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The Silence cover art

The Silence

By: Susan Allott
Narrated by: Melle Stewart
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Summary

Longlisted for the New Blood Dagger Award 2021.

Thirty years ago, in the suffocating heat of a Sydney summer, the Greens’ next-door neighbour Mandy disappeared without a trace.

A cold case re-opened.

In 1997, in a basement flat in Hackney, Isla Green is awakened by a call in the middle of the night: her father is under suspicion of Mandy’s murder.

A devastating secret.

How well does Isla know her father? Is he capable of doing something terrible? And is there another secret in their community – a conspiracy of silence which stretches deep into Australia’s past?

©2020 Susan Allott (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"A riveting mystery, beautifully unwound. The Silence excavates dark, decades-old secrets buried in human hearts, in families and in nations. I read it in one weekend." (Erin Kelly) 

"Deeply engrossing...an exquisite literary thriller." (Philippa East, author of Little White Lies)

"An impressive and beautifully written, Australian-set debut with the devastating subject of the Stolen Generation at its core." (Fiona Mitchell, author of The Swap)

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What listeners say about The Silence

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So many twists and turns…..

Great story. Great performance. Well worth trying . The mixture of past and present was almost seem less . Interesting well researched story.

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1 person found this helpful

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Highly recommended

I really enjoyed this book. It is very evocative of the time and setting and beautifully portrays the mysteries and secrets of the families and friendships of all the characters. I like the way it highlights the cultural differences between the 60s and the 90s, of what was acceptable in the past but isn't now, and of the problems that endure across the decades with little change.

Excellent narration which was very easy to listen to. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable listen and I look forward to the next book by this author if it is as good as this one.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping!

This brings to life some real dark family issues including alcoholism through brilliant characters. You go through a range of feelings for them - sympathy, admiration, worry, dislike, disgust and more.
It also highlights the historical removal of aboriginal children in Australia.
Gripping narrative right up until the last chapter.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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The Silence

Found the pace of this book slow, mildly Interesting... to a point. Rather plodding pace but good narration.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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A powerful jigsaw

This story is like a jigsaw puzzle, turning over the pieces thinking you know where each will go, eventually realising you need to revise each placement. The descriptions add to the atmosphere, and are measured and informative about place or time, and I wish I could do the book justice in review. That is not my skill, but it is certainly the author’s domain. I shall remember this book for a long time to come.

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5 people found this helpful

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Highly recommend, wonderful book.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish . It’s a great story with a great plot. The characters were instantly likeable and because the narrator brought the story to life, it makes you feel as though you are there yourself. The author managed to bring to life the scenery around them and it was beautiful to hear. Listen to this book and you won’t be disappointed.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Nearly gave up on it but glad I didn't.

Would have been good to learn more about the forgotten generation though. A missed opportunity.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant!

I can enjoy the goriest of books and keep listening without issue. The combination of the narrator, the tragic plot and the glimpse into Australian history made me step away from this book for a couple of days though. Which I mean in a good way. This book was the equivalent of the richest chocolate in the box that needs to be eaten bit by bit.
I'm already looking forward to another book by this author but will be relaxing with a nice bloody serial killer thriller first!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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To slow!

Very slow and although narration good the story line was dragged out and it wasn’t interesting enough.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Twists and Turns

Thoroughly enjoyed this story, found it very interesting and gripping throughout. Only issue would be the performance at times I wasn't keen on the voices that was used for certain characters. But other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this title

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