A teenage girl is murdered on her way home from school, stabbed through the heart. Her North London community is shocked, but no-one has the courage to help the police, not even her mother. DI Callum Waverley, in his first job as senior investigating officer, tries to break through the code of silence that shrouds the case.
This is a world where the notorious Skull Crew rules through fear. Everyone knows you keep your mouth shut or you’ll be silenced – permanently.
This is Luke’s world. Reeling from the loss of his mother to cancer, his step-father distant at best, violent at worst, he slides into the Skull Crew’s grip.
This is Jez’s world too. Her alcoholic mother neither knows nor cares that her 16-year-old daughter is being exploited by V, all-powerful leader of the gang.
Luke and Jez form a bond. Can Callum win their trust, or will his own demons sabotage his investigation? And can anyone stop the Skull Crew ensuring all witnesses are silenced?
Silenced is the compelling and gritty new thriller by British author Jennie Ensor. A gripping story of love, fear and betrayal, it’s Romeo and Juliet for our troubled times.
What did I think?
Wow! This book is fantastic! I love Jennie Ensor's books so I already knew that Silenced was going to be good, but I didn't expect it to completely blow my socks off. The writing is sublime, the plot is breathtaking and it's a book I will never forget.
The opening pages are shocking and disturbing when a teenage girl is murdered in broad daylight. Everyone knows who did it, but nobody is willing to speak up for fear of ending up in a body bag. The police investigation stalls as everywhere they turn they hit a brick wall of silence. The gang's reach is far and wide and they continue to trap vulnerable youngsters in their web but DI Callum Waverley refuses to give up, even when he finds himself in the gang's crosshairs.
Told from various viewpoints, the reader is immersed in London's gangland and it's a very dark but poignant read. Seeing vulnerable children being groomed and drawn into crime is heartbreaking. The gang know precisely what they're doing: preying on children who are craving the love and attention they aren't getting at home. It's frightening when you realise that this amazing novel is so very true to life and it's clear that it has been meticulously researched.
Dark, disturbing and frighteningly realistic, Silenced is an absolute tour de force. I raced through this haunting and devastating novel that gripped me from the very first page. I wholeheartedly recommend it; it's a stunning novel that is not to be missed.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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