The Silent Friend-Blog Tour (Review)-Psych Thriller-Available Now

This book was absolutely nothing that I expected it to be. In spite of that, it turned out to be one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

Right from the beginning, the author drew me in with switching time frames. It created intrigue as it was unclear as to what the “before” and “after” actually were.

When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be a typical “friends hide secrets” from each other. I think that’s what the author was going for? It definitely made the major event come as much more of a surprise.

And it was quite a gut-wrencher as well.

Regardless of the author’s intention at the outset, this was ultimately an amazing look at the aftermath of a tragedy that has become all too commonplace in today’s world.

(Seriously, I don’t want to give away more than the blurb does – and for once a blurb keeps important details hidden (thankfully)).

But the harrowing event is described in such agonizing detail, I began to wonder if the author had actually experienced it or talked to survivors of real-life events. It was that gut-wrenching and frankly, difficult to read. But extremely well-done.

One thing I wasn’t too keen on, because I didn’t see the purpose at first, was how awful Laura’s mother was. I mean, in the pantheon of bad moms of main characters, this one is a doozy. But as the story progressed, I realized how vital that was to the plot and the main conceit of the story.

I also thought the author did a great job of keeping another important piece of information hidden in plain sight. Again, not to give anything away, but…names matter. In fact, there were a lot of little details that seemed innocuous but became important.

Again, the attention and thought given to this plot was apparent.

I was a little incredulous that Sandy and Sam did not see what was right in front of them especially later in the book when history begins to repeat. But I think (again) the author chose this viewpoint to illustrate how easy it is to get wrapped up in one’s own sorrows and worries.

Sometimes we can’t see what’s plainly right in front of this.

All in all, this was an extremely well-written book that also teaches some real-life lessons. In a world where hate and radicalization can be prevalent and easily consume people, forgiveness can be a powerful weapon.

Pick this one up – you won’t be sorry.

About Diane Jeffrey:

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.

Diane is the author of four psychological thrillers, all of which were Kindle bestsellers in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane’s third book, was a USA Today bestseller and spent several weeks in the top 100 Kindle books in the UK.

Her latest psychological thriller, THE SILENT FRIEND, is set in Belfast and Lyon. It was published in ebook in November 2020 with the paperback and audiobook to follow in 2021. She is currently working on her fifth psychological thriller.

Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.