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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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