FEAR THE SILENCE

4 stars out of 5

This is an enjoyable standalone novel by one of my favorite authors, although I do think it stretched the limits of human endurance a little beyond believable limits. Basically, it tracks physician Maggie Kendall's attempts to find out what really happened to her beloved husband Will, who was brought into her emergency room with a gunshot wound that turned fatal. The official word is suicide; but Maggie is convinced that something more sinister happened and sets out to prove it.

Will, a former doctor who exchanged his profession to one rooted in architecture and design, built them a gorgeous vacation "smart" home on an island off Croatia. To shore things up there, Maggie makes a visit - and receives a letter from a man who claims to be Will's solicitor (a surprise in and of itself). It's a cryptic message that, at least to Maggie, bolsters her belief that Will's death was murder, not suicide - even though it raises more questions than it answers.

Shortly thereafter, Maggie is involved in suspicious "accidents," adding more fuel to the murder theory fire and nearly ending her quest for the truth the hard way. Re-reading Will's letter, and a chance encounter, bring even more clues - and more danger. From that point on, it's a race to see whether the truth will be uncovered (and whether Maggie will live to see that happen). The whole thing is a fast-paced adventure, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a prerelease copy.

Fear the Silence by Robert Bryndza (Raven Street Publishing, July 2023); 330 pp.