The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad
- Megan
- Jul 5, 2016
- 2 min read
Today’s novel was one I just grabbed off the shelf because it looked interesting. It’s called The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad. The Silent Girls takes place in Vermont where teenage girls are going missing. Ex-cop Frank Rath gets pulled in to help the cops find a connection between seemingly dissimilar girls. As he and his partners are battling time to find them alive, Rath is forced to face demons from his past that are threatening him and his daughter.
I’m going to be honest, this book took me a while to get into. Granted, I’m not sure if it was the writing or the fact that I had some new shiny books that I desperately wanted to start reading. Either way, it didn’t grasp my full attention for a while.
I did like how the book maintained a third person omniscient point of view. You get at least one chapter from every main character’s perspective, and it’s done in a very cohesive way. I also loved how the book, as advertised on the back cover, hits on a lot of “morally complex” issues. Even the characters have indecision on how they stand with the issues and that makes them not only believable, but also relatable. Speaking of characters, Rickstad knows what he’s doing when it comes to creating characters. They are multifaceted with all their own quirks, passions, and vices. These characters are very three dimensional.
There is one thing I loved above all else about The Silent Girls, the ending. No, I won’t spoil anything, just hear me out. This is a mystery novel. I don’t know about you, but when watching movies/TV shows or reading books, I usually have a good idea about who the villain is. I may not always be right, but I at least I feel confident with a guess. Not in this novel. I was baffled when I realized I only had a few chapters left and all the suspects seemed feeble or on a level playing field. I was shocked at the reveal. I was very impressed with the handling of the villain revelation. Kudos to you, Mr Rickstad!
All in all, The Silent Girls may be a bit slow to get into, but once you do, you will be hooked and on the edge of your seat until the end. Honestly, I am still on the edge of my seat because he leaves you with the biggest cliff hanger I think I have ever seen.
I give The Silent Girls a solid A.
Read it and let me know what you think in the comments.
Megan
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