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Anna Scavolini #1
In the Silence
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BLOODY SCOTLAND DEBUT PRIZE AND LONGLISTED FOR THE MCILVANNEY PRIZE, 2019
Anna Scavolini hasn’t set foot in Glasgow for ten years – and she’s not short of reasons…
On her first night back in town, what should have been the start of a relaxing Christmas getaway takes a decidedly macabre turn when she stumbles upon an old flame, Andrew Foley, bleeding to death on the snow-clad slopes of Kelvingrove Park.
Who killed Foley in such a brutal manner – and why? If the police have any leads, they’re keeping them under wraps. Convinced that Foley was deliberately targeted rather than the victim of a random attack, Anna begins her own investigation, and in so doing unearths a trail of long-buried secrets, leading back to a crime committed over a decade ago.
A crime so unspeakable its perpetrators are prepared to take their silence to the grave.
In the Silence is a fast-paced, compelling crime mystery which will appeal to fans of authors like Mark Billingham, Stuart MacBride and Mark Edwards.
NOTE: This new edition has been revised to include material not present in the initial publication.
Anna Scavolini hasn’t set foot in Glasgow for ten years – and she’s not short of reasons…
On her first night back in town, what should have been the start of a relaxing Christmas getaway takes a decidedly macabre turn when she stumbles upon an old flame, Andrew Foley, bleeding to death on the snow-clad slopes of Kelvingrove Park.
Who killed Foley in such a brutal manner – and why? If the police have any leads, they’re keeping them under wraps. Convinced that Foley was deliberately targeted rather than the victim of a random attack, Anna begins her own investigation, and in so doing unearths a trail of long-buried secrets, leading back to a crime committed over a decade ago.
A crime so unspeakable its perpetrators are prepared to take their silence to the grave.
In the Silence is a fast-paced, compelling crime mystery which will appeal to fans of authors like Mark Billingham, Stuart MacBride and Mark Edwards.
NOTE: This new edition has been revised to include material not present in the initial publication.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2018
About the author
M.R. Mackenzie
9 books65 followersTo get the latest news and your FREE sample chapters from the McIlvanney Prize-nominated In the Silence, join the M.R. Mackenzie Readers’ Club:
https://www.mrmackenzieauthor.com/rea...
M.R. Mackenzie is the author of several gritty, character-driven crime fiction novels set mainly in his native Glasgow, including an ongoing series of mysteries featuring criminology lecturer Anna Scavolini.
The first book in the series, In the Silence, was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2019.
PRAISE FOR M.R. MACKENZIE:
“One of the most consistently accomplished writers on the current scene.” — Financial Times
“Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir.” — James Oswald
“Writes with precision and passion.” — Caro Ramsay
“An immersive slow burn of a tale, peppered with disquieting fire-crackers of revelation.” — Gordon J. Brown
“Mackenzie has come up with something that defies easy definition and is truly original.” — NB Magazine
“Up there with the best contemporary authors working today.” — David B. Lyons
https://www.mrmackenzieauthor.com/rea...
M.R. Mackenzie is the author of several gritty, character-driven crime fiction novels set mainly in his native Glasgow, including an ongoing series of mysteries featuring criminology lecturer Anna Scavolini.
The first book in the series, In the Silence, was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2019.
PRAISE FOR M.R. MACKENZIE:
“One of the most consistently accomplished writers on the current scene.” — Financial Times
“Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir.” — James Oswald
“Writes with precision and passion.” — Caro Ramsay
“An immersive slow burn of a tale, peppered with disquieting fire-crackers of revelation.” — Gordon J. Brown
“Mackenzie has come up with something that defies easy definition and is truly original.” — NB Magazine
“Up there with the best contemporary authors working today.” — David B. Lyons
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
October 9, 2018
In The Silence is a gripping thriller and overall one of the best written debut thriller novels I have read.
Set in Glasgow, Scotland, Anna is a criminology lecturer, returning home from Rome after 10 years. While out partying with her best friend, Anna has a chance encounter with an old crush from her high school. Later that night tragedy strikes and soon Anna finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. Soon we have a spree of similar murders with a suspected serial killer. Will Anna able to find a pattern among these killings and unmask the killer. As Anna gets closer to the truth, the killer starts closing in.
What I Liked : The story was fast moving with enough twists & turns which keeps you hooked. The masked serial killer theme reminiscent of the slasher films of the 90s (Scream, I know what you did last summer) felt really exciting. The setting of Glasgow, Scotland felt unique and the Glasgow’s cold and wintery landscape added to the dark atmosphere of the book. The dialogue and the characters were all well written and didn’t feel repetitive. Some of the characters speak in a Scottish dialect which i felt added to their characters (not too hard to understand either). The author also did a good job of creating tension, leaving clues and building up a series of suspects (all with a solid motive) which keep you guessing right till the end.
What I Didn’t Like : The first half had too many things going on (incl a discussion on the criminal justice system) which distracted from the main story. The story gathers momentum in the second half. For a while, the story shifts to a second POV and after a few chapters, it was abandoned rather abruptly which was confusing.
Overall, In The Silence is an exciting read and a very solid debut novel. It had an intriguing plot with several good twists. I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye on the author’s future books.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC.
Set in Glasgow, Scotland, Anna is a criminology lecturer, returning home from Rome after 10 years. While out partying with her best friend, Anna has a chance encounter with an old crush from her high school. Later that night tragedy strikes and soon Anna finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. Soon we have a spree of similar murders with a suspected serial killer. Will Anna able to find a pattern among these killings and unmask the killer. As Anna gets closer to the truth, the killer starts closing in.
What I Liked : The story was fast moving with enough twists & turns which keeps you hooked. The masked serial killer theme reminiscent of the slasher films of the 90s (Scream, I know what you did last summer) felt really exciting. The setting of Glasgow, Scotland felt unique and the Glasgow’s cold and wintery landscape added to the dark atmosphere of the book. The dialogue and the characters were all well written and didn’t feel repetitive. Some of the characters speak in a Scottish dialect which i felt added to their characters (not too hard to understand either). The author also did a good job of creating tension, leaving clues and building up a series of suspects (all with a solid motive) which keep you guessing right till the end.
What I Didn’t Like : The first half had too many things going on (incl a discussion on the criminal justice system) which distracted from the main story. The story gathers momentum in the second half. For a while, the story shifts to a second POV and after a few chapters, it was abandoned rather abruptly which was confusing.
Overall, In The Silence is an exciting read and a very solid debut novel. It had an intriguing plot with several good twists. I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye on the author’s future books.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC.
September 9, 2018
'In The Silence' is M. R. Mackenzie's debut novel set in Glasgow and featuring criminology lecturer Anna Scavolini. Having loved Scottish crime fiction and Scottish noir from the first time I experienced the thrills and spills of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels, the sub-genre has gone from strength to strength. This is another addition to the genre, and it's actually very well executed. Being a Glaswegian himself, he knows more about the city than anyone, and it shows in his writing.
This is a compulsively readable story that gets you in its grasp and refuses to let go! The author uses quite a few Scottish words and phrases throughout which may prove confusing to someone who doesn't know the dialect already. Given I live just over the border in England, I encounter Scots regularly, so this was absolutely no problem for me. There were many instances that had me laughing out loud. I always appreciate humour in a crime novel. There are surprises aplenty, and a few of the twists were unexpected. At times, the plot is more than a little iffy, but the positive parts of the story were enough to keep me suitably intrigued and keen on reading it through to the end. Some of the parts felt quite contrived, and I found myself questioning why the author wrote about certain things which seemed in no way related to the plot. Padding perhaps?
Our main character Anna is an unstable person who suffers from bi-polar disorder but appears to be mismanaging her illness. She seems to be rude, standoffish and very unlikeable, but i'm hoping to warm to her should she feature in the authors future books.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This is a compulsively readable story that gets you in its grasp and refuses to let go! The author uses quite a few Scottish words and phrases throughout which may prove confusing to someone who doesn't know the dialect already. Given I live just over the border in England, I encounter Scots regularly, so this was absolutely no problem for me. There were many instances that had me laughing out loud. I always appreciate humour in a crime novel. There are surprises aplenty, and a few of the twists were unexpected. At times, the plot is more than a little iffy, but the positive parts of the story were enough to keep me suitably intrigued and keen on reading it through to the end. Some of the parts felt quite contrived, and I found myself questioning why the author wrote about certain things which seemed in no way related to the plot. Padding perhaps?
Our main character Anna is an unstable person who suffers from bi-polar disorder but appears to be mismanaging her illness. She seems to be rude, standoffish and very unlikeable, but i'm hoping to warm to her should she feature in the authors future books.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
November 16, 2019
Dr Anna returns to Glasgow where she grew up, to stay with best friend Zoe and her brother Victor. Anna meets up with Zoe in a club to celebrate Zoe’s birthday, she sees an old school friend Andrew Foley who she had a crush on whilst at school. They have a drink together but he disappears after going to the toilets. Later on his body is found in the park. When other people are killed Anna finds herself caught up in an investigation of her own. But as she is getting closer to the truth, who wants to stop her!!
I was hooked on this book and did not want to put it down. There are plenty of twists along the way and I liked how all the final pieces go together at the end.
Thank you for Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
I was hooked on this book and did not want to put it down. There are plenty of twists along the way and I liked how all the final pieces go together at the end.
Thank you for Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
November 3, 2018
I wanted to like this book because it was a murder mystery, and the background motive made sense to me. But alas I didn't, as most of the book didn't make sense to me.
Anna comes home to Glasgow for Zoe's birthday after 10 years and gets a chance meeting with her teen crush Andrew who disappears on her and soon she discovers his body in a park. Cops are called, she becomes a prime suspect and cops harass her, no idea why!! Soon other murders start happening and Anna decides to investigate - again no idea why!! Most of the dying characters utter a clue as their last word only to her, when they don't really know her, not to the cops - no idea why!!
I hated the main character, she goes on rants about sexism, misogyny, and equality suddenly in the book. She hates the man yet leaps up on him to have sex and then gives us an explanation - again no idea why!!
The plot was good but delivery failed for me due to Anna. She was a social criminologist with a PhD, but she doesn't use her knowledge in the investigation. She is so convinced of her righteousness most of the times that she verbally goes on an attack mode - no idea why!! Some aspects of mental health and abuse are written well. What triggered the murderer to go on a killing spree years later - no idea!! Damn, did I not feel dumb in this book!!
All the characters except Anna speak in a local dialect which for me spoilt the fun. My brain kept rereading them to understand better. There are a lot of things which niggled me, but one irked me especially. The author wrote some lines with a finality that the characters would never meet again and after a few pages, they meet up. This happened twice - why write the goodbye in a deep philosophical sense when you are going to make the characters meet up - no idea why!!
Maybe this book was Glasgow specific and they would understand it better: the circumstances, the dialect, and the way their cops work. At one point, Anna was strip searched including body cavities and left naked. Don't cops see background, motives, forensics, alibi? Again no idea!! This book was not for me!!
Anna comes home to Glasgow for Zoe's birthday after 10 years and gets a chance meeting with her teen crush Andrew who disappears on her and soon she discovers his body in a park. Cops are called, she becomes a prime suspect and cops harass her, no idea why!! Soon other murders start happening and Anna decides to investigate - again no idea why!! Most of the dying characters utter a clue as their last word only to her, when they don't really know her, not to the cops - no idea why!!
I hated the main character, she goes on rants about sexism, misogyny, and equality suddenly in the book. She hates the man yet leaps up on him to have sex and then gives us an explanation - again no idea why!!
The plot was good but delivery failed for me due to Anna. She was a social criminologist with a PhD, but she doesn't use her knowledge in the investigation. She is so convinced of her righteousness most of the times that she verbally goes on an attack mode - no idea why!! Some aspects of mental health and abuse are written well. What triggered the murderer to go on a killing spree years later - no idea!! Damn, did I not feel dumb in this book!!
All the characters except Anna speak in a local dialect which for me spoilt the fun. My brain kept rereading them to understand better. There are a lot of things which niggled me, but one irked me especially. The author wrote some lines with a finality that the characters would never meet again and after a few pages, they meet up. This happened twice - why write the goodbye in a deep philosophical sense when you are going to make the characters meet up - no idea why!!
Maybe this book was Glasgow specific and they would understand it better: the circumstances, the dialect, and the way their cops work. At one point, Anna was strip searched including body cavities and left naked. Don't cops see background, motives, forensics, alibi? Again no idea!! This book was not for me!!
March 13, 2023
Anna, who has returned to her native Glasgow after an absence of 10 years to celebrate the birthday of her best friend Zoe. Left alone temporarily in a nightclub she bumps into her schoolgirl crush Andrew. When she later finds him stabbed and dying in the street, it is the start of her nightmare as she becomes involved in the murder investigations when the police are convinced, she is either involved in some way or knows far more than she is letting on. Then when another victim is found, Anna decides that she wants to know the truth about what happened and why, bringing her into the firing line of the less than happy police detectives. It took me a little while to warm to Anna as she comes across as being quite cold and doesn’t seem to find it easy to relate to other people, including her best friend, but it was this character flaw that enabled her to dig around for the truth as she was unconcerned if her questions and digging upset or offended anyone. in fact, if that someone was in the police force, she almost seemed to take some pleasure in it. The more they pushed the more she went from wanting to escape Glasgow and get back to her life in Rome, to poking around in the investigations, determined to find the truth. Anna’s friend Zoe seemed a little self-centered especially when Anna’s life seemed to be crashing around her, but they both seemed to be desperately clinging to their close friendship of the past, despite having grown apart. The two detectives in charge of the case seemed to desperately want to link Anna to the murders. I hope to never come across any like them in real life as one of them seems to take great pleasure in humiliating Anna at every opportunity. This is the first book in this series and I look forward to more from this author in the future.
August 30, 2018
In The Silence is the authors debut novel. As debut's go I am pretty impressed.
I really got a sense of Glasgow and the cold weather that they are experiencing in the story. It is actually quite an atmospheric read making it even more chilling. If felt like I was seeing it all through Anna's eyes which is down to the authors skillfull writing.
Even though it soon becomes apparent there is a link to the murders, just what the link is makes for some really intriguing reading. The police of course are all over it trying to solve it, their approach at times would really rile me up though. They come across quite aggressive, obviously we see a lot of this in the more harder hitting crime shows on television and I have to say it made it more daunting reading about it. It certainly makes you want to stay on the right side of the law!
In The Silence is a dark and chilling read of which makes for a very solid debut novel. The links to the murders when all becomes clear did not disappoint and made for some tense reading in parts. The pace certainly picks up towards the end and makes for some entertaining reading. Will be keeping an eye out for the authors future books.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
I really got a sense of Glasgow and the cold weather that they are experiencing in the story. It is actually quite an atmospheric read making it even more chilling. If felt like I was seeing it all through Anna's eyes which is down to the authors skillfull writing.
Even though it soon becomes apparent there is a link to the murders, just what the link is makes for some really intriguing reading. The police of course are all over it trying to solve it, their approach at times would really rile me up though. They come across quite aggressive, obviously we see a lot of this in the more harder hitting crime shows on television and I have to say it made it more daunting reading about it. It certainly makes you want to stay on the right side of the law!
In The Silence is a dark and chilling read of which makes for a very solid debut novel. The links to the murders when all becomes clear did not disappoint and made for some tense reading in parts. The pace certainly picks up towards the end and makes for some entertaining reading. Will be keeping an eye out for the authors future books.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
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October 30, 2018"The ones that say nothing are as guilty as the ones doing it."
Dr. Anna Scavolini returns to Glasgow, where she grew up, in mid-December to stay with her old best friend, Zoe, and Zoe's brother, Victor. She's been living in Rome for the past 10 years and hasn't been home since. Out celebrating Zoe's birthday, Anna runs into a man she had a mad crush on when they both were in school together. After a few drinks, he disappears, and Anna later discovers him dead in a nearby park. Murdered. And he's just the first victim. Anna gets caught up in her own investigation to find out why these particular persons are being killed and by whom. It happens that this might be a vendetta for something that happened during Anna's school days. NO SPOILERS.
Well, if you can apply a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief while Anna is playing at being Nancy Drew, and if you can get past the fact that the character of Anna is so terribly unlikeable with her pontifications, self-righteousness and holier than thou attitude toward everyone, and maybe if you can ignore how Anna acts and the ludicrous things she does, perhaps you will enjoy this debut novel. For the most part, I couldn't overcome all of those detractors and only read to the end to find out who the killer was. And it all made so little sense even then. I found the Glaswegian dialect inserted to be completely annoying because it was so hit and miss sprinkled around some of the characters and not others. The rest of the characters in the book were not very convincing and could be lumped into the stereotypical category of "bad" guys. I just could not buy into the story, feel any empathy, and got tired of all the soap box proselytism on the subject of consent and rape. And why did all this just happen to come to a head when Anna returns?
I did like the setting, the descriptions of the town and the climate made me feel COLD. Couldn't understand why Anna never seemed to eat or bathe or take her medication. It seemed at complete odds to her supposed level of education. I guess there was something within the pages that made me at least finish it, but I can't say that I found much to recommend this. That being said, I realize this is a first novel, I understand this is a man writing about a real hot spot of an issue of paramount importance to women, and I get that there's probably some sort of takeaway meant to be there. I think I missed it. I just never could buy into how Anna got herself so involved in the mess, her antipathy to the police, and her behavior.
That doesn't mean, however, that I won't read another book by this author. I do thank NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an e-book ARC of this to read and review. I'm sorry I didn't find it a gripping crime thriller. And lastly, I wish someone would explain that Prologue to me.
Dr. Anna Scavolini returns to Glasgow, where she grew up, in mid-December to stay with her old best friend, Zoe, and Zoe's brother, Victor. She's been living in Rome for the past 10 years and hasn't been home since. Out celebrating Zoe's birthday, Anna runs into a man she had a mad crush on when they both were in school together. After a few drinks, he disappears, and Anna later discovers him dead in a nearby park. Murdered. And he's just the first victim. Anna gets caught up in her own investigation to find out why these particular persons are being killed and by whom. It happens that this might be a vendetta for something that happened during Anna's school days. NO SPOILERS.
Well, if you can apply a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief while Anna is playing at being Nancy Drew, and if you can get past the fact that the character of Anna is so terribly unlikeable with her pontifications, self-righteousness and holier than thou attitude toward everyone, and maybe if you can ignore how Anna acts and the ludicrous things she does, perhaps you will enjoy this debut novel. For the most part, I couldn't overcome all of those detractors and only read to the end to find out who the killer was. And it all made so little sense even then. I found the Glaswegian dialect inserted to be completely annoying because it was so hit and miss sprinkled around some of the characters and not others. The rest of the characters in the book were not very convincing and could be lumped into the stereotypical category of "bad" guys. I just could not buy into the story, feel any empathy, and got tired of all the soap box proselytism on the subject of consent and rape. And why did all this just happen to come to a head when Anna returns?
I did like the setting, the descriptions of the town and the climate made me feel COLD. Couldn't understand why Anna never seemed to eat or bathe or take her medication. It seemed at complete odds to her supposed level of education. I guess there was something within the pages that made me at least finish it, but I can't say that I found much to recommend this. That being said, I realize this is a first novel, I understand this is a man writing about a real hot spot of an issue of paramount importance to women, and I get that there's probably some sort of takeaway meant to be there. I think I missed it. I just never could buy into how Anna got herself so involved in the mess, her antipathy to the police, and her behavior.
That doesn't mean, however, that I won't read another book by this author. I do thank NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an e-book ARC of this to read and review. I'm sorry I didn't find it a gripping crime thriller. And lastly, I wish someone would explain that Prologue to me.
September 10, 2018
I chose to read MacKenzie’s debut novel “In the Silence” because I was intrigued with the idea of a an academic criminal sociologist who is ensnared in a murder case when she comes back to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland for the first time in ten years. Anna runs into an old crush from her school days in a bar and then later that night discovers him murdered nearby. She ends up wrapped up in the investigation as it turns into a spree of murders that seem related to events that happened with classmates of Anna’s from ten years ago.
First the good: the setting of Glasgow, Scotland is conveyed amazingly well. The dialogue is spot on and I would love to listen to the audiobook version. Her best friend Zoe is a breath of fresh air. The author also did a good job of building tension and leaving clues about who-dun-it as befitting the thriller genre.
Now the bad: I was disappointed in the characterization of Anna. Anna uses very little of her knowledge of criminal sociology and comes across as hysterical. Her own reasons for leaving Scotland aren’t explored fully. Spoiler alert: The feelings and reactions of rape victims comes across as inauthentic and wooden. Until I looked up the author profile, I was going on the assumption that the author was female and I couldn’t understand how a female author could be so off. The author is male. The “offness” is a subtle distinction and perhaps this is just my own personal response to it. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Despite my own reactions the female characters in this debut thriller, I would read more books from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author M.R. MacKenzie for an advanced electronic reading copy.
First the good: the setting of Glasgow, Scotland is conveyed amazingly well. The dialogue is spot on and I would love to listen to the audiobook version. Her best friend Zoe is a breath of fresh air. The author also did a good job of building tension and leaving clues about who-dun-it as befitting the thriller genre.
Now the bad: I was disappointed in the characterization of Anna. Anna uses very little of her knowledge of criminal sociology and comes across as hysterical. Her own reasons for leaving Scotland aren’t explored fully. Spoiler alert: The feelings and reactions of rape victims comes across as inauthentic and wooden. Until I looked up the author profile, I was going on the assumption that the author was female and I couldn’t understand how a female author could be so off. The author is male. The “offness” is a subtle distinction and perhaps this is just my own personal response to it. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Despite my own reactions the female characters in this debut thriller, I would read more books from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author M.R. MacKenzie for an advanced electronic reading copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for this arc.
Overall, I found this to be a disappointment. The story / plot was start and stop with the author's ranting and ravings about the politics of prosecuting sexual assault crimes, the injustice of being sexually assaulted, yadda, yadda, yadda. Obviously an important issue for the writer (as it should be for everyone), but I found the on again off again crusading to detract from the pacing of the story. Then the writer wandered into mental health issues with the main character's irresponsible management of her own bi-polar disorder. If this was supposed to be a "twist", it wasn't a good one. For me, Anna lost all credibility with that one and the gist of the crusade over the sexual assault prosecutions / public perception was completely diffused.
I found the characters in the book rather flat as well. None seemed to be presented in full, just whatever was needed by the plot. However compelling other readers have found this book, for me it was a chore to finish.
Overall, I found this to be a disappointment. The story / plot was start and stop with the author's ranting and ravings about the politics of prosecuting sexual assault crimes, the injustice of being sexually assaulted, yadda, yadda, yadda. Obviously an important issue for the writer (as it should be for everyone), but I found the on again off again crusading to detract from the pacing of the story. Then the writer wandered into mental health issues with the main character's irresponsible management of her own bi-polar disorder. If this was supposed to be a "twist", it wasn't a good one. For me, Anna lost all credibility with that one and the gist of the crusade over the sexual assault prosecutions / public perception was completely diffused.
I found the characters in the book rather flat as well. None seemed to be presented in full, just whatever was needed by the plot. However compelling other readers have found this book, for me it was a chore to finish.
August 15, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of In the Silence, a debut novel set in Glasgow featuring criminology lecturer Dr Anna Scavolini.
When Anna returns to Glasgow after a ten year absence she is immediately whisked off to a club to celebrate her friend Zoe's birthday where she meets Andrew Foley, an old school friend. Later in the evening she finds Andrew on the brink of death, having been stabbed. Having failed to build a rapport with the police detectives she starts her own investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed In the Silence which has a good line in Glaswegian patter and an intriguing plot with several good twists. It should be noted that non natives may struggle with the vernacular which is very funny and very typical. It had me laughing every time Zoe opened her mouth. The plotting is a bit of a mixed bag with both good and bad points, but overall it is well enough planned to hold the reader's attention. The reveals come at a steady pace and it gathers momentum as it progresses. On the downside I didn't enjoy its portrayal of the police which I feel is slightly old fashioned and it gets overly involved (for a crime novel) in the politics of prosecuting rape and the meaning of justice. It's obviously a subject dear to the author's heart but, while the statistics are frightening, distracts from the main thrust of the plot and appears like padding.
I can't say that I took to Anna as she's not very likeable. She's self absorbed, rude and very sure of her opinions. It turns out that there are reasons for this but they do little to mitigate her poor behaviour and attitude to others.
In the Silence is a good read.
When Anna returns to Glasgow after a ten year absence she is immediately whisked off to a club to celebrate her friend Zoe's birthday where she meets Andrew Foley, an old school friend. Later in the evening she finds Andrew on the brink of death, having been stabbed. Having failed to build a rapport with the police detectives she starts her own investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed In the Silence which has a good line in Glaswegian patter and an intriguing plot with several good twists. It should be noted that non natives may struggle with the vernacular which is very funny and very typical. It had me laughing every time Zoe opened her mouth. The plotting is a bit of a mixed bag with both good and bad points, but overall it is well enough planned to hold the reader's attention. The reveals come at a steady pace and it gathers momentum as it progresses. On the downside I didn't enjoy its portrayal of the police which I feel is slightly old fashioned and it gets overly involved (for a crime novel) in the politics of prosecuting rape and the meaning of justice. It's obviously a subject dear to the author's heart but, while the statistics are frightening, distracts from the main thrust of the plot and appears like padding.
I can't say that I took to Anna as she's not very likeable. She's self absorbed, rude and very sure of her opinions. It turns out that there are reasons for this but they do little to mitigate her poor behaviour and attitude to others.
In the Silence is a good read.
September 10, 2018
A killer is stalking the streets of Glasgow in the depths of winter, in the run up to the festive season, and they are ticking off their victims, one by one; is there a connection between them or are they striking people at random? This is M.R. Mackenzie’s debut novel, and I was really impressed. It is a gritty and dark debut thriller, and the time of year that the author chose to set the book was perfect for creating that menacing and eerie atmosphere which he certainly did.
Anna has recently returned to her home city after spending ten years in Rome. It has been a while since she has seen her old friend Zoe, and on her first night back they hit the clubs to celebrate Zoe’s birthday. But things soon take a disturbing turn when the body of a man who Anna knows, who she saw at the club the night before he died, is found. Anna soon becomes a suspect in the eye of the police who are working on the case and to help prove her innocence, Anna decides to investigate what has happened herself.
What I loved most about the book was its setting. Although I have never been to Glasgow, I thought that M.R. Mackenzie captured a strong sense of what some parts of the city must be like, especially the clubs and the people who go there. I got the sense that the killer could be lurking in every corner, waiting for their turn to strike again. As Anna became further involved in the case, I feared what was going to happen to her, particularly as the police seemed to take a dislike towards her and appeared intent on making her life difficult. I was appalled at the treatment Anna was receiving, but this made me keen to read on as I wanted to find out what was going to happen to her and if the killer was going to get away with their crimes. She is a captivating character, and I felt that I could root for her from the beginning.
M.R. Mackenzie slowly reveals details about Anna’s past, and there were some revelations which were shocking. She is a character who you will become invested in as the plot develops. One of my favourite aspects of the novel was her friendship with Zoe, she is the more domineering of the two, but I really liked her sense of humour, and she did add some lightness to the book.
This was a debut that I thought was really engaging. There was a part of the novel at the end which took me completely by surprise, I could see where the plot was going but I was shocked at how everything unfolded, it does make for a powerful ending. I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye on what M.R. Mackenzie writes next. Thank you to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Bloodhound Books for the advance review copy.
Anna has recently returned to her home city after spending ten years in Rome. It has been a while since she has seen her old friend Zoe, and on her first night back they hit the clubs to celebrate Zoe’s birthday. But things soon take a disturbing turn when the body of a man who Anna knows, who she saw at the club the night before he died, is found. Anna soon becomes a suspect in the eye of the police who are working on the case and to help prove her innocence, Anna decides to investigate what has happened herself.
What I loved most about the book was its setting. Although I have never been to Glasgow, I thought that M.R. Mackenzie captured a strong sense of what some parts of the city must be like, especially the clubs and the people who go there. I got the sense that the killer could be lurking in every corner, waiting for their turn to strike again. As Anna became further involved in the case, I feared what was going to happen to her, particularly as the police seemed to take a dislike towards her and appeared intent on making her life difficult. I was appalled at the treatment Anna was receiving, but this made me keen to read on as I wanted to find out what was going to happen to her and if the killer was going to get away with their crimes. She is a captivating character, and I felt that I could root for her from the beginning.
M.R. Mackenzie slowly reveals details about Anna’s past, and there were some revelations which were shocking. She is a character who you will become invested in as the plot develops. One of my favourite aspects of the novel was her friendship with Zoe, she is the more domineering of the two, but I really liked her sense of humour, and she did add some lightness to the book.
This was a debut that I thought was really engaging. There was a part of the novel at the end which took me completely by surprise, I could see where the plot was going but I was shocked at how everything unfolded, it does make for a powerful ending. I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye on what M.R. Mackenzie writes next. Thank you to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Bloodhound Books for the advance review copy.
September 10, 2018
A thrilling read - and one which took me by surprise as, for a debut novel, it has hidden depths!
Anna Scovalini - that would be Dr. Scavolini to you and me - never saw herself settling in her home city of Glasgow and headed off to Italy for university and her career. Ten years on sees her returning for her best friend's birthday. At the end of the night, they head off - as they did all those years ago - to an all night cafe for food before heading home, but something happens which unsettles Anna and as Zoe heads to the cafe's loo, she decides to investigate and gets much more than she bargained for! With the discovery of the slain body of an old friend Anna is the star witness and, not entirely convinced of the ability of the police officers to solve the case, she does a bit of her own investigating but never really appreciates the danger she is putting herself in.
It's truly enjoyable to read a novel set in a city which is familiar to me - although not nearly as much as it is to the author. The descriptions of the locations bring it all to life and, as always, the addition of the local humour brought a grin to my face. Swinging one way and then the other, it's not clear to the reader where this is heading but the outcome is both surprising and impressive! I was completely taken in, and loved the complete explanation of what was going - and had gone - on. For a debut novel, this is a complex but riveting read, and one I couldn't put down. The story moves along at a brisk pace and there's never a dull moment. I was shocked more than once but delighted to see that by the final page, everything was fully explained with no loose ends left dangling. This is an author I will happily watch out for again.
My thanks to publisher Bloodhound Books, not only for my copy via NetGalley but also for my place on this blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
Anna Scovalini - that would be Dr. Scavolini to you and me - never saw herself settling in her home city of Glasgow and headed off to Italy for university and her career. Ten years on sees her returning for her best friend's birthday. At the end of the night, they head off - as they did all those years ago - to an all night cafe for food before heading home, but something happens which unsettles Anna and as Zoe heads to the cafe's loo, she decides to investigate and gets much more than she bargained for! With the discovery of the slain body of an old friend Anna is the star witness and, not entirely convinced of the ability of the police officers to solve the case, she does a bit of her own investigating but never really appreciates the danger she is putting herself in.
It's truly enjoyable to read a novel set in a city which is familiar to me - although not nearly as much as it is to the author. The descriptions of the locations bring it all to life and, as always, the addition of the local humour brought a grin to my face. Swinging one way and then the other, it's not clear to the reader where this is heading but the outcome is both surprising and impressive! I was completely taken in, and loved the complete explanation of what was going - and had gone - on. For a debut novel, this is a complex but riveting read, and one I couldn't put down. The story moves along at a brisk pace and there's never a dull moment. I was shocked more than once but delighted to see that by the final page, everything was fully explained with no loose ends left dangling. This is an author I will happily watch out for again.
My thanks to publisher Bloodhound Books, not only for my copy via NetGalley but also for my place on this blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
November 4, 2018
Rounded up to 3 stars
The first part of the book - 3.5 stars, the second part of the book- 1.5 stars.
Anna, a criminology lecturer, returned to Glasgow from Rome, the first time in ten years. Very soon it became clear that something bad happened to her long ago that forced her to leaver her hometown and never looked back. It seemed she was doing well in forgetting and processing the events of the past days. It is why she came back to spend some nice days with her best friend Zoe. Only instead of a peaceful holiday Anna came into focus of a murder investigation.
I enjoyed the first part of the book, the setting of Glasgow, undiscovered secrets of Anna's past waiting for to discover, mysterious atmosphere of the investigation.
Unfortunately the second part of the book and the ending disappointed me. By all my understanding for Anna's traumatic experience I couldn't comprehend her transformation to a hysterical annoying character with a totally illogical behavior.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
The first part of the book - 3.5 stars, the second part of the book- 1.5 stars.
Anna, a criminology lecturer, returned to Glasgow from Rome, the first time in ten years. Very soon it became clear that something bad happened to her long ago that forced her to leaver her hometown and never looked back. It seemed she was doing well in forgetting and processing the events of the past days. It is why she came back to spend some nice days with her best friend Zoe. Only instead of a peaceful holiday Anna came into focus of a murder investigation.
I enjoyed the first part of the book, the setting of Glasgow, undiscovered secrets of Anna's past waiting for to discover, mysterious atmosphere of the investigation.
Unfortunately the second part of the book and the ending disappointed me. By all my understanding for Anna's traumatic experience I couldn't comprehend her transformation to a hysterical annoying character with a totally illogical behavior.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
August 27, 2018
Dr. Anna, a university lecturer in Rome, returns home to Glasgow after a ten year absence for her friend’s (Zoe) birthday. They get together in a club where Zoe takes off to mingle with her other friends. Anna is left alone - but not for long. She is approached by an old high school friend - Andrew Foley and they spend the evening chatting.
Fast forward to later that evening. Anna discovers Andrew’s body in the park. He has been stabbed to death. And she finds herself a material witness to a murder. But she couldn’t leave the case alone. She visits Foley’s widow. Then his cousin that she also knows from high school. Then there is another murder. The police are not best pleased with Anna.
This is a good well written mystery. I enjoyed it very much, especially the Glaswegian accent. Made me laugh. Made me think of home and the scouser accent.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Fast forward to later that evening. Anna discovers Andrew’s body in the park. He has been stabbed to death. And she finds herself a material witness to a murder. But she couldn’t leave the case alone. She visits Foley’s widow. Then his cousin that she also knows from high school. Then there is another murder. The police are not best pleased with Anna.
This is a good well written mystery. I enjoyed it very much, especially the Glaswegian accent. Made me laugh. Made me think of home and the scouser accent.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
September 12, 2018
I’m a huge fan of novels where the answer to the present lies in the past, so when Anna returns to Glasgow to stay with her best friend, Zoe, it doesn’t take long for her past to catch up with her, old wounds to reopen, and this book to grab my attention.
What’s interesting about this novel is I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, not even Anna, everyone seemed a bit too full of themselves for my liking. But, I did want to know who the killer was, so this novel’s success lies in its plot, rather than its characters, for me. The plot also threw up some great discussion on the criminal justice system in relation to a certain crime, and I enjoyed seeing the criminologist in Anna, as the blurb stating she was a criminology lecturer was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book, so I’m glad these elements of discussion were incorporated.
This novel also incorporated a strand focusing on mental health, I only wish this had been explored in more detail rather than just touched upon, as there was so much scope there to help the reader understand, and get to know, Anna. Although, the brief mention of it did go someway to explaining why Anna behaved in certain ways.
In The Silence is set in Glasgow, Scotland, and that is most noticeable in the abundance of Glaswegian featured in this novel. I do like the Scottish use of “cannae” and the more familiar dialect to non-Scots, but I did struggle with this dialect, in that there was so much of it. Now, I’m not sure if Zoe’s dialect is ‘typical’ or if the author maximised it to ensure the reader felt like they were in the heart of Glasgow, but it felt a bit much sometimes, a bit too full on.
What was just right, however, was Mackenzie’s ability to create a cold and wintery landscape, if I was Anna I’d be jet-setting back to Rome right away!
Regarding the mystery, it kept me guessing until the end! As Anna is heading up this investigation on her own, there’s always going to be moments when you disagree with her actions, or wonder why she didn’t tell somewhere where she was going, but it’s these moments that bring the danger, have you turning the page that little bit faster to see what’s to come.
In The Silence is a good debut novel that shows the promise for future novels. It may be more suited to those who enjoy dark themes written in a lighter tone, no graphic descriptions, minimal violence, no ‘hard-to-read’ moments; especially those who are particularly fond of the Glaswegian accent.
*My thanks to the publisher (Bloodhound Books) for providing me with a copy of this book via Netgalley*
What’s interesting about this novel is I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, not even Anna, everyone seemed a bit too full of themselves for my liking. But, I did want to know who the killer was, so this novel’s success lies in its plot, rather than its characters, for me. The plot also threw up some great discussion on the criminal justice system in relation to a certain crime, and I enjoyed seeing the criminologist in Anna, as the blurb stating she was a criminology lecturer was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book, so I’m glad these elements of discussion were incorporated.
This novel also incorporated a strand focusing on mental health, I only wish this had been explored in more detail rather than just touched upon, as there was so much scope there to help the reader understand, and get to know, Anna. Although, the brief mention of it did go someway to explaining why Anna behaved in certain ways.
In The Silence is set in Glasgow, Scotland, and that is most noticeable in the abundance of Glaswegian featured in this novel. I do like the Scottish use of “cannae” and the more familiar dialect to non-Scots, but I did struggle with this dialect, in that there was so much of it. Now, I’m not sure if Zoe’s dialect is ‘typical’ or if the author maximised it to ensure the reader felt like they were in the heart of Glasgow, but it felt a bit much sometimes, a bit too full on.
What was just right, however, was Mackenzie’s ability to create a cold and wintery landscape, if I was Anna I’d be jet-setting back to Rome right away!
Regarding the mystery, it kept me guessing until the end! As Anna is heading up this investigation on her own, there’s always going to be moments when you disagree with her actions, or wonder why she didn’t tell somewhere where she was going, but it’s these moments that bring the danger, have you turning the page that little bit faster to see what’s to come.
In The Silence is a good debut novel that shows the promise for future novels. It may be more suited to those who enjoy dark themes written in a lighter tone, no graphic descriptions, minimal violence, no ‘hard-to-read’ moments; especially those who are particularly fond of the Glaswegian accent.
*My thanks to the publisher (Bloodhound Books) for providing me with a copy of this book via Netgalley*
September 11, 2018
Wow, this is a debut! Seriously! As I mentioned in a previous post, I am seeming to be reading a lot of thrillers lately, and just to add to it, a lot are set in Scotland! Man, I really need to get my butt up there and do an author walkabout!! A big plus for me in this book is yay there is a Zoe in the book lol.
The story has brought Anna home, back to Glasgow, somewhere she has avoided being for quite a few years. She is back from her best friend Zoe’s birthday. Whilst in the bar, Anna bumps into Andrew an old school friend, they spend the evening chatting. I was expecting them to go home together and have some adult time, however this was not to be. Instead, Anna discovers the gruesome dead body of Andrew in a park and thrusting her into the limelight of the investigation.
I must admit I loved reading the characters speak with the Scottish dialect, and in my head, I tried to get the accent to the tee! Luckily I was not doing this out loud! Not sure my Scottish friends would appreciate my poor attempt. The writing and passion of the author is evident and the imagery is so vivid I felt like I could have been stalking the streets of Glasgow, something I may have to do.
I may be biased but Zoe was my favourite character, she was brash and funny, not one to mince her words. Had me wondering if the author had met me or something! The intensity of the story does not relent, so the humour in the book was well received in this dark and twisty book.
This book IS a fast-paced thrilling ride, that does not let you go until the final pages. There are many twists and turns, I mean why does the killer keep closing in on Anna, what is the link? Well sorry, I am not going to tell you that! You need to read it to find out!
The story has brought Anna home, back to Glasgow, somewhere she has avoided being for quite a few years. She is back from her best friend Zoe’s birthday. Whilst in the bar, Anna bumps into Andrew an old school friend, they spend the evening chatting. I was expecting them to go home together and have some adult time, however this was not to be. Instead, Anna discovers the gruesome dead body of Andrew in a park and thrusting her into the limelight of the investigation.
I must admit I loved reading the characters speak with the Scottish dialect, and in my head, I tried to get the accent to the tee! Luckily I was not doing this out loud! Not sure my Scottish friends would appreciate my poor attempt. The writing and passion of the author is evident and the imagery is so vivid I felt like I could have been stalking the streets of Glasgow, something I may have to do.
I may be biased but Zoe was my favourite character, she was brash and funny, not one to mince her words. Had me wondering if the author had met me or something! The intensity of the story does not relent, so the humour in the book was well received in this dark and twisty book.
This book IS a fast-paced thrilling ride, that does not let you go until the final pages. There are many twists and turns, I mean why does the killer keep closing in on Anna, what is the link? Well sorry, I am not going to tell you that! You need to read it to find out!
April 9, 2022
I'll admit it took me quite a while to warm to Anna Scavolini. Likely in part to the fact that she doesn't want people to warm to her. She has very few people in her life and that is the way she seems to prefer it. She abandoned her Jewish faith along with her family. Even though she was back home in Glasgow, she made zero effort to contact her mother.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rapport between Anna and her old school friend Zoe, though even in this relationship she seems to be holding back.
I appreciated the writing. "His wasn't an unkind face, but it didn't look like the sort that did much smiling."
The crimes themselves were disturbing - almost as disturbing as the event that precipitated them.
The wintery Glasgow setting was expertly described and made vivid to the reader. The author's affection for his home city was very apparent.
Anna's actions sometimes stretched the bounds of credibility. Why would she invest in this case? What had she to gain? She took some crazy risks, which I think were below a woman of her experience and intelligence. I couldn't understand her dislike of the police, which seems more ingrained that the situation warranted.
The denouement of the novel was highly satisfactory, though quite tense and emotionally draining. This is a debut novel and the first in a Tartan Noir crime series featuring Dr. Anna Scavolini. I have the second novel in the series loaded on my Kindle and I'm looking forward to her development as a character.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rapport between Anna and her old school friend Zoe, though even in this relationship she seems to be holding back.
I appreciated the writing. "His wasn't an unkind face, but it didn't look like the sort that did much smiling."
The crimes themselves were disturbing - almost as disturbing as the event that precipitated them.
The wintery Glasgow setting was expertly described and made vivid to the reader. The author's affection for his home city was very apparent.
Anna's actions sometimes stretched the bounds of credibility. Why would she invest in this case? What had she to gain? She took some crazy risks, which I think were below a woman of her experience and intelligence. I couldn't understand her dislike of the police, which seems more ingrained that the situation warranted.
The denouement of the novel was highly satisfactory, though quite tense and emotionally draining. This is a debut novel and the first in a Tartan Noir crime series featuring Dr. Anna Scavolini. I have the second novel in the series loaded on my Kindle and I'm looking forward to her development as a character.
September 12, 2018
I always enjoy a gritty crime novel, Bloodhound books have never let me down before so I was prepared to take a chance on this debut by M. R. Mackenzie. I will ignore the minor detail that linked him to Dario Argento, any fans will know what I mean & understand it reflects a great story!
The cover also sent a few shivers up my spine so we have some good credentials before hitting the actual story. Right from the outset In the Silence was a real page turner, set in Glasgow added to the suspense, luckily I have friends from the area otherwise some of the vocabulary may have gone over my head, it’s raw, down to earth with a dark humour. See what I mean, already so many thing going for this book from a positive angle.
Anna, returns to her home town, she is a criminology lecturer who seems to keep her ‘work’ hat on all the time. From the start I felt a dislike to her and that didn’t really alter throughout, yes we are enlightened to some of her previous history physically and mentally but I still couldn’t quite put my finger on her attitude.
This is a steady paced count the bodies novel, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed it and will certainly keep an eye open for what this author does next.
My thanks to the author, publisher, Netgalley and Sarah from Bloodhound for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
The cover also sent a few shivers up my spine so we have some good credentials before hitting the actual story. Right from the outset In the Silence was a real page turner, set in Glasgow added to the suspense, luckily I have friends from the area otherwise some of the vocabulary may have gone over my head, it’s raw, down to earth with a dark humour. See what I mean, already so many thing going for this book from a positive angle.
Anna, returns to her home town, she is a criminology lecturer who seems to keep her ‘work’ hat on all the time. From the start I felt a dislike to her and that didn’t really alter throughout, yes we are enlightened to some of her previous history physically and mentally but I still couldn’t quite put my finger on her attitude.
This is a steady paced count the bodies novel, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed it and will certainly keep an eye open for what this author does next.
My thanks to the author, publisher, Netgalley and Sarah from Bloodhound for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
August 12, 2018
A gripping novel well worth reading.
Anna hasn't been back in town for ten long years and it seems her reappearance sets off a series of murders is she to blame ????.
The story weaves its way through the past encroaching onto the present with a subject matter that is dealt with sensitively.
What would you have done in that position all those years ago and how would you go about making it right now. It keeps you guessing as to who is exacting retribution throwing up a couple of red herrings in order to keep you reading on.
Highly recommend reading this and I hope that we see more by the author.
Anna hasn't been back in town for ten long years and it seems her reappearance sets off a series of murders is she to blame ????.
The story weaves its way through the past encroaching onto the present with a subject matter that is dealt with sensitively.
What would you have done in that position all those years ago and how would you go about making it right now. It keeps you guessing as to who is exacting retribution throwing up a couple of red herrings in order to keep you reading on.
Highly recommend reading this and I hope that we see more by the author.
November 12, 2018
Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author, M.R. Mackenzie, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of In The Silence in the exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was well written. There were plenty of twists to keep a crime enthusiast on the edge of their seat. I love when a book is unpredictable and this offering gave me that. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from this author.
Well worth a read.
I thought this book was well written. There were plenty of twists to keep a crime enthusiast on the edge of their seat. I love when a book is unpredictable and this offering gave me that. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from this author.
Well worth a read.
August 20, 2018
For a debut novel, I have to say I really enjoyed this one! I was hooked from the beginning and kept guessing (wrongly) until the end. My only complaint was the author's use of local dialect. I felt it was inconsistent and at times took away from the dialogue. I felt it was extraneous and really not necessary for the overall plot/feel of the story.
However, I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you #netgalley and #bloodhound books for the eARC.
However, I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you #netgalley and #bloodhound books for the eARC.
September 6, 2018
In the Silence centres on Anna who has returned to her native Glasgow after an absence of 10 years to celebrate the birthday of her best friend Zoe. Left alone temporarily in a nightclub she bumps into her schoolgirl crush Andrew. When she later finds him stabbed and dying in the street, it is the start of her nightmare as she becomes involved in the murder investigations when the police are convinced she is either involved in some way or knows far more than she is letting on. When another victim is found, Anna decides that she wants to know the truth about what happened and why, bringing her into the firing line of the less than happy police detectives.
It took me a little while to warm to Anna as she comes across as having quite a cold personality and doesn’t seem to find it easy to relate to others, including her best friend, but it was this character flaw that enabled her to dig around for the truth as she was unconcerned if her questions and digging upset or offended anyone.. in fact if that someone was in the police force she almost seemed to take some pleasure in it. The more they pushed the more she went from wanting to escape Glasgow and get back to her life in Rome to poking around in the investigations, determined to find the truth. Anna’s friend Zoe seemed a little self-centred especially when Anna’s life seemed to crashing around her, but they both seemed to be desperately clinging to their close friendship of the past, despite having grown apart in recent times. The two detectives in charge of the case seemed very keen to link Anna to the murders and I will be honest, I hope to never come across any like them in real life as one of them seems to take great pleasure in humiliating Anna at every opportunity.
Lately I have found that I am rarely truly surprised when the perpetrator and their motives are revealed however the author managed to keep me guessing right to the end as to who was behind the attacks and their motives. Trust me it won’t be what you expect. Having totally fallen in love with Scotland at an early age, I love books set anywhere there and although I have only very briefly been to Glasgow, the author manages to paint a vivid picture of the place and location.
In the Silence is the first book by M.R Mackenzie and I look forward to more from him in the future.
It took me a little while to warm to Anna as she comes across as having quite a cold personality and doesn’t seem to find it easy to relate to others, including her best friend, but it was this character flaw that enabled her to dig around for the truth as she was unconcerned if her questions and digging upset or offended anyone.. in fact if that someone was in the police force she almost seemed to take some pleasure in it. The more they pushed the more she went from wanting to escape Glasgow and get back to her life in Rome to poking around in the investigations, determined to find the truth. Anna’s friend Zoe seemed a little self-centred especially when Anna’s life seemed to crashing around her, but they both seemed to be desperately clinging to their close friendship of the past, despite having grown apart in recent times. The two detectives in charge of the case seemed very keen to link Anna to the murders and I will be honest, I hope to never come across any like them in real life as one of them seems to take great pleasure in humiliating Anna at every opportunity.
Lately I have found that I am rarely truly surprised when the perpetrator and their motives are revealed however the author managed to keep me guessing right to the end as to who was behind the attacks and their motives. Trust me it won’t be what you expect. Having totally fallen in love with Scotland at an early age, I love books set anywhere there and although I have only very briefly been to Glasgow, the author manages to paint a vivid picture of the place and location.
In the Silence is the first book by M.R Mackenzie and I look forward to more from him in the future.
January 7, 2019
Excellent read, great addition to the authors of "tartan noir"
November 2, 2018
Review
This book has many of the right elements for a successful suspense novel, starting with what seems like a random murder, with no motive. As other murders follow and the police seem to have no ideas, Dr Anna Scavolini begins to make connections but are the leads which she follows the right ones? It would seem that someone thinks she is getting too close for comfort as she is warned off more than once. As the number of deaths and attacks rises, suspicion falls on a few different people but it is a hard one to pin down and the denouement comes as a complete surprise.
As a debut novel this shows great promise and I look forward to seeing this author's career prosper.
Although I grew up with a Scottish father and absorbed at least some Scottish phrases and dialect, the Glaswegian patois is in a class of its own so a glossary might be a useful addition.
This book has many of the right elements for a successful suspense novel, starting with what seems like a random murder, with no motive. As other murders follow and the police seem to have no ideas, Dr Anna Scavolini begins to make connections but are the leads which she follows the right ones? It would seem that someone thinks she is getting too close for comfort as she is warned off more than once. As the number of deaths and attacks rises, suspicion falls on a few different people but it is a hard one to pin down and the denouement comes as a complete surprise.
As a debut novel this shows great promise and I look forward to seeing this author's career prosper.
Although I grew up with a Scottish father and absorbed at least some Scottish phrases and dialect, the Glaswegian patois is in a class of its own so a glossary might be a useful addition.
September 10, 2018
In the Silence by M.R. MacKenzie
Amateur sleuth and feminist criminology professor working in Italy heads to Scotland for her best friend Zoe’s birthday. Little did she know that going back to what once was her home, after a decade away, would open doors to rooms she had tried to lock behind her. What Anna saw and experienced her first night home triggered memories, made her need to find out who killed the man she talked to in the bar and lead her to eventually share secrets she had not shared before.
Anna and Zoe were childhood friends through thick and thin but over the decade she was away they grew apart. Staying with Zoe and her brother Victor was like going home in some ways. Talking to Andrew at the pub that first night was interesting and allowed her to talk to a boy, now man, she had a crush on in high school. Wondering who killed Andrew later that night took her down twisty trails that lead to the unearthing of a dirty secret party life some participated in during high her teen years…a party some enjoyed much more than others.
As the story unfolds we learn more about Anna and why she left and how she has changed over the years. We find out more about the parties held when all were teens and how they impacted those who attended. We find out the motivation for murder. We meet some people caught up in or harmed by the evil of others. We see how police can be either good or bad and how some bend their positions to do as they will. We learn how family guards those they love. And we also see how choices made can impact people in good ways or bad.
There were times I could not understand the thinking of Anna and wondered where her mind had gone. There were times I wanted to smack Anna and tell her to wise up. There were times I wanted to give some of the policemen she encountered more than a talking to. There were times I felt sad and wondered “what if” this or that had happened instead of what did happen in the story.
This is a book that is dark and twisted but also one that is not farfetched in regard to what can and does happen at times in real life. It tells of those trying to correct and improve the universe as well as of those that want to enjoy hedonistically the time they are on earth. At the end of the book I wondered if Anna will be getting a series of her own and if so whether or not she will be more grounded in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Amateur sleuth and feminist criminology professor working in Italy heads to Scotland for her best friend Zoe’s birthday. Little did she know that going back to what once was her home, after a decade away, would open doors to rooms she had tried to lock behind her. What Anna saw and experienced her first night home triggered memories, made her need to find out who killed the man she talked to in the bar and lead her to eventually share secrets she had not shared before.
Anna and Zoe were childhood friends through thick and thin but over the decade she was away they grew apart. Staying with Zoe and her brother Victor was like going home in some ways. Talking to Andrew at the pub that first night was interesting and allowed her to talk to a boy, now man, she had a crush on in high school. Wondering who killed Andrew later that night took her down twisty trails that lead to the unearthing of a dirty secret party life some participated in during high her teen years…a party some enjoyed much more than others.
As the story unfolds we learn more about Anna and why she left and how she has changed over the years. We find out more about the parties held when all were teens and how they impacted those who attended. We find out the motivation for murder. We meet some people caught up in or harmed by the evil of others. We see how police can be either good or bad and how some bend their positions to do as they will. We learn how family guards those they love. And we also see how choices made can impact people in good ways or bad.
There were times I could not understand the thinking of Anna and wondered where her mind had gone. There were times I wanted to smack Anna and tell her to wise up. There were times I wanted to give some of the policemen she encountered more than a talking to. There were times I felt sad and wondered “what if” this or that had happened instead of what did happen in the story.
This is a book that is dark and twisted but also one that is not farfetched in regard to what can and does happen at times in real life. It tells of those trying to correct and improve the universe as well as of those that want to enjoy hedonistically the time they are on earth. At the end of the book I wondered if Anna will be getting a series of her own and if so whether or not she will be more grounded in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
December 19, 2019
Criminology lecturer Anna returns home to Glasgow after ten years away to celebrate her oldest friend's birthday. On her first night back, she comes across an old school friend, once a crush of hers, dying in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park. Once she recovers from the shock, and the police are involved, she knows she should stay out of the way. But she can't let it go, especially as she has little faith in the police officers leading the investigation. She begins looking into Andrew's death herself. She learns things about her friend she might have preferred not to know, and her enquiries lead her back to her school days, and a difficult time in her own life that she would rather not revisit.
Anna is a compelling protagonist - she's pretty no nonsense! She is generally cool and calm, and perhaps comes across as a little standoffish. She's much more comfortable in her academic world than in any general social situation, but is passionate about the issues she cares about, particularly violence against women, which is a theme throughout the book. And there is more to Anna than initially meets the eye - she has her own secrets...
One person who can get under Anna's hard exterior is Zoe, her best friend from school. Zoe is the complete opposite of Anna - she's loud, brash, sassy, pure Glasgow and has pretty much no filter. She is the perfect foil for Anna and I adored her. Anna has not seen Zoe for 10 years, but has come back to Glasgow to help celebrate Zoe's birthday. They connect in the way they used to - affectionate banter and whispered stories. The scenes where the two women appear on their own, particularly the flashbacks, show that Mackenzie has a real grasp on how strong female friendships work, with all their ups and downs.
I loved the Glasgow setting, which for me is a familiar one. There is something great about reading a book and recognising where the action takes place. I really liked Mackenzie's style of writing - he has a real way with words. There is a fair amount of humour, mostly courtesy of Zoe, which is always welcome, for me at least, in a crime novel. The story zips along at a good pace, with plenty of red herrings and as a result, the denouement was a complete surprise.
In The Silence is a cracking read and a great debut. It's brilliant to see a strong woman, two actually, taking centre stage. Mackenzie has taken an issue which is often featured in crime novels but covered it in a fresh way and with style. He is one to watch.
Anna is a compelling protagonist - she's pretty no nonsense! She is generally cool and calm, and perhaps comes across as a little standoffish. She's much more comfortable in her academic world than in any general social situation, but is passionate about the issues she cares about, particularly violence against women, which is a theme throughout the book. And there is more to Anna than initially meets the eye - she has her own secrets...
One person who can get under Anna's hard exterior is Zoe, her best friend from school. Zoe is the complete opposite of Anna - she's loud, brash, sassy, pure Glasgow and has pretty much no filter. She is the perfect foil for Anna and I adored her. Anna has not seen Zoe for 10 years, but has come back to Glasgow to help celebrate Zoe's birthday. They connect in the way they used to - affectionate banter and whispered stories. The scenes where the two women appear on their own, particularly the flashbacks, show that Mackenzie has a real grasp on how strong female friendships work, with all their ups and downs.
I loved the Glasgow setting, which for me is a familiar one. There is something great about reading a book and recognising where the action takes place. I really liked Mackenzie's style of writing - he has a real way with words. There is a fair amount of humour, mostly courtesy of Zoe, which is always welcome, for me at least, in a crime novel. The story zips along at a good pace, with plenty of red herrings and as a result, the denouement was a complete surprise.
In The Silence is a cracking read and a great debut. It's brilliant to see a strong woman, two actually, taking centre stage. Mackenzie has taken an issue which is often featured in crime novels but covered it in a fresh way and with style. He is one to watch.
September 11, 2018
Dr Anna Scavolini has lived in Rome for the last ten years but is drawn by home to Glasgow by her friend Zoe for her birthday. Unpleasant memories begin to surface, especially when she comes across her former crush Andrew Foley at Zoe’s birthday party.
After an awkward conversation, Andrew disappears until she finds him later bleeding in a local park. Anna is soon drawn into the police investigation as their only real witness, but she feels like she can’t trust the police.
Another victim turns up, someone she also went to school with. He gives her a strange message which leads to an incident in the past.
Anna doesn’t know who to trust and with her rapidly declining mental state, she’s putting herself in more danger than she knows.
So this is the author’s debut novel and wow what a way to start! It’s an intense and gripping read which kept me guessing until the ending with some very good red herrings.
I do enjoyed a story that a member of the public puts on their detective hat and digging into a mystery! (I think secretly a lot of us would like to do that ourselves.) Anna is not all that likeable, I feel she’s a little self absorbed and standoffish but when you find out her family history, the trauma she’s been through and her mental health issues, I warmed to her a little more.
The wintery setting of Glasgow and the use of the Scottish dialect added a little bit more authenticity to the story and although there were a few words I had to look up, I still really enjoyed reading it.
In The Silence deals with quite a lot of sensitive issues, including sexual assault and how the victims of such crimes are treated, mental health and toxic masculinity. I think the author deals with them well and in a delicate manner but at times I did feel like I was being preached to a little, because I have seen over the years how bad it is for victims of sexual assault and how horribly the court system treats them.
Also while I enjoyed the ending I did feel there was a few unanswered questions but that’s me just being a little fussy.
In The Silence is a powerful yet thoughtful mystery that raises a few moral questions along the way.
After an awkward conversation, Andrew disappears until she finds him later bleeding in a local park. Anna is soon drawn into the police investigation as their only real witness, but she feels like she can’t trust the police.
Another victim turns up, someone she also went to school with. He gives her a strange message which leads to an incident in the past.
Anna doesn’t know who to trust and with her rapidly declining mental state, she’s putting herself in more danger than she knows.
So this is the author’s debut novel and wow what a way to start! It’s an intense and gripping read which kept me guessing until the ending with some very good red herrings.
I do enjoyed a story that a member of the public puts on their detective hat and digging into a mystery! (I think secretly a lot of us would like to do that ourselves.) Anna is not all that likeable, I feel she’s a little self absorbed and standoffish but when you find out her family history, the trauma she’s been through and her mental health issues, I warmed to her a little more.
The wintery setting of Glasgow and the use of the Scottish dialect added a little bit more authenticity to the story and although there were a few words I had to look up, I still really enjoyed reading it.
In The Silence deals with quite a lot of sensitive issues, including sexual assault and how the victims of such crimes are treated, mental health and toxic masculinity. I think the author deals with them well and in a delicate manner but at times I did feel like I was being preached to a little, because I have seen over the years how bad it is for victims of sexual assault and how horribly the court system treats them.
Also while I enjoyed the ending I did feel there was a few unanswered questions but that’s me just being a little fussy.
In The Silence is a powerful yet thoughtful mystery that raises a few moral questions along the way.
October 2, 2018
Anna hasn't set foot in Glasgow for ten years. And for very good reasons... When Anna, a criminology lecturer, does return to Glasgow from Rome, during the coldest winter in memory, tragedy strikes. While out with her best friend from school, Anna has a chance encounter with a former flame, Andrew, and later that night discovers Andrew stabbed and dying on a blanket of snow. Soon Anna finds herself at the centre of the investigation as the star witness for the police, and embarks on investigating the case herself. But Anna doesn't realise the danger she is in and soon finds herself in trouble. When another body shows up, who has links to the first victim, it appears that the motive may lie buried in the past. As Anna gets closer to the truth, the killer starts closing in. But can she solve the gruesome mystery before the killer strikes again?
What’s interesting about this novel is I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, not even Anna, everyone seemed a bit too full of themselves for my liking. But, I did want to know who the killer was.
All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable debut novel that has much promise for the future. Do yourself a favour, head over to Amazon and buy this book, you'll love it. The long winter nights are just around the corner and this will be perfect for them. Just don't have nightmares!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
What’s interesting about this novel is I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, not even Anna, everyone seemed a bit too full of themselves for my liking. But, I did want to know who the killer was.
All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable debut novel that has much promise for the future. Do yourself a favour, head over to Amazon and buy this book, you'll love it. The long winter nights are just around the corner and this will be perfect for them. Just don't have nightmares!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 10, 2018
Anna hasn’t set foot in Glasgow for ten years. And for very good reasons…
Anna, a criminology lecturer, returns to Glasgow from Rome during the coldest winter in memory. While out with her best friend from school, Anna has a chance encounter with a former flame, Andrew. Tragedy strikes later that night when Anna discovers Andrew stabbed and dying on a blanket of snow.
I enjoyed this book, even though I wasn't sure why the author set it in 2009. It was well written and kept me guessing right to the end. Anna and Zoe, her best friend from school, are polar opposites and both engaging and annoying at the same time which made them more realistic. Anna is plunged into a murder investigation when she finds the body of a man she'd had a crush on over a decade earlier. Very little is made of her being a criminology expert, it is left to the reader to link her job to her inability to leave well alone but her reactions to this and subsequent crimes seemed to suggest a naivety I wouldn't have expected from someone with her experience.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books and it kept my attention throughout. For a first novel it ticked all the boxes; I will definitely keep an eye open for more.
Anna, a criminology lecturer, returns to Glasgow from Rome during the coldest winter in memory. While out with her best friend from school, Anna has a chance encounter with a former flame, Andrew. Tragedy strikes later that night when Anna discovers Andrew stabbed and dying on a blanket of snow.
I enjoyed this book, even though I wasn't sure why the author set it in 2009. It was well written and kept me guessing right to the end. Anna and Zoe, her best friend from school, are polar opposites and both engaging and annoying at the same time which made them more realistic. Anna is plunged into a murder investigation when she finds the body of a man she'd had a crush on over a decade earlier. Very little is made of her being a criminology expert, it is left to the reader to link her job to her inability to leave well alone but her reactions to this and subsequent crimes seemed to suggest a naivety I wouldn't have expected from someone with her experience.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books and it kept my attention throughout. For a first novel it ticked all the boxes; I will definitely keep an eye open for more.
August 13, 2018
Wow, while I am not familiar with this author, I love his work. His ability to keep you guessing is amazing. I could not stop reading in fear that I might miss something. We have Anna who has gone home after being away for 10 long years. She meets a guy named Andrew that she has not seen in a long time. However, when she finds him stabbed and dying she is worried that she might be the one to take the blame. Enter Zoe her friend. They seem to be opposites yet alike in some ways. Each with their own flaws. I do not want to give away too much so I will stop there. The reader is left to figure out much of what Anna does which actually enhances the book. This thriller actually had me from the beginning. I really hope that we see Anna again in other books by this author. I was taken by the authors ability to keep the reader enthralled in the pages. That seems hard to do in some cases. Mackenzie hit it straight on the mark with In The Silence.
Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
5+++ ⭐️ out of 5
Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
5+++ ⭐️ out of 5
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