I actually read this a few years ago, but I scanned through it just to make sure I remembered enough for a review. I adore Minka Kent books and I've read through her backlist. She's one of those thriller authors that is bingeable and readable with great twists. AND she is self pub (or at least she was), which is incredible with how well these are written and paced. I was immediately taken in by the concept...there's a wife in the backyard who still lives there and the woman in the house is the "new wife." What happened to the old one and why doesn't she speak? Very creative story, and one that kept me guessing until the end.

Jade is living the perfect life. Newly married to the man of her dreams (who just happens to be both handsome and wealthy), living in the home once owned by his famous grandmother, she should be on cloud nine. But there's one thing about her life that is not picture perfect. Her husband's first wife lives in the cottage in the back yard. Three years ago, Sophie had a tragic accident that left her unable to speak or care for herself and Well - the husband - has decided to continue to take care of her.

Jade adores his care but things change when she discovers that Sophie CAN communicate and what happened to her wasn't an accident.

The story was gripping from the beginning and I suspected everyone at some point. Definitely an enjoyable and fast paced read. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Looking for a summer thriller question look no further. This book kept me on my toes. It’s about a woman named Jade and her new husband Wells. In the backyard, of their house, lives his ex-wife, Sylvie, who is disabled and cannot talk or walk. Jade befriends her on the sly and Slyvie writes her a note telling her to run! Jade needs to figure out what is going on and if Sylvie is telling the truth and if she can really communicate. Jade digs deeper into the lives of her husband and his family and friends to see if she can help Sylvie and if he new husband is all of what he says he is. What she may find may not be what she wants.

3.75 stars

A nice quick read, The Silent Woman had a good range of people to be suspicious of in this story. That being said, I wish the twist had been more of a surprise, or the story had twisted again in the epilogue. I was reading the last couple of chapters and thinking there has to be more… Otherwise I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for a good read which will keep you entertained.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc of this book for review.

Minka Kent delivers a chilling and tightly woven psychological thriller in The Silent Woman—a story so grounded in reality it lingers long after the final page. With a haunting premise and mounting tension, this novel expertly taps into the unsettling possibilities of everyday life gone eerily wrong.

From the beginning, Kent builds an atmosphere thick with unease. The story simmers with quiet suspense, drawing readers in with its slow-burn pacing and creeping sense of dread. The protagonist’s journey is filled with uncertainty and mistrust, and as the truth begins to surface, the revelations hit hard—each one more disturbing than the last.

What makes The Silent Woman so compelling is its plausibility. The situations, the relationships, and the secrets all feel alarmingly believable, which adds an extra layer of psychological impact. Kent masterfully keeps readers guessing, unraveling the plot with precision and purpose.

This is a gripping, eerie, and emotionally taut read that will appeal to fans of domestic thrillers with a dark edge. The Silent Woman is a testament to Minka Kent’s skill at crafting suspense that feels both intimate and unnerving. An excellent choice for readers who crave realism with their thrills.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital ARC of this thriller by Minka Kent. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Newlywed Jade Westmore is completely happy in her new life with Wells. There's just the fact that his first wife, Sylvie, lives in a gatehouse behind their home, silent since a terrible accident years ago. Jade isn't supposed to interact with her, but one day when Wells is away and the caretaker is called away, the two meet.

This was a quick, suspenseful read that kept me guessing to the end. There were plenty of intriguing characters - Portia would be a fun neighbor friend! Interesting past family drama as well with Wells' mother and the fact that they are living in his grandmother's home. You're never quite sure who you can believe, which of course makes it all the more fun!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Another plot where the first wife had an "accident"! Very strange living in the house with said wife. It was kind of slow and I wasn't surprised by the end. Overall, it was ok.

The Silent Woman by Minka Kent
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a fun and shocking domestic thriller!
Jade and her new husband, Wells, are newly married, with a strange living situation. Wells ex-wife lives in the guest house and isn’t able to communicate after a fall into the pool years ago. Sylvia, his ex, has a caretaker, but Jade sits with her when her nurse has an emergency and has to leave. Jade decides to see if Sylvia is really in the vegetative state that everyone says she’s in.
Will secrets be revealed? Things aren’t always what they seem.
There’s good character development and I found the story unique and captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this exciting thriller! I’m excited to read more from this author!
Check out this book!!

This definitely gave Verity vibes but it still was its own story. This thriller was so fast paced and gripping. I felt like I needed a board to keep up with all the theories I had about each character. I felt like it was obvious on who was guilty of hurting the wife but the author did so good at making you second guess yourself. I really loved the aspect of a character being a writer and writing about strong woman and their stories because this truly is more then just a thriller. It’s about women taking their power back. So so thrilling!!

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity of reading this rerelease as an E-arc <3

Thus one grabbed with at the beginning. It us fast paced and full of twists and turns. Thus kne kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a copy of this book for a review!

Jade Westmore is living the life of her dreams. She’s married to Wells Westmore, the grandson of a famous starlet named Viviette, and living in a gorgeous, historic, Hollywood home. Not only that, but she is tasked with writing Viviette’s biography as her next big project. The catch is that her husband’s previous wife, Sylvie, is living in their backyard in a cottage after suffering a tragic accident in the backyard that rendered her incapacitated. Wells claims to be doing this out of guilt and loyalty to his previous wife, but is there more than meets the eye?

I have mixed feelings about this book. It started out strong with very high stakes, and I was curious as to how the family dynamics and the mystery behind Sylvie’s accident would tie together for a big reveal at the end. The characters have interesting characteristics and the drama was there, but I feel as though that there could’ve a bit more depth and time to develop their background.

All in all, this is a solid read for thriller fans. It has good writing and finishes with an empowering message, but the plot is too safe and never fully reaches its potential.

I thought this story was tense, twisty and thrilling!

It starts with newlyweds Jade and Wells having to spend a week apart as Wells is travelling for work. Oddly, Well's ex-wife lives on their property but Jade has never met her because she can't communicate. I thought the setup was quite interesting. Then, at the beginning of Well's week away there's an emergency with the ex-wife (Sylvie)'s nurse so Jade finally gets to meet her. I ADORED Sylvie's character by the end.

The first Part is told from Jade's POV, then the reader gets Part 2 from Sylvie's POV which goes back in time a short time to get the story leading up to current timeframe. I loved Part 2 as it filled in some of the gaps from Part 1. The ending parts go back to the current time and the reader is treated to a wonderful resolution to this thrilling mystery!

3.25 🌟 rounded down

Minka Kent is one of my solid go-to authors when I want a fast-paced popcorn thriller. The Silent Woman is indeed one of those books, but it is not my favorite by her.

The novel alternates between today with Jade and three years ago with Sylvie. I wish it had more chapters with Sylvie, as her perspective was slightly lacking. I liked the friendship between Jade and Portia and Jade's affinity for figuring things out. There were a couple of twists and turns, but nothing mind-blowing.

Recommended for fans of quick, domestic thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

Wouldn't you be curious if your new husband's brain damaged former wife lived in a guest house at your new home? Jade, newly married to Wells, has her Cinderella life but the idea of Sylvie living just yards away sits a bit heavy in her mind so one day she meets her. And then Sylvie passes her a note that says "run." Well, now Jade has a more difficult puzzle on her hands. Is Wells really a prince or is there a darker side to him? No spoilers but fans of this genre might guess what's going on. That said it's a decent popcorn thriller that would be good for travel or the beach.

This book leaned very heavily into the same trope at Colleen Hoover's novel Verity. There were of course some differences, but the whole time I was reading this I felt like I was re-reading through Verity again with changed names.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC to review

3.5 stars
A slow-burn psychological thriller with a haunting vibe. The Silent Woman takes its time, but the tension builds steadily and the twist is worth the wait. Not a ton of action, but if you like quiet suspense with a gothic edge, this one delivers.

This was an intriguing and fast-paced read! I did overall enjoy it though I did think it was a bit predictable at times. It’s also a fairly similar plot to other books so though enjoyable, I was a bit underwhelmed. That being said, I appreciate the opportunity to read it.

A domestic thriller that read quickly. Good for fans of the genre. A bit predictable. It felt similar to the wife upstairs and verity but with different motives

💍Book Review💍
“The Silent Woman” - Minka Kent
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Thank you #netgalley as well as the publisher for the ARC copy of this novel in return for my honest review.

Jade is the second wife of Wells to live in his mansion, sleep in his bed, although it’s a rather unique situation.. because his first one still lives on the property, in the guest house in an invalid state.

Jade was told to stay out of the guest house, and to leave Sylvie alone. Although upon chance encounter, Sylvie who is in supposedly in a catatonic state had one thing to say to Jade… “Run”

My thoughts:
I found this book to be quick, gripping, and easy to read. The story line flowed easily, and the characters seemed to be thought out well. My only complaint with this book, and why it wasn’t a 5 star is because I found it a bit unoriginal… the major plot twist wasn’t really anything fascinating, it was more or less a “well duh” moment lol.

This was a good read, and I enjoyed it. It just didn’t blow my mind. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Jade Westmore thought she’d found her forever in Wells, a charming, successful architect with a past he insists is behind him. But tucked away on their picturesque estate, living quietly in the caretaker’s cottage, is Sylvie, Wells’ first wife, who hasn’t spoken a word since a mysterious accident three years ago. One day, Jade decides to visit her, breaking the rules, and what happens next sets the tone for everything that follows.

The writing flows so well that even though the twists were predictable and the plot hit all the usual thriller beats, I still found myself caught up in the story. There were a few red herrings, but you could see where it was going from early on. The scenes that really stood out were Sylvie just standing silent. No expression, nothing. They were such simple character descriptions, but it was written in such an eerie, unsettling way that it really landed.

This isn’t a thriller that will shock seasoned readers, but it’s a solid, suspenseful choice for those new to the genre or looking for something more eerie than intense. A solid, engaging read with just enough tension to keep you hooked. 3/5

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author for this revised edition in exchange for my honest review.