This book surprised me as I could not put it down! I gave it 5 stars because the characters felt like real people with real flaws. I really loved Jade's character and her curiosity about her husband's ex-wife, who after an accident no longer could speak or take care of herself. It was a bit strange having the ex-wife living right next door but as Jade became invested in her story and her accident is when I found myself totally engrossed in the mystery. I really liked the neighbor Portia and Jade's mother-in-law Mary Claire. The husband Wells I wasn't too fond of! He seemed a bit creepy to me and perhaps was filled with his own secrets?? All of the relationships felt honest and messy, the real way families are. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Minka Kent.

I’ve just finished my first book my Minka Kent called “The Silent Woman”. After seeing books by Minka on various Facebook groups I did grow an interest in reading something by her, then netgalley came along with a book to request by her.

The Silent Woman is a book that has been published already, so I think it’s on netgalley because of a re-release.

“An informed woman is the biggest threat to modern society—as she should be. It’s why they want us dumbed down and docile. If we’re in the kitchen with a baby on our hip or lying naked on our backs at night, we’re too preoccupied to notice what’s going on outside the home.”

Jade is a hell of a good biography writer and has made the best publishing deal she could dream of. Writing the only and most authentic biography of Viviette Westmore with access to all of her belongings and diaries she has written over the years. One of the things in her contract is that Wells, grandson of Viviette has to approve of what has been written before it can be published.

Wells lives in the mansion that was owned by Viviette and hasn’t changed the interior because he wanted it to be authentic and maybe someday turn it into a museum, but for now he lives there with his new wife, Jade. Yes, Jade the biographer.

This marriage is a bit different than normal standards though as Wells ex-wife lives in the guest house and has round the clock care from nurses after a nearly fatal accident that has left her unable to communicate or care for herself. She doesn’t get any visitors which Jace finds strange. No family or friends. And Jade isn’t allowed either.

When a nurse hurries away because of a family emergency, Wells on a business trip, Jade has to step in. What she sees when entering the guesthouse is a ghost of the former Sylvie, someone where the light behind her eyes has been dulled a long time ago. After caring for Sylvie for a bit waiting for a replacement nurse to arrive, Sylvie gets a piece of paper, it takes all her concentration to write one single word. R-U-N.

Jade doesn’t understand initially. Does she have to run? Or maybe Sylvie wants to get away? But from what? Jade does her best to find out what’s wrong and what happened to Sylvie on the fateful night of her accident. But what she finds is gut wrenching. She does find out what has happened, but at what cost?

I liked this story; I did give me verity vibes which isn’t a bad thing because I did like that book also. This book was a ride though, it was thrilling and had that mysterious touch that keeps you intrigued throughout the story.

I’m giving this a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ !

Minka Kent does it again! I love absolutely everything this author writes, definitely an autobuy author. The Silent Woman is an incredible thriller full or twists and turns that leave you wanting more!

Jade has just happily married Wells. On their large property in a back cottage lives Sylvie, Well’s last wife. She had a traumatic accident causing her to be incapacitated, not able to speak. Jade is suspicious after going to see Sylvie and getting handed a piece of paper with the word “run” on it, from this woman that cannot write or speak. Jade decides to do everything she can to solve the mystery that is Sylvie’s current state, while also looking out for herself.
As always, I love Minka Kent’s writing style—very capturing. This book got a bit eerie, and I wasn’t sure who to trust. I loved the ending, but the story wasn’t super surprising or original. The old Hollywood family story and biographical aspects were interesting to me.
Thanks so much to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

underwhelming, a thriller with no thrills. characters were underdeveloped, super predictable. i’m really disappointed by this book. the pacing was good until it was time to start wrapping up.

I always love a Minka Kent book and this one did not disappoint! From the start the book had my attention and I could not stop reading. I kept trying to guess how everyone was involved with Sylvie‘s accident and while some of my prediction was correct, I was still left with many surprises. It does appear that this book is a re-release, but I was fine with that since it’s not a book I’ve read before.

Release: July 15, 2025
Author: Minka Kent
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Rating: 3 ★ 

Jade Westmore is a newlywed who believes she’s finally found happiness with her charming husband, Wells. But their perfect life in an upscale estate comes with one unsettling detail—Wells’s first wife, Sylvie, still lives on the property. After a mysterious accident years ago, Sylvie is now nearly catatonic and hasn’t spoken a word since.
Everyone has told Jade to leave Sylvie alone, but curiosity gets the better of her. One day, she brings flowers to the cottage where Sylvie lives in silence. To her shock, Sylvie responds—not with words, but with a torn piece of paper and a chilling message: Run.
From that moment, Jade begins to question everything she thought she knew about her husband, his past, and the secrets hidden behind their seemingly perfect life. As lies unravel, Jade must decide who she can really trust—before it’s too late.

The Silent Woman by Minka Kent is a fast-paced psychological thriller that draws you in right from the start. The setup is chilling—Jade, a newlywed settling into her seemingly perfect life, discovers her husband’s first wife is still living silently on their property after a mysterious accident. When Jade receives a haunting note from Sylvie with just one word—Run—the tension really begins to build.
The atmosphere is eerie and suspenseful, and Kent does a great job creating a creeping sense of paranoia that keeps you flipping pages. The story moves quickly, with twists and a dual-timeline structure that adds depth without getting confusing. That said, some parts of the plot do feel familiar, and a few twists were predictable. At times, I found the characters’ decisions hard to believe, which took away from the realism.
Still, even with a few predictable moments, it’s a compelling read. The mystery is well-paced, the writing is accessible, and it has that addictive quality that makes it easy to finish in a day or two. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with a slightly gothic vibe and don’t mind a few loose ends or familiar tropes, this one is worth checking out.

Favorite Quote:
"deep down I suppose we're all desperate for something be it love, attention, or validation."

This was a mix of Verity and The Housemaid to me! While somewhat predictable, I flew through this one in an afternoon. Thriller lovers will enjoy.

This was a good popcorn thriller - nothing new or twisty, but a quick read.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.
While Jade and Portia were good characters, I found the rest to be somewhat annoying. I
Think I was 7nderwhelmed this book.

I didn’t read the version published in 2022. Thanks to NetGalley, I had the chance to read the upcoming edition.
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

What I absolutely loved was the writing style — it’s rich, elegant, and beautifully detailed without being too heavy. The text draws you in so deeply, it’s as if you’re sitting at the café table next to Mary Claire and Jade, or sipping wine with Portia in her home. Everything feels incredibly real and atmospheric. I’m confident I’ll pick up another book by this author.

So why not 5/5? The plot. It’s all about the plot. To me, it felt like a very overused story. A charming and caring husband, one wife melting in his love, while the ex-wife, drugged after some incident, is in a vegetative state.
And why does the ex-husband keep her in the guest house? Why spend so much money on caregivers? Wouldn’t it be easier to place her in a special facility where she would receive proper care? And where are her relatives?
Very early on, I had a strong sense of how it would all end, and although Minka Kent tried to introduce a twist midway through, it didn’t quite change the overall predictability. As I read, a few other books with strikingly similar storylines came to mind.

The Silent Woman was a great read. Somewhat predictable but will keep you glued in for the dirty truth.

Imagine you are an author who writes biographies of famous people. She meets the grandson of a well known actress that you absolutely adore, calls you up and says he wants you to write his grandma's story. You two marry, you get to spend your life in her house reading her diaries to write her story. your husband, Wells has his ex wife living in the guest house after a tragic accident left her brain damaged and unable to communicate or have much of a life. One day you have to go out there and help care for her and she writes you a three letter note. R-U-N, Is she asking to run away or telling you to? From that day on your life takes a huge turn and you don't know who to trust. Once the truth comes out you find out she was essentially telling you both things.

A thriller will have several twists that keep you around until you know the truth.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Silent Woman. This is probably my least favorite Minka Kent novel. No jaw dropping twists but did enjoy a few characters. It just seemed predictable and like a story I have already read. 2.5 Stars.

Jade marries her dream husband and is living a seemingly happy life. Her husband's ex-wife is living in the guest house receiving around the clock the medical care.

Secrets begin to come to light and Jade isn't sure who to believe.

This storyline had a lot of potential but fell flat in many spots. The twists weren't really built up and the ending of the book just seemed rushed and thrown together.

I’m a massive Minka Kent fan, love her writing. This was an easy read, popcorn thriller. A little predictable but I do read a lot of thrillers definitely worth a read!

The Silent Woman originally released in 2022 is getting a revised edit and new look coming July 15th!!!

This was my first Minka Kent book and I regret this. I’ve had so many of this authors books on my TBR and physical bookshelf that I am kicking myself for not starting one of her books sooner. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of the revised edition of The Silent Woman in exchange for my honest review.

If you like books/tropes like Verity and The Housemaid then you’ll love this book - and no I’m not saying because it’s like Verity/The Housemaid that the twists in this book are the same in those. Although I did predicted said twist(s) very early on, it did not take away my experience or what felt like a need to finish this book asap (which ended up being less than 24hrs).

Can’t wait to dive into the rest of Minka Kent’s backlist now!!!

Whew! I blew through this one in 24 hours. Terrific, fast paced read. Jade marries a rich man named Wells. He’s perfect but also has his ex wife who is disabled living in the guesthouse. That’s a bit awkward especially when she slips Jade a note that says RUN. But run from what? Excellent read!

Meh this feels like a rip off of Verity by Colleen Hoover with some minor tweaks and an okay ending. This is supposed to be a rereleased edited edition but there are still grammatical errors.

A quick read if you're in the mood for a simple psych thriller. This had me clinging to the mystery in the beginning but the reveal felt a little anticlimactic and rushed. Loved the message of girl power and women working together!

Another quick, easy and good read by this author. I was in suspense the whole time wondering what had happened to the first Mrs. Westmore and what was really happening in that situation. Kept me wanting to read!

⭐⭐⭐⭐4.5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐
Being the second wife is not always easy. Imagine the first wife is still in the picture though and living in your guest house? Your not allowed to speak to her whatsoever. Would that raise your suspicions? Would your "Spidey-senses" be going off? I had so many questions throughout this book and the author did a nice job wrapping them up for me and the end. I thought I had this one all figured out until the end. The characters are relatable, and the read does not feel fiction, which was a nice change.

👀Trigger warning: Abuse and mental illness.

📚I highly recommend this book!📚

Do not wait to get your copy! You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minka Kent and Publisher for the eArc!