OMFG!

When I talk about chilling psychological thrillers, Silent Victim will be on my list of the greatest there is.

Mitchell is one of the most talented writers I know and Silent Victim is bloody brilliant.

I've been lucky enough to read several of her books over the years and they just get better and better.

Emma's now perfect life is about to fall apart as secrets from her past come back to haunt her, and she does her best to hide the truth from her family.

As the blurb tells us, there is a shallow on the property Emma is about to sell. A body that Emma put in a shallow grave many years ago. Given no choice but to move it before the house sells, Emma goes to do the deed, only to find the grave is empty.

The emotional turmoil this creates in Emma is heartbreaking. Feelings she had long since buried come to the surface and this is the beginning of the downfall.

Unsure what to do, she starts on a downward spiral which is hard for everyone around her to watch.

Mitchell's writing is amazing. She brings this character to life so well that it was impossible not to get inside her head and feel exactly what she was feeling. What a skill!

Silent Victim is gritty, nervy, edgy, and bloody scary in parts!

An amazing book by Caroline Mitchell. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read the book in a single sitting. Brilliantly plotted with a main character I really cared about.

Silent Victim is the latest release from one of my favourite authors, Caroline Mitchell.  I have been a fan of Mitchell's writing for some time now but this (I'm ashamed to admit) is the first of her standalone psychological thrillers I have read.  I normally go giddy over her superb police procedurals which, being a former police detective, have bucketloads of realism in them.  But this.....this wonderfully addictive piece of fiction blew me away!  There was something so different, so beautifully dark about the writing that I was pretty smitten from the very first page.

We meet Emma (great name, there aren't enough 'Emma's' in the books I read!), our lead character whilst she is burying a body!  The reader immediately knows that this is not a normal night out for Emma and disposing of bodies in her palatial back garden is not something she does to pass the time.  I could feel the character's disbelief, the sheer terror of the situation and the realisation of what she had done.  If the prologue of Silent Victim doesn't draw you head first into this compulsive story then there's no hope left for you I'm afraid.

Life is....good for Emma, her husband and their young son, Jamie.  Alex, Emma's husband is desperate to return to the North though, to Leeds where he was born and spent many happy years.  So when a promotion lands in his lap, he grabs it with both hands.  Emma would like to make a clean break of it too, but is fully aware of the secrets buried in her garden.  Going behind Emma's back Alex manages to find an eager cash buyer for their home and starts the search for a suitable property in Leeds.  The implications of what this could mean hit Emma hard.  What if the new owners discover the shallow grave on their property?  She would certainly go to prison, and who would care for Jamie then?  Moving the remains is the only answer, she needs to hide them somewhere they will never be found.  But when Emma returns to the burial site, there is something missing.  A body.  Where are the remains of the teacher who groomed her when she was 15?

Wowsers!  What a book.  I feel emotionally drained and quite exhausted after reading Emma's story.  But what an addictive and thrilling story from the pen of Ms Mitchell.  I couldn't put this one down, nor did I actually want to.  Normal life was officially put on hold!

I was repulsed by smarmy, manipulative Luke and his despicable treatment of teenage Emma.  The way he spun her so many revolting lies until he got what he wanted and then pushed her aside as if she were a mere inconvenience.  My heart broke repeatedly for teenage Emma, I could really feel her hurt.  Saying that, Emma is a very troubled character from start to finish but I very much liked her.  I can't say the same for her husband, Alex.  I would be fuming if my husband sold our house from underneath us without consulting me first.  Alex made a couple of other decisions without Emma's involvement at other points throughout the book and boy, did it wind me up!

Would I recommend this book?  Definitely.  It's brilliantly paced, stuffed full of suspense and you never really know what to expect next.  I loved how utterly horrible Luke Priestwood, Emma's teacher, was.  A firm favourite for 'villain of the year' in my eyes and a character for us readers to despise.  But he wasn't the only one with a touch of the darkness within and that, for me, added so much to the story.  Mitchell's writing goes from strength to strength.  I absolutely flipping loved it!

Five out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Silent Victim. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Intrigued? You should be as that is just a taster of the chills and suspense you have in store when you pick up a copy of Silent Victim. It opens in a very dark way, setting the scene for what is yet to come and from here on in you are faced with a set of questions, who, what and why.

The who is answered very quickly, at least the who as in who-dunnit. The what and why are a little trickier and the explanation behind forms the central thread of this story. As we are introduced to Emma and her family it is clear she is hiding something but until the story unfolds, we are not clear exactly what it is or why she would take the drastic action she has. Her life as she knows it is about to completely change, her husband Alex having accepted a promotion in Leeds which means they need to leave their Essex home. But leaving will mean Emma's secrets could be exposed. We are then left to wonder whether the events which unfold are real or a symptom of the stress she has been under for many years. And if they are real, then who is responsible.

Caroline Mitchell has proven time and again that she is capable of creating tension and suspense, both of which she excels at once again in Silent Victim. Much like its predecessor Silent Witness, we are also faced with unreliable narrators and characters we cannot fully get to like, even if you can feel some sympathy for Emma's situation. She has a difficult background, again something which is slowly revealed to the reader throughout the course of the story, and this will no doubt have informed her character. However, is she fully a victim or is part of the problem of her own making?

The book does touch upon a difficult subject and one which may make the skin crawl. It certainly did mine. The subject of grooming is not sensationalized in any way and it is not glossed over either. There is no doubt that what is happening is very, very wrong and it is not portrayed in a remotely romantic way, not even from a childlike infatuation. And this is where the skin crawls as a character who is seemingly charming is laid bare for the reader, exposing the reptile lurking behind the shiny veneer. This is where Caroline Mitchell's experience in the Police shines through and she manages a very convincing portrayal of the nature of this kind of abuse without crossing the line into full on child abuse. It is still objectionable and worrying but sadly still all too common. A tough topic sensitively handled while still providing tempered entertainment for the reader.

There are moments of great tension in this book, especially towards the end of the book where the inevitable showdown takes place. The ending may surprise you, it did me, and there are clues and red herrings dropped throughout the novel which will lead you up the wrong path more than once. But there are also quiet moments, moments where Emma gets lost in her own thoughts, yet still it retains the intrigue for the reader as you wonder how much of what is going on is all in her head. Told from three points of view, Emma, Adam and the 'victim' from the opening of the book, the voices are distinct and the action easy to follow. So easy in fact that I read through this in one day, helped by a round trip to Dublin, but it is one of those one sitting kind of books that once you start you won't want to stop.

On a side note it also made me smile a little, recognising a couple of the names in the book. You know who you are ;)

A great addition to Caroline's growing library and highly recommended.

My thanks to the author, Caroline Mitchell , the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book – below you will find my honest opinion/thoughts on this novel.
Set on Mersea Island/Colchester the reader is immersed in a world where a fear of discovery, abuse of trust, lack of self- control, manipulation, secrets, guilt, shame, vulnerability and mistrust wraps itself around us as we follow the story to uncover the truth but… Sometimes the truth hurts more than a lie. 😱
Wooooo- weeee! What an intense prologue – my mind was racing with questions, I was definitely hooked! 🙌🏻 Moving from the past to the present and through three different POV’s we get a feel of each person’s perspective but ultimately are none the wiser. Who should we believe? I love an unreliable narrator and I was not disappointed in this novel. I feel they give psychological thrillers an authenticity, so *high five* to the author for nailing it! 👌🏻 The plot was relatively fast-paced in my opinion and the suspense unnerving. In terms of being unputdownable, this book definitely had me! #BOOM! 👊🏻
Well what a messed up cast of characters – Perfect!! Emma was well written and in the main, believable …though at times, I did scratch my head and wonder about her. 🤔 The eating disorder and deterioration of her mental well being was very relatable and really made me feel sorry for her. With trying to hide the murder of her leacherous teacher whilst be a loving wife and mother, this poor woman had a lot on her plate – but is what she is telling everyone…including the reader true?
Alex is Emma’s husband and takes his wife’s secret reasonably well, then flips out and then calms down again. I wasn’t sure what I made of him. I liked the way he works out things before confronting people, and I understood why he behaved the way he did – I just didn’t like him 🤣 And that is not a criticism at all, something about him niggled at me and that is what I love about characters – if they stay with me – get under my skin, the author has mastered that characters voice …and she did!
OMFG 😮 Luke or the lech, a more apt name for this vile man – so well written, I still cringe just thinking about him! In fact, he just makes me feel dirty and I want to scrub away every thought of him from my mind. 🤢 The authors previous experience in the police shines through with this character. Totally-Friggin-Nailed -It! Master manipulator of vulnerable young girls, he was clever, cunning and absolutely awful as a person. I hated everything about him and wished every time I saw his name that Emma had killed him when she thought she had!
As an author, Caroline really knows how to create characters that get under our skin, whether we love them or loathe them, they stay with us. I thought the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking but that works sometimes…maybe it’s because I just wanted more!
Would I recommend this book? That would be an absolute Hell to the Yeah! The suspense took over and although I figured out some things, I was still surprised I was right. If you like page turning, intense, enthralling storylines that will have you questioning everything – this book will definitely mess with your mind!

I have read all of Caroline Mitchell’s fictional tales and they have all thrilled and chilled me. So I was super excited when I was offered an early copy of Silent Victim! I loved the author’s previous stand-alone psychological thriller Witness but would Silent Victim compare to its predecessor?

Emma and Alex seem to be the perfect couple, she’s a successful business owner with him just being promoted within the estate agency he works. But Emma has a secret; she killed a man and buried him in the back garden. I say back garden, it’s really a part of the land that their house has. They own a quad bike to get round the land, if that sets the scene for you?! With Alex’s promotion comes a relocation to my city of Leeds which I have to admit I loved the idea of! The odd part of the story featured Alex in Leeds and the author has got it right! Gold star there!

Part of a good psychological thriller is an unreliable narrator and may I present Emma. She seems fairly stable and with it to start with; but as events unfold and her life starts to crumble with her secrets revealed, her calm exterior gradually tumbles.

And Caroline Mitchell has definitely portrayed the chilling reality of a person of authority can abuse the assumed trust so easily with someone so impressionable and vulnerable after losing her mum.

So in answer to my question at the beginning, for me Silent Victim is an excellent read. Caroline Mitchell knows how to keep you guessing. The more I read of Silent Victim, the more I questioned what I had learnt previously!

Do you like books that keep you up late at night because there is just NO way you can put it down until you find out the truth? What about books that are relentlessly paced with short chapters that end on mini cliffhangers leaving you reading chapter after chapter until you realize you’re finished? Or what about books that are full of thrills and excitement but also have a domestic suspense vibe chock full of secrets and lies? If you answered yes to these questions then please allow me to introduce you to the work of the fabulous Caroline Mitchell! Over the past two years she’s become one of my favorite authors, I can always count on her for an original storyline and some serious heart pounding moments and Silent Victim may be her best book yet.

This is told from several viewpoints and flips between 2017, 2013 and 2002 but everything is laid out clearly, there is no confusion but just loads of intrigue. The premise of this hooked me instantly, Emma killed her teacher years ago, but she didn’t mean to and she’s been living in fear ever since. When she digs up his grave and finds it empty things start to go downhill, fast. That’s as far as I’ll be discussing the plot because this went in SO many unexpected directions that I don’t want to reveal much. The tension is insane and the guessing game was endless, I was doubtful and distrusting of everyone at some point and the ending left me gasping for breath. Another hit from one of my auto buy authors, if you haven’t read her books yet they’re all highly recommended by me.

Silent Victim in three words: Nerve wracking, exciting and Menacing.

Atmospheric, menacing, and incredibly riveting!

Silent Victim is a character-driven, thrill ride that reminds us that skeletons often find their way out of the closet no matter how well they are hidden or buried and highlights just how easily someone's behaviour can be manipulated, misinterpreted, questioned, and used against them.

The writing is taut and complex. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are distressed, raw and consumed, and a setting, Mersea Island, that is a character itself with its remoteness and isolation. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, uses a past/present, back-and-forth style to create suspense and tension as it unravels all the histories, personalities, relationships, and motivations within it.

Silent Victim is a without a doubt a clever, masterfully plotted, twisty page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first page and leaves you shocked, surprised, and thoroughly entertained. It's one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a long time and is definitely a must read!

This story is told over three timelines and by three narrators and begins with Emma burying a man's body in the paddock at the back of her garden.

Fast forward 4 years and Emma is happily married to Alex and lives with their little boy Jamie in her family home, but her world is about to be blown apart when Alex announces that he's been promoted and they need to sell their home and move to Leeds, when she returns to the grave to move the body and finds it gone, she knows she must reveal all to her husband, but Alex ends up finding out more about his wife along the way than he ever imagined possible and wonders whether he ever really knew her at all.

The story continues, switching between timelines and kept me, as a reader, guessing all the way through as to who was really telling the truth.  The chapters flowed seamlessly into one another and the author covered the many battles that Emma faced over the years with great attention to detail, I found this book very difficult to put down once I'd picked it up.

I would highly recommend this standalone thriller and would like to thank Thomas and Mercer for the approval on Netgalley, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

I've read all books published by Caroline Mitchell so far and I have to say from the outset that Silent Victim must be her best to date. Since writing her first book, this author has gone from strength to strength captivating her readers' imagination with excellent, intriguing stories.

"I am not a bad person, but I've done a very bad thing."

​"I am a murderer. My soul is damned to hell."

These are the first gripping lines that immediately immerse the reader into this hair-raising, claustrophobic tale of obsession, manipulation, lies and murder.

The story is told over two time periods, one in 2002 and the other in the present day. In the prologue, we have this grisly scene of a woman burying the man she has just murdered in a ditch. It seems she had no choice, this was the only way she could get on with her life, by getting rid of this man. But why? Who was Luke? Why did she kill him? What happened for her to think there was no other viable option? What did he do to her? As I was reading this prologue, my mind became invaded by innumerable questions like these and others. I think the author succeeded 100% in writing a prologue that does exactly what it is intended to do. It piques the reader's interest and leaves them yearning to know more.

2002. Emma is just a teenager who becomes infatuated with the charming Luke Priestwood, her art teacher. Luke is not just a very handsome man that makes all girls drool over him, he's very kind and understanding, offering Emma extra tuition and support. Emma feels in love and at ease in his company, comfortable enough to pour her heart out to him, telling him her secrets and about her troubled life at home. Emma is a weak, damaged young girl who needs support, and that's exactly what she finds in Luke. He seems to reciprocate her affection, but doesn't it look too good to be true? Is Luke truly what he portrays on the outside? Well, you'll just have to read the chapters from his pov to find out.

In the present day, Emma is a mature married businesswoman and mum. Devoted to her family and business, she has put her past behind her as best she could, until one day her husband tells her of a promotion he's got. They will need to sell house and move to Leeds, but Emma can't leave without first getting rid of Luke's body which she has buried in the land making part of their property. But, when she goes to retrieve the body, with the intent of disposing of it somehow, she's stunned to find nothing there... no body. But how could this be? Where's the body? Someone must have removed it from the ground? Is someone in the knowledge of what she has done and is playing a trick on her? Or is the reason something much more sinister? From there, Emma's nightmares return, her past comes back to haunt her and her mental health takes a sudden plunge as she becomes obsessed with Luke again. She thinks he's come back to get her, to make her pay for what she did to him. But is it true? Or is this just the fruit of her troubled mind?

Well, this is a riveting read that made me gasp and bite my knuckles numerous times and that kept me hooked from the terrifying prologue to the heart-pounding ending. As the story gained pace, I honestly couldn't stay away from it for very long and I found myself thinking about the characters when I was at work, wondering what could happen next. The author's rich, crisp, eloquent prose makes this an even more enjoyable read, keeping the reader's interest high at all times. All characters are well portrayed and lifelike, the dialogues realistic and everything is vividly described in high definition, making me feel as if I were there in Emma's kitchen, in her shop or in the field where she buries Luke, and following her as she battles her demons and tries to keep the skeletons hidden in her closet.

My favourite character in this book was without doubt Alex. Even though his marriage is put into question and he goes through some very difficult moments of doubt, anger and resentment towards his wife, he stays on Emma's side, helping and loving her as best he could. In my opinion not only Emma is the silent victim here, I think Alex is too. He's a brave, genuine man. But should he really believe his wife? Was she really the Emma he thought he knew? How could the woman he loves be capable of doing something as terrible as murder? You see, questions will never stop invading your mind once you start reading this book.

A beautiful cover, a gripping, read-with-the-lights-on, fast-paced plot that keeps you guessing till the end, flawless writing, great characterisation... well, I couldn't ask for more. Although we're still in February, I already know that Silent Victim will be among my top reads of 2018. Highly, highly recommended!!

With thanks to the author and Thomas & Mercer for approving my request to read and review this fab book through Netgalley.

SILENT VICTIM by Caroline Mitchell is the perfect example of a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very first sentence to the last.

Emma has closed the door on her past and has tried very hard to move on and be the caring wife and mother that was always missing in her own life. But when her loving husband, Alex, gets a promotion that will mean moving to Leeds and leaving behind their ramshackle family home on the island, Emma knows that she must move on and be excited for the new phase of their lives. There is just one task that must be accomplished before she can finally feel free and it lies buried at the bottom of their land. But when Emma arrives at that fateful spot, the ground is empty and the body is gone. Could the man who groomed her really still be alive? And as threatening incidents begin to occur could he be coming back for revenge? Or is she slowly losing her mind?

This story moves from past to present and is told from different characters points of view which allows the plot to unfold perfectly in front of our eyes. The characters are gripping and I felt so sorry for Alex who adores his wife and son and has no idea what to believe when his beautiful life starts to come apart at the seams. With many twists and turns, and some shocking surprises along the way, SILENT VICTIM by Caroline Mitchell is a compelling thriller that is sure to make your stomach churn with anxiety as you become completely caught up in the tense atmosphere.

SILENT VICTIM is a must for crime fiction fans everywhere and would make a perfect tv drama.

Published by: Thomas & Mercer (1st March 2018)



ISBN: 978-1503948983



Source: Netgalley



Rating: 5*



Synopsis:

Emma’s darkest secrets are buried in the past. But the truth can’t stay hidden for long.



Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen.It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect. A promotion for Emma’s husband, Alex, means they can finally move to a bigger home with their young son. But with a buyer lined up for their old house, Emma can’t leave without destroying every last trace of her final revenge…



Returning to the shallow grave in the garden, she finds it empty. The body is gone.

Panicked, Emma confesses to her husband. But this is only the beginning. Soon, Alex will discover things about her he’ll wish he’d learned sooner. And others he’ll long to forget.



Review:

Ooh, I do love to get well and truly stuck into a book by Caroline Mitchell...which is precisely what I've done with Silent Victim as it's now a little past 4 in the morning and I've been reading solidly for the last several hours! I simply couldn't go to sleep until I got to the end of the book and found out what happened!



I've been a fan of the author since her first book, and thoroughly enjoy both her crime/police procedural novels and psychological thrillers. Regardless of genre, Caroline nails the plot, drawing you in with ease and making it look effortless. Her clever attention to detail, combined with an intelligent style of writing weave the intricate details together exquisitely.



There are such complex characters in this deliciously dark tale! Emma is wonderful. Luke...what can I possibly say? Alex, Theresa and Josh all support well. I can't give any more details without any spoilers! Just when you think you have worked a character out... it all gets turned on its head. Masterful Mitchell at her best!



Silent Victim is a fast-paced, on the edge of your seat, biting your nails kinda book. It's dark, shocking, a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that has you clinging on for dear life! Brilliant!



Thanks to Caroline Mitchell, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

Well, I read this book in one sitting; as soon as I began I could not put it down! Silent Victim is narrated from alternate points of view, Emma, her husband, Alex and teacher Luke  and it spans from past to present. Each chapter lets you know which character is narrating and what time period you are reading about so it is easy to keep abreast of where you are in the storyline.

The blurb tells you what you need to know about the plot, there is so much I want to say but my lips are well and truly sealed, no spoilers here!  I will, however, tell you that Silent Victim is a breathtaking, screw with your mind and keep you up all night kind of read. It's a psychological thriller at its very best!

A brilliantly executed plot with authentic and often chilling narration will have your head spinning. The pacing is perfect as each chapter feeds you just a little more. So see that "just one more chapter" ploy you use before you go to sleep, well you can forget it with this one! Who will you believe, any of them? None of them? Just what the hell has happened in Emma's life to lead her to where she is now. It quickly becomes clear that murder is not all that is buried in Emma's mind as the story unfolds.



Silent Victim explores the themes of grooming, abuse of power, eating disorders and mental health. I really could feel that descent into a world out of control as I read.   Caroline Mitchell does this in a manner which manages to be both sensitive but also compelling and suspenseful; she really is the mistress of psychological thrillers, she knows just how to build up the tension, set the reader on edge, prepare to let them go, only to pull back and start the process all over again. My heart was in my mouth throughout this book!



Secrets and lies entwine their way through this storyline, twists that are tighter than a corkscrew and a plot that will leave you breathless, characters that will cause you angst and confusion as you try to work out just who should be trusted!When you pick up this book make sure you have set aside a day as you are not going to be able to put it down, you are not going to want to put it down!
review will be on my blog as part of the blog tour

OMG!!! Talk about a book being addictive! Once I started Silent Victim it became physically impossible to put it down! It has shot straight onto the list of my favourite books of the year so far and is definitely my favourite book by this author…….ever! I have always enjoyed her police procedural novels but this standalone is something very special indeed. The twisty plot, the unreliable narrative told by some rather unlikable characters and the unrelenting tension meant the build up here was immense! My heart was practically beating out of my chest as the final few pages brought the storyline to its dramatic climax but I just didn’t want it to end!!

Emma was an amazing character creation. When we first meet her she is burying the body of a man called Luke that she has just murdered. Fast forward 4 years and this happily married mum of one is a very different Emma! She has a successful business, an attentive husband and an adorable little boy. But when Alex gets a promotion and puts their house on the market before their move from their island home to the city of Leeds, Emma goes into meltdown as she knows her crime will now be uncovered. But why is there no longer a body in that shallow grave and does Alex really know Emma as well as he thought he did? In this sick game of cat and mouse we are never quite sure who is lying and who is the real victim.

I love it when an author can keep me holding on, guessing at the outcome until the very end. Caroline Mitchell pitched her plot perfectly, the threads coming together with a shocking denouement that left me rejoicing with the sheer scale of her deception! It was like she had taken everything that I love in my psychological thrillers and combined them effortlessly to make my own special “build-a-thriller”!!! Silent Victim ticked every box for me and I relished every single page! It was believable, manipulative and completely engrossing. Caroline Mitchell keeps going from strength to strength with her writing and Silent Victim was an outstanding example of her work. I wanted everyone to know how brilliant it was as soon as I finished it and I have been recommending it ever since!

Silent Victim is a skilfully written standalone that has me desperate for more…..RIGHT NOW! Just make sure you have the whole day to yourself as you won’t want anything or anyone to interrupt you whilst you’re reading this fabulous book. You have been warned!

I had to go to Leeds this week and it had my brain all over the place , where would they live? Would it be that house there? That one in the distance?

Who you may ask? Emma and Alex and their little boy.
This had me sat on the edge of my pants from when I picked it up to when i finished it with huge phewwwww as my kindle bounced on my knee at the end!
The characters are solid and easy to follow which is important, as the story jumps back and forth from past to present (make sure you read your chapter headings dont be tempted to skip them whilst furiously reading !)

Luke i thought was a dirty predatory pervert.... then i wasn’t sure Hmmm,....then i thought he was again!
Emma i thought was a young innocent victim, then .....i wasn’t sure...

This booked had me totally hooked because I didn’t know whether I was right or wrong,
Caroline has a very impressive style of writing that even on paper she can dangle you on a string with the plot.
If you want an amazing psychological brain reeling read, this is it, A maze of chilling tall tales, betrayal.,love and suspense Superb!
Thank you for this book its a corker ! Very very difficult to put down , full of everything you want in a book, it takes you into the storylines and you become part of it , it truly is an amazing gift.

Caroline Mitchells writing has gone from strength to strength and this her latest book is a brilliant psychological thriller about a lonely young girl, a perfect victim for a controlling sexual predator who is haunting and taunting her even when she has grown up and married. That is if we are to believe Emma's account or is it actually Luke who is the victim of her lies, deceit and unpredictable behaviour. There are lots of different aspects to the book and my head was spinning as I didn't know which character to go with. It was absolutely believable, scary, edge of your seat reading. Thank you for the ARC

Wow! Another awesome read from Caroline Mitchell and a privilege to have been able to read it ahead of publication.
Caroline always creates the most interesting characters. Not always likeable, but fascinating. Their stories draw you in from the very beginning and this was exactly the case with Silent Victim. We meet Emma, Alex and Luke. Emma and Alex are married with a four year old son. Luke used to be Emma's teacher when she was 15 years old. He groomed her and abused her using her difficult childhood as a weapon against her. Telling her lies to gain her trust and making her believe he loved her until he had got what he wanted. Then he blamed her for everything, made her life a complete misery until he pushed her too far.
Emma has spent the last few years keeping the secret that she killed Luke and buried him on their land in Mersea. When Alex finally pushes for a move to Leeds, she worries about new owners making a grim discovery and her past starts to torment her all over again.
The book is set in 2017, but flashes back to 2003 and 2013. The whole story flows beautifully and certainly kept me glued to my kindle paperwhite.
Emma is a fragile character. I can't imagine trying to build a future whilst keeping such horrendous secrets and having felt completely alone thinking no-one will believe what you have been through. No wonder her nerves are shot to pieces.
Luke made me so mad! His chapters made my blood boil. It's so scary to think there are people like him in positions of trust with easy access to our children. These are clever and manipulative people who most people would never suspect of anything untoward, which is just terrifying, especially as a mother of the teenage daughter. This story highlights just how easily we can be manipulated and I hope anyone who has been a victim of anything like this is brave enough to speak out. Someone will believe you.
Alex is a likeable character. I think his reactions towards the truth, or not knowing the truth as the case may be, were very believable. I would have been confused also! Heart and head battling against each other trying to figure out who and what to believe.
I knew Theresa was hiding something, I just didn't realise what.
Absolutely brilliantly written, as always. Full of suspense, twists and a roller-coaster of emotions as some very sensitive subjects are tackled. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last and I will recommend happily!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC.

OMFG Caroline mitchell is back on form with this corker of a book! Seriously I loved it that much I actually don't know where to begin with this review. So i will start off by saying that I am a massive fan of Caroline's writing and this is her best book yet….it has totally blown me away.

I have to say that I sucked in hook, line and sinker from the very first page and from that moment I knew it was going to be the bollocks…. And it certainly was! Yes you never see me swear in my reviews but this is just one of those books that I need to shout out from the rooftops about. It is absolutely awesome.

The story starts off with one hell of a prologue which sets the story and OMG what a prologue it is.I knew straight away I was in for a treat. The story is told in alternating chapters between Loving wife and mother Emma and husband Alex which flicks back to what happened and to the present day telling the story of how Emma's teacher seduced her has a teen and for years she has been hiding his dead body!!. Alex gets a promotion and wants to sell up and move to a bigger home, Which starts a whirlwind of events that will take your breath away.

This one very well crafted and atmospheric with descriptions that will have you biting your nails off.. Just when I thought I knew where this was going BOOM the author throws in a twist it is full of tension mystery and suspense it will keep you guessing until the very end

With only a handful of characters we really get to know them I have to say I really liked Alex he is a strong male and has a lot thrown his way throughout the story. But with his actions it really shines though that he loves Emma and their son.

Emma is one of those characters that at times I wanted to slap her and say get a grip woman but the more I read the more I understood she was the way she is. And then I began to feel sorry for her.

All in all I loved everything about it….there is nothing not to like

This is a must read for Psychological thriller fans and I honestly think it is going to be a smash hit read for 2018. I cannot recommend enough giving it 5 massive gold stars.

The very definition of a page turner. Unreliable narrators mean you never quite know where you stand until it all builds to a richly satisfying climax. A fantastic psychological thriller.

This new thriller from Caroline Mitchell is perfect! It has everything you want and need from a thriller… we have question galore that are answered bit by bit, you’ll be wondering who is who and who is doing what?!? Is there any simple answers? Are people crazy? From the prologue to pages before the ending, you’ll be wondering who is lying or who is crazy?

Caroline Mitchell weaves a fantastic tale that grabs you from the very beginning! That prologue is one of the best thriller/suspense ones I’ve read in a really long time. Mitchell plays with your mind in Silent Victim; you don’t know what or who to believe. I couldn’t get over how well this story was written. We go back and forth between present and past flawlessly. This was one of the best suspense/thriller/psychological books I have read in a while!!

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I will leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.