Tony Wirt is firmly on my auto-read list, and Silent Creek proves exactly why. He’s a master of slow-building dread—the kind that doesn’t just sneak up on you, it moves in, settles on the couch, and dares you to look away. His take on small-town life is dead on: the gossip, the grudges, the way people cling to tradition like it’s gospel. In Wirt’s world, secrets don’t just stay buried—they ferment, sour, and eventually explode. And wow, does it get messy.

What I loved most is how real these characters feel. Wirt doesn’t do cardboard cutouts; he gives us flawed, complicated people you might actually bump into at the gas station—or secretly cross the street to avoid. Each fractured friendship, every layer of jealousy or regret, feels like it’s been simmering for decades. By the time everything boils over, you’re clutching the book tighter than a cup of bad diner coffee, desperate to know how it all ends. And trust me—the ending? Shocking, in the best way.

This is dark tension at its finest—an emotional reckoning that drips with suspense and nostalgia, twisted together in a way only Wirt can pull off. He doesn’t just hand you a thriller; he hands you a story about people, about the ways hate and love can coexist in a single heartbeat, and about the fallout of never letting go. If slow-burn suspense is your jam, and you like your small towns served with a side of secrets and revenge, Silent Creek is an absolute must.

A few months ago I read this author's previous novel, Pyke Island, and I liked it very much, so I was eager to read from this author.
Silent Creek has this small town setting that I love in thriller or horror novels. Something about small towns or communities are more terrifying, in my opinion. I feel like the stakes are higher.
So, the setting and ambience in this book was perfect for my personal taste. The writing is effective and decent enough. The characters are somewhat likable and realistic enough.
However, I felt like something was missing. Maybe the plot execution failed a little to hold my attention, but I constantly felt pulled out of the story.
Also maybe because it's a trope that I have read before and nothing was really new to me here.
It wasn't bad at all. It just didn't work very much for me.
Hopefully, other readers will enjoy this novel much more than I did.
Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for the ARC.

The small town feel in enjoyable. And I loved the characters. Good suspense and tension. A little bit of a slow burn to me. I enjoyed the writing style.

I love to read about small towns and their mysteries. This was no exception, it was really good. I had some difficulties with the basketball games but I skimmed through it and that worked fine for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Dark and twisted tale. I really like the writing style and being from the Midwest I am familiar with the landscape

More stories please

“…you don’t always gotta go looking for trouble, Jimmy. Sometimes trouble finds you.”

Jim McCann is a former basketball star turned businessman after returning home to take over his late father‘s propane company. While he navigates a new job, his mother‘s declining health, and a new image outside his high school days, Jim starts to notice old grudges getting in the way. Will the past come back to bite him, or will Jimmy Buckets learn to overcome?

If you are a fan of mystery, sports, and insane twists, this book is for you. It’s one of those small town hero stories where all is never quite as it seems. We see jealousy rear its ugly head as the main theme.

I will say there is a lot of basketball in this book. I’m not a huge sports fan, so getting through all of the lingo and games were a little difficult, but overall the plot and ending were great. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a little crime and a good feud!

Tony Wirt’s Silent Creek is a taut, emotionally charged thriller that explores the shadows of small-town life with a deft hand and a sharp eye for character. At its core is Jim McCann, a former basketball prodigy whose return to his hometown—following his father’s death—sets off a chain of unsettling events that blur the line between past regrets and present danger.

Wirt masterfully builds tension through quiet unease rather than flashy spectacle. The town of Silent Creek feels both familiar and claustrophobic, a place where old grudges simmer and secrets refuse to stay buried. Jim’s reluctant assumption of the family business, his mother’s fading memory, and the reappearance of childhood friends and foes all converge into a narrative that’s as much about identity and redemption as it is about survival.

The novel’s strength lies in its emotional authenticity. Jim is a deeply relatable protagonist—flawed, introspective, and quietly heroic. His relationships, especially with Kyle and Kelli, are tender and complex, offering moments of warmth amid the creeping dread. And when the suspense hits, it hits hard, with a stalker’s escalating menace pushing Jim to confront not just external threats but the ghosts within.

Silent Creek is a compelling blend of psychological drama and thriller, perfect for readers who appreciate character-driven stories with a slow burn and a powerful payoff. Wirt’s writing is confident, atmospheric, and quietly gripping.

My thanks to Tony Wirt, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,

𝐉𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐧'𝐭.

Jim McCann was a high school basketball star destined for the NBA until an injury shattered his knee and his dreams. He left his hometown and managed to stay away for several years until his father's death and his mother's dementia diagnosis. It was never part of his dream, but he takes over his father's propane business. The only good thing is reconnecting with his best friend Kyle and some other classmates.

But trouble is waiting for Jim. Colton Reid, a troubled former classmate, was hired on by Jim's father, but Kyle convinces Jim to fire him. Soon, a series of disturbing incidents begin. They start small but soon escalate until Jim isn't sure about the safety of anyone in his circle.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's my first by this author, and I like his writing style enough to go back and read his backlist, but there just wasn't much 'thrilling' about this one. There were some suspenseful moments, yes, but it seemed that basketball was the main focus of this one, and I'm not really interested in sports-themed books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for the early copy. Look for this one on October 7, 2025.

2.5 🌟 The plot was too predictable.

The amount of times I cringed at Jim’s decisions. Sir, are you an adult or still living as a teenager in high school? There were a lot of elements that were added to the book but never fully developed.

Silent Creek is a set in a fictional town of Minnesota where Jim, our main character, grew up a small town basketball hero. He returns after living in Boston to take over the family business & help care for his mother.

This book is heavy on the Basketball and I could see that being a turn off for someone not at all into sports. With that said, I don’t know anything about sports ball & I enjoyed it all the same. I read this book in less than 24 hours, so for that reason I’d call it a “quick read” but I felt like the author did a good job of building the suspense, I think the reason I got through it so quickly was so that I could figure out what happened!

I found that the culprit was somewhat predictable, but I didn’t at one guess their motive so it didn’t feel like a “spoiler” to already have my suspicions.

Also fun side note, because I was able to meet and chat with the author at the Midwest Bookish Fest in MN I felt like I could hear his brain writing this while reading.

Silent Creek by Tony Wirt is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that pulls you in from page one and doesn’t let go. Set in a small town with dark secrets, the story weaves together mystery, suspense, and emotional depth. Wirt does a fantastic job building tension and creating characters that feel authentic and haunted by their pasts. The pacing is tight, the writing sharp, and the twists genuinely surprising. It’s one of those books where you keep saying, “just one more chapter,” and suddenly it’s 2 a.m. If you love small-town thrillers with a chilling edge,

Jim Mc Cann returns to his home town in Minnesota after his father dies. The author does a fantastic job of describing small town life and how locals still hold to Jim’s high school basketball talent and fame. Jim now runs his family business while caring for his mother who has dementia. The descriptions of his mom’s dementia and her struggles to remember things was painful to read about and how her health declined.

He reconnects with Kyle his high school friend who works at the family business. He realizes something isn’t right at work but hopes Kyle will help him. He fires Colton Reid and he starts to realize that was a mistake. Colton will come after everything Jim holds dear.

The tensions mount making an epic scene at end. It was entertaining even though parts were predictable. I enjoyed the small town vibes and the characters.

Tony Wirt’s Silent Creek kicks off with a classic setup: Jim McCann, once a high school basketball star with NBA dreams, comes back to his small hometown after his dad’s death. Years ago, an injury crushed his shot at greatness, and he left town bitter and determined not to look back. Now, he's stuck dealing with his mom’s dementia and running the family propane business—definitely not the life he imagined.

But it’s not all bad. He reconnects with Kyle, his childhood best friend, and meets Kelli, who gets what it’s like to live under the weight of old expectations. Just as Jim starts to settle in, trouble brews in the form of Colton Reid, an old classmate with a chip on his shoulder. After Colton gets fired, creepy things start happening—nothing major at first, but enough to rattle Jim. Then things take a darker, more personal turn.

At first, Colton seems like the obvious suspect. He’s angry, unstable, and definitely capable of causing trouble. But as the story unfolds, it becomes pretty clear that someone else is pulling the strings. Without giving too much away, Kyle’s “nice guy” act starts to wear thin, and the real tension kicks in when Jim realizes just how deep things really go.

Wirt does a great job building a small-town vibe—the kind where everyone knows your past and you can never quite outrun it. The pacing is solid, the characters feel real, and the unease grows steadily. That said, if you’ve read Pike Island, this one might not hit quite as hard. The twists are solid, but a bit more predictable this time around, and the final reveal doesn’t pack the same emotional punch.

Still, Silent Creek is a tense, enjoyable read with some great character moments and a satisfying, if familiar, payoff. It’s about regret, loyalty, and figuring out how far you're willing to go to protect the people (and the past) you can’t quite leave behind.

Rating: 3.5/5
Worth a read, especially if you like slow-burn thrillers with a strong sense of place. Just don’t expect it to stick with you like Pike Island did.

Way too much sports not enough mystery. The mystery really felt like a subplot, second to the nostalgia of high school sports, which was really unfortunate for me because I was intrigued by the premise. This was well written with well developed characters, but I got so bored reading about basketball and with nothing happening to forward the mystery plot for several chapters. This just wasn't my cup of tea.

Read his full review on <a href="https://rosepointpublishing.com/2025/07/06/silent-creek-by-tony-wirt-bookreview-domesticthrillers-netgalley/"<a> Rosepoint Publishing.</a>

James McCann left Silent Creek and decided he would never. However, upon his father’s death he is the only one who can care for his mother. His childhood friend Kyle was running his father’s business and he kept him on. A ne’er-do-well named Colton keeps screwing up his job, however, and is fired. Things begin to happen and the suspect is Colton.

This story is well written and includes a surprise ending I did not expect. The characters are well developed and the action moves along believably. Read and enjoy this story. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Small town grudges pit three men against one another in this twisty suspense novel.

The passing of Jim’s father had him moving back to the small town where he was once a high school basketball star to help care for his mother who is in the early stages of dementia. He is sucked back into the world of his childhood while trying to run the family business, take care of his mother, and deal with someone systematically coming after him. Old grudges came back to life and soon Jim’s family and way of life are being threatened.

This was full of nostalgia for me as someone who grew up in a small Minnesota town. The constant reminders from the townsfolk of “Jimmy Bucket’s” glory days set a perfect backdrop for things to quickly spiral out of his control.

It was a quick, fun read but was a little too heavy on the basketball information for me as it’s not a sport I enjoy or follow. The small Minnesota town setting was really well done and had so many fun moments with the slang and mannerisms of the characters being spot on for what life was like growing up in that environment.

Sinister slow-burn suspense. Wirt does an expert job creating an atmosphere of mounting dread. Unable to look away, I flew through the book. Highly recommend.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I will read anything this talented author writes - his books are NEVER disappointing!

On to my review...

Tony Wirt’s Silent Creek is a taut, small-town thriller that simmers with unease and erupts with emotional resonance. It’s the kind of novel that lures you in with the promise of a homecoming and then locks the door behind you.

Jim McCann was once the pride of his Iowa hometown—a high school basketball phenom with NBA dreams. But after a career-ending injury and years of self-imposed exile, he returns for his father’s funeral only to find the town hasn’t forgotten him… or forgiven him. With his mother slipping into dementia and the family propane business thrust into his reluctant hands, Jim is forced to confront not just his past, but the people who never left it.

Wirt excels at weaponizing nostalgia. The friendships feel lived-in, the grudges calcified. When Jim reconnects with his childhood best friend Kyle and meets Kelli—a woman who sees through his defenses—there’s a flicker of redemption. But that flicker dims fast. Colton Reid, a former classmate with a long memory and a short fuse, becomes the catalyst for a series of increasingly sinister events. What begins as petty harassment escalates into full-blown psychological warfare, and Wirt masterfully tightens the screws with each chapter.

The prose is lean and unpretentious, but the emotional stakes are anything but. Wirt doesn’t just build suspense—he builds empathy. Jim’s unraveling isn’t just about fear; it’s about identity, guilt, and the cost of coming home to a place that no longer fits.

I enjoyed Silent Creek the premise drew me in right away, and the pacing kept me invested the whole way through. It’s one of those stories where you’re always wondering what’s just around the corner.

Some of the characters didn’t fully click with me, but I appreciated the journey of the main character. His development felt real and meaningful, and I liked how his actions evolved as the story unfolded.

Overall, it’s a compelling and well-paced read that kept me engaged without giving too much away. Worth picking up if you enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of suspense.

Silent Creek🤫
By Tony Wirt📖

Review‼️

This is my third book by this author, so I'm not surprised by how amazing it was. Like the others I've read, it was a page-turner that drew me in. It kept me glued to the pages, my mind racing with possibilities. While this was an excellent thriller, it also contained elements of mystery and romance. The main character finds himself in a variety of scenarios that made me sweat. If you enjoy swift, suspenseful reads, I strongly suggest this!

Page turner📄
Mystery⁉️
Suspense🫣
Romance💘
Small town🏡

4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️