I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria for an advance copy of Keep Her Silent, the second novel to feature Glaswegian journalist Oonagh O'Neil, set in 2002.

Oonagh has received a tip off about the cover up of a medical scandal in the 70s and 80s and while she's unsure about what she's being told she decides to pursue it. In the meantime her friend DI Alec Davies has also received a tip off and has been told to investigate. In 1975 the so-called Raphael killer murdered three young women, leaving biblical messages with the bodies, and then disappeared. Now a woman is insisting her dead father is the killer.

I thoroughly enjoyed Keep Her Silent which is a thrilling, engrossing read with some very interesting historical detail. Initially the novel didn't hold my interest as it constantly switches point of view and timeline between 1975 and 2002. I found it difficult to keep my focus as all these random and seemingly unconnected people and events are flung into the mix but, as the novel progresses and I got a handle on the narrative I was hooked. There is no doubt that by the rather inconclusive ending we are deep in conspiracy theory territory. It is cleverly done and well researched and certainly exposes another establishment/big business cover up of dirty, unethical dealings (which seems to be Ms Talbot's speciality) but it will be up to the individual reader as to how credible they find it. I certainly believe what is presented as fact to be true as it is too horrible to be anything else but am not so sure about the solution.

Oonagh is a great creation. She is smart and resourceful but decidedly fragile, having some self destructive habits. On the whole she is a lovely, generous person but she definitely exploits her friendship with Alec Davies to help her in her job. He is a hard working, grumpy detective with a soft spot for Oonagh and is complicit in her exploitation. They are a winning combination for the reader.

Keep Her Silent is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Lovely thriller to read! I started this around 8 PM, thinking I would read a bit before bedtime.

Boy was I wrong.

I could not put this book down and I finished it in one go! Oonagh is a fantastic character! The story flowed beautifully and I am so eager to read more!

I just despair, I really do.

Give me a moment though. This is not a criticism about the book, or the writer because all I can say is it is just brilliant. I cannot get over it.

Oonagh O’Neil is a film journalist and I love her. She is clever, brave, funny and I love her. Within a few pages I felt like I knew her and was rooting for her. But I must tell you why I despair.

The plot is revealed through several strands and time periods. In 1975 a woman killed her husband and her five year old son. She was promptly carted off to the asylum. 2002 the woman is released. In 1975 three young women were murdered and the killer died. In 2002 the case is to be reinvestigated. In amongst all this we are fed information on the ‘Contaminated Blood Scandal’ – something that really did happen. Major corruption on many levels in many institutions.

I cannot tell you how shocked I was whilst reading this book: indeed I cannot tell you how shocked I still am.

Brilliantly written, well-paced and great characters. You will have to read it so that you can understand just why I despair. A powerful, brilliant book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

A great read! This book moves between 1975 and 2002; yet it does not confuse the reader.


Alec Davies, Glasgow police, visits his friend, Oonagh (Oon), a journalist. They talk. She learns that Alec has been assigned a cold case from 1975. The Raphael Killings - 3 women in Glasgow were killed. Supposedly, there is a "new" lead. So, without any thought, Oon goes to her boss with an idea for a TV documentary - "Women who Kill".

In 1975, prisoners were given $7 for a pint of blood. No sterile precautions taken. This to aid hemophiliacs in search of factor VIII clotting agent. Worse yet, it took 1000's of donations in a batch to produce this. Hepatitis C and AIDS became rampant ! A child may have a liver that resembled an alcoholic before they were 10 years old. Andrew Malloy, forensic pathologist, was learning...and was close to blowing the whistle...

Dorothy Malloy was placed in a mental hospital in 1975 and in 2002 was due for a release. It had become common knowledge that she had killed both Andrew, her husband, and Robbie, their 5 year old son. Additionally, Andrew's heart was wrapped in pages from the Bible. Robbie had drowned. No court case; she just went straight to the mental ward.

Oon is given Dorothy's diary by her brother, Graham. Every psychotic episode of Dorothy's ties in with a killing of one of the 3 Rafael women.

Maura, who had been on site during the blood drawing in 1975, holds clues. Oon takes advantage of these clues and plans to use the information and people involved in her documentary. Graham is a worker with Factor VIII and knows the way research works. Oon tells him that research is done wrong. (As a scientist, myself, I believe Graham does have a point. But that is it.).

Alec's boss, Threadgold, wants Alec to sew the case up NOW. He wants to leave it as it is, since there was no new convincing evidence.

Eventually, though, Alec does bring Dorothy in to the station, and takes a DNA sample. Ex-priest, Tom, is there to make sure all is well? Dorothy is checked out by a police psychiatrist who says that Dorothy is "in no shape to answer questions". Tom takes Dorothy back to the boarding house she lives in.

Alec reviews the DNA results of Dorothy's sample and...


The REAL drama begins! Wow! Everything from this point takes you by surprise up to and including the conclusion. SUPER read - great character development and scientific knowledge. Loved it all!


Many thanks to both the Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a great story!

A good procedural mystery/suspense book with a young journalist Oonagh and detectives Alex Davies and Jim McVeigh who try and solve a cold case and a current string of murders. Did Dorothy really kill her police pathologist husband and son 20 years ago or has she been stuck in a mental hospital for no reason? What do current killings have to do with old "Rafeal killer". This book will keep you hopping and reading!

I'm just about breathing again after the rollercoaster ride of a read that was "Keep Her Silent" by Theresa Talbot. Oonagh O'Neil, media darling and TV journalist has just stumbled on a story made of nightmares and what follows is the most jaw-dropping, heart racing and breathtaking read!

"Keep Her Silent" is the story of Dorothy Malloy, a woman incarcerated in the state hospital for the brutal murder of her husband and son. Watching Dorothy's mental state unravel and her treatment at the hands of those meant to care for her was terrifying and heartbreaking at the same time. It was impossible not to feel for this woman, despite being told of the crime she has committed. Raw and brutal language captures the atmosphere perfectly and there should be no apologies made for the truth that it uncovers.

DI Alec Davis has been ordered to open the cold case of the Raphael killings in the 1970s which saw Glasgow in fear of a religious killer who had slaughtered three young women.

Oonagh O'Neill is desperately trying to salvage her career following her involvement in the uncovering of historical abuse in the Catholic Church which almost led to the company being sued and Oonagh herself almost being killed. She inadvertently blurts out an idea for a new programme based on women who kill as the hook needed to save her skin. Unfortunately Oonagh has nothing to back up her idea and she finds herself desperately seeking an angle to convince her producer.

A parallel narrative takes us from 1975 to 2002 with two seemingly unconnected storylines coming together in perfect harmony. Chapter by chapter the author unpicks and uncovers a story so explosive that journalists would be falling over themselves to get the scoop!  This is the story of a lifetime for Oonagh but she is not in it simply for the glory, she has a passion for uncovering the unsavoury and battling to achieve justice for the unheard voices. But don't worry, there is nothing cheesy or do-gooderish about Oonagh, she is not without her own demons to battle. Her inner conflicts cause her a great deal of anguish. Yet she is tenacious, like a wee terrier that just won't let go. She is not above using her feminine charms to prise out hidden details and can easily fool others that she is not as dangerous to them as she seems.

Oonagh's relationship with DI Alec Davis is, on the surface, very much one of brother and sister but there is an underlying spark between the two of them. He is always there for her and she kind of takes him for granted a little. I really warm to Alec, there is something about this gruff, no-nonsense, straight-talking detective that warms the cockles of my heart. He is not the most PC of detectives but his heart is in the right place and he doesn't shy away from what needs to be done, or indeed what needs to be covered up at times!

A sophisticated plotline with so many twists and turns that your head will be doing an exorcist spin at the end of it provides a thought-provoking exploration of conspiracies, cover-ups, abuse and pharmaceutical experimentation as it encapsulates the tainted blood scandal of the 70s; the inhumane treatment of patients in mental health institutions and police corruption. This one had my jaw hitting the floor as Theresa Talbot mastered the plot twists down to a tee!

The tainted blood scandal is of course, pretty topical at the moment with a government inquiry underway. The author approaches this in a sensitive manner and it is heartbreaking when you realise how many people were affected by this scandal and how the repercussions are still being felt even after all this time. Certainly a thought-provoking read.

Keep Her Silent is at times dark and disturbing but there is always that glimmer of the black humour that Glasgow is famous for, those classic one-liners that make your eyes crease with laughter. It's clever, it is thought-provoking and intelligently crafted. Realistic dialogue meant I felt as though I was Oonagh's apprentice caught right up in the midst of the investigation. Never dull, it kept me on the edge of my seat from the start to finish!
(Review to be posted on my blog as part of the blog tour next month)

KEEP HER SILENT by Theresa Talbot. A past of conspiracy,tainted blood, and a serial killer. Now this cold case must finally be solved. Good story,keeps you guessing.

Firstly, I would like to say thankyou to NetGalley, Aria and Theresa Talbot for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Keep Her Silent.
I loved this book. The storyline was gripping and well thought out. This is the second book I have read from this author and am pleased to find that she does not disappoint. I read the book in one night.