Happy publication day to Owen Mullen. As today is the release day for OUT OF THE SILENCE I am thrilled to be sharing with you my 5 star review.
Out of the Silence by Owen Mullen
Available from Amazon
Star investigative reporter Ralph Buchanan’s glory days are behind him. His newspaper has banished him to Pakistan, not knowing the greatest moment of his long career is waiting for him there.
When Simone Jasnin asks him to help expose a grave injustice, he finds himself embroiled in a harrowng tale that began in a dusty settlement in rural Punjab, setting in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of everyone involved.
Seven years later in the city of Lahore, members of a prominent family are being brutally murdered, one by one. The only clue is a hand-carved wooden bangle left at the scene of each crime.
As the list of suspects grows and the tension mounts, Ralph realises the answers might be closer to home than he ever thought possible.
Solving the mystery will put him back on top but at what cost?
Only when the smoke clears will the killing stop and honour be satisfied…
My Review
Firstly I would like to thank the author: Owen Mullen, for the advance copy of this book. This is my unbiased review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have never been to Pakistan but I felt I could see in my mind the area and envisage the people thanks to the excellent descriptions which were cleverly interwoven through the story thereby avoiding big chunks of descriptive text and the characters were realistic and complex.
The story is set in Pakistan and examines the culture and treatment of women there, in particular honour killing. The story begins when a very badly injured woman is found near the hospital. She is barely alive and in tremendous pain but determined to tell her story and Simone is willing to write down every word.
Afra is living a simple life in a remote village. Her father is dead but they manage and she is very close to her younger sister and brother. Jameel is a local youth who is besotted with the pretty girl. However, Afra’s mother has big ideas for Afra that will make life easier for the family and those plans don’t include a village boy, oh no, she plans for Afra to marry someone with a lot more to offer.
So the rejected Jameel sets off for the city to find his Uncle and Afra to married life, from there the reader is taken on a journey through the culture of Pakistan.
Lies, jealousy, evilness and murder are all interlinked in an emotional fast paced thriller that will have the reader engrossed all the way through. Despite all the twists and turns the ending was totally unexpected. This was a jaw-droppingly fantastic story that will stay with me for a long time to come.
5 stars from me.
Author Bio
Owen Mullen is a McIlvanney Crime Book Of The Year long-listed novelist.
And So It Began earned a coveted Sunday Times Crime Club ⭐Star Pick.
Owen Mullen graduated from Strathclyde University, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; Owen still loves to perform on occasion. His passion for travel has taken him on many adventures from the Amazon and Africa to the colourful continent of India and Nepal. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow, and their home away from home in the Greek Islands where the psychological thriller In Harm’s Way and both the Charlie Cameron and Delaney series’ were created.
You Tube – bit.ly/YouTube-OwenMullen
Twitter – https://bit.ly/Twitter-OwenMullen6
