Splintered Silence was my first read/listen from author Susan Furlong. The story and characters are slowly & methodically developed, drawing the reader in. Narrator Amy Landon added greatly to the listening enjoyment with her wide variety of entertaining voices & inflections. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018). ( )

OK, maybe, but I didn't really enjoy it ( )

Earlier today, I DNF'd "Children Of Time" which was one of the books on my "Thirty Firsts" reading challenge. I picked up "Splintered Silence" because it's also on that list.

I was fairly sure I was going to like this one: the plot had a lot of similarities to "Blood On The Tracks" which I enjoyed. It has a strong but damaged female lead, a loyal but damaged dog, a murder to solve and a unique culture (Irish Travellers) to delve into.


I only made it through the dedication and the first chapter before I understood that this book wasn't for me or rather, I'm not for this book.

I'm not nice enough to read this. It had barely started and I was already being distracted by how... wholesome the book felt. The writing was fine and the story was developing OK but I felt like I was watching one of those programs from Christian Television where the FBI agents all smile a lot and have hearts of gold.

My view on the world is a little more jaded. I tried being an optimist once, but I knew it wouldn't last. I put the book aside because I knew I'd end up muttering "Yeah, right" and "Like that's going to happen" and that wouldn't be fair on me or the book. Lot's of people will enjoy this, I'm just not one of them.

4.5 stars. ( )

Splintered Silence is a well-written, strong mystery that I wish I had liked more. It's fast-paced, with plenty of misdirection, and a strong sense of place. There are three things I enjoy most in my reading: setting, story, and characters. It's that third category of character that I had trouble with-- and not because the characters are badly written. Quite the contrary.

Yes, my subjective likes and dislikes have reared their ugly heads, although I will say that poor, battered Wilco is probably my favorite fictional war dog. (He's deaf, three-legged, has PTSD, and a list of strengths a mile long.) No, it's the humans I really didn't like. The townspeople who hate the Travellers even though they haven't bothered to learn a thing about them are just the sort of people I have no time for. The Irish Travellers themselves, with their endless lists of do's and don't's, are just as prejudiced as the folks they refer to as "settleds". And Brynn herself, on a downward spiral aided by prescription drugs and alcohol, highlights one of my many shortcomings-- my utter lack of patience for drunks. At least she begins to shed her dependence on them the more involved she becomes in the investigation.

If you do not share my personal and very subjective dislikes, you should really enjoy Splintered Silence. It was named one of the Top 25 Mysteries of 2017 by Strand Magazine, and I can see why. My reading self wants to love this book. Unfortunately, my emotional side has overruled it. This is most definitely a case where your mileage can (and probably will) vary! ( )