I absolutely could not put this down!

A Thousand Silent Cries is one of those books that completely pulls you in and I got lost in the storyline. After a long wait, the third book in the Cydney Granger series has been published, and it was certainly well worth the wait as I could hardly put it down.

The book is a powerful psychological novel that relies on emotional depth as well as page turning tension – and it succeeds brilliantly.

Cydney Granger is a compelling central figure and so real that you forget this is a work of fiction. As the third in the series, the story involves the same previous cast of characters but now we have a new antagonist, an ex IRA dissident who is intent on keeping his past silent by hunting down the only person who can expose his past, Cydney’s close friend’s husband, a renowned barrister.

The pace is sharp and gripping and there were many times I found myself completely on edge and desperate to keep turning the pages. There is a constant sense that the lies and hidden backgrounds are about to break through the surface, and this is maintained right through to the end.

I love the way the author, Karen Millie-James, writes so that her character-driven stories remain with you long after the final page. Her stories involve hidden layers of experiences and thoughts that are carefully buried and emotions that shape how people have survived their pasts. It makes you question every emotion you have ever felt yourself.

The events in her books are well researched and she offers readers a glimpse into the psyche behind her characters’ behaviour by inviting readers into her world in such a believable way so they can make up their own minds as to the rights and wrongs.

Long after finishing it, I kept thinking about Cydney and the events depicted. That to me is the mark of a powerful book.

Haunting. Emotional, Complete absorbing. Highly recommended.

Riveting stuff.