Today it’s my turn on the blog tour for The Silent Girls by the very talented Ann Troup, hosted by Jenny at Neverland blog tours. I’m really happy to be part of this blog tour, as I really enjoyed The Silent Girls, you can read my review further down the page.
Book Description
What if everything you knew was a lie…
This house has a past that won’t stay hidden, and it is time for the dead to speak.
Returning to Number 17, Coronation Square, Edie is shocked to find the place she remembers from childhood reeks of mould and decay. After her aunt Dolly’s death Edie must clear out the home on a street known for five vicious murders many years ago, but under the dirt and grime of years of neglect lurk dangerous truths.
For in this dark house there is misery, sin and dark secrets that can no longer stay hidden. The truth must come out.
Finding herself dragged back into the horrific murders of the past, Edie must find out what really happened all those years ago. But as Edie uncovers the history of the family she had all but forgotten, she begins to wonder if sometimes it isn’t best to leave them buried.
An unforgettable and addictive story, perfect for fans of Lesley Thomson, Diane Chamberlain and Tracy Buchanan.
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About Ann Troup
Ann Troup tells tales and can always make something out of nothing (which means she writes books and can create unique things from stuff other people might not glance twice at). She was once awarded 11 out of 10 for a piece of poetry at school – she now holds that teacher entirely responsible for her inclination to write.
Her writing space is known as ‘the empty nest’, having formerly been her daughters bedroom. She shares this space with ten tons of junk and an elderly Westie, named Rooney, who is her constant companion whether she likes it or not. He likes to contribute to the creative process by going to sleep on top of her paperwork and running away with crucial post-it notes, which have inadvertently become stuck to his fur. She is thinking of renaming him Gremlin.
She lives by the sea in Devon with her husband and said dog. Two children have been known to remember the place that they call home, but mainly when they are in need of a decent roast dinner, it’s Christmas or when only Mum will do. She also has extremely decent stepchildren.
In a former incarnation she was psychiatric nurse, an experience which frequently informs her writing. She has also owned a cafe and an art/craft gallery. Now she only makes bacon sandwiches as a sideline, but does continue to dabble with clay, paint, paper, textiles, glue…you name it. Occasionally she may decide to give away some of these creations (you have been warned!).
To learn more about Ann Troup visit
This is the first book I have read by Ann Troup, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, I must admit I picked it up with some trepidation. I found The Silent Girls slow to start, but Ann spends the time building up the layers of the story, and it’s characters, which is not a bad thing, and in fact added to the anticipation of what was to come. Edie returns to Coronation Square where many years before Five women were brutally murdered, the murders were solved and a man was hung for them, but as Ann weaves the threads of a fine plot, you can sense that there were more to these murders than first Thought.
Not long after Edie arrives at her aunts house, a host of characters enter her life, some of them were very likeable, others the complete opposite. The characters are well developed, and I especially liked reading about Edie and her blossoming friendship with the homeless Sophie. Again Ann builds on her characters strand by strand, so you feel like you really get to know them, warts and all!
I was very impressed with Ann’s ability to describe things, I really could imagine Dolly’s squalid house, and the darkness surrounding 17 Coronation Square, where secrets lay in every corner, waiting to be revealed. What starts out as a relatively straight forward task for Edie (sorting out her aunts house), soon becomes something much darker, as secrets from her family’s past start to unravel strand by strand, setting off a chain of events that lead to a nail biting conclusion.
All in all The Silent Girls was an enjoyable read, with a well developed plot and descriptions that help the reader to conjure up both the atmosphere and the surroundings in her book. Ann has certainly crafted a beautifully written book, with descriptions that bring the whole story to life, and I for one will be reading Ann’s first book The Lost Child soon.
Publisher: Carina; ePub ed edition (18 Feb. 2016)
4☕️☕️☕️☕️out of 5
The book review café 