Author: M K Farrar
Rating: 5-Stars
Second Book in the DI Erica Swift Series
If you are looking for a great new detective series taking place in London, this is the series for you!. The Silent One is the second book in the DI Erica Swift series of nine books. I am thrilled to have just finished book two and eager to read the rest of the series. I enjoyed and could identify with Erica as a detective and also as a person. The challenges she faces in life, as well as on the job, are real.
The Story
Paige Arland, a first-year university student in London. She is alone, in a drunken stupor, late at night. Walking to her dorm from the bar, she is attacked. She wakes the next morning, not remembering what happened. But finds herself bruised and beaten. Worse, she and her bed sheets are covered with blood. She has no idea if the blood is hers and someone else.
She then notices the commotion outside her dorm room. Stepping outside, she sees that a murder has occurred. Then wonders if she was involved. Paige’s mind is blank from the previous night.
The Suspense Builds Throughout
The plot is set up beautifully, and Farrar presents the mystery of trying to figure out ‘who done it’ brilliantly. With its many twists and turns, the book is a real page turner from beginning to end.
Paige wakes from a drunken state and questions her role in the murder. Was she the intended victim, an innocent bystander, or the murderer? And if not the murderer, then who was?
The story strengthens as DI Erica Swift and her team gather clues. And the number of likely murderers grows. I must admit that while I was confident that I thought I knew the motivations for three likely murder scenarios, what actually happened really caught me by surprise. And then, the plot twists continue to surprise until the very end, until all criminal activities are uncovered and resolved.
Strong Character Relationships at a Troubling Time
At first, I was worried I might not finish this book as it involved drunken first year university students and a rape scene. However, the dilemmas each character had to deal with pulled me through the book with excitement, trying to figure out if these teenagers would trade off doing the right thing for friendship and loyalties.
The book made me reflect on my university days and the difficult challenges we made outing a friend, or staying loyal. I found the relationships between the two main male characters, the two main female characters, and the boyfriend and girlfriend relationships really drove the plot. Each character struggled with acceptance and wanting to belong as part of the larger group. Would the draw of being accepted into the group override their sense of right and wrong? The Silent One is built around fascinating relationships and drives the story forward.
The other relationship aspect I really enjoyed was the personal relationships that DI Erica Swift has with her daughter, father, and sister. She is experiencing real-life challenges and trying to balance them with her job as a detective. It is easy to identify and empathise with her need to balance her work and personal life, so that she does not lose control of either.
A Highly Recommended Read
The Silent One is gripping to the very end. Viewing the personal choices made by each character is also gripping. They are not straightforward choices and the consequences of their choices are life-altering.
If you are looking for a gripping police detective story in a long-running series, then this is a must read. But a warning – you might want to start with Book 1 in the series, The Eye Thief, as DI Erica Swift’s life in Book 2 evolves from that book.
Also, note that all the DI Erica Swift books are available in Kindle Unlimited, so you can read them at no cost if you are a subscriber!
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If you liked this review, check out my other book reviews for highly recommended reads and keeping up with my author journey on my Blog.
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