📚The Silent Witness by Carolyn Arnold is the third book in the Detective Amanda Steele series. After reading Stolen Daughters, I eagerly awaited the release of 📚The Silent Witness. I could not wait to slip back into Amanda’s world.
Title: The Silent Witness
Author(s): Carolyn Arnold
Series: Detective Amanda Steele #3
Also in this series: The Little Grave , Stolen Daughters , Black Orchid Girls , Her Frozen Cry , Last Seen Alive , Her Final Breath, Taken Girls , Her Last Words , Missing Before Daylight , The Wildfire Girl , Her Deadly Rose , Hidden Angels
Published by Bookouture on September 24, 2021
Pages: 305
Genre(s): Mystery
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc, eBook
Purchase: Amazon|Kobo|Audible|ITunes
Rating:
Series Rating:
It’s 4 a.m. when her mom shakes her awake. “Get up baby, we’re going to play hide and seek.” The little girl presses back into the dark space, holding her breath as she hears the shots ring out. She knows she’s next…
When the bodies of a local family are discovered on a quiet street in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele takes charge of the case. Brett and Angela Parker were shot three times each, leaving no hope of survival, and their tidy suburban home has been ransacked. But there is no sign of their beloved six-year-old, Zoe.
Zoe is the same age as Amanda’s daughter was when she died, and Amanda can’t bear the thought of another little girl in danger. She’s organizing a search for the child, when she notices something strange about the ottoman at the foot of the Parkers’ bed. She opens it to find Zoe, mute and traumatized, but alive.
With Zoe completely uncommunicative, Amanda must find another way to untangle what destroyed this seemingly perfect family. It’s clear that the killer is searching for something the Parkers had, and until she has this monster behind bars, Amanda fears that he may return for Zoe. When she learns that Brett Parker cut short the family’s recent lakeside vacation, she wonders why. What happened at that lake house, and did it ultimately get them killed?
Amanda heads out to Lake Chesdin on the feeling it might be key to the case, and when she finds a cell phone in the murky waters next to the Parker cabin, she knows she’s made a breakthrough. But then terrible news reaches her from Dumfries; Zoe has been taken from her school playground.
Someone wants to silence the Parker family for good, can Amanda catch them before the little girl she’s desperate to protect pays the price?
A completely gripping and addictive crime thriller that will keep fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni entertained into the early hours.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
This time around Amanda and her partner, Trent, are investigating a double homicide. Someone shot a couple three times at point blank range. Who shot them and why was the question on everyone’s mind. Meanwhile, the couple’s six-year-old daughter, Zoe, has gone missing. Amanda, while searching the house, found Zoe hiding in an ottoman. Despite the joy of having found her, Amanda recognized the danger Zoe faced as the only witness to the murders. Against her better judgement, she reluctantly agrees to take Zoe home to protect her.
Wow! What a ride. 📚The Silent Witness lived up to its tagline of being an unputdownable read. Danger, intrigue, suspense, drama will keep you reading way into the night. The more Amanda and Trent dug, the more complex their investigation became. While trying to unravel the mystery of the murders, Amanda and Trent discover a link to the sex trafficking ring discovered in the previous installment. Soon, Amanda will realize how on point her gut instincts are.
Since starting this series I became invested in the lives of the characters. Amanda showed a lot of growth throughout the series to the point of her making a life-changing decision. This case paved the way for her to move on from the pain of losing her family by providing her the chance to develop a bond with Zoe. Soon we see an improvement in her work and personal relationships. In my review of Stolen Daughters, I mentioned not everyone she works with was in her corner. Well, the reason for this came to light.
Everyone got their just deserts, which provided the perfect ending. I can’t wait to see what is next in store for Amanda. If you decide to read 📚The Silent Witness, which I strongly recommend you do, be prepared for an intense and thrilling journey.
| Story Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| World Building | |
| Writing Style | |
| Pacing | |
| Cover | |
| Enjoyment | |
| Ending | |
| Overall: | |
[bctt tweet=”The Silent Witness by Carolyn Arnold will take you on an intense journey filled with suspense, danger and drama. Be prepared for the ride of your life. #newrelease #detectiveamandasteele #mystery #bookouture” username=”TtlyAdd2Reading”]
About Carolyn Arnold
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™. Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
- Accidentally Forever: Carrie Ann Ryan - April 28, 2025
- Enchantra: Kaylie Smith - April 26, 2025
- Blog Tour: The Spring In My Heart - April 24, 2025
Ok wow you make me want to read this series Nadene. Now if I could only clone myself, that’s what I want to do every time I look at my netgalley shelf LOL
Debbie, I know the feeling. ?
Fantastic review Nadene. This series sounds like one I could devour!
Thanks Kim. I know you would enjoy this series. Its right up your alley. 😊
I just love that this was a unputdownable type of read, those are honestly the best kinds of books.
Totally the best kind. 👍
Neat how this frightened child is there to help her through her own loss even while she works on the case. I like the sound of this series.
I thought it was great too. It is a good series.
I am so glad that you are still enjoying this series. I might have to give it a try at some point because it sounds great.
It is worth giving a try.
Good to see you are enjoying the series. I already read two series from this author and didn’t want to add another so I’ve not read these books. One day I’ll go back and read them as they do sound really good. Great review.
I’m so glad this proved such an enjoyable read, reading the synopsis I had such hopes it would prove to be.
The series is great. I love the author’s work.