This thriller novel did not disappoint! The premise of this story and the author are the reasons this book grabbed my attention. The way this author writes is so easy to follow and always captures me. This is my third book that I have read by this author and I have really enjoyed all of them! This is mysterious, dark, emotional and sad. I found this to be a very fast paced read, with the story being intriguing right in the first chapter! The plot of this book is captivating and was definitely well executed! This story felt very realistic. I really loved reading the different perspectives of the characters and the dual timeline of the story. I am glad that it went back in time, because it made everything in the present time clearer. Even though the plot was predictable, it still came with suspense and mystery. I will say that there are many twists in this story, while one through me completely off guard! Overall, I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars!

“The Silent Woman" by Minka Kent is a fictional thriller mystery that is unputdownable! It centers around a newlywed wife and husband named Jade and Wells. Jade gets curious about her new husband’s ex wife, named Sylvie. The ex wife Sylvie, mysteriously got injured in an accident and lives on Jade’s and Well’s estate, she is also not able to communicate to anyone. As this story unravels, we learn the dark truths of the silent woman!

I think fans of the novels “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden and “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides would really enjoy reading this book! Content warnings include domestic abuse, confinement, mental illness, physical abuse and toxic relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Minka Kent and Thomas & Mercer for this copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This one pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. Was it a potential cheesy-read red flag that main character Jade’s new husband’s ex-wife lived secluded in the backyard guesthouse.. yes. Did I let it hold me back from flying through the book? Nope.

I wish there had been a little more depth to the happy Wells/Jade so I could’ve been more sold on Wells before it went off the deep end. The length of the book didn’t give it the time or option for it to be a bit more of a surprise that he was the attacker. Olly threw things off, but not enough to really sway away from Wells and make that reveal a surprise or plot twist.

Overall a quick read, a little predictable, but gave me enough of a chill that I couldn’t put it down and wanted to get through the whole story. Was rooting for both Sylvie and Jade and wanted to see where they landed. I’ve had friends recommend other Minka Kent books and I’ll happily be adding more to my to read list.

Another well written book by Minka Kent! I could not put this book down! This book is full of mystery and suspense.! I loved the story line. I loved all the twists in it! I have read a lot of Minka Kent’s books and she has never disappointed me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Jade and Wells are a married couple. Wells has been married before to Sylvie, who was assaulted by an unknown person and left unable to speak, and thought to be brain damaged.
Wells installs Sylvie in a cottage on his estate with round the clock carers, and asks that Jade does not visit Sylvie as Sylvie has little or no understanding of events, but due to unforseen circumstances, Jade does meet Sylvie. From then, Jade has questions that Wells appears reluctant to discuss, so Jade decides to try to discover her husbands secrets.
I am a huge fan of Minka Kents work, and although I didn't dislike this book, it was a little disappointing to me. I found the plot rather predictable in comparison to some of her other books, and I did see the ending coming. However, it was an easy and enjoyable read. Thank you for my advance copy.

The Silent Woman





If you liked Verity, The Housemaid, The Last Mrs. Parrish, and The Wife Upstairs— this one is for you! I love Minka Kent and I really enjoyed this one. Very much gave me Lifetime Movie Network energy too! It did feel a bit predictable at times but I still liked it.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was previously released but is being re-released July 15 ✏️ 🗓️ (she’s an arc but she isn’t!!!!)

This domestic thriller has Jade wondering if there is anything to fear with her new husband, Wells. I read this thriller pretty quickly. I enjoyed it, however it was very similar to other thrillers I have read and enjoyed more.

Whenever I pick up a Minka Kent novel I know I'm in for a gripping thriller with many twists and turns, this one did not disappoint! When I started reading this I was instantly gripped, I thought I had predicted the plot but boy was I wrong...I love a thriller that keeps you guessing. This is the sort of book you start and want to read end to end without putting it down.

This book is full of secrets and lies, a peculiar family dynamic and shocks. You will not be disappointed if you love a good thriller.

Highly recommend 5🌟

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Minka Kent and Thomas & Mercer📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

An addictive read.

This is a really well written popcorn 🍿 thriller with some great twists. Duel time line and duel POV.

I really enjoyed this book, a can’t put it down page turner. I did think the plot twist was predictable and I hoped for a little more from the ending but this didn’t take away from the enjoyment of reading.

I think if you’re a fan of “Verity” and Frieda McFadden you’ll live this 💕

I didn't realize this was a re-release and that I've already read this book. Love Minka Kent though so I'll still give a rating based on the original

This was a pretty steady read but there wasn't anything super thrilling about it. The ending felt a little flat and I was hoping for something else to happen with Wells. It was pretty predictable for Minks but the pacing was excellent and it held my attention. Thank you!

Are you a thriller lover? Check out The Silent Woman by Minka Kent. It’s one that will keep you turning pages until the end.

3⭐️ I was intrigued, but this slow-burn domestic suspense took a while to find its footing.

The Silent Woman starts with a bang—Jade, a new bride, meets her husband’s ex-wife, Sylvie, who suffered an accident and lives on their property with round-the-clock care. Sylvie hasn’t communicated with anyone since her accident, but manages to hand Jade a chilling note with just one word: “Run.” But instead of diving straight into the suspense, the plot shifts focus to Jade’s novel-in-progress and neighborhood gossip, which slowed the pace significantly. The first half felt long, with drawn-out chapters and a lot of setup.

Things picked up in the second half when the story refocused on Sylvie, and even the chapters became shorter and more engaging. The side plots did end up tying into the twist, but I couldn’t help thinking they could’ve been presented in a more exciting way. Overall, it was readable, just not as thrilling as I’d hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

The most impactful aspect of this book for me was the fact that it had so many women’s voices. It was extremely powerful to have a story told by mostly female characters and their perspectives. The story itself was incredibly gripping and it certainly grabbed my attention within seconds. The story drops you in the action from the word go!
One feature that really grabbed my attention in the first instance was the title of the book as I am a chatter box. The book needs to come with a warning label: be careful; this one is not one that you will put down. I read it in about 3 days or possibly even less.

Such a great book. I couldn’t put it down!
The story is split into two different perspectives, Jade the new Mrs. Westmore and Sylvie, the first Mrs. Westmore who suffered a tragic accident.

The story is predictable but overall a great read. I didn’t want to put it down!

Minka Kent didn’t disappoint with this one.

This was a short and satisfying read. The premise is intriguing, and the dual timelines (and POVs) helps to build some suspense. That said, I wished the author had taken advantage of this a bit more. For the length of the book, we get a decently fleshed out story and characters, but I felt myself wanting more.
The story has a lot of elements that ended up feeling a tad irrelevant to the overall plot (the diary entries, the biography, etc) and I would have rather there been more focus on the 'past' plotline as this would have made me more invested in what was going on. While the flashback chapters do add a little context, they felt unnecessary as this was information we already inferred in the 'present' timeline. These chapters could have given even more context about Sylvie and Wells.
The supporting characters were definitely more interesting than the main (who was very frustrating at times) and I appreciated the focus on Marie Claire (though I once again, wanted more information on her behaviour and actions). towards the end, the plot starts to feel a bit rushed, and information is thrown at you rapidly. Although the conclusion was satisfying, I would have liked if these chapters were fleshed out more.
Regardless of nitpicks I had, I did enjoy reading the book. The author does a good job of keeping the reader on their toes, unsure of who is the 'big bad' and I read this in a single sitting.

Thanks to Netgalley, Minka Kent and Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved the writing on this, it was very compelling and I was very curious to know more, so it was definitely a page turner.

I quite liked the characters and how they were all a bit sketchy through most of this book because it kept you wondering who did it, and if there was a plot twist coming.

Which is why this is a 3 star book for me, because it gave you everything until the very end. When I saw that I only had -10 pages to go, I knew there couldn't be a major plot twist which was a bit of a disappointment because the storyline had the potential for it.

I'm definitely curious about this author's writing and what she wrote after this one, might check it out after! I do believe this is worth the read, it was very entertaining at the very least!

This book was awesome. I loved the mystery of the old wife and the interesting storyline. Minka Kent writes great thrillers and I eat them up every time.

𝑴𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍, 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆'𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒚--𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒆.

Jade Westmore, a writer specializing in biographies, has found love with successful architect Wells. She is in the middle of her dream job, completing a biography of Wells' grandmother, Viviette Westmore. She's living in her Brentwood estate, Westhaven, and has access to her personal diaries; it's a writer's dream to have these precious source materials to keep her writing grounded in reality.

There's just one problem...something else comes with the house, and that's Sylvie, Wells' first wife, who lives in the pool house in the backyard. An accident three years ago left her brain damaged and unable to communicate. Since Wells and Sylvie made a pact to move on should something happen to either of them, he divorced Sylvie and married Jade, who is supportive of his decision to oversee Sylvie’s care. Jade is given strict instructions not to disturb or interact with Sylvie, but she decides to bring over some flowers when Wells is away one day. Turns out Sylvia has something for her too, a piece of paper with the scrawled message, "Run!"

Please save yourself the thoughts of, "Oh, this sounds just like Verity," because this book's plot is wholly original. There is a deep-dive into the family dynamics that very much has a Gothic vibe straight out of the early V.C. Andrews novels. I read this book in an afternoon and can't recommend it enough. I am glad to see it being republished by Thomas and Mercer with a fresh edit. Available July 15, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
This novel is a deliciously suspenseful novel about a woman who is married to the man she absolutely adores as much as he adores her ... or does he? His ex-wife lives in the same sumptuous property in a cabin where she is looked after by nurses night and day after a terrible accident that rendered her totally helpless.
I did hadve to suspend my belief a little bit, but couldn't put the book down,I loved it!

Jade has an unusual living arrangement in that her husband’s first wife, Sylvie, lives in a cottage on their estate, right outside their gorgeous family home. She had a terrible accident a few years back and needs around-the-clock care for the rest of her life. Jade’s husband, Wells, feels that keeping her nearby where he can check on her is best, rather than committing her to a facility, and Jade loves him for his compassion. But due to an emergency with her nurse, Jade has to watch over Sylvie for a short period of time, one day, when Wells is out of town. That visit changes everything when Sylvie slips her a note, even though she’s supposed to be unable to communicate. Now Jade has no idea what or who to believe. She needs to figure out her next steps before her idyllic life becomes a living nightmare.

It's the minor characters that make this story enjoyable, although Jade’s a likable protagonist, if not a bit naïve. Which clashes with her belief that she’s great at reading people and figuring out secrets they’d rather keep hidden. That’s why she’s a biographer and is currently writing about Wells’s grandmother, Viviette. So she could work on her self-awareness, but you can’t help but root for her because she’s also great at seeing the best in people. She doesn’t have a hard-edged, snarky personality that so many strong female characters seem to possess nowadays. It’s quite refreshing.

You may have a few guesses at where the plot is heading, but there are some good little twists thrown in that keep it from becoming clichéd. It’s one of the reasons I love this author, she breathes fresh air into a genre that can too easily become stale.