Im hesitant between a 3 or 4 star on this one.
I received an advanced reader copy thanks to a Goodreads giveaway. I thank you for this.
As for the book I can say its very entertaining and kept me reading. Some things bugged me and too be honest was a bit dark for my normal taste.
The ending was really dumb in my opinion and some give aways tipped me off earlier on.
Although the twist was great, just wish the ending was more satisfying and not end so abruptly.
Good read overall. 3.5 stars.

Review to follow.

This one started off with a bang! It's not long (two lines) before Charlotte Harrison is interrupted on a beach by a helicopter and all hell breaks loose. I loved that while Evie was a huge character in this one (obviously), this is told from the perspectives of Charlotte, Jack (a cop mourning the death of his son), and Casey (the sister of a little girl who went missing in Evie's care in high school).
Charlotte was very well-written with her promise and desire to help Evie. The character of Jack was by far my favorite. His sadness and ability to work this case basically jumped off the pages and slapped you in the face. As for the character of Casey, I hated her. I think you're supposed to, but I liked that she gave insight into what really happened when Evie was babysitting her sister, Leah in high school. Between the desire to know what happened to Leah, what happened to Evie, and where Angel is if she even exists, I wasn't getting through the pages fast enough. I really found the character development in this strong and at the center of the novel, which is exactly what you want in a psychological thriller.
One thing I do enjoy with a novel like this is that the police procedural aspect is front and center, but doesn't take up too much unnecessary space or steal the limelight from why you're really reading this. There was so much going on, that I didn't at one point feel bored or try to rush through the pages. Everything moved to seamlessly and the flow of this novel went from crazy to intense to mystifying to "holy shit, hold on".
While this would normally be a 4.5 or a 5.0 rating, I did decide to rate this one a 4.0/5 because I put together the pieces as I should have and had somewhat of an idea as to where this was going in the end, but I felt that the ending was rushed and I kind of had to guess a few things as they weren't explained that well.
Overall, I highly recommend this for a beach read or a quick and exciting read on a rainy chilly summer day as I don't anticipate we will be short of those this year. Thank you to Kensington Books for a copy of this one!

This book is a 2.5 stars. I loved the plot and the way the author made thr characters come to live. However my rating would have been higher, if joy for the mention of R@+E. While it was never in detail and was just briefly mentioned a few times was how I was able to finish it

A woman with amnesia and her three year old missing daughter are at the center of Debbie Howells’ latest mystery, Part of the Silence.

Badly beaten and left for dead in the middle of a maize field, Evie Sherman has very few memories beyond her name and her daughter, Angel. The only problem? Police cannot find any sign of the young girl and when Charlotte Harrison recognizes Evie as Jen Russell, the case becomes even more confusing. Why would Jen change her name to Evie? Why is there no record of Angel? Who attacked Evie and left her for dead? Is there any connection between Angel’s disappearance and the still unsolved case of another 3 year old girl who went missing fifteen years ago? Local police have very few leads but DC Abbie Rose and DI Jack Bentley are working hard to find answers to these very perplexing questions.

Charlotte is dealing with her own issues when she recognizes Evie as her old classmate Jen. Feeling obligated to contact the police with this information, she very reluctantly agrees to DC Abbie Rose’s requests to keep the very disoriented victim company while the police try to uncover information about Evie. Charlotte is quite compassionate and caring during her visits with Evie and she continues to stay by her side during her recovery. While everyone else doubts that Evie’s daughter Angel exists, Charlotte remains extremely supportive and always believes Evie is telling the truth.

About midway through the investigation, DI Jack Bentley returns from holiday and he becomes involved in the case.  He is extremely compassionate during his interactions with Evie and unlike his fellow detectives, he completely believes her story about her missing daughter. Jack is certain there is a link between the fifteen year old cold case and Angel’s disappearance but will he find the connection? Another body is discovered on the same property where Evie was attacked but does this murder have anything to do with her case?

Interspersed with the unfolding events in the present are flashbacks from Casey Danning, whose sister is the girl who vanished fifteen years earlier. These passages offer an unsettling portrait of a very troubled teenager who eventually matures into a rather disturbed woman.  These contemplative entries become somewhat dark and twisted with Casey leaving a swath of destruction in her wake. Where exactly Casey fits into the current situation is unknown but her narration is quite chilling.

While Part of the Silence is rather atmospheric, the pacing is bit slow for the first half of the novel. The premise is certainly intriguing and Evie is a compelling, if somewhat unreliable, character. The storyline is engaging but it takes a while for the various story arcs to come together. Although astute readers will most likely figure out the major plot twist fairly early this does not lessen the overall enjoyment of the novel. Debbie Howells brings the novel to an abrupt yet satisfying conclusion.

Evie Sherman wakes up in a Cornwall hospital after being severely beaten. Evie doesn't remember anything about the attach or her life, with the exception of her name and her daughter. Authorities are concerned because nobody has seen Evie's daughter. Charlotte Harrison, a high school friend of Evie's, comes forward to help, but it seems she has secrets of her own. Is Evie's daughter in danger or does she even exist?

"Part of the Silence" is by the author "The Bones of You" and "The Beauty of the End". Like those psychological thrillers is told from multiple points of view and flashbacks and is full of red herrings and twists. The theme of the book is loss and many of characters have experienced more than their share. Once I started the book, I didn't want to put it down until I knew the truth about Evie. Although I had my suspicions about one of the characters confirmed, I was still shocked by the final twists. I will leave it at that so I don't spoil any of the suspense, but I was thoroughly entertained by this solid thriller by Debbie Howells.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Kensington. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

This one started off with a bang! It's not long (two lines) before Charlotte Harrison is interrupted on a beach by a helicopter and all hell breaks loose. I loved that while Evie was a huge character in this one (obviously), this is told from the perspectives of Charlotte, Jack (a cop mourning the death of his son), and Casey (the sister of a little girl who went missing in Evie's care in high school).
Charlotte was very well-written with her promise and desire to help Evie. The character of Jack was by far my favorite. His sadness and ability to work this case basically jumped off the pages and slapped you in the face. As for the character of Casey, I hated her. I think you're supposed to, but I liked that she gave insight into what really happened when Evie was babysitting her sister, Leah in high school. Between the desire to know what happened to Leah, what happened to Evie, and where Angel is if she even exists, I wasn't getting through the pages fast enough. I really found the character development in this strong and at the center of the novel, which is exactly what you want in a psychological thriller.
One thing I do enjoy with a novel like this is that the police procedural aspect is front and center, but doesn't take up too much unnecessary space or steal the limelight from why you're really reading this. There was so much going on, that I didn't at one point feel bored or try to rush through the pages. Everything moved to seamlessly and the flow of this novel went from crazy to intense to mystifying to "holy shit, hold on".
While this would normally be a 4.5 or a 5.0 rating, I did decide to rate this one a 4.0/5 because I put together the pieces as I should have and had somewhat of an idea as to where this was going in the end, but I felt that the ending was rushed and I kind of had to guess a few things as they weren't explained that well.
Overall, I highly recommend this for a beach read or a quick and exciting read on a rainy chilly summer day as I don't anticipate we will be short of those this year. Thank you to Kensington Books for a copy of this one!

I had never read a novel by Debbie Howells before, so, when #cjsreads decided to add this novel to our June line up, I was excited to dive into the work of an unfamiliar author. Part of the Silence had a beautiful cover and an intriguing synopsis involving a woman (Evie Sherman), with no recollection of whom she is, left for dead in a field and a daughter that she insists she has; however, there is no evidence of the girl’s existence. As Evie goes deeper into her own mind and her obsession with “a daughter” intensifies, she must figure out whom she can trust and how she can protect the child she knows exists.

In the first few chapters, I was really interested to see who these characters were and how the plot would develop; it opens so vaguely that I was grabbed instantly. Though, as I continued reading, one of the things I struggled with about this novel was the predictability and the actual characterization.

The novel is told through multiple perspectives; for the most part, the plot is described through the eyes of Charlotte (a local woman who knows Evie Sherman) from her high school years. Jack, the police detective on the case, and, finally, a few chapters by Evie, narrates the remaining chapters. There are also random entries from a diary of a girl named Casey. I did like the multi-perspective narration; I am always a fan of different character views. However, I didn’t really care about what any of these characters had to say. I found the Evie (sometimes known as Jen) character a little whiney, I found Jack to be randomly placed in the plot and I found Charlotte to be obviously off base. These characters one-dimensional attitude gave a lot of predictability to the plot and I found myself easily able to figure this one out within the first 50 pages.

For someone who is new to the thriller genre, this would be an entertaining read. However, for someone more familiar with the genre, this one plays out like the same song and dance.

Part of the silence is the first book by Debbie Howells I have read and what a delight this was.
This was a book that flowed from the very beginning, It was so easy to immerse and lose yourself in this engrossing storyline.
I found this tale so addictive, And I was totally baffled as to who was real and who was wearing a mask to conceal themselves behind.
It kept me guessing right to the final moment and I was so shocked as I hadn't quite managed to figure out what the truth was till the very end. In my opinion, this is the sign of an excellently written piece of fiction, and if the reader is still somewhat in the dark and floundering around for answers, Well Job well done I say.
Part Of The Silence is a psychological Mystery where our main character, Evie/Jen is attacked and left for dead.
Upon waking her memory is in tatters but she does recall that she has a three-year-old daughter Angel, who she claims is missing, But there is no evidence of the child and to further complicate matters Evie/Jen was the babysitter to a little girl years ago that went missing and was never found.
The story also centres around Charlotte a girl who went to school with Jen, she recognises her from the paper and befriends her trying to help while still dealing with some issues in her own life.
There are loads of great characters in this novel and this further muddies the water when it comes to guilt and I was constantly analysing everyone's actions.
I especially loved Jack the Policeman he was such a warm empathic individual and he really had a great affinity towards Evie and what she was going through.
The only criticism I have for this book is I would have liked a more structured ending, I found the conclusion of this book quite abrupt like it just stopped mid sentence, I must admit I found this a trifle strange like the story wasn't quite finished, but this is just a personal gripe and it may not bother you at all.
So in conclusion Part Of The Silence was a gripping atmospheric thriller that kept the mystery and intrigue to the very last second, I actually rated this as Four and a half stars as I knocked half off as the ending flummoxed me a bit, despite this criticism I thought the author did an excellent job crafting this tale and this was a fabulous read that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Part Of The Silence by Debbie Howells.
.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/