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Happy Publication Day to Caroline Mitchell 🙂

My review…..

(Written 15^th January)

Wow! Another awesome read from Caroline Mitchell and a privilege to have been able to read it ahead of publication.

Caroline always creates the most interesting characters. Not always likeable, but fascinating. Their stories draw you in from the very beginning and this was exactly the case with Silent Victim. We meet Emma, Alex and Luke. Emma and Alex are married with a four year old son. Luke used to be Emma’s teacher when she was 15 years old. He groomed her and abused her using her difficult childhood as a weapon against her. Telling her lies to gain her trust and making her believe he loved her until he had got what he wanted. Then he blamed her for everything, made her life a complete misery until he pushed her too far.

Emma has spent the last few years keeping the secret that she killed Luke and buried him on their land in Mersea. When Alex finally pushes for a move to Leeds, she worries about new owners making a grim discovery and her past starts to torment her all over again.

The book is set in 2017, but flashes back to 2003 and 2013. The whole story flows beautifully and certainly kept me glued to my kindle paperwhite.

Emma is a fragile character. I can’t imagine trying to build a future whilst keeping such horrendous secrets and having felt completely alone thinking no-one will believe what you have been through. No wonder her nerves are shot to pieces.

Luke made me so mad! His chapters made my blood boil. It’s so scary to think there are people like him in positions of trust with easy access to our children. These are clever and manipulative people who most people would never suspect of anything untoward, which is just terrifying, especially as a mother of the teenage daughter. This story highlights just how easily we can be manipulated and I hope anyone who has been a victim of anything like this is brave enough to speak out. Someone will believe you.

Alex is a likeable character. I think his reactions towards the truth, or not knowing the truth as the case may be, were very believable. I would have been confused also! Heart and head battling against each other trying to figure out who and what to believe.

I knew Theresa was hiding something, I just didn’t realise what!

Absolutely brilliantly written, as always. Full of suspense, twists and a roller-coaster of emotions as some very sensitive subjects are tackled. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last and I will recommend happily!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC.