Search This Blog








2022 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (5)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (2)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (1)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (7)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah (2)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (4)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
Antarctica (1)
Australia (2)
Egypt (2)
England (12)
Greece (1)
Italy (1)
Nepal (1)
Romania (1)
Scotland (3)
Sweden (1)
Wales (1)








The 52 Book Club's Reading Challenge 2022

2022 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

Saturday, November 07, 2020
Despite Deaf Community Setting, Mystery Series Opener Lacks Originality
5:43 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
There's nothing more disturbing than the murder of a child, especially when it occurs in their home with family members asleep nearby. That's exactly what happens to 18-month old Lexie Hunter—she's brutally attacked in her bed, killed while two of her siblings slumber in the room with her. How did no one hear a thing? Simple—everyone in the household is deaf.
As the only hearing person in a deaf family, Paige Northwood grew up "speaking" British Sign Language (BSL). The 30-year-old now works as a BSL interpreter, aiding the police and other entities when they need help communicating with people in the deaf community. When Lexie's death is discovered, the police call on Paige to interpret for the Hunter Family. Although she recognizes the parents' confusion and grief, she also suspects they know more than they're letting on. What really happened to little Lexie? Paige is determined to find out, even if it means angering the police and putting herself at risk. She won't rest until the toddler's killer is brought to justice, even if it means she is the next victim found dead in her bed.
The minute I read the plot summary for The Silent House, a debut novel by Nell Pattison, I was intrigued. Its premise is simple but chilling. I was all in for a compelling murder mystery with a unique deaf community setting, especially since it's written by a long-time BSL teacher who is partly deaf herself. Unfortunately, despite its original twist, there's nothing super memorable about The Silent House. The characters—including our heroine—are not particularly sympathetic or likable. Paige is not very convincing, not as a 30-year-old (she's like an old lady) and not as a seasoned interpreter (her actions throughout the story are often illogical, unprofessional, and far-fetched). She's also cold and whiny, which makes her a difficult character to connect with. Add in clunky prose, a plodding start, and a killer who's obvious from the get go, and you're left with a story that's just not all that engrossing or satisfying. As much as I love the idea of a mystery series set in the deaf community, The Silent House just didn't satisfy enough to entice me to read more. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Silent House from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at NetGalley. Thank you!
3 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)




Reading
Farm to Trouble by Amanda Flower

Listening
The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs



Followin' with Bloglovin'



-
Spell the Month in Books ~ July 202218 minutes ago
-
Friday Fives - July TBR26 minutes ago
-
Feared by Lisa Scottoline1 hour ago
-
-
-
-
The Paris Apartment5 hours ago
-
-
-
New to Me Authors: June 202215 hours ago
-
Cookbook Review: The Mac + Cheese Cookbook17 hours ago
-
Monthly Round-Up: June 202217 hours ago
-
-
June Reflections19 hours ago
-
-
June 2022 Reading Wrap Up1 day ago
-
-
Tiny Tidbits1 day ago
-
2022 Reading Goals Check-In1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fear No Evil by James Patterson3 days ago
-
-
Review: Scrubbed by Dr. Nikki Stamp1 week ago
-
-
-
-
-
May Reading: Highlights & Disappointments4 weeks ago
-
-
An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher2 months ago
-
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova3 months ago
-
-
Cybils Awards 2021: The End4 months ago
-
Back to the Classics 20225 months ago
-
-
-

Grab my Button!



Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ▼ 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
What a shame this was unsuccessful, the premise is great,
ReplyDeleteThere is a series by Emma Viscik which features a deaf security consultant/private investigator which is excellent
That's too bad. I really liked the idea of this one, too. But I think Paige would drive me crazy.
ReplyDeleteEvery parent's nightmare is to have their child taken. Too bad this didn't pan out.
ReplyDelete