The Quiet Ones

The Quiet Ones

Betsy Reavley

Bloodhound Books, Feb 2016

215 pages, ebook, paperback, audiobook

Psychological thriller

✬✬✬✬

Purchased for Kindle

The cover is interesting, but really doesn’t tell you anything about the story within, does it? The colors and the symmetry of the design work well, but don’t tell you anything, except for those four words in red at the top of the dark blue area…”Family can be murder”. That’s a line you need to keep in mind through the whole book. If you forget that line, you will be taken totally by surprise at the end as I was. Because I forgot that line while I was reading.

It’s written in a style that alternates a sort of diary with the events of Josie’s life. The person who writes the diary is a murderer, but only reveals so much of himself in the entries. Not really enough to give away his identity easily. Josie’s living with Charlie and they are trying for her to get pregnant without too much success. She’s had a letter from her biological mother and they are getting to know each other. They are taking small, awkward steps. Josie’s also an alcoholic and a frustrated author who can’t get past her block and can’t get published. Her alcoholism is getting worse and worse to the point where she is having total blackouts. Ailene, Josie’s mother comes to spend Christmas with Josie and Charlie and reveals a horrible truth that tears all three lives apart.

The characters were written to be exactly what they were, people who were damaged by life and people previously in their lives. They were mentally suffering from past abuse and neglect and lack of love and care. Now, they’ve come together to find love and care. Instead, some of them are finding horror and death. Some of them are looking for answers and finding them, others are losing the little hope they have. Some may find some peace.

The pace and tension were sort of like the characters in the story, a bit jerky and awkward at times, but right for the story. The end was a complete surprise for me because I really hadn’t paid much attention to that little line on the front cover of the book. I hadn’t known just how important it was and I hadn’t kept it in mind when I was reading the book. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Recommended for readers who enjoy the psychological thriller.