This was a great quick read! There are twists in the story that make you second guess yourself, and a cast of suspicious characters. At it's core, this thriller shines as a story of women helping women. I read this in one sitting because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next!

I really enjoyed my first experience with Minka Kent's writing back in 2023, and I've been meaning to read more of her work ever since. This is probably why I couldn't resist adding the soon to be republished version of The Silent Woman to my shelves as soon as I first heard about it... That, and the fact that I had an instant suspicion after reading the premise and I wanted to know if I was right. Spoiler alert: I was, and while there is no doubt that this story turned out to be quite predictable, I also couldn't put it down.

There is just something about Minka Kent's writing style that is extremely engaging, and this story itself is the perfect example of a so-called popcorn thriller. Sure, the plot itself is quite predictable and I basically guessed what was happening even before I started reading The Silent Woman, but somehow the author was able to make me want to keep turning those pages anyway. This isn't something that is easy to do, so she definitely deserves praise for such an achievement! On an entertainment level, this story simply works... If you are able to look past the predictable plot and cliches that is.

I don't want to give away too much in case you weren't able to guess the truth straight away... But basically what you see is what you get after reading the blurb. The plot is divided into three parts, switching between Jade in the present and Sylvie during the time leading up to the moment of her accident three years in the past. Both women are a bit one-dimensional, and the fact that Jade loves to snoop but never dives into her husband's background is not exactly believable, but somehow I was still invested enough to want to learn more about both.

I especially enjoyed the bookish element with Jade writing the memoir of her husband's grandmother, and the role it played in the plot as it helped uncovering of certain secrets. This wasn't the main focal point of the story though, and instead there is plenty of focus on drama, secrets, betrayal and toxic relationships. Like I said, quite a lot is very predictable and basically you already know it will end in a train wreck, but somehow you aren't able to look away either.

The ending itself was a bit underwhelming, and not just because I already knew who was behind Sylvie's accident even before I started reading this book... It lacked the danger and proper confrontation I was expecting by then, which could have helped the story to go out with a bang. Either way, there is no denying that The Silent Woman still ended up being a very satisfying popcorn thriller, and it is perfect for those moments when you just want to sit back and enjoy the ride without worrying too much about the details.

Jade marries Wells, who takes care of his first wife - Sylvie - on their property in a guesthouse. After a terrible accident Sylvie can't speak and needs to remain under constant medical care.

+ descriptive language
+ twists

I have missed the publication of this book in 2022. But I'm glad I got to read this one! As readers, we get a great deal of descriptive language when it comes to the main character Jane. We get to know her in depth moving from chapter to chapter. At first I didn't like her too much but the character started to grow on me and I definitely loved her courage, curiosity and kindness. The secret that her husband is hiding from the world, hinted upon as we get to experience the uncertainty, fear and panic surging through Jane must be enormous due to him being so careful to keep hidden. However, he's not the only one with secrets. We also get to meet the chatty neighbour from which we get even more information about Wells, Sylvie and her mother-in-law. But who can be trusted when everyone is keeping secrets? I loved how everything started coming out and pieces were falling into place. The plot which at the beginning seemed to me to be slow, actually picked up pace and the ending of the book was amazing!

I am an elementary school librarian, so that is why I cannot purchase this book. I am rating this 5/5. It was unpredictable and had me guessing until the end! The character development of Jade, Sylvia, Wells, Mary Claire, and Portia were stellar. I loved it!

Thanks Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC book! Now on to my review…

When I first read the synopsis on the back I thought I was getting read to read a Verity knockoff. But it wasn’t that at all! I have only read one other book of Minka Kent’s and that was the Stillwater Girls. After this book I think I need to pick up some more!!

We start with Jade, who just married Wells. Their marriage seems pretty normal, except the fact that his ex wife Sylvie lives in the guesthouse out back due to an accident that has left her incapable of communicating. One day one of her nurses has to run out and Jade is left to watch after Sylvie and then the questions start to surface for Jade. How did Sylvies accident do this to her? Was this really an accident or did someone do this to her?

While I felt it was a little predictable to figure out about half way through, there were a couple twist I didn’t see coming. Overall and enjoyable read!!

ARC Review – The Silent Woman by Minka Kent
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

Minka Kent delivers another tense, twisty thriller in The Silent Woman, centering on Jade, a woman whose seemingly perfect new marriage hides a darker, more elusive past. As Jade digs deeper into the mysterious disappearance of her husband's first wife, the suspense builds at a steady pace, keeping me invested in uncovering the truth.

One of the most compelling aspects of the novel was watching Jade piece together what really happened. Her determination and the gradual reveals added a satisfying investigative element that made the story fly by.

That said, the ending didn’t land as strongly for me. After such a tense buildup, I was hoping for a more impactful or emotionally resonant conclusion. While it wrapped up the mystery, it left me wanting a bit more in terms of closure and character resolution.

Overall, The Silent Woman is an engaging domestic thriller with an intriguing premise and strong momentum throughout, though the ending may leave some readers divided. Recommended for fans of fast-paced, psychological suspense.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

This is the review for the updated version of this book set to be released in 2025. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was fast paced and drew me in right from the beginning. This was a really suspenseful read. I liked the different parts of the story and was able to connect with both Sylvie and Jade. The ending left me satisfied. Can't wait to read the next book by this author!

Jade is married to Wells, a rich and high powered man, for only a few months now after a quick, whirlwind love. His ex wife, after a brutal accident in the home left her incapacitated, lives in their guest house out back. Jade doesn’t think it’s weird, wells loved her and is able the give her the best care from home. But as jade writes the story of Wells grandmother, she can’t help but needing to know the real truth. About the family about her husband, and about the silent woman in the guest house.

Although the story was a quick and nice read, I found that not much happened, plot wise. Plot wise, quite slow, reading wise, nice and fast. However, as we near the end and learn the truth I feel like i was missing a chapter or many. Pieces were falling into place, then bam it was ending and I found myself questioning how we got there.

This story grabs you right away. Full of mystery with lots of twists and turns. I highly recommend reading this. Great author.

This wasn’t my fave Mink Kent book, but I still read it and would still rate it as good. There are just some of her other books that I like better!

A slow-burn with an interesting premise,
but there was a lack of urgency. The twists left me wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Minks Kent as well as Thomas and Mercer publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

I have read Stillwater girls by this author and loved it! I was hoping for another 5 star read but I think this concept and storyline has just run its course. It was all just too similar to other books for my liking.

It was well written and I will still read other books by her, I just feel like it’s an overused storyline that every author seems to be using right now.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

So far if Minka Kent writes it, I’ll read it. Another mystery thriller written that I loved. The silent women kept me on my toes. I found my self reaching for my book at all hours of the day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an e-arc copy of The Silent Woman by Minka Kent, publishing on July 15th, in exchange for an honest review.
The Silent Woman is a fast paced, tense and exciting thriller that had me on the edge of my seat till the very end. I connected with the characters and was rooting for my favourites to ‘win’ in the second half. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced thriller.

Okay I love minka Kent. Always an AUTO BUY author to me! I already knew I loved this book but it’s nothing surprising because everything she writes is incredible. Thank you

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75 stars)
The Silent Woman is a fast, addictive read with plenty of suspense and well-timed twists to keep the pages turning. Minka Kent does a great job weaving tension throughout, and I appreciated the steady unraveling of the mystery. The pacing was strong, though I found some of the character motivations a bit underdeveloped, which kept me from being fully immersed in their emotional stakes. Still, this was an entertaining thriller that fans of the genre will likely enjoy.

Thank you to Minka Kent and the publisher for the ARC copy!

Right off the bat, this book gave me "Verity" and "The Wife Upstairs" vibes. (Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden) Wells was married to Sylvie when an accident occurs that leaves her "silent". They end up divorcing, but Sylvie moves into the guesthouse where she has 24-hour nursing care. Wells remarries an author named Jade. Jade seems to be unusually understanding about the ex-wife still living on the property. I don't know about you, but I found that extremely odd.

I found this book to be very predictable, and it had a rather abrupt ending. It is still worthy of reading, especially if you've never read either of the two aforementioned books.

Minka Kent is a great author; however, this was not one of her best works.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This book was great it had a great plot twist loved it and will recommend I love these mystery thriller that pull you in from the start and once again minka Kent can’t do no wrong I love her books

I wanted to like this book so much. So far I have loved all of Minka Kents books. But this one fell flat for me. I was disappointed, I knew from the beginning what was going to happen, and I felt like I had already read this story from other authors a few times. I will give credit that it wasn't horrible that I wanted to DNF it and it kept me interested to keep reading the whole book.

This is my third or fourth book by this author and they always pull me in right away and I have no problem with finishing them quickly as I need to get to the ending asap. I combination read and listened to this book and both ways were great. The story itself was nothing groundbreaking or crazy original and it was a little predictable but still great and I loved the main character she was very determined and smart. The ending was a little anticlimactic though and I feel a little bit underwhelmed I was hoping for an extra reveal or something I guess. Overall good though 3.5stars.