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A thoughtful and thoroughly researched exploration of five long-forgotten crimes that still echo for those who lived through them. Simon Farquhar does a remarkable job of giving voice to the voiceless—victims, families, and even perpetrators—long after the headlines fade. Harrowing and heartbreaking, yet written with care and compassion. A sobering reminder that justice doesn't always end with a verdict, and silence doesn’t mean peace.

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A Deafening Silence - Simon Farquhar

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to read this tragic story.

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This book not only explores the crimes themselves but also examines the aftermath, what happens to the victims' families, the criminals, and the lingering impact on society. A read that will definitely stay with me.

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I have not read a lot about true crime recently, but this was a very interesting look at five historical murders that changed the life of many people, the victim, the families, witnesses and the police involved in their cases.

It also provides an excellent portrayal of the protagonists themselves, how their minds worked and why the crimes were committed. What was most informative was looking at the motives behind the crimes and what happened to these criminals long after they were sentenced. Enormously powerful. The author has done an excellent job from obviously extensive research of presenting these cases to us and showing how attitudes to policing have developed over the years. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, appreciated.

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This book is a bit hard to read but that is because it is truth.
The author does a good job of researching and explaining different murders in the late 60’s-early 70’s in England.
It is heart breaking that each victim suffered their fate. Some may have had behaviors asking for trouble but murder is never the answer.
May we never forget those left behind.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

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Very interesting read. Written with empathy and saddening detail. There were times i had to put it down and leave it for a few days but thank you for the opportunity to read.

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I love true crime so whenever I get the chance to read one I dive right in and this one was such a good read. It provided an emotive account of these five murders and really got to the heart of the stories and was so respectful of the victims.
I think it is so heartbreaking that any murder could be forgotten but luckily there are authors like this that bring them back to public attention and make sure they are remembered

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This book is about a handful of unusual British crime cases. I liked how each was presented and handled, with the author’s take on why they were ultimately remembered for so long.

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A heart breaking honest and moving true crime collection that dives into five long-forgotten murders. These cases varied on criminal motive, timing, location, and circumstances. Each victim’s story is preserved by the author's diligent research and reporting.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece of work
Thank you Net Galley, Simon Farquhar and Independent Publishers Group for allowing me to review this advanced copy of A Deafening Silence. I was not influenced or paid in exchange for this honest review.

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A devastating yet powerful true crime collection that sheds light on five long-forgotten murders. These cases span time and setting, from psychiatric institutions to chillingly concealed crime scenes, that are uncovered by the author’s exhaustive research and commitment to giving each victim the dignity they were denied.

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This book offers some lesser known case studies and will be of interest to anyone who reads true crime accounts. The author writes in a sensitive and measured way, offering balance and dignity and without salacious or melodramatic detail. Instead, he seeks to analyse what happened and comment on the impact of the crime on victim, secondary victims, perpetrators and society more broadly. While he is careful to present the cases in the context of the time in which they occurred, he also notes the shortfalls which resulted from misogyny, tolerance of child abuse and “turning a blind eye” to domestic abuse, I think this added a great deal of credibility to his prose. I had heard of none of these cases and found them all extremely interesting, as well as tragic.

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