There were aspects that I liked and some that I was like...what?

This calls for a pro and con list

Pro:

very Agatha Christie-like

virtually no romance (finally)

Con:

pacing dragged right before the climax for about 20-30 pages

didn't really connect with the characters

this was told in duel perspectives, one from third and the other first. Please don't. That is all I am going to say about that.

So maybe I didn't like this one as much as I liked Carrie's other books but it was still an engaging read (for the most part).



Rating: 3/5

Language: n/a

Romance: a kiss

Spiritual: MC comes back to God

Violence: deaths, murders, more murders, and more murders (none described graphically)



*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

Review coming to Insta @adventurous.bookworm on July 29, 2020. ( )

This inspirational suspense novel has a young woman named Piper who is unraveling a family mystery. She has returned home after an upsetting incident. Home is an island off the coast of South Carolina. Strange things keep happening to her and her family but she has the help of a forensic artist named Tucker who helped her during the upsetting incident. It's a good thing she has his help because as she discovers the truth about what is happening around her she isn't sure who she can trust - even among her own family members. ( )

I'm not really into Christian themed romance -- thought this was entirely mystery/suspense, and was surprised when the god talk started taking over. Very twisty, mostly unrealistic, god-to-the-rescue. I'm astonished that it managed to cram 2 boat explosions, a hurricane, a mass shooting and secret family all into one adventure -- that is impressive! I wish I could say that I enjoyed it, but I found it hard to like the characters or their lifestyle, so it was also hard to care when they started dropping like flies. The forensic artist angle was interesting, and I appreciated that the animals survived. Just not my cup of tea. ( )

While Carrie Stuart Parks is a favorite author of mine, I was not a big fan of her novel Relative Silence. It really should have checked all the boxes for me — fast-paced suspense set on the Georgia coast (Georgia is my home state), with a twisting plot. Instead it fell a bit flat. I never really clicked with the characters and I found the plot somewhat predictable, even with its many twists and turns. It was almost like I could see them coming. I am definitely in the minority — members of my book club loved it and it won the 2021 Christy Award for Mystery/Suspense/Thriller. This only goes to show that the reading experience is very subjective and can be influenced by mood and circumstances. I urge you to check out other reviewers’ thoughts on this book. Parks is a great author and my experience with this book in no way will influence my reading other books by her.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Title: Relative Silence
Author: Carrie Stuart Parks
Pages: 336
Year: 2020
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Piper Boone is hiding out at the family mansion on remote Curlew Island, South Carolina. She has faced tragedy many times in her life and now she is just trying to make it through each day. Her family is wealthy and considered the local aristocracy. There is one other inhabitant on the island, a neighbor who calls wanting to talk to Piper. Piper is out to lunch with a friend when shots ring out, leaving her friend dead. Piper was protected from the shooter by a nearby man, Tucker Landry. After this terrible event, Piper returns to the island. Piper has missed the call from her neighbor and wonders why the neighbor called. She decides to visit the neighbor but finds her home empty. It appears as though she just got up and left with her granddaughter due to arrive for a visit in a few days.
Tucker Landry is a forensic artist and after his recovery from the bullet wound suffered while saving Piper, the police ask him to sketch the shooter from Piper’s description as she remembers seeing him. Tucker arrives on the island and meets Piper’s family. Her mother is cold, distant and only concerned with appearances and her son’s political career. Her brother is running for office but seems to genuinely care for Piper. Tucker is dealing with his own grief and sees Piper struggling with her grief. Shortly after Tucker arrives on the island, a body is discovered. From that point, the action, suspense and mystery are nonstop. Oh yeah, on top of all this, there is a hurricane quickly approaching the island!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The complex plot and characters drew me into the story right away. Piper’s quoting movie lines and titles when she gets stressed was an interesting way to cope. The lengths that some people will go to in order to keep secrets hidden was enlightening. Piper and Tucker both discover that people aren’t necessarily who they appear to be. There are many twists in the plot that will keep readers guessing and engaged until the very end!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )