The Silent Dead

Marnie Riches

She was lying as if asleep on the wooden kitchen floor, beneath the fridge covered with a child’s colourful crayon drawings. But her frozen expression showed she would never wake again…

When Detective Jackie Cooke is called out to the scene, she’s expecting a routine check. The bottle of pills on the kitchen table, next to the note with the single word SORRY written in a shaky hand, make it seem obvious what’s happened. But Jackie is shocked when she recognises her old schoolfriend Claire – and she is convinced Claire would never take her own life.

Determined to dig deeper, Jackie soon discovers evidence that proves her right: a roll of notes has been thrust down the victim’s throat. And when she finds another woman killed in the same way, she realises someone may be targeting lonely single mothers. As Jackie talks to Claire’s distraught children, one of them too young to understand his mummy is never coming home, she vows to find answers.

Both victims were in touch with someone calling himself Nice Guy – could he be the killer? Pursuing every clue, Jackie is sure she’s found a match in dead-eyed Tyler, part of a dark world of men intent on silencing women for daring to reject them. But just as she makes the arrest, another single mother is found dead – a woman who never dated at all.

Forced to re-evaluate every lead she has, with her boss pressuring her to make a case against the obvious suspect, Jackie knows she is running out of time before another innocent woman is murdered. And, as a single mother herself, she cannot help but wonder if she is in the killer’s sights. Can she uncover his true motivation and put an end to his deadly game… or will he find her first?

A completely unputdownable crime thriller that will have you reading long into the night. Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliott, Rachel McLean and Val McDermid.

See what readers are saying about The Silent Dead

OMG!!!… Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolute page turner!!… My heart is still pounding hours after reading it… OMG the twists just kept on coming again and again!!!… an absolutely addictive, mind-blowing page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you’ve finished!!!’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge… the reveal of the killer in the end was mind blowing!… Can’t wait for the next book in the series – worth five stars!Tropical Girl Reads Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had trouble putting this down!A stunner! I guarantee you’ll put everything on hold until you arrive at the shocking final scenes!… a one-sit compulsive read… can’t wait for more!’ Goodreads reviewer

5 Stars!kept me up all night reading and checking to see if the doors are locked… I can’t wait to read the next book!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Detective Jackie Cooke is back!!! Woohoo!!!… fantastic… a gripping page-turner that I could not put down… From cover to cover, this was breathtaking, engaging, suspenseful.’ Openbookposts

Addictive and suspensefulkept me on the edge of my seat until the shocking twist… I was hooked… A true unputdownable crime thriller that will have you reading long into the night!@rubie_reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Terrific… gripping… a magnificent, thrilling and immensely satisfying book… Recommended!’ NetGalley reviewer

‘Grabs your attention from the first sentence and it keeps you reading and you just can’t stop… I just loved… a wonderful gripping story you just can’t put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

More From the Series: Detective Jackie Cooke

More From Marnie Riches