This story is addictive and it is impossible to read only one more chapter. Rich and believable characters and a plot that keeps you glued to the page. Brilliant.

This was a great thriller to listen to and was easy to follow. I always appreciate a good twist and this story did not disappoint! I would read this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off in the middle of a crazy murder scene and the cold case mystery concept was well done. The story was multilayered and that made the story more complex and twisted. This was an interesting thriller.

Loved the premise of this book, and really enjoyed the characters, especially Hayley and Sebastian Locke. I thought it started off really strong and was hooked, but it really slowed down and ultimately lost my interest.

I thought the narrator did a great job, especially with the male and American accents. However, I would recommend people read the books vs listen to the audiobook because I found it somewhat hard to keep track of whose POV we were hearing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Quiet Dead by NJ Mackey

“As a teenager, Hayley DaSilva walked into a nightmare; discovering the bodies of her mother, twin brother, and friend all brutally slaughtered in her home… and her nine-year-old brother missing. Her father, Leonard DaSilva, confessed to the murders, but Ethan was never seen again.

He lied. But why?”

This was such a good book! I had no idea what the answers were til the very end! The characters I found very believable, as if they were any of your small town neighbours, and the main character detective a very likeable character as a single dad who adored his daughter …. the writing was so enthralling and detailed, and lots of back story on characters. I read it in 2 days, cause I just couldn’t wait to come back to the story! Very Karin Slaughter feel, without as much “gory details” (although still some)

I did this on audio and the narrator added to the story as well, as she did a fantastic job!

Thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC .. publish Date Sept 5 2023

Lost memories, innocent conviction, two family members murdered, unsolved mystery cold. Until bones are found in a shallow grave.
Haley DeSilva is at present-day a detective. She still struggles with nightmares from the murders of her mother and twin brother when she was a teen. Her father, Lenard DeSilva confessed to the murders for reasons unknown. Assumed guilty, the case was closed and Haley moved on alone. It was not until bones were uncovered in a shallow grave and identified as her brother. Things don't match up to Lenard’s story and it is revealed that he had lied. Now, the real hunt begins so Haley’s dad can be released!
Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden had a great pace, fluctuation, smooth transitions, and excellent character characterizations. It was a joy to listen to her while she read.
Overall, I worked hard to puzzle this book out as I love mysteries. However, the ending- BANG! Shot me out of nowhere! Never saw it coming!
I would recommend this book to mystery, thriller, and yes! Psychological thriller lovers!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and N. J. Mackay for this free digital copy for my review. My opinions are my own.

Loved single father Detective Sebastian Locke who lives with his former mother-in-law. This was a surprisingly great story too -- I devoured this book and was swept away by Hayley's story.

"The Quiet Dead" by NJ Mackay, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden, delivers a fascinating police procedural with a compelling mystery. Hayley DaSilva's family tragedy resurfaces when her younger brother's remains are discovered, casting doubt on her father's confession. Detective Sebastian Locke dives into the chilling case, revealing hidden secrets in the seemingly quiet town of Thamespark.

Mackay crafts a slow-burn narrative, while Knowelden's narration adds depth to the characters and wrought emotions. While the pace moves steadily, Mackay does have a tendency to over-flourished prose, which added to the "slow" in slow-burn. Overall, a steadily progressive storyline, a satisfying mystery, with a decent twist.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the advanced audiobook copy via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC.

The Quiet Dead is a thriller that examines the lengths people will go, and what people will deal with in order to achieve a goal. The main character "escapes" her past in an attempt to forget and distance herself from crimes committed upon her family, which at times even she wonders if she played a hand in. As a result, she looses herself. It is only until she can face her past, and come to terms with what happened, that she is able to find herself again. As most European thrillers are, the detective plays a role in helping to solve the case, however, it is the main character who fully exposes the truth behind the murders of her family members.

The twist was quite surprising. I was as desperate as the main character to find out the answers!

Although the novel started off strong and captivating, the story's momentum tapered off after 30%. Unfortunately, it never picked back up for me.

Overall, an okay read. It didn't have that oomph or excitement I was looking for. I might be just a minority in this, as there are many high ratings. If you're a fan of slower-pacing mysteries, maybe give this novel a try.

*** Thank you to NetGalley, NJ Mackay, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Excellent police procedural. The body of a young boy is found reopening a case that was thought to be over. Police are now realizing that they may have the wrong man in prison despite a confession. There are so many twists and turns and uncovering of things that should have been looked into 15 years prior. The narration was excellent and the storyline moved quickly. I was a bit shocked at who the actual killer was. There are so many secrets and lies that kept this case from being investigated properly. Solid writing I would definitely recommend this one.

The Quiet Dead by NK Mackay. This book was SO good from the very first page. There were really no slow parts in the book. Action packed and tons of drama. The narrator was fantastic. Perfect for any Natalie Barelli or Freida McFadden fans! Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

Mysterious case with an unpredictable ending!
3.5 stars 🌟

Leonard DaSilva slaughtered his family one night, discovered the next day by his daughter Hayley. Youngest son Ethan was missing, but after Leonard's confession, everyone assumed he was dead and Hayley fled the country to start a new life. Fifteen years later, Ethan is found, and this raises some serious questions about whether Leonard was telling the truth all those years ago, threatening to upend Hayley's life yet again.

This was a super fun mystery, and I was unable to predict how it would turn out in the end, hard to find! I did have a tough time with the large number of characters to keep track of but it got easier as the book moved forward. The audio narrator is great!

Thank you NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the Audio ARC!

It is amazing to me how a cold case can begin so big, with the detectives on the case fleshing out the details, narrowing down the facts until the killer is revealed. Seb and Lucy, the detectives running the investigation, do an amazing job as there are a lot of characters to flesh out and talk to. So much so that I had a bit of a hard time keeping everyone straight. I do believe this is due to listening to the book vs. reading it. When the killer was revealed I was quite surprised! I liked Seb and it is obvious this will be a series based on him as we spend a fair amount of time with his family. To me this felt awkward as it leaves Lucy out of the picture. Perhaps she will not be in any future books?

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio book in exchange for my honest opinion. I would be willing to read a second book in this series, but I think I will read the book instead of listening to it.

Hayley discovered her family murdered g the bodies of her mother, twin brother, and friend all brutally years ago and her brother went missing. Her father confessed to the murders. But he lied. Why? Now her past is back to haunt her when they find the remains of her little brother and the investigation proves that the dad's confession was false. DI Locke needs to find who the real killer is.
This police procedural is book 1 in the DI Sebastian Locke series. I didn't get into it right away, the start was really slow, and sadly, that tainted my whole experience and I ended up not caring. The narrator of the audio book did a good job, but I think this one was simply not for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review volutarily.

I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

15 years ago Hayley DaSilva came home to find her family dead and her father confessing to their murders. Her youngest brother is missing, and later she moves to New York to move on with her life. But then her little brother's bones are found and she returns to the UK to confront her past and her present.

Ack, here's another book I wanted to like but I just didn't. The premise is interesting, but a few things just dragged it down:

1) The reason dad confessed is just not convincing to me
2) Lots of going round and round without learning much or advancing the story
3) None of the characters seem fully believable or fleshed out. The ones that are are drab or unlikeable.

On the positive side, i did like DI Locke and his team. I'd have liked more of them and less of the main characters, cause they seemed a little more interesting.

All in all I'm rounding this up to 3 stars. Read it if you like, but I wouldn't fault you if you didn't!

N.J. Mackay's THE QUIET DEAD is the first in a new series, DI Sebastian Locke #1 —a mystery surrounding a murder fifteen years ago comes to the surface. The killer is still out there, and the one behind bars is innocent in this whodunit suspense thriller.

Fifteen years ago, Hayley DaSilva, a rebellious teen, walked into a murder scene of her mother, twin brother, and friend, brutally slaughtered in her home, and her nine-year-old brother, Ethan, is still missing.

Her father, Leonard, confessed to the murders, but the brother, Ethan, was never seen again.

So why would the father confess to something he did not do? Who was he trying to protect?

Hayley is building a new life with a partner she is not crazy about.

Detective Sebastian Locke is on the case, and Haley has been brought back into her past when bones are uncovered in a shallow grave that belongs to her brother Ethan.

Someone is in the small town of Thamespark and the cold case has been brought to the present. Now, the investigation is in full swing to find the real killer. A big mystery to solve!

In the meantime, Hayley and her father have a lot of making up to do. A father she thought murdered her family is now untrue. So how will she get back all these years with him?

While I liked DI Locke, the personal and business side, the cop procedural part, and the narrator, the book started strong and slowly went downhill from there. I thought it was too drawn out with all the drugs, which I do not care for. I found myself fast-forwarding the audio to get to the end. My first book by the author, and I will try again.

The narrator, Elizabeth Knowelden, did a good job with the performance; however, the book was OK but did not hold my interest.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 5, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars

This book kept me on my toes. However, I do with there was more of a crime/thriller/who done it aspect to it, because I feel like a lot of the story was taken over by the discussion of police procedural.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was perfect! I enjoyed the story, I felt like the book was well written and well paced. Highly recommend this one for anyone who enjoys mysteries.

This was my 1st book by NJ Mackay and I now have another series to read! This was a seriously wild ride and I did NOT see that ending coming! I can't wait to see how Seb's life continues to change as his daughter gets older. I am now off to add all of NJ's books to my TBR!

#TheQuietDead
#NetGalley