Publication: 26th May 2022 – Hodder & Stoughton
A woman’s body is found in a river just outside of Lisbon. Inspectors Isabel Reis and Aleksandr Voronov identify the murder victim as Marta Nunes – a youth centre worker who, like Isabel, classifies as Gifted. Born with special abilities, the Gifted are often looked at with a certain level of suspicion.
In the search for her killer, Reis digs into Marta’s past. She soon discovers that she is connected to a number of missing women. All young, all telepathic Gifted, all vanished off the face of the earth.
Marta might have been helping these missing girls, or she might have been hurting them. But Inspector Reis needs to find the truth about who killed Marta and why, and she needs to find where the missing girls go. Because some of them might still be alive out there…
I really loved The Colours of Death, so when I saw there was a sequel coming out (although House of Silence can easily be read as a stand alone) I was thrilled and, after finish reading it, I can say that I wasn’t disappointed. This series is part thriller and part paranormal. It is set in a world where a part of the population is Gifted, having the power of telekinesis or telepathy. Regulars (people without powers) and Gifted co-habit, but many Regulars don’t trust Gifted and what they can do with their powers so Gifted are constantly monitored by the government.
The protagonist of this series is Isabel Reis. She is an inspector in the police department of Lisbon and she is Gifted: her power of telepathy allows her to read other people’s thoughts and see their memories. In House of Silence, the story starts a few months after the ending of the first book. Following the high-profile murder case in The Colours of Death, Isabel and her partner Aleksander Vonorov have been relegated to minor cases until the body of a young woman is found washed up, her throat cut. As they investigate, they discover that the woman was Gifted and she was linked to the disappearance of other Gifted. Isabel and Voronov have to figure out who killed her what happened to the missing Gifted and, most important of all, if they are still alive.
I really like the character of Isabel Reis. She is relatable, determined, and authentic. Her struggle with her developing power is as much central to the story as the murder case. Through chapters set in the past, we see how she learned to control it when she was younger, but also how it affected her relationship with her family. In the present, as high-level Gifted seem to be disappear, Isabel tries to hide how much her power is growing.
I also enjoyed her relationship with Voronov. It is easy, trustworthy and I loved their witty banter, – and also how he constantly feeds her. We also learn a bit more about his past and it made me like this character even more.
The murder case is intense and darker than I initially thought and the story ends with a surprise that left me wanting for more. I already can’t wait for book number three to see what’s next for Isabel and those Gifted like her. Highly recommended!
A huge thank you to Jenny and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy of this gripping novel.
Half-Angolan and half-Portuguese, Patricia was born in Portugal but moved to England when she was eight. As well as the MA in Creative Writing from City she holds a BA in Creative Writing from Roehampton. She lives in London and The Colours of Death was her first novel. House of Silence is her second.
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