Dead Silence by Robin Caroll
Elise Carmichael is a single mom who works as a court sign language interpreter...only this time she has accidentally read the wrong set of lips!!! A senator’s life is being threatened and the senator just happens to be her mother-n-law. She is about to seek out someone to report what she "overheard" when she gets the call that her young son has been injured in a playground accident. Elise forgets everything else except getting to the hospital as quickly as possible to check on seven year old Sawyer who is deaf and mute. Hours later they are safely back at home with her son sporting a cast on his right wrist which makes it difficult for him to sign. After getting him settled for the night, Elise falls exhausted into bed...the lip reading from earlier in the day totally forgotten. When the phone call comes that her mother-in-law has been murdered, Elise immediately tells what she knows…putting herself and her son in the sights of someone who wants her to remain silent. Things begin to heat up when Sawyer is kidnapped right outside his home!!! Who wanted the senator dead and why? How far are the kidnappers willing to go to ensure Elise’s silence? Will the FBI be able to follow the trail of clues in time to save Sawyer or will Elise have to step in to ensure her son’s safety? Dead Silence is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

I always love a suspense witten by Robin Caroll. She consistently produces unique page turning plots with twists and turns that keep a reader up way past their bedtime. 😉 Dead Silence is no exception. The fast-paced action starts right at the beginning and never lets off the gas. I liked main character Elise Carmichael, a single mom with a special needs child who is a mama bear when it comes to the safety of her son. Elise is involved in solving the case early on, even though she has constant run-ins with the FBI. She and her family and new-found friend follow the leads wherever they go. This kept the main character in the thick of things even when there is a lapse in cooperation between her and the authorities. Elise’s role probably does not meet standard operating procedures. Elise is tough, but her heart has become hard towards God as well. I liked her struggle — it felt very realistic. As the book goes on she learns a lot about herself and the nature of God. I thought the spiritual thread was handled very well. Dead Silence is pure suspense, no romantic threads at all. So if you want all suspense, all the time, this book is for you. Dead Silence is definitely a recommended read!

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

Dead Silence by Robin Caroll is a fast paced, unique, edge of your seat mystery that I couldn't put down. It is well written and captures you right from the beginning taking you on a roller coaster ride along with Elise as she tries to keep her son safe from the people who had her mother in law the Senator killed.



Elise is a court room sign language interpreter who can read lips also since she has a deaf son. She reads the lips of a guard saying they are going to take care of Senator Lilliana York. When the Senator, who happens to be Elise's Mother in law is killed Elise has to tell the FBI what she knows. When she tells them all she knows then she begins to get threats and warnings. Can she help the FBI figure out what happened before her and her son's life is in more danger? It gets really intense when Sawyer her son is taken.



This book is an interesting, unique, suspenseful mystery that takes you on ride and keeps you guessing and wanting more. I like a good mystery that keeps you guessing and this one does. I also like that it includes faith though it is subtle. The book is a suspenseful mix of faith, love, family and a good puzzle with a surprise ending. Very well written and well worth the read. I give it 4 1/2 stars. I would give it 5 but at times it was a little wordy but not enough to take away from the story.

This is a great mystery. I was hooked after the first chapter and stayed awake to keep reading. I would recommend this book to readers looking for unique characters in a captivating mystery. I received a copy of this book for my unbiased review.

“Dead Silence” by Robin Caroll is a very readable story for a chapter or so. A widow, Elise Carmichael is a single mom with a deaf son who cannot speak and relies on his mother’s signing and lip-reading and his tablet to communicate. She has a job as an interpreter for the court system. One day she reads the lips of someone who is threatening the death of a senator, her mother-in-law. She is on her way to report what she has “heard” when she gets a phone call that her son has been injured in an accident and so instead rushes to the hospital. In the chaos that ensues, she forgets about what she has overheard until the next morning when she hears on the news broadcast that her mother-in-law has been murdered in her bed. Finally realizing that she needs to report her findings, she comes forward with her information. Unfortunately, this puts her and Sawyer, her son, in danger. There is a leak in the law enforcement system.

I read this story with a lot of skepticism. First of all, Sawyer was not hurt that badly that Elise could not have warned her mother-in-law and the police about what she overheard. A second consideration was that Elise pursued an investigation of her own into the murder instead of leaving it to the FBI. Thirdly, although trying to stay away from the harassment of the press, she willingly allows a young reporter into her home and decides to confide in her. I was not comfortable with her assumption that in the space of a few hours this reporter became a “good friend”. I became very suspicious from then on about the story as it was presented. I believe that the writing was good, but was not impressed by the progress of the story at all. There were just too many scenes that did not fit.

Received this from Net Gallery and I thank you so very much! As I got more into the book,it just seem that everyone who wants to solve this murder mystery they skip over clues and even the FBI,it goes right over those heads,I sure hope we don't really have dippy agents like the ones in this story. You have a woman that is having a fight with God over the tragedies in her life and the "Why me card", which didn't really impress me much and then trying to solve a murder with her sister-in-law! The story line was good I just got confused on the writers reason for all the clues not to be seen! I did get through the book but it was a struggle for me,it any very exciting. You try and see,hopefully your opinions will be better than mine!

4 Stars: 4/5 Star Rating Scale
This is a good one, folks! Readers will be enticed into the political world of deceit and of course, there's murder! Who doesn't love a good murder mystery? I sure do! Elise and her young son, Sawyer, who is deaf and mute are put in danger when Sawyer's Nana is murdered. Did I mention that his Nana just happens to be the state senator for Arkansas? Sound interesting. You won't be disappointed with this book. Elise's faith is rocked to the core by the situation after losing her own husband, Sawyer's dad, in the military. She just can't stand to lose more people that she loves, can she? Will the murderer(s) be brought to justice?
I received a digital ARC of this book from netgalley and Shiloh Run Press. All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved reading the intriguing and enthralling story. After Elise, court sign language interpreter, sees someone on the phone talking about killing the senator, Lillian, her mother-in-law and before she can tell and/or warn anyone, Elise receives a phone call that her deaf son, Sawyer is being taken to the hospital because of his arm. Elise's attention is all on her son, and the next morning she hears on the news that her mother-in-law has been murdered. She reports what she saw to the authorities and starts to get threatening notes and deliveries and that's only the beginning of her troubles surrounding the murder. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and full of suspense and mystery with captivating characters and an engaging story line.
I reviewed a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Elise Carmichael is the mother of a son who is deaf. She has a job as a court sign language interpreter. She is also very good at reading lips. She happens to see two men talking standing by each other and one is talking on a phone where he mentions killing a senator. She means to mention it to someone but she gets a call about her son needing help at school and she runs to go to him and forgets about talking to the police about what she saw. The next morning she reads about a murdered senator. That senator is a part of her family. With what she saw, the danger is closer than she thinks.
I had a hard time connecting to this mystery. I didn't really like Elise that much and I didn't like the investigators either. Although, the mystery is fine and the book is fine, I just wanted to get done with it. But not in the good way. Now, I am partial to romantic suspense, so I guess I had hoped to have a bit of romance in the story. It was a good mystery but I just couldn't get myself all in. I had a pretty good idea of where the ending was going so it wasn't a big surprise there.

I believe Dead Silence is the best book I have read by Robin Caroll to date. I thought this book was an amazing read. I was not sure if this was going to be a book for me or not but that quickly changed as soon as I finished chapter one. It had a lot of action and adventure, twists and turns, mystery and suspense. I was surprised at how it all ended. I had no way of predicting what would happen next throughout it at all. The plot was one that I found to be unique, intriguing and refreshing. I feel in love with the character of Elise right from the start.

I am giving Dead Silence a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy a good, clean suspense filled novel. I am adding it to my top favorite reads of the year.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

I have read another book by this author, Stratagem, so I knew that I was in for a treat with this one. Her writing style flows very easily and the plots keep me interested on every page.

This story follows Elise, a widowed mother of a deaf son who finds herself in danger after her mother-in-law is killed. The reader is thrown into a roller coaster ride of ups and downs as they journey with Elise to keep herself and her son safe, all the while trying to prove her innocence.

I loved the adventurous nature of the story and the pacing was swift. It was a very quick read and not one that I could put down easily. I did find Elise to be pretty annoying…her personality was rude and abrasive at times. I loved the inclusion of a deaf character, it was interesting to read about the accommodations that must be made for those without hearing.

The faith content was subtle but very well done. Overall, this was a fun suspense story that I highly recommend.

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have review this book three times unsure why I keep getting this notification

I enjoyed the read it kept me turning pages and the author is now on my favorites list.'

When Elise Carmichael, a court sign language interpreter, accidentally “overhears” a death threat against her mother-in-law, a US senator, Elise becomes tangled in the web of someone who is willing to blatantly kill anyone who knows too much or who stands in his way. She tries to keep her young son, who is deaf and mute, safe, but the challenge becomes more than she can handle on her own. The fast-paced drama entices the reader to keep reading as the suspense and tension continue to ramp up. The main character seems quite realistic and determined to come out victorious. But her faith life has been in the dumps since her husband was killed in action. She must learn to trust God again in order to win this battle. Although I suspected who was behind the murders early on, the compelling tale kept me engaged. The author is a master at weaving a “clean” thriller. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

The storyline of this book really appealed to me and it was a great book! What surprised me though was there was absolutely no romance at all, just mystery and suspense. Elise is still grieving the loss of her Marine husband from a few years ago when her mother-in-law is killed. Unfortunately, Elise becomes a target when the news is released that because of her lip reading skills, she could identify one of the killers. What a gripping novel! I recommend it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a really interesting foray into the deaf world. As someone who doesn't have any deaf friends it was fascinating to learn about the characters daily life with her dead son and the challenges he faced. The suspense was also good! I will be reading more from this author!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I’m smitten. She did a wonderful job keeping me entertained and reading. Though I knew who was ultimately the bad guy there were enough wrenches thrown in to keep me guessing on things too.

I am not deaf, I do not know sign language, but I would learn if I had a need. In fact, my kids do know a little bit from school. But I digress. I have learned things that most people don’t know for the sake of my kids, but they’re not life or death my kids can’t communicate with the world without them important.

This is a great mystery/suspense novel. You’ve got the standard-issue going on. She heard about a crime going to be committed but she didn’t’ do anything about it because she got distracted by her son. He broke his arm and he’s deaf so signing will be an issue. Because she did nothing her mother-in-law is dead.

Can Elise convince everyone she’s innocent? That she didn’t knowingly ignore what she heard, or rather what she read on the lips of others?

Now add to those issues the FBI investigating. Elise getting deadly packages and then her son getting kidnapped. Someone will stop at nothing to silence her. But somewhere there is still a leak. The bad guys keep winning like maybe someone on the team is feeding them all the answers.

This is a wonderful read that I couldn’t put down. I highly recommend you get a copy and read it today.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Robin Caroll pens another good suspense with a fast-paced and intriguing plot filled with twists and turns, characters/family members who work well together, and insightful discussions about faith in the midst of tragedy, grief, and fear.
This is straight-up suspense without a hint of romance in the plot, except for Elise's fond memories of the great love she had shared with her deceased husband. Elise goes through a tremendous amount of grief and stress as her mother-in-law is found murdered and she and her son start receiving threats. She is a strong and determined lady, though a little impulsive and hot-headed. She's emotionally and physically supported by her loyal sister-in-law Mary Ellen, her smart and connected stepfather-in-law Noland, and a young but eager reporter Wesson who becomes a friend. I learned a bit of the day-to-day modifications a deaf child needs through Elise's son Sawyer's life.
I didn't fully connect with Elise unfortunately and I also wasn't too keen on how the investigation of the senator's murder played out but the suspense of the plot was gripping. If you enjoy suspense novels, you will enjoy this newest from Robin Caroll.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

I love how Robin Caroll used her characters throughout Dead Silence to show the strength and resilience of Elise and Sawyer. The book started out strong and ended with a flourish while including a well-timed Christian message.

The way she adapted the story to include Sawyer, who is deaf and mute, with the flashing lights and text-to-speech tablet were ingenious and kept a constant reminder in my head that this book was not like the other.

Elise is fiercely protective of Sawyer, and I love that about her. She wants to protect him from everything but refuses to be a ‘helicopter parent’ and does her best to let Sawyer learn and grow.

I do have to say, I wasn’t a fan of how the FBI was portrayed. I know that’s a big thing in cozy mystery, but I wasn’t expecting it here. But it could have been worse, so I won’t fuss too much. There were enough things I did like about the novel. And all’s well in the end.

The steady escalation of tension kept me reading all the way through to the end, even though I was ninety percent sure I knew the bad guy. Had to read and find out for sure, you know.

I requested a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Elise is an interpreter for the court system. But she is so much more than that. She is a mom to a 7 year old son who was born deaf and the widow of a man killed in action in the military. One day, by accident, she lip-reads a conversation between two men talking about the murder of a US Senator. As soon as court dismisses for the day she intends to notify the authorities, but an accident on the playground has her forgetting all about it and rushing to the hospital to make sure her son is going to be okay. The senator is murdered that same night and when she realizes what has happened she notifies the authorities. Then begins the roller coaster ride as her and her son are threatened. While this is a great suspenseful murder mystery, it is also a story of family and there is a Christian theme throughout it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery.

Dead Silence by Robin Caroll snagged my attention from the moment I saw the abstract. Elise Carmichael, who is an ex-model turned sign language interpreter, read lips automatically. This habit, however, leads to her seeing something she was never meant to see—a threat against her mother-in-law, a prominent U.S. senator. After her deaf son breaks his wrist on the playground, Elise completely forgets about what she saw…until she learns the next morning that her mother-in-law has been shot and killed. As soon as she is able, Elise goes to the authorities, and it is mere hours before the threats begin. Elise suddenly finds herself in the middle of an intense investigation, and now her life—not to mention her son’s life—are in danger.

One thing is for certain: there were no silent moments in Robin Caroll’s Dead Silence. Each turn of the page brought a new challenge for Elise and her friends. Just as I thought the plot had hit a stall point, Caroll would surprise me with a new threat or a new detail. I did not want to put Dead Silence down. I read it late into the night and only closed it because I had to go to work in the morning. It kept my attention, and I found all of the main protagonists interesting and well developed. Caroll detailed their histories, and she weaved those facts into the story flawlessly. There were rarely longwinded paragraphs of character descriptions that might have bored some readers. Instead, Caroll casually dropped little snippets of information in conversations and Elise’s internal contemplations.

I did not like the portrayal of the FBI in Dead Silence at all. They were basically incompetent, and the agents refused to tell anything worthwhile to the murdered senator’s family members. Each time they tried to do something worthwhile, it seemed like the situation slipped through their butterfingers. Not only that, the book depicted a member of the media as a heroic figure. I do not doubt that some reporters have good intentions, but she kept using her “sources,” and was always one step ahead of the FBI. It almost seemed to me that Caroll disliked the FBI and intentionally portrayed the agents as not being able to do their jobs.

I felt at times, certain characters—including the FBI—were present because they had to be to fill holes. When they served their intended purposes in two or three pages, they disappeared. Sometimes Caroll would bring them up again in a later chapter, but it was like the author did it because she forgot the characters herself.

One character in particular was blatantly rude and unprofessional, and I could not stand her. That was probably Caroll’s intention. In real life, I think she would have faced discipline. Instead, some characters dismissed her behavior, and that irked me. Not only that, Caroll incorporated a few general clichés that made the book a little predictable for me. Without giving anything away, the moment the book mentioned the antagonist, I knew the person’s identity…even though the author did not formally reveal the character until close to the end of the novel.

I do not want to end this on a negative note, as I did like Dead Silence Robin Caroll, and I will recommend it to my friends. The book sugarcoated nothing, which I appreciated. Readers see a very raw Elise Carmichael at times—a person who is angry, heartbroken, terrified, and struggling with her faith in God. How could a good and loving God let everything that has occurred happen? The book demonstrates how God is always present…even when He does not answer.

Overall, Dead Silence is good; it just has a few flaws that got under my skin.

**Note: This review will also soon appear on Life Is Story (https://www.lifeisstory.com/), but I wanted to go ahead and give my feedback rather than wait for it to be published there.