Book Description:
She was lying as if asleep on the wooden kitchen floor, beneath the fridge covered with a child’s colourful crayon drawings. But her frozen expression showed she would never wake again…
When Detective Jackie Cooke is called out to the scene, she’s expecting a routine check. The bottle of pills on the kitchen table, next to the note with the single word SORRY written in a shaky hand, make it seem obvious what’s happened. But Jackie is shocked when she recognises her old schoolfriend Claire – and she is convinced Claire would never take her own life.
Determined to dig deeper, Jackie soon discovers evidence that proves her right: a roll of notes has been thrust down the victim’s throat. And when she finds another woman killed in the same way, she realises someone may be targeting lonely single mothers. As Jackie talks to Claire’s distraught children, one of them too young to understand his mummy is never coming home, she vows to find answers.
Both victims were in touch with someone calling himself Nice Guy – could he be the killer? Pursuing every clue, Jackie is sure she’s found a match in dead-eyed Tyler, part of a dark world of men intent on silencing women for daring to reject them. But just as she makes the arrest, another single mother is found dead – a woman who never dated at all.
Forced to re-evaluate every lead she has, with her boss pressuring her to make a case against the obvious suspect, Jackie knows she is running out of time before another innocent woman is murdered. And, as a single mother herself, she cannot help but wonder if she is in the killer’s sights. Can she uncover his true motivation and put an end to his deadly game… or will he find her first?
A completely unputdownable crime thriller that will have you reading long into the night. Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliott, Rachel McLean and Val McDermid.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Silent Dead' by Marnie Riches.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Marnie Riches, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 1st November 2022.
This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Detective Jackie Cooke series'. I have also read the first book in this series 'The Lost Ones' which I would also highly recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I absolutely loved the first book in this series 'The Lost Ones' and if this is half as good as that one it is guaranteed to be a page turner. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A completely unputdownable crime thriller that will have you reading long into the night. Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliott, Rachel McLean and Val McDermid. ' I am a huge fan of Kendra Elliott so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 37 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Manchester, England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in third person perspective and main protagonist is Detective Jackie Cooke and the perp. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.
OMG!!! MARNIE DOES IT YET AGAIN!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SERIES AND YET AGAIN MY MIND IS ABSOLUTELY BLOWN!!!!
Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolute page turner!! I didn't think she could get any better than her absolutely amazing 'The Lost Ones' which is the first book in this explosive series but she absolutely smashed it yet again!! My heart is still pounding hours after reading it and I still haven't shut up talking about it to my partner who actually is interested in it (he is a complete non reader so this in itself is a challenge and a huge success!!!) . The storyline is absolutely ram packed with mystery, deceit, crime, secrets, lies, murder, romance, tension, suspense and OMG the twists just kept on coming again and again!!! Just when I thought everything that could happen had happened BOOM there was another shocker around the corner. Every time I kept telling myself one more chapter the one I was in ended at a point where there was no way I could stop reading so I absolutely devoured it in one sitting!! In this book the danger is even closer to Jackie than before and with a killer who believes women are the enemy she is under threat! I love the complexity of the storyline that doesn't just have you absolutely hooked but continuously guessing on this crime packed roller coaster ride!! I love the fact that although this is a crime thriller there is some light hearted moments throughout so it's not all darkness. I WAS absolutely blown away and considering I read approximately 30 books a month that is certainly no easy feat so a HUGE congratulations on that Marnie. This book will get your adrenalin pumping and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I really could not recommend this book any more. If you are looking for something unique, filled with suspense and that will blow your mind then this is definitely the book for you!!
Although this is the second book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!
I wasn't just 100% invested in the storyline but also in the characters. I absolutely loved meeting them again after they made such a huge impact on me in 'The Lost Ones' and I have been looking forward to meeting them ever since I closed the last page. Every single one of the characters were well defined, realistic and strong. I absolutely LOVE Jackie who is absolutely kick a## and I cannot wait to meet her again. The fact that she has not long given birth does not stop her from fighting the bad guys. She will not give up regardless of the dangers involved. Jackie is an absolutely amazing protagonist and one who has really stuck in my mind. I really cannot wait to see what she gets up to and involved in in the next book already. Jackie and Dave Tang make an absolutely perfect team and the banter between this is hilarious from start to finish some of which had me laughing out loud and getting some very strange looks!! They may wind each other up but you can see how much they have each others backs and how well they not only work together but know each other makes the team dynamics just right!! Dave makes a fantastic partner and they work perfectly together. The fact that he is there for Jackie at all times is so lovely and I'd love to have a friend like him in my life, Shazla also made a good member of the team and I'm looking forward to getting to know her better. Jackie, Dave and Shazla make an absolutely fantastic team and I cannot wait to meet them all again, hopefully very soon! 😉 I still cannot stand Venables who only cares about fame and good publicity rather than what the right thing to do is. She is constantly on Jackie's back and is a perfect example of what a boss shouldn't be!! Apart from Venables I cannot wait to meet this absolutely fantastic team again and hopefully that wont be too long. Hint, hint 😉 Marnie!!!
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Marnie on what promises to be a massive best seller!!! I WAS absolutely shocked by so many events and yet again you managed to completely blow my theories out the water!!! This is exactly why you are on my favourite author list Marnie and here's to your next explosive success 🥂!!!
Overall an absolutely addictive, mind blowing page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished!!!
Genres covered in this book include Thriller, British Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction, British Detective Stories, Police Procedural, Suspense, Thriller, Women's Detective Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Women Sleuths, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller and Mystery amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Kendra Elliott, Rachel McLean, Val McDermid and anyone looking for a red hot crime thriller!!!
325 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon, free on kindle unlimited and £8.99 in paperback (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@MarnieRiches @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in north Manchester. Exchanging the spires of nearby Strangeways prison for those of Cambridge University, she gained a Masters in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist and professional fundraiser.
Her best-selling, award-winning George McKenzie crime thrillers were inspired by her own time spent in The Netherlands. Dubbed the Martina Cole of the North, she has also authored a series about Manchester’s notorious gangland as well as two books in a mini-series featuring quirky northern PI Bev Saunders.
Detective Jackson Cooke is Marnie’s latest heroine to root for, as she hunts down one of the most brutal killers the north west has ever seen at devastating personal cost.
When she isn’t writing gritty, twisty crime thrillers, Marnie also regularly appears on BBC Radio Manchester, commenting on social media trends and discussing the world of crime fiction. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Salford University’s Doctoral School and a tutor for the Faber Novel Writing Course.
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Buy Link:
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