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lilifane's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I almost dnfed this book in the first half. I was really struggling. Mostly because I don't like domestic thrillers, and this felt like one in the first half. But I kept reading because I wanted to check out Paul Cleave's writing and plotting in general. To see if I should even pick up something else by him in the future. And another reason was that a friend of mine gave this a high rating and I trust their judgment.
What made the first half of the book so hard to get through were the unlikable characters and their behaviors. I do think that the depiction of a frustrated, anxious and powerless parent whose child has been abducted was well done. I understand the urge to do something in this situation. But the things the protagonist decides to do and not to do, frustrated me a lot. I understand irrational behavior in these circumstances, but it was a little too much. So yeah, I was not enjoying the experience.
Around the halfway point there is a turn in the story and from then on I had a better time with the book. At some point, I just went along with the wild things the protagonist was doing. Really like how everything came together in the end, too. (Although you have to suspend your disbelief a lot and there are still details that make no sense to me regarding the behavior of some of the characters. The motivation and execution of the whole thing, for example. It doesn't make a lot of sense when you think too much about it.) And the ending made me emotional.
All the trigger warnings involving children you can think of, btw.
What made the first half of the book so hard to get through were the unlikable characters and their behaviors. I do think that the depiction of a frustrated, anxious and powerless parent whose child has been abducted was well done. I understand the urge to do something in this situation. But the things the protagonist decides to do and not to do, frustrated me a lot. I understand irrational behavior in these circumstances, but it was a little too much. So yeah, I was not enjoying the experience.
Around the halfway point there is a turn in the story and from then on I had a better time with the book. At some point, I just went along with the wild things the protagonist was doing. Really like how everything came together in the end, too. (Although you have to suspend your disbelief a lot and there are still details that make no sense to me regarding the behavior of some of the characters. The motivation and execution of the whole thing, for example. It doesn't make a lot of sense when you think too much about it.) And the ending made me emotional.
All the trigger warnings involving children you can think of, btw.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Stalking, and Death of parent
yvo_about_books's review
4.0
Finished reading: May 26th 2023
“It doesn't matter what I say, or what the police say, we all know I did it.”
The work of Paul Cleave has been recommended me more than once in the past, and I've been meaning to pick up one of his books for a while now. I have a weak spot for stories with a bookish angle, so in the end I decided to read The Quiet People first. I loved the sound of the blurb, with the two crime writers suddenly in a negative spotlight when their seven-year-old goes missing. Are they guilty of trying to commit the perfect crime, or is something else going on? It's such a fascinating premise, and I have to say that the story itself definitely lived up to expectations. The Quiet People switches between the father (Cameron Murdoch) and the lead detective investigating the disappearance (DI Rebecca Kent), and I liked how the two POVs complemented each other as well as how they were used to add tension. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and I never saw the full truth coming at all. The character development of these flawed characters was excellent, and especially with the focus on the escalation of Cameron's behavior as the situation gets more dire. The 'voice' inside his head is brilliantly portrayed, and his character makes for a perfect example of blurred lines between good and bad in extreme situations. I'm definitely looking forward to read more of Paul Cleave's books soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
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