I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a different take on the normal suspense type book. I love how she infused the life of a deaf mute child into the book. There is even suspense to leave you guessing but no in excess. I enjoyed how the main character struggled with everything that had happened in her life, yet was still open to listening to others about how faith in God is the only sure thing in life.

The exquisite cover appealed to me to want to read the book, as did the description of signing and sign language. Many people will be drawn to this book because of the clean content. In fact, by and large, there is little language or situational elements to find offensive. The story began quickly.
I, however, could not connect with the story. After the quick beginning, there were many lagging episodes and too much repetition for my taste. I just couldn’t give this a 3.
This is a time I wish I could give a 2.5. Mind you, this is a positive 2.5, not a negative 2.5.

A Mother Protects Her Deaf Son in a Murder Investigation

Elsie Carmichael, a court sign language interpreter, is just finishing a case and rushing off to pick up her son, Sawyer, who is deaf. On the way out of the building she sees one of the guards speaking to a man she doesn’t know. Reading their lips she fears they are planning a murder. Just as she is about to go to the police with what she learned, she gets a call from Hallie, her son’s sitter. He has broken his wrist and is being taken to the emergency room. Elsie forgets the police and rushes off to be with her son.

The next morning she learns that indeed a murder has been committed. Her mother-in-law, a state senator has been assassinated. Because of her lip reading, Elsie and Sawyer become part of the police investigation of the crime.

This murder mystery is filled with twists. It’s hard to guess who killed the senator and why until the very end. Elsie and Sawyer are appealing characters. Sawyer is a brave little boy and his mother does everything she can to protect him.

The use of lip reading and sign language in the story was interesting. I enjoyed learning more about the deaf and how children, deaf from birth function. The story is Christian fiction. Elsie’s character prays a great deal, but it is a realistic part of who she is.

If you like a suspenseful, Christian mystery, this is a good one.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

This was a wonderful book full of suspense and lots of twists and turns. I really loved the characters and love how they all worked together to solve all the problems that came their way. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Elise Carmichael is sign language interpreter for the court system and one day while at work she reads the lips of someone in the courthoudse and realizes that they are talking about a US Senator who just happens to be the mother of her deceased husband. Elise is concerned, as she thinks what she "heard" was a death threat. Before she can tell someone, she gets a call that her deaf and mute son has had an accident so she rushes to the hospital. Once everything calms down and she is back home, she learns from the news that her Mother in Law has been murdered.

What follows is a story full of suspense as Elise and her sister in law and her mother in law's husband try to find out who killed the Senator and why. Definitely didn't figure it out until close to the end.

Another good thing about this story in the Christian theme that is threaded through the story.

I highly recommend this book!

I was drawn to Dead Silence by Robin Carroll because it involved a deaf character, which I thought offered a different angle. It is an excellent choice for the reader who wants to avoid violence and bad language and doesn't mind a few prayers incorporated into the story. Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book. The opinions are my own and given freely.

The premise of having a deaf/mute child made this a very interesting story. The child is kidnapped. As the mother and the FBI are trying to find him, the suspense builds. At one point, the mother and a friend were traveling in a car. The author wrote that the driver was speeding up. I thought, "If the author has them have a wreck, I'm not going to be happy about that." Well, the author got them home safely. I was glad for that. The ending had an interesting twist that I think the reader will enjoy. This is a writer that I plan to follow. Well done.

This book was good! Not great, jut good. It followed a woman whose son was deaf and whose mother-in-law was murdered in her own home. Elise lip-read a man planning the murder, but when her son got hurt she rushed to his side and forgot all about it (understandably so). Then, when she finds out the next morning, she ends up talking to the FBI and that sets the books events in motion. I liked that while this was a Christian-based book, the God stuff doesn't come on abnormally strong. The elements are definitely there, but it's not what the book focuses on. The story is very well told, very suspenseful. I hope that this book turns into a series. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Court sign interpreter Elise lipreads a threat to eliminate her mother-in-law. Before she gets to report the danger to the authorities, Elise receives a call that her son was injured in a playground accident and has to rush to the hospital. Elise forgets about the danger to her mother-in-law until the next morning when Elise hears that she was murdered. Threats against her family soon follow. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. Even though the premise was so good, the story felt flat to me. I never really engaged with the characters or the danger they were in. I loved the Biblical quotes that were used to give Elise hope and comfort. That the FBI agents brought even more danger to Elise and her son was not believable to me. They seemed too caught up in procedures and were inept. The story was okay, but I didn't really care for it.

Dead Silence by Robin Caroll is an exciting Christian contemporary suspense that had me glued from the start.
The novel is set among the political echelons of America and the FBI. There is always a question of who to trust especially as there appears to be a leak from within. God can always be trusted even when life is tough. He sees the end from the beginning and can turn around what others meant for harm. Even when life appears to be spinning away from us we have to “believe that God was [is] in control.”
Life has dealt blows to a character meaning that they withdrew from God in anger and pain. “It’s okay to rally at Him – none of it catches Him by surprise. He can handle your questions and even your anger.” God longs to hear from us, no matter what it is that is bothering us. If it bothers us, it bothers Him. He never abandons us. If we do not hear from Him, maybe we are not listening.
There is a media frenzy within the tale. They all want a story, except for one kind heart who really wants to help.
God can give us a peace in our heart in spite of our circumstances if we would just turn to Him. We need to exercise our faith muscle.
The characters were well drawn and believable. I read with my heart in my mouth as the tension rose. Robin Caroll has created a well thought out tale that captured my imagination from the start. I really enjoyed Dead Silence.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Danger and intrigue are found in this fast paced story. When a murder occurs, finding who is responsible takes on twists and turns. A mother's love for her son shines strong. Great read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

A single mom and her special needs son star in this suspenseful tale. The author creates a strong heroine in Elise, who will do anything to keep her deaf son safe. Her mama bear qualities serve her well as the heat is turned up. The family endures a lot as they grieve and get put in the crosshairs of an unknown enemy. Many red herrings thrown in kept me guessing at who the culprit was behind the scene. Coupled with a few inept FBI agents, pushy politicians and journalists, it was hard to know who she could trust.
Elise's struggles with faith were believable considering all she had endured. It was inspiring though as she realizes that God has not left her alone, and the power of prayer brings hope and renewal to her spiritual life. No romance here, but the bonds of family are explored, both their strengths and weaknesses.
Recommend to readers who like clean contemporary suspense with some inspiration.

Dead Silence is my first book by Robin Caroll and it will probably not be my last. This book was fast paced and keeps a reader on their toes, which is why I finished in a day and ignored all family duties. Elise is a widow and a single parent to a deaf and mute 7 year old boy. When she inadvertently reads the lips of someone plotting to murder her Senator mother-in-law it sets off a crazy, suspenseful ride.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my first Robin Caroll novel and Wow was I blown away! This story is extremely fast paced and keeps you on your toes. Elise Carmichael is a strong, single mom whose husband was killed in the line of duty. She's raising her deaf, mute son on her own, when she "eavesdrops" (lip-reads) on a cell phone conversation where a man is confirming a murder is about to happen. That's where the story begins and it just takes off from there. There's no romance in this story, only the love of a mother and son, along with family ties. I was instantly drawn into the mystery and intrigue and couldn't put it down. Very much looking forward to reading more of Robin Caroll's books!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I've read Caroll's Darkwater books, so was quite eager to pick this one up. Fast-paced, gripping, and nonstop from start to finish!

Very timely and thought-provoking with news headlines over the last few years - felt like this unfortunately fit right in with all too many experiences. I hope it makes people think twice, or three times, or four times, when these occur. To borrow just briefly from Martin Niemoller - "Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me." Will we speak up? How would I have responded? Will I respond the next time I hear about this? (Because there will, inevitably, be a next time in this fallen world.)

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm a mood reader. I don't read books in the order that I get them. I probably should, but I don't. When I finally got around to reading this book, I kicked myself for not reading it earlier. It was so good! The only complaint I really have, which isn't actually a complaint, is that I'm not used to reading a book that uses my own southern lingo in its regular writing. It wasn't a bad thing, just a tad distracting.

I read this book in about 2 days. It moved along quickly, and had good main character development, along with excellent supporting characters. In the midst of all the madness, Elise was able to build a support network that helped her through the tough times, and celebrated with her in the good.

Most political thrillers take place in Washington, or in a supreme court somewhere, or something like that. To have a book set in Arkansas was refreshing. The setting was small: mainly Elise's house, but it was described in a way that I could imagine it well, and see myself living there. I like that.

I couldn't see what was going to happen, which is another good thing. I didn't see a ton of twists and turns in the story, but it moved along well enough that too many would have made the story too convoluted.

This book gets a very enthusiastic 5 stars. I really enjoyed this book, and was able to finish it fairly quickly. Political books get to be too much for me sometimes, so it was nice to find one I was able to enjoy. If you like books about conspiracy, and murder mysteries, then you will like this book. If you like political books that are outside the norm, you'll enjoy this book.

I may be a mood reader, but I still kicked myself when I finally got around to reading this book. I wish I had started it sooner. I was able to read it quickly, because the story moves along well, with good character development.

Fabulous suspense - don’t miss this!

The Lord will not forsake his people....

As an ASL interpreter, Elsie also possesses the fascinating skill of lip reading, both of which she learned since Sawyer, her son, is deaf and dumb. This happy duo has already experienced heartache when husband/father was killed in the line of service. Now the mother-in-law/grandmother has been murdered. Having read the lips of what possibly was the killer, Elsie is now in danger, but who is leaking information given only to the FBI?

This fabulous book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, just waiting for the next threat. Between various threats, press releases, kidnapping and murder you don’t want to miss this story! The author leaves us guessing right up till the end and what an incredible end it is. It certainly goes to show that no one is above the law.

This digital copy was received through Barbour Publishing, Shiloh Run Press and NetGalley. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.

So very refreshing to read a book not filled with "too much information of 'events in the bedroom". No romance involved. It is strictly people, events, procedurals, as one woman regains her faith. Enjoyed the insight and relationship of the family with the deaf child and their comminucations. The characters are active and lively and the story moves quickly. You can guess 'whodunit' but it plays out nicely. The 'bookblurb' gives an adequate description of the story. First time reading this author but would definitely read more of her works.
I received this book as a complimentary copy.
Many thanks to the author, Barbour Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this galley.
I was under no obligation to provide a review of the book.

What a great story this turned out to be. One surprise for me though was that there was no romance in it. Although there is no romance, there is new friendships that develop. I usually like for this kind of book to have a romance too. Even without it though, the book is really well written and kept me on the edge of my seat.

For those that want to know there is some scripture mentioned in the story along with prayer. Elise had kind of lost her faith in God because of her husband's death and her son's deafness. So, there will be a search for a re-connect with God during the story. However, I don't think that it overpowers the story. I'd hate to have people pass on a really great story because they were concerned about that.
Elise and here son Sawyer were really good main characters and I liked the different type of challenges that they were facing. And that's even before everything hits the fan for them. Even her deceased mother-in-law was not your usual run of the mill type of person and I enjoyed that too.
It takes a bit of time to figure out if Nolan who was the husband is a good guy or part of the problem. That kept the reader hanging for a little bit of time. Not only is he an interesting character but so is Mary Ellen who is the daughter of the senator and also aunt to Sawyer. She adds a lot to the story. So does an unexpected person named Wesson Kelly. I'm not going to say too much about her and just let readers discover her on their own.

The F.B.I. agents who started working with Elise had me scratching my head more than once. Agent Rodriguez seemed fairly straight forward but his partner Agent Wright added hostile tension to any interviews. Once again also making the drama ramp up. Speaking of drama as the action takes off towards the end of the story, there is plenty of drama. There is a good outcome especially because Elise came up with a really brilliant idea at the end.
"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Dead Silence by Robin Caroll is a great suspenseful murder mystery. I had read a couple other books by this author and knew I was in for a good read and I was not disappointed. The plot moves quickly and there is lots of action to keep the reader's interest high. I found the use of a sign language interpreter as one of the main characters and and a young deaf boy as another character to be very interesting to be taken as a reader into the world of the deaf and the challenges they face. Great characterization elicits strong feelings of like or dislike for the characters. There is depth to the main characters and their reactions and emotions are relatable and realistic.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this author's work. Readers who love suspense and murder mysteries won't want to miss. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.