t kill himself, but Alison’s behaviour is extremely strange and scary – can anything she might say be believed?
‘Silent Lies’ is a cleverly written thriller that makes for compelling reading. The unexpected twists and turns kept me guessing, and the conclusion was shocking and completely unexpected. An excellent novel and one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

When a young husband dies he often becomes the martyr to the young family he leaves behind. When he's held that status for five years a wife finding out that he's not the man she knew could have devastating consequences!

I received this book as an ARC for an honest review. This was a well written book that keeps you turning the pages as fast as you can. It begin in the first chapter with the death of Zach, Mia's husband who is a teacher at a college. They have a two year old daughter Freya and the reader is led to believe that Zach took his own life. Then the book jumps to five years later. As the book unfolds, Freya is seven now and Mia is a therapist. She is finally getting her life back together. She has a boyfriend for about 3 years who cares deeply for her and Zach's parents are devoted grandparents and only want Mia to be happy. Mia has a brand new client and her name is Alison. She seems a bit off to Mia and than out of the blue she tells Mia that Zach did not take his own life. Mia is thrown a curve ball which sends her on a mission to find out what really happened. As the book unfolds it goes back and forth from Mia to Josie who was a college student and lived with Alison. Zach was her professor at the college she attended and slowly we see another side of Zach who claims he loves Mia and his daughter Freya but becomes infatuated with Josie. So, we find out that the night Zach took his life he was in Josie's apartment and then found dead and Josie is missing. Mia knows all about this when Zach is found dead. I do not want to give away any spoilers but this is a great psychological thriller, with twists and turns and an ending you won't see coming. The last two chapters are terrific. You think after you read the next to last chapter, that is it. But then the last chapter is another surprise. I highly recommend this book to readers who love this genre

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
I have read several of Kathryn Croft's books before and enjoyed those, so I was really looking forward to reading this one too. I absolutely loved it, and in my opinion this one is her best yet. An extremely twisty plot which had me guessing all the way through. How clever those last few pages were, and what a satisfying ending! I can't say too much for fear of giving anything away, but I totally recommend this book.
Thank you very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for my advance copy of this book.

Kathryn Croft returns following While You Were Sleeping (2016) with SILENT LIES — a twisty psychological thriller of big secrets and silent lies, with an ending you do not see coming.

As the novel opens to five years earlier, at a funeral. Zach. The husband of Mia and father of Freya. This is no normal funeral. There are angry people. A monster. Suicide. They were married for ten years.

People are asking her if she knew what her husband was up to? How could she have comprehended what he was capable of? She never really knew the man she married.

Presently we hear from Mia Hamilton. Her daughter now is seven years old. Mia owns a counseling business and is dating Will. He would like for them to move in together. She is not ready. He is the kindest man she could ever meet and so good with Freya.

She thinks someone is watching her. Her world as she knows will never be the same.

Mia is meeting a client, Alison Cummings (a young woman). She works from her home office. However, she tells Mia that her husband did not kill himself. Alison is Josie’s former roommate and Alison’s partner is Dominic Bradford. She says he is a violent man.

Alternating from past to present we hear from Josie Carpenter (past) and Mia (present).

Josie was a student of Zachs at the university. Dominic was Zach’s colleague. At the time he never believed Zach was capable of the things people said.

Zach’s parents (Pam and Graham) love their granddaughter and they even like Will. They think it is time for her to move on.

Mia has been unable to tell them for the last five years, that she does not think Zach was innocent. The evidence stacked against him was too compelling to ignore. They think he was just depressed and nothing to do with that girl.

But why would Alison say he did not kill himself, now five years later? Why would Zach risk his life and family for this girl?

Josie supposedly had an affair with her college professor. However, Zach committed suicide while in Josie’s apartment. Or did he? Innocent or guilty of an affair.

Josie disappeared. The police could never determine what happened to her. There was blood. Did Zach kill her, or what really went down that evening?

What does her former roommate Alison know about that night?` What did Zach do to that girl?

Who is telling the truth and who is lying?

Mia has fought so hard to start over and build a new life for herself and her daughter. Now she feels she is getting sucked back into the past. She will not involve Will. She will not allow Alison or Dominic to ruin it for her.

Mia has a strong feeling Alison knows exactly what happened to Josie. Josie is one troubled, messed up gal with a past of horrors; abuse, both verbally and physically. Zach sympathized. Alison and Mia— your feeling will change from the beginning to the ending.

“Who knows what is within us?”

Unreliable narrator (s) and red herrings. A tangled web of deceit and lies. From obsession, jealousy, suspicion, mental illness to justice. The author keeps you guessing until you are not sure if any character is trustworthy. Nothing is as it appears.

Do not ever think you have gotten away with something. Karma is a bitch. The silence and the past will come back to haunt you. You are not safe.

No real likable characters here. Not one of my favorites of Crofts; however, entertaining. Some readers may come away feeling a little cheated or let down while some may like the 360-degree twist. A perfect title.

If you have read Alessandra Torre's The Ghost Writer, you may see a similarity, with a different twist.

A special thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

My Review

Five Years. 
Five Words. 
Mia delves into the past looking for the truth, does Alison hold the key to Silent Lies.

A seemingly perfect life, shattered into a million pieces when Mia becomes a widow after her husband Zach, apparently commits suicide. Struggling for a number of years as a single parent eventually becoming a counsellor, finds love again with Will then Mia is dealt another blow, Alison a new client, drops a bombshell…… Alison believes Zach didn’t commit suicide.

Should Mia believe her?

What’s the evidence?

Why is Alison revealing this information now?

How far will Mia go to expose the truth?

After reading Silent Lies by Kathryn Croft I have deduced that there is four main questions which have built up this fantastic psychological thriller and each one was embroiled in a web of lies, half truths and at the centre of it all the truth. I loved having to pick my way through the hints, sometimes slamming into that proverbial brick wall, when I ultimately took the wrong turn, but that added to the thrill of the chase, hunting down the truth to the Silent Lies.

I looked hard at Mia while reading wondering did I like her, feel sorry for her or did I think she deserved what was coming to her, it took a while for me to settle on my opinion of Mia. I came to the conclusion that Mia was a tad materialistic especially while Zach was alive but upon his death she changed, went in the opposite direction and became a commitaphobe especially when it came to Will. The character of Alison is a whole different ball game, I found her to be very emotionally dependent, unstable and volatile all just scratching the surface of her mental health issues which become apparent the further into the book I read.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the ease of reading Silent Lies, it was very well written, not over described and it had no complicated vocabulary that needs a dictionary to decipher which is always a bonus. If you want a nice straight forward but twisted plot the Silent Lies is the one for you.

Silent Lies is a brilliant psychological thriller which will tense up your mind, flood your senses with apprehension and leave you sitting in a heap on the floor wondering what the hell happened there.
 
Thank you to Bookouture, Kathryn Croft and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Silent Lies in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a Kathryn Croft fan since her first book and so I always look forward to reading her new releases. Silent Lies grabbed my attention before I even started to read it though! The cover and tagline intrigued me to the point where I had to bump this one up my TBR pile as every time I opened my kindle, this was the cover that called to me the most.

To lose a husband before expected must be devastating enough but for Mia, she has to cope with the knowledge that not only did her husband take his own life but that something happened beforehand to instigate his suicide. And now Mia and her young daughter have to live with the consequences and the knowledge that they will be forever judged by Zachs actions. Her new partner Will is so supportive and understanding that sometimes he seemed a little bit too good to be true but finally after 5 years Mia is trying to move on. But then she meets new client Alison who is about to make Mia question everything she thought she knew about the night Zach died. But can Alison be trusted? She seems to know more than she should but can Mia trust this damaged young woman?

So Kathryn Croft definitely caught me out here! What a twisty, dark and unbelievably brilliant thriller this is! I was driven by an intense desire to know exactly what had happened to Zach and the plot threads leading up to his death were just so riveting that they made for compulsive reading! The author teased by giving just a few grains of information but then pulled back until I was desperate to uncover the truth! Mia was a great protagonist but from the start she didn’t half do some stupid things by putting herself in danger until I was tempted to scream at her “Your daughter has lost her father! She can’t lose you too!!”

I absolutely loved this emotional rollercoaster of a read and was desperate to discuss it with someone as soon as I had finished it! Everything worked for me, especially the ending, and I couldn’t read it quickly enough although now I’m sad that it’s all over and I have to wait once more for a new Kathryn Croft book. It takes a lot to fool me but Silent Lies shocked the hell out of me! Unputdownable and unbelievably gripping, this is a must read for fans of this genre. Highly recommended by me!

Once again, I am so pleased that I don't read the blurbs of books before I start reading them as I probably wouldn't have been so stunned by this storyline if I had read it beforehand.

Anywhoo, what an addictive read! The storyline is split between then and now, as well as two different characters. I must have been exceptionally slow but I couldn't work out what the connection was to the two females at first! What a numpty. It didn't take me too long to figure out the connection....luckily. Funnily enough, things started to make more sense once I had!

As soon as Alison was introduced to the storyline, something about her made me extremely uncomfortable and I couldn't work out why. All I know was that I marked her card straight away. Just in case.

There was also another character who at times I felt incredibly sorry for, even though I didn't feel as though they fit into the storyline as well as the others. Which, once you've read it, you might understand where I am coming from. For such a prominent character in the book, I felt as though the they were a last-minute addition to the storyline instead of being immersed into the situation like the others.

Apart from that, I was absolutely hooked whilst reading 'Silent Lies'. The storyline reeled me in straight away, leaving me guessing until the very last page - literally! I formed my own opinions along the way, trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw back together again. Whether my opinion was correct or incorrect, I won't divulge. Let's just say that 'Silent Lies' left me with my mouth hanging wide open.

Overall, 'Silent Lies' kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the book - there were times where I didn't know who or what to believe! Hell, I even struggled to believe my own name!

'Silent Lies' is a well crafted, addictive, and fast paced read which will leave you questioning absolutely everything. So many interesting and secretive characters make up this suspenseful storyline...but which one is telling the truth? Never mind Jeremy Kyle and a lie detector test - the lies in this book are far too powerful for good ol' Jezza to take on.

I am rather looking forward to reading what Kathryn Croft comes out with next. After reading 'Silent Lies', it's safe to say that the author now has a fan for life....and no that's not a Silent Lie.

Thanks Bookouture.

This is my second book by Kathryn Croft, I was super impressed with While You Were Sleeping and I’ve been eager to read more of her work ever since. I loved the premise of this, the idea of not truly knowing your spouse always hooks me and knowing that Mia had zero closure after her husband’s death both saddened and fascinated me. Knowing full well that Croft would have several tricks up her sleeve just added to my anticipation and I’m happy to report that this was another amazing read!

This is told via alternating timelines, first you have Mia today and then Josie five years previously in the months leading up to her disappearance and Zach’s death. The chapters are not super short but the pacing is spot on, almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, then it flips to a different time period so each time you’re desperate to find out what’s next for Mia or Josie. It was a clever tactic that kept me flipping pages quickly and I found myself desperate as well to untangle the web of lies and discover the truth myself!

This keeps you on your toes, it was a constant guessing game and I had my suspicions about every single character at some point. I kept changing my mind and second guessing everything which I always love in a psychological thriller. The ending was a total surprise and really well executed, I do love a killer twist and this one delivered.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed reading the book so much. There is alots happening on each characters going through so much in their life.

Silent Lies is my fourth book by Kathryn Croft and I have loved each one of them with her great style of writing.

This story is told between past and present, Five years previously Mia’s perfect life was torn apart when her husband Zach, a university teacher, committed suicide in one of his students apartments, his student, Josie, vanished on the same night.

Five years later Mia and her young daughter Freya are finally happy again, until a stranger, Alison, enters Mia’s life and tells her that her husband did not commit suicide.

Plenty of secrets, lies and constant guessing, Secret Lies has a twist that I did not see coming with a great ending.

Another winner from Kathryn Croft and highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Each time this author releases a novel I anticipate how well her writing improves with each book.

Her characters are likable and memorable and her stories are well written

I really enjoyed the beginning of Silent Lies it really does set off a chain reaction that made for a gripping story. I enjoyed the glimpses into the past that slowly but surely reveals what happened five years ago. This way of writing the story creates a wonderful feeling of tension. The different timelines really help to build up the story revealing more information but also posing more questions. It really was a great way of drawing the reader in. I loved that as the story goes on it becomes a case of who can be trusted and what are the secrets they are keeping.

This isn't necessarily a fast paced thriller but more of a slow tension filled story that will have you questioning everything. By doing this Kathryn Croft developed the characters properly giving you chance to get to know them. The characters in Silent Lies aren't necessarily likeable but I actually never mind this. In fact it pretty much always makes them feel more realistic after all no one is perfect. I was both curious and suspicious of the characters so much so that I couldn't stop myself from reading especially as I got closer to the end. The story grabs you and refuses to let go until you discover the truth.

With thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.


Mia is a widow caring for her little girl. It is five years since her husband college lecturer Zach's apparent suicide and the disappearance of one of his students Josie.

Mia has moved on with her life with a new career as a counsellor and a romantic relationship with Will. She is visited by Alison, Josie's former flatmate who informs Mia that Zach didn't kill himself and she has information about that night and what really happened to Zach.

This story alternates between the present with Mia's story and five years previously with Josie's story. Josie is trying to improve her life through attending university and her writing. She suffered a violent abusive neglected childhood with her nasty mother Liv. This story was told very well and I really empathized with Josie. Mia unfortunately left me cold, she seemed to make stupid decisions and ran towards danger with no thought for her own safety.

The first 80% of this book was very enjoyable, The author is a talented writer and kept me engaged. The story was full of twists and I liked the different POV's. Unfortunately the ending totally spoiled this book. Yes it is a huge shock but it made me just shrug my shoulders and think NO NO NO this makes no sense. It felt rushed and left me wanting more answers. Maybe that was the idea but it was frustrating

Silent Lies is such an apt title for this novel – the hidden lies are awesome! I’ve read a few psychological thrillers of late so you would think I might possibly be able to work out what’s happening? No, not a whiff of it! This is an impressive and enthralling thriller which will leave you breathless!

When Mia’s daughter was only two, she lost her husband who committed suicide after murdering another girl. She survived the hate that she was on the receiving end of – because who would believe she didn’t know he had a relationship outwith their marriage? Five years on and focusing only on Freya, she has successfully moved on, running her own business and even has a new man in her life who adores them both.

Then someone from the past comes surfaces, bringing with them more questions than answers. We begin to follow the story ‘then’ and ‘now’ and slowly, piece by piece, the picture of the past is revealed alongside present happenings. The climax to this story totally came out of the blue. Not for one minute had I even considered the line it took – it blew me away. I was pole-axed!

This is such an easy novel to read. The writing is fluid, polished and draws you in. Before you know it you really care about the characters – good and bad. The people, the places, the situations are all completely plausible and believable and I have a clear mental image of all places – house, park and flat. That flat is so vividly described that I hope I never, ever have to live anywhere like it!

I have no idea how I have managed not to read Kathryn Croft’s other novels, but after this taste of her writing she is firmly on my list of authors to read more of. Such a stunning read deserves to race up the charts.

My sincere thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the arc of this novel in exchange for my honest, original and unbiased review.

Five words that change everything - "Your husband didn’t kill himself."

This is a tense British psychological thriller that is told from different points of view and different timelines.

There is Zach, the professor, who gets too involved with a student. There is Josie, his student, There is Mia, Zach's wife. And there is Alison, Josie's unstable flatmate.

Five years ago Zach is found dead in Josie and Alison's flat and Josie is missing. Because of the blood found in the flat, it is assumed that Zach killed Josie and hid her body and then killed himself.

This was a very good thriller that had me speeding through the pages and kept me tense all the way through. And I did not see the ending coming.

I received this book from Bookouture through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.