weekend read: The Silence of Murder

I’m not normally a big mystery reader, but The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall seemed intriguing to me and I’m so glad I read it.

The story focuses on sixteen-year-old Hope whose eighteen-year-old brother, Jeremy, has been accused of murder. Jeremy is autistic and hasn’t spoke since he was nine years old. When the beloved local baseball coach is murder and Jeremy is seen leaving the scene with a bloody bat, it’s up to Hope to prove her brother’s innocents since he isn’t talking and everyone else thinks he did it.

Working on the mystery are Hope’s best friend T.J. and the local sheriff’s hot son, Chase. As the three ask questions, snoop around, and ultimately uncover clues that could lead to a new suspect, secrets rise to the surface and the ending, the ending!, will shock you.

I kept thinking this book was going to be predictable. I would jump to conclusions in my head and many times I was sure I had solved the mystery because I am a smart, sleuth-y reader.

Except I was always wrong. So wrong.

I loved The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall. The author portrays a character with mental issues with compassion and love, and the main character, Hope–while sometimes silly or immature–is loyal to her brother in a way that makes you love her undeniably. This is a young adult novel that adults will enjoy too.

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