The Silent House by Nell Pattison
Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller, crime fiction
Read: 10th June 2020
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 1st March 2020)
★★★★★ 5 stars
As soon as I read the premise for THE SILENT HOUSE, I was excited by the concept because I am no stranger to the deaf. My uncle was profoundly deaf and while I never learnt sign language (in Australia it is known as Auslan), I knew a few basic signs and finger spelling. I am familiar with the deaf community being such a small one that they see even getting cochlear implants (so they can hear) as traitorous to the world they know and are comfortable in. The hearing world is so much more different to that of the deaf, to the point the deaf are actually quite comfortable with being deaf. Particularly those who have been deaf all or most of their lives that the hearing world is a strange concept to them and being deaf is normal and comfortable.
Different and somewhat unique, THE SILENT HOUSE by Nell Pattison is her debut and takes the reader into the world of the deaf. Most of the characters are deaf and we are given plenty of background into everyone from signing and deaf clubs and how the deaf community is a small and tight-knit one.
This makes it difficult for Paige Northwood, a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter, who is part of that community being the only hearing member of her family. In the way that it is not always easy to separate yourself from the situation she finds herself in as an interpreter and the deaf community...because she already knows most of those embroiled within the case.
The story begins with an atmospheric and somewhat chilling prologue in which six year old Jaxon wakes in the night to see a shadow in the bedroom doorway and something wet and sticky on his sister Lexi's bed. Being from Jaxon's perspective, we see the spooky scene through his eyes and it is chilling.
The following morning sees Paige called to the Hunter house by police with no information bar that she is needed to interpret for a deaf family at a crime scene. She arrives to discover she knows this house and the people in it. What has happened? Elisha Barron is in tears, covered in blood and is in the arms of her partner Alan Hunter. Her thoughts goes straight to the children. The couple have an 18 month old girl Kasey and Alan has two children with his previous girlfriend Laura - Jaxon and Lexi. She attempts to find out what happened but no one will tell her anything. She is informed that she is there purely to inform Elisha that she needs to hand over the clothing she is wearing to police as she has refused so far. When she accompanies Elisha upstairs to change, Paige catches a glimpse of the children's bedroom and is horrified by what she sees. Little Lexi Hunter, the same age as Kasey, laying in a pool of blood her head bashed in.
Paige is haunted by the image of Lexi's bloodied body and wonders how she will break the news to her sister Anna, who is Lexi's godmother. Laura, Jaxon and Lexi's mother, is Anna's best friend and she knows that as soon as her sister hears of the tragedy she will want to return to Scunthorpe. Which is exactly what Anna does...after finding out on Facebook.
But Paige doesn't disclose to the police her connection to the families involved, which could possibly be a conflict of interest, as she wants to remain privy to as much information as she can in the hope that she will find out who ended Lexi's life in such a tragic way. With the deaf community being such a small one, there are bound to be crossovers as an interpreter which is how she justifies her continued involvement. To find another BSL interpreter would require the police to look further afield and it could be weeks before they could be allocated one. And in the case of a child's murder they need to act now.
As an interpreter, Paige is indeed privy to the interviews conducted on the deaf families and suspects. Using the knowledge she has gleaned from them, she endeavours to conduct her own investigation when the police seem intent on focusing in the wrong place. But then Paige finds herself the target of sinister threats - first as notes or texts sent from untraceable mobile numbers to setting her flat on fire. It seems someone is afraid that Paige knows more that she actually does about Lexi's murder.
But one thing is clear. There was no sign of a break in and as the whole family is deaf, no one heard a thing. So who walked into the Hunter home and brutally murdered little Lexi? How did they gain access? Or is it someone in the house? Someone closer to home, maybe?
THE SILENT HOUSE is in the third person primarily from Paige's perspective with every third chapter providing a narrative of one of the other characters - Alan, Laura, Elisha, Max, even Jaxon (to name a few). It is very cleverly done, giving the reader an insight to the various aspects of the story yet without giving too much away. It made for highly addictive reading, despite the slow pace at times.
The middle section of the story did appear to be somewhat slow with seemingly little progress on the case but then the reader has to remember that the story is from Paige's perspective, not the police, so she only knows the aspects to which she was privy and not the bigger picture. That being said, there were times it did feel there was little progress and not a lot happening but yet there was also a lot of to and froing with interpreting. It certainly made for interesting reading to get a glimpse into the lives of those live in a world of silence. The pace most definitely picks up with a race to the end to uncover the truth behind the unjust murder of a child.
What makes THE SILENT HOUSE so chilling is that everyone in the house is deaf so no one could hear a possible intruder enter and brutally murder a child. People assume that you would just know but in reality you wouldn't...particularly if you cannot hear. It highlighted the vulnerabilities the deaf can face in such situations. And when it comes to interpreting between the deaf and the hearing, it shows us how much the deaf rely on the hearing to translate for them accurately.
Take Laura's mum, Bridget. She is hearing and appears to have her own agenda and proceeds to converse with doctors, solicitors, teachers etc. about Laura or her children without interpreting a single word for her daughter who is profoundly deaf. Laura is completely confused and has no idea what is going on. This angered me when I read these instances as Laura had every right to know. I don't blame her for engaging an interpreter instead of relying on her mother.
I did think it was a brilliant idea to include conversations that are in sign as italicised text so that the reader can separate the signed with the spoken conversations.
I thoroughly enjoyed THE SILENT HOUSE and am eagerly awaiting Nell Pattison's second book featuring Paige Northwood once again in "Silent Night" which set for publication in November. This debut thriller is addictive, thrilling and chilling despite its slow pace at times and I devoured the story in record time.
A unique concept featuring the deaf community, THE SILENT HOUSE is a must read for fans of psychological/domestic thriller and crime fiction...particularly those looking for something different.
I would like to thank #NellPattison, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheSilentHouse in exchange for an honest review.
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