THE SILENT DAUGHTER is the bestselling debut novel by Claire Amarti. Readers can enjoy more with brand new family drama, AFTER SHE LEFT, perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty and out now at limited 99c launch price! ‘This one blew me away! I was hooked from start to finish. Felt like I was right there with the characters going through what they were. This is my first from this … first from this author but definitely not my last.’ – Netgalley reviewer,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Schoolgirl missing”, the ticker reads, and the camera cuts to a girl’s face. Blonde hair waterfalling over her shoulders, serious eyes, lips a little parted like she’s about to speak. That’s when I realize I’ve been holding my breath, because the gasp when I inhale almost chokes me.
Sadie Kelly has lost her job. Until last month, she was a teacher at Horton College – the same high school she went to ten years ago along with her best friend, Fiona. But Fiona died in a tragic accident on their graduation night, and since then nothing’s been the same. Now Sadie’s back in her home town, living with Fiona’s mother, the woman who has watched over Sadie since she was a little girl, and the one person Sadie would do anything to protect. But when Sadie hears that star student Devon Hundley has gone missing from Horton College, everything changes. Because Devon is the daughter of Philip Hundley – a wealthy school donor, local doctor, and a man Sadie knows all too well. And Sadie can’t help remembering the last time she saw Devon – and heard her whisper something Sadie’s been trying ever since to forget…
A 2020 top new release, The Silent Daughter is domestic suspense at its best: a twisty page-turner about family secrets and dangerous lies for fans of Diane Chamberlain, Liane Moriarty, and Adele Parks.
PRAISE FOR THE SILENT DAUGHTER:
“This is Claire Amarti’s debut, and she aced it in my opinion. I read this novel in less than 24 hours and if it wasn’t for being a mom and wife I probably would have finished it in one sitting. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” -Goodreads review
“This story catches your attention from the beginning and holds it all the way through to the last page. It is a story in a story. I can not wait to read more from this author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” -Goodreads review
“An incredible and mysterious drama that kept me on my toes the whole time. The storyline was exceptional and the characters engaging and believable. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” -Netgalley review “
This is an excellent first novel. The story is a suspense with many twists and turns. I didn’t have any idea how the story would end. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” -Goodreads review
“The Silent Daughter had me turning pages wanting to know how this all was going to end. I felt it all came together with no loose ends and was glad that the ending wasn’t rushed. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” -Goodreads review
“This is definitely one of those books that will have you saying just 1 more chapter and before you know you finished the book! I really enjoyed all aspects of it.”- Netgalley reviewer
“The author did a fantastic job… I also think the setting for the book is perfect! A very creepy all girls private school with shadows and secrets everywhere.” – Netgalley reviewer
“This is the perfect book to binge while at home.” – Netgalley reviewer
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Great ending, tying everything together but took far too long to get there. Wasn’t impressed but since I’d finished 52%, dealt with the irritating and boring parts to be pleasantly surprised by the ending.
Really enjoyed the storyline. Kept me guessing.
I’m not done reading this book and sadly I will finish it tonight.
I really wanted to like this book based on the description of the book. Although I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t love it. I felt too much time was spent on Sadie’s inner dialect and repeating many of the same things about her past.
The twists were all shoved in almost at the end, which seemed almost like a rushed ending. I would have liked one or two of the small twists revealed earlier in the book. The characterizations were average and didn’t really leave me being thrilled with any of them. It’s great to have a story with several different story lines going as long as they tie in well together. I don’t feel this story did that until that rushed ending.
I do appreciate Claire Amarti taking on a real life issue of human predators and the complications life can bring to anyone. I also like the friendship between Fiona and Sadie and would have enjoyed a few more pages discussing some of their earlier years.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad read. I just would have liked a little more.
This is an excellent read. There are multiple mysteries, twists and plots but the author manages to keep each plot line clear and fascinating. Finally giving you satisfying, fun to get the the reveals, answers.
It is wonderful writing, lovely to read.
All of the English words and phrases confused me only because there doesn’t seem to be any link to the U.K. among any of the characters using them.
I enjoyed this book, but I was constantly confused as to the setting of the book. I think we were supposed to be in Connecticut, but the wording felt more like England. It was hard to follow because I was always wondering where we were.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars
The Silent Daughter by Claire Amarti is marked as a suspenseful thriller. While parts of the book are a tad bit suspenseful, it seemed to be more of a domestic drama. While the book was not bad, it didn’t play out as expected. As mentioned earlier, it plays out as more of a domestic drama. At times, it got muddled on which character you were reading about. I was really hoping for that “Ahh Haa” moment, but it never came.
Thank you BookSirens for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.
Found absolutely nothing “gripping or pageturner” at all!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Book Sirens. My unbiased review is voluntary.
“There’s a before, and there’s an after.
There’s always a see-saw moment, the split-second where everything changes.”
The Silent Daughter is a quick read about complicated families held together by secrets and lies. Jan Kennedy visits her deceased daughter’s grave since Fiona’s untimely death. After graduating from Horton, she went off to Stanford while her friend, Sadie Kelly couldn’t wait to move from Connecticut. Sadie had a difficult relationship with her mother and didn’t know her father.
Jan became a surrogate mother to Sadie where she practical grew up. Sadie became estranged from her mother when she became a teacher eager to join an International School circuit. She enjoyed her travels abroad until she sees an opening at her alma mater Horton. Unfortunately, she only lasts a year before she becomes troubled by panic attacks and nightmares.
She stays with Jan while she recovers and begins a new job search. It seems that Sadie is unable to reconcile the past. There are many in her small town who resents her return and curiosity into past events. A student goes missing and rumors circulate as to her whereabouts. Why is Sadie allowing her past to involve her in the present confusion? She inserts herself into the details to help uncover what happened to the missing girl.
An interesting story with several twists and unexpected turns before the loose ends are tied up.
5 CRANKY STARS
Well, this book was a total surprise. It is a fascinating, well-written suspense tale. I was expecting something else, but this was a “can’t put down” read. Mystery abounds and again, I couldn’t figure out who did what. The end was a shock to my investigative mind, as I didn’t see it coming. So, I highly recommend this to readers of mystery and suspense.
The story revolves around Sadie and the boarding school she attended in high school. She is now teaching there. Nothing has changed since she was a student. The rich girls still hate the scholarship girls and aren’t afraid of letting them know it. She was a scholarship student herself and knows how it feels. Thus, when a student goes missing, chaos ensues. Old memories resurface and situations she thought were in the past, resurface. Her best friend Fiona was the other scholarship student when she was there. Just before graduation, Fiona was in a car accident and died. The story starts at the cemetery with Fiona’s mother and Sadie on the tenth anniversary of her death.
I don’t want to put in any spoilers, this story is just too good to have it ruined by hints. The only thing I found annoying was the constant back and forth between the present and the past. However, that is a necessary part of the story. In the future maybe the author could use different typeset for the past or label the chapters. Otherwise, it was a perfect story from a first-time author.