Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Fifteen years ago Piper Boone’s only child died in a boating accident, and Piper’s almost perfect life came to an end too. After living through a divorce and losing her job, she retreats to Curlew Island and her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the politically powerful Boone family, who are practically American royalty.

But Piper’s desire to become a recluse is shattered when a mass shooter opens fire and kills three women at a café where Piper is having lunch. The crisis puts her family in the spotlight by dredging up rumors of the so-called Curlew Island Curse, which whispers say has taken the lives of several members of the Boone family, including Piper’s father and sister.

Forensic artist Tucker Landry also survives the shooting and is tasked with the job of sketching a portrait of the shooter with Piper. They forge a bond over their shared love of movies and tragic pasts. But when police discover a connection between the shooting and two more murders on Curlew Island, they face a more terrible lineup of suspects than they could have imagined: Piper’s family.

Unraveling the family’s true history will be the key to Piper’s survival—or her certain death."

My Thoughts:

Relative Silence was a fascinating mystery that kept me turning the pages!  I love a book where the author really keeps me guessing and unsure of who to trust.  At the beginning of this book, Piper goes through a life changing event that is still haunting her to this day.  Then in present day, she is forced to contend with much more as she realizes that someone may be trying to kill her although she has no idea why.  The book really goes from there and let's just say that I was turning the pages as fast as I could to figure it all out.  I'm trying not to give anything away so sorry if that all feels very vague.  I will say that I liked that we as the reader didn't know who to trust or what was really going on.  The only thing that I knew for sure was that it must tie in to what had happened so long ago (even if I didn't know how or why).  It made for a very suspenseful read in my opinion!  This book is Christian fiction but honestly I hardly noticed.  It wasn't heavy handed or preachy which I really appreciated.  There were some great side characters that I also really appreciated as well.  One was a detective named Mandy who is trying to help Piper out throughout the book.  Piper also grows as an individual throughout this book which I couldn't help but appreciate.  I wasn't too sure of her at first but by the end I was really rooting for.  She had so much strength despite everything and I couldn't help but admire that.  I also really liked the fact that the weather and setting played such an important part of this book.  Being caught on an island with a hurricane bearing down caused the tension to level up quite a few notches for me.  Those last 100 pages just flew by as I had to see how everything would end!

Overall, I enjoyed my time which this book and would definitely be open to reading more by this author.  I finished this book in just a matter of days because I couldn't (and didn't want to) set it down.  It was a really solid mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.  I will say that there were a few things relating to the mystery that I figured out while reading but I definitely didn't guess who was behind it all.  I really appreciated that the author was able to take me by surprise with the way that this book ended.  I think that readers who enjoy suspenseful reads, mystery lovers, and Christian fiction readers would all enjoy this book.  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  A suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a PICT book tour.  Honest thoughts are my own.

Book Details: Genre: Suspense Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: July 14th 2020 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 0785226184 (ISBN13: 9780785226185) Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads Author Bio: Carrie Stuart Parks is Christy, Carol, and Inspy award-winning author, an award-winning fine artist, and internationally known forensic artist. Along with her husband, Rick, she travels across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law enforcement as well as civilian participants. She has won numerous awards for career excellence. Carrie is a popular platform speaker, presenting a variety of topics from crime to creativity. Catch Up With Carrie Stuart Parks: CarrieStuartParks.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, & Facebook