Book: The Silent Witness
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Pub Day: Sept 24th 2021

It’s 4 a.m. when her mom shakes her awake. “Get up baby, we’re going to play hide and seek.” The little girl presses back into the dark space, holding her breath as she hears the shots ring out. She knows she’s next…

When the bodies of a local family are discovered on a quiet street in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele takes charge of the case. Brett and Angela Parker were shot three times each, leaving no hope of survival, and their tidy suburban home has been ransacked. But there is no sign of their beloved six-year-old, Zoe.

Zoe is the same age as Amanda’s daughter was when she died, and Amanda can’t bear the thought of another little girl in danger. She’s organizing a search for the child, when she notices something strange about the ottoman at the foot of the Parkers’ bed. She opens it to find Zoe, mute and traumatized, but alive.

With Zoe completely uncommunicative, Amanda must find another way to untangle what destroyed this seemingly perfect family. It’s clear that the killer is searching for something the Parkers had, and until she has this monster behind bars, Amanda fears that he may return for Zoe. When she learns that Brett Parker cut short the family’s recent lakeside vacation, she wonders why. What happened at that lake house, and did it ultimately get them killed?

Amanda heads out to Lake Chesdin on the feeling it might be key to the case, and when she finds a cell phone in the murky waters next to the Parker cabin, she knows she’s made a breakthrough. But then terrible news reaches her from Dumfries; Zoe has been taken from her school playground.

Someone wants to silence the Parker family for good, can Amanda catch them before the little girl she’s desperate to protect pays the price?

A completely gripping and addictive crime thriller that will keep fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni entertained into the early hours.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B09236T3JFsocial
Apple: http://ow.ly/xODf50EmlNI
Kobo: http://ow.ly/ZPy050EmlFW
Google: http://ow.ly/jl8S50EmlKE

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author through NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

This is the third book in the Amanda Steele series and my favorite so far. When I read the first book, I wondered if I was going to like this series, but Amanda has become the strong woman I thought she could be. The deaths of her husband and daughter were a huge blow to her (of course) and the first book was mostly about her grief. She continues to mourn them, but she is learning to deal with the loss and starting to move on with her life.

When Amanda and her partner, Trent, are assigned to a double murder, they not only have a complicated case to solve, but Amanda ends up caring for the daughter of the couple murdered. The poor little girl, Zoe, witnessed the murder of her father, and she’s in danger. Since she quickly attached herself to Amanda and she needs to be safe, Amanda is ordered to care for her temporarily. Although Amanda wants to protect Zoe, she doesn’t know if she can handle it emotionally.

Silent Witness is my favorite Amanda Steele book so far. A lot of the story is about Zoe and Amanda but there is just as much story about the case which gets more and more complicated with several twists. I loved it! It is a book that is difficult to put down once you get into it. I can’t wait for the next Amanda Steele novel.

About the Author

Carolyn Arnold was born in a small Canadian town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. As an international bestselling and award-winning author, she has several continuing fiction series, including her popular Detective Madison Knight series. She offers readers nearly three dozen published books in genres ranging from crime thrillers and hard-boiled mysteries to cozy mysteries and action adventures. She currently lives north of London, Ontario, with her husband and two beagles.

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