Book Review: Silent Cry by Jenny O'Brien

Available here

What a read! Silent Cry is the first in the DC Gaby Darin series and I'll be checking out the second as soon as it's available. There was no way I could put this book down till the end. I read it in two sittings, much to the annoyance of my husband who was desperate to take our daily lockdown stroll ... well you can't interrupt a good book, can you? 

Here's the Blurb

A MISSING BABY. A MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE.

When Izzy Grant’s newborn daughter Alys disappears, her world shatters around her. Despite an extensive search the police find no trace of the missing girl, but Izzy refuses to give up hope that her daughter will be found.

Then a note is pushed through her letterbox, warning her off.

For Izzy it’s a ray of hope, another lead for the police to follow. For DC Gaby Darin it’s another piece of the puzzle that just won’t fit. But as a long-lost friend returns to Izzy’s life with a shocking secret, Gaby realises the truth of who took Izzy’s daughter from her might lie in the past – and far closer to home than anyone could have imagined…

My Thoughts
Silent Cry is one of those novels that falls between being a traditional police procedural and being a psychological thriller - and I liked that. It made for a really tense and atmospheric read.  Set in a small Welsh town near Cardiff, the remoteness leant more tension to the storline as different events unfolded. 

Of course, it's any mother's worst nightmare to have their newborn baby disappear, but when the baby's father is the one to take her, it must be so much worse. O'Brien effectively shows Izzy's (the mother) raw emotion as she comes to terms with the disappearance of her baby daughter. The way she trys so hard to rebuild her lifevis poignant and effectively shown through flashback. 

Now, in the present day, Izzy's new normality seems to be under threat as a chance sighting of an old friend followed by a postcard arriving regarding her daughter, brings her grief to life again and unsettles her. 

Initially, I thought DC Darin was a minor character in the book, but as the narrative rolled out, her roll became clearer as did her very intriguing back story. 
I have to admit I was blindsided by red herrings and misdirections along the way, which made the denoument much more pleasurable. However, I DID NOT expect  that ending - what a thrill. It came out of the blue and had me gasping. But, you'll have to read it yourself to find out what I'm talking about.