Title: The Silent Daughter by Claire Amarti
Publisher: Claire Amarti
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological, Suspense
Length: 289 pages
Summary:
Schoolgirl missing, the ticker reads, and the camera cuts to a girl’s face. Blonde hair waterfalling over her shoulders, serious eyes, lips a little parted like she’s about to speak. That’s when I realize I’ve been holding my breath, because the gasp when I inhale almost chokes me.
Sadie Kelly has lost her job. Until last month, she was a teacher at Horton College – the same high school she went to ten years ago along with her best friend, Fiona. But Fiona died in an accident on their graduation night, in circumstances Sadie’s spent the last ten years trying to forget, and since then nothing’s been the same.
Now Sadie’s back where she grew up, jobless, and living temporarily with Fiona’s mother. But when she hears that Devon Hundley, a Horton schoolgirl, has gone missing, everything changes. Devon’s the daughter of Philip Hundley, a man Sadie knows all too well, and Sadie can’t stop thinking about the last time she saw Devon. It was the day Sadie left Horton for good, and heard Devon murmur four little words as she walked away. Four words Sadie prayed she had misheard:
I know your secret.
A gripping page-turner for fans of Kerry Lonsdale, Diane Chamberlain, and Liane Moriarty.
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Purchase Link: Amazon
Excerpt
By afternoon the news of Devon Hundley’s disappearance has become today’s lead story. It’s been established that Devon’s bike is missing too. I’m glued to it all, I can’t look away. Jan has a volunteer shift at the hotline, and when she comes back she joins me on the couch, touching her hand to her mouth and softly shaking her head.
‘Dear, dear, dear. Sixteen years old. They say the first 24 hours are the most crucial, don’t they?’ She bites her lip. ‘Did you see anything – I mean, any signs, you know? Anything that suggested she might do something like this?’
‘I can’t say that I did. I didn’t think that much about her, I suppose,’ I lie.
Jan nods. ‘There’s so much we only see in hindsight, isn’t there?’
I swallow, not trusting myself to speak. I know who she’s thinking of. And it’s true, we all have blind spots. But then there are people like me – the ones desperately trying to stay in other people’s blind spots. The ones pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes.
I imagine readers all around the country asking the same question. Why would a girl like that run away? I know what they’ll see. A pretty sixteen year old who lives like a princess; who has everything money can buy. An athlete, talented, bright future, has it all.
Devon, what have you done?
Alone, in my room, I scroll to Contacts. The number I promised myself I wouldn’t text. The voice in my head is telling me to put my phone down, leave all this alone. I open a message and type:
Are you okay?
The phone pings in my hand, making me jump, but when I check it’s just Simone.
You coming to the vigil? she’s written.
Apparently they’re holding one tonight at the Horton chapel. Aren’t you supposed to do vigils for the dead, not the Missing? Maybe they want to televise it – maybe everyone will be standing in front of the camera begging her to “come home”. The thought of being there turns my stomach in ways I don’t want to analyze. I dread the idea, but also some part of me needs, wants, to be there. To be part of it. To see them.
Please come, she texts when I don’t respond.
I text her back that I will, and as soon as the decision is made, take a deep breath. As I let it out my phone chirps again. I swipe it open, but the message isn’t from Simone this time.
I told you, Sadie. Delete this number. Delete everything. I won’t ask again.
Author Bio
I’m an author who writes suspense stories about ordinary women – women like the ones we all know and love – who find out that their ordinary lives may not be quite so ordinary after all! My hope is that you will root for them, fear for them, and find yourself holding your breath when the action starts to get a little hairy!
When I’m not doing writing, I can be found strolling the streets of Brooklyn, New York City, my adopted home, dodging pigeons and traffic. I moved here a little over eight years ago – I hail from Ireland originally – and never looked back. To me there’s nothing more wonderful than that feeling of finding – or making! – a new home, that mixture of excitement at finding a place in the world, and the comfort of being able to come back to it time and again. That’s what reading feels like for me… and for you too I suspect! It’s also the same joy I get from writing. I hope my books can become a kind of home for you too: a place where you can trust that you’ll find a wonderful adventure, and then land safe and sound at the end of it all, ready to do it all again another day!
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Newsletter * Goodreads
Giveaway
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Thanks for this captivating feature and giveaway which interests me greatly. The Silent Daughter sounds intriguing.
What an intriguing book! Great excerpt. I’d love to read more.