The Quiet Dead by NJ Mackay
Fifteen years ago, he confessed to the murder of his wife and children.
As a teenager, Hayley DaSilva walked into a nightmare; discovering the bodies of her mother, twin brother, and friend all brutally slaughtered in her home… and her nine-year-old brother missing. Her father, Leonard DaSilva, confessed to the murders, but Ethan was never seen again.
He lied. But why?
Now, Hayley has fled her dreadful past in Thamespark - until the call from Detective Sebastian Locke. Little bones uncovered in a shallow grave belong to Ethan… and the investigation reveals holes in the case that prove Leonard’s confession was false. He didn’t kill his family. So why did he say he did?
As DI Locke and the squad realise that a killer has been hiding in plain sight in the sleepy commuter town of Thamespark, the previously cold case becomes an urgent investigation. But as the squad gets closer to the truth of who really murdered the DaSilvas, it becomes clear that the culprit won’t hesitate to spill blood to keep their shocking secrets hidden…
An absolutely unputdownable police procedural with a shocking twist, introducing Detective Sebastian Locke. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Cara Hunter and Sharon Bolton will love this.
Review
‘The Quiet Dead’ is the start of a brand new series which features DI Sebastian Locke, who is a character featured in one of the author’s standalone books. This is the first book of the NJ’s that I have read but I will definitely be looking out for the rest of the series as I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Seb.
Fifteen years ago he confessed to the murder of his wife and children. His surviving daughter Hayley DaSilva walked into a nightmare, one she really has waken from. She discovered the bodies of her mother, her twin and his friend and her little brother Ethan was missing never to be found. Hayley has a new life in New York but when a call from DI Sebastian Locke rocks her world she heads home to Thamespark as her brother's body has been found. It soon becomes clear her father’s confession was false. But why did he lie and who is the real killer?!
I thought this got off to a good start as it was quite a brutal killing, especially for a family member to walk into the aftermath. But as the book progresses you see there are many a thread to this story and everyone has an angle. I thought Hayley’s character was well-written especially when it came to her latent trauma but the relationship with her father could have been teased out more rather than blindly accepting his innocence. I did fall hook, link and sinker when it comes to Sebastian Locke though. I loved his relationship with his daughter and I thought the partnership with Lucy will grow into a great one! He is the perfect protagonist - fighting for justice and corruption in the force, but care about his home life and especially his daughter.
Let me know if you pick this one up!
