Silent Came the Monster: A Novel of the 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks

by Amy Hill Hearth

"Sharks are as timid as rabbits." So says a superintendent of the Coast Guard, dismissing the possibility that a shark could be the culprit in an unprecedented fatal attack on a swimmer at the Jersey Shore.

It's July 1916, a time when little is known about ocean creatures, and swimming in the sea is a relatively new pastime. Americans up and down the East Coast are shocked and mystified by the swimmer's death. Little do they know that this is only the beginning.

A prominent surgeon at the shore, Dr. Halsey, after examining the wounds of the first victim, is the only person who believes that the creature is a shark and that it will strike again. But the public as well as the authorities--and even those who witnessed the attacks--don't believe him. Dr. Halsey finds himself fighting widespread confusion, conspiracy theories, defiance, and outright denial of the shark.

Seeking the input of commercial fishermen, Dr. Halsey learns that they have long been concerned about a creature they call the beast. The local Native Americans, the Lenape, have their own beliefs as well.

The shark attacks occur in an already fraught time. A brutal war rages in Europe, and Americans are divided about becoming involved. Meanwhile, an unprecedented outbreak of "infantile paralysis" (polio) creates widespread panic. Into this scenario, the sea monster arrives. But what is it? Theories range from a huge mackerel to a giant sea turtle, or even a German submarine.

The story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark, believed to be a great white, changed the way Americans think of the seashore, reminding us once again that nature plays by its own rules.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Thriller, Audiobook, Horror, Summer

332 pages, Hardcover

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

"I'm a risk taker with my writing," Amy Hill Hearth (pronounced HARTH) says about her work. "I like to try new genres because I love to be challenged. Following my instincts without thinking of sales potential usually works out for me, anyway." Indeed, Amy's first book, which shocked the publishing world with its completely unexpected success, was the international bestselling oral history, HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS' FIRST 100 YEARS, a N.Y. Times bestseller for more than two years which was adapted for Broadway and film. That book is still going strong, with new audiobook and ebook editions published Jan. 3, 2023. Since the 1993 publication of HAVING OUR SAY, Amy has written ten more books and won many national awards, with genres ranging from Southern fiction and oral histories for adult readers to biographies for young readers. Next up is Amy's first historical thriller, SILENT CAME THE MONSTER, a novel of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks which will be published May 16, 2023. What her books have in common, she says, is that they are "stories from the past that resonate today." This reflects Amy's lifelong passion for American history as well as a lifelong fascination with the complexities of human nature and interactions. Born in Pittsfield, Mass., Amy has lived in various locations in her life, including Columbia, SC as a child, and, for the last 25 years, at the Jersey Shore.

Reviews

[Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alas, I did it!

Honestly, I really did not enjoy this book. I appreciate and recognize the extensive research Hearth put into this, a fictionalized version of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks. You can tell this was a story she wanted to tell and felt very connected to. She used the actual five victims, locations of attacks, and historical context of the time to craft a narrative using fictional characters that resemble people that were actually involved.

My main issue was with the writing itself. It almost read as middle grade? I actually think I’ve read stronger middle grade writing. It was just really elementary. There was way too much unnecessary character back story. The dialogue was annoying and felt unnatural, particularly the exchanges between Edwin and his daughter Julia. I’m really disappointed because this actually is a historical event I’m very interested in. I mean, it inspired Jaws! Other people might enjoy this but overall it wasn’t for me and not one I would rush to recommend.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silent Came the Monster
by Amy Hill Hearth
This is based on a true story. Some names were changed. I found this to be a very honest reaction to how society would react to a rogue man-eating shark. Not that much was known about sharks in 1916.
Society had just dealt with massive deaths from TB, and now Polio was sweeping through. The threat of war was on the horizon. By the end of 1917, influenza and war were in part of life.
A shark in a very hot summer was not what society needed! This was creatively written to follow several people in different walks of life and how these shark attacks affected them. It showed how society in general responded to the attacks. Made me feel like I was there.

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silent Came the Monster is a scary good novel about the shark attacks at the Jersey Shore during the summer of 1916. Over the course of twelve days in July of that year, four people were killed and a fifth was seriously injured. At the time, the attacks were attributed to a sea monster. But later, it would be discovered that the attacks were from a massive shark measuring thirteen feet, three inches. Weighing in at one thousand, four hundred pounds.

Author Hearth has done an excellent job at crafting a novel full of drama and emotion. From the descriptions of the victims’ injuries and shark behavior, it is evident that a lot of background research was conducted.

There are a number of intense action scenes and they are probably not for the faint at heart. But, that’s what made the story come to life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Silent Came the Monster and author Hearth is now one of my favorite historical fiction authors out there. Five outstanding stars.

I received a digital ARC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Johnny Hirschfeld · Rating 1 out of 5]

Take the book “Close to Shore” and insert into into Chat GPT. Ask AI to write a Fictional account of the historical events within that book at an 8th grade level and this is the utter boring crap it would spit out.
We ended up reading parts of it out loud as a comedy routine… STAY OUT OF THE WATER (in this case THE BOOKSTORE)… We are going to need a bigger recycling can - this one is going right in it.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, semi-fictionalized account of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks.

If you’ve read Close to Shore or know the history of this, you already know where this book is going, as it’s pretty faithful to the sequence and locations of the events. It’s not a particularly action-oriented book regardless, and is more focused on reactions to the attacks and cultural beliefs about sharks and the ocean than it is on the Jaws-style man vs shark thriller stuff.

The writing is a bit clunky (particularly in the dialogue) for historical fiction, and there were a lot of missed opportunities here to bring the shore in this era to life, but the historical content is good and if you are fascinated by this string of attacks like I am, it’s a fun perspective on what might have happened.

The doctor’s role in all of this stretches the bounds of credulity (he happens to be in the boat when the shark is finally bagged nowhere near previous attacks or his own home? Nah). But the concept behind the character was certainly a good idea for tying the attacks together through a single perspective.

3.5 stars,rounded up for narrative flow and entertainment value.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silent Came the Monster is an interesting novel about the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersey Shore. I've always been a shark lover, having grown up watching Shark Week since I was a little kid, and I've always been interested in this particular little blip in history. The novel is very well researched, and I enjoyed finding out that the author is from the area, so her interest in writing the novel had to do with her personal experiences with the area's history. Sometimes the book reads like it's a middle grade novel, so I was a little surprised to find that it's apparently being marketed as a book for adults. Overall, though, I enjoyed it and was glad to see such a fascinating moment in history be given a tribute of its own in historical fiction!

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story was a fictionalized account of the true The 1916 Jersey shark attacks.

Now, I enjoyed deep diving into Google to find out more about these unfortunate shark/human encounters. This book though- was frankly not great.

There’s some bizarre characters with awful dialogue. The whole fictional aspects of this tale were over the top strange and didn’t always make sense. I understand at the time that sharks were sometimes considered “man eaters” and purposefully malicious, but really rolled my eyes at the fact it’s described as stalking people/boats. I feel like there should be more facts in this book (even at the end) discussing the real people who died, as well as what modern day research says about shark “attacks”.

I’d advise skipping this one and either read a totally made up ocean thriller, or a nonfiction account of the actual shark attacks.

At the end of the day, humans have encroached on sharks’ ancient territory- the oceans. We make the choice to go in the water. How many people are killed by sharks annually vs how many of these creatures are killed/hunted/mutilated by humans each year? Let’s keep things in perspective.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical fiction account of the actual 1916 shark attacks along the Jersey Shore. I'd never heard of this part of history and it was fascinating! The author does an excellent job weaving fact with fiction in a suspenseful read that's perfect for the summer. Highly recommended especially for fans of Erik Larson or Melanie Benjamin.

[Kelly Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this book in a couple days (pun intended).

This historical novel is about the first recorded shark attacks in the United States. This story was also the inspiration for Jaws.

It's early July, 1916, and a young man is attacked and killed by a "sea monster" off the southern coast of New Jersey. While several people witnessed the attack, no one could identify the animal responsible. Some thought it was a sea turtle. Others believed it to be a giant mackerel. A few even thought it was sent there by the Germans to provoke us into war. Man-eating sharks were simply unheard of off the Jersey shore.

And then three more people were attacked and killed along the coast, two of whom were in a tidal creek eleven miles inland.

WTF?

What is interesting about the bigger picture is that these attacks was happening alongside the polio epidemic, the first world war, and a deadly heat wave. It was also just a few years after the Titanic sank. Americans were living in fear, and Hearth's narrative focuses on such fear: "Everyone is unnerved this summer. Everyone is on the edge. It feels like the world is closing in on us."

She describes the shark attacks as "an invasion by a new and unforeseen enemy," which could very easily describe the polio virus or German U-boats or other changes in society (like those skimpy new bathing outfits for women!).

I saw all of this, including the fated Titanic voyage, as culminating in a loss of innocence during the early 1900s. That sense of loss is also punctuated in this novel.

I also noticed a couple subtle allusions to the recent covid pandemic and political strife. Hearth writes, "You know how we Americans are, independent to a fault." Or maybe that was just my brain feeling like our fears of "new and unforeseen" enemies (like wokeness and drag queens and books, oh my) are rooted in things we don't understand. And we try to kill, deny, or avoid those things as much as we can.

Or maybe I'm overanalyzing because that's what my English teacher brain does.

Or maybe I'm overthinking because I am now obsessed with this story and plan to read a nonfiction account of these events next...

P.S. Why not 5 stars? Because the dialogue seemed a bit forced and the characters (women and men alike) so freakin' delicate, almost cliche. Certainly that's not what life in 1916 was really like...? *shrug*

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fictional account of shark attacks on the East coast in 1916. I get that it’s historical fiction which I’ve been loving lately. But enough with talk about German u-boats and if/should they close down society when there was a huge polio outbreak in kids. Would have been better if it just stuck to the shark attacks and didn’t bring in the rest of the more political things going on during that time.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting account of the shark attack, but with all the facts pointing out that humans are the biggest predators of … everything in the ocean - I found it hard to connect with the 1900s era perspective of the man eating shark.

🦈

[Ric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but unfortunately didn’t love it. The story was very compelling and it was a quick read because of it. But one major issue I had with it was the doctor being conveniently involved in literally every aspect of the story, so much to the point that you’d think he was the only person researching the shark attacks, treating the victims, and hunting it all at the same time. They also didn’t flesh out the settings very well, because all of these towns down the shore are very different and it would’ve been better to develop at least a couple of them.

[Matt Burchard · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book chronicles the 1916 shark attacks off Jersey Shore but with a fictional lens on the different responses people in the area had. It’s a historical thriller about the threat of the unknown and the ways humans cope with disaster. Or at least, I think that’s what the author wants it to be. At the end of the day, this book is a sad miss on a few levels.

First, the dialogue is just bad. It’s stilted and unnatural and odd. And you could make a good case that’s this is because she’s writing the way a 1916 person would talk, but I guess I would argue that she’s writing the way she *thinks* a 1916 person would talk and it leads to some frankly flabbergasting choices. Like just now when you read the word flabbergasting and were like ‘weird word to use there, Matt’ - that’s how the whole book was! I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with dialogue this bad.

Second, the characters don’t make any sense. The main guy, your classic doctor that knows it’s a shark and is right about it, is just all over the place. Sometimes he’s confident and eloquent, other times he’s rude and insensitive, other times he’s meek and unsure. And I’ll gladly validate that everyone can vary context to context, but that’s not what this was. And his daughter starts as headstrong and rule-breaking, only to (within two pages) become complicit and helpful. And this all to say nothing of how the shark attack victims are telegraphed from a mile away. There’s just no care given to the treatment of these characters.

Third, in a good thriller (see: anything by Michael Crichton), there has to be a suspense and a question around the climax. Who makes it out alive? What must our characters give up to save the day? What’s the break-through that finally gives our hero the edge in the fight? Like, there was none of that here. The climactic moment is portrayed as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it casual affair which is followed by 70 pages of resolution that no one asked for.

So I guess my big problem is that it fails at what I think it tries to be. If it’s a thriller, it’s not suspenseful enough. If it’s historical fiction, I would’ve appreciated more world-building and research. If it’s a character-study … it’s just not that in any sense. If it’s an examination of how people respond and cope with disaster … ok I’ll give it this!

Because what lifted it out of pure 2 star territory for me was a theme!! I love a theme :)

There’s such an attention on this theme (even though the characters and dialogue are bad), and you can’t help but wonder how you would respond alongside these different characters. The weight and gravitas of the tragedies in this book are always given their fair treatment and the book shines in those moments.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My appreciation to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced copy of this e-book. Pub Day 5/16/23

This books begins with a Prologue and first chapter that had me immediately envisioning scenes from the movie Jaws. It backs up a bit to give the reader insights into the major characters in this book based on the true events and people of the 1916 Jersey shore shark attacks. This was in a time when very few people had ever seen or even heard about sharks. They deemed this attacks as having been done by sea turtles, giant fish, a sea monster or a sea wolf (whatever that might be!). It also took place when Germany had their new submarines patrolling our country's shores sending a lot of conspiracy theories that these attacks were by the Germans. This was also a time when there were many children suffering from "infantile paralysis", which we now know as polio. Many families were fleeing the big cities to get away from this disease and try to cool off by the shore. The story was so interesting to me, first as I had never heard this part of history before, and second because we see how we learn about something new with a lot of crazy speculations (thinking about the recent Covid pandemic). This was a pretty fast read and one I recommend AFTER your trip to the beach this summer! {NG kindle} Followed this book by reading the non-fiction book Close to the Shore by Michael Capuzzo.

[Gina Torn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1916 and the 4th of July weekend is fast approaching at the Jersey Shore but there’s a problem. Swimmers are being killed by a mysterious sea monster that’s later determined to be a huge shark.

Dr. Edwin Halsey is doing his best to save who he can but no one seems to be listening. Children and adults are still going into the ocean. What else can Dr. Halsey do? He must go after it…

I received this book last year for my birthday and finally got around to it. The story is based on the real life events. The author takes some freedoms with the dialogue and changes the characters names. These events also went on to inspire “Jaws” (which is a great book) and Shark Week on The Discovery Channel.

I actually really enjoyed this story. I honestly didn’t know much about it and I was glad to learn something new even from a historical fiction novel point of view. The book was well written, and I feel that it was well researched and even the way that the characters speak and the vocabulary they used was spot on. Definitely worth the read if you are into sharks and ocean life, this is a good read.

[KristynRene SwissCheese JellyBean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Time: 1 Week 3 Days: 6Hrs and 14min

3.25/5

Rating and Reviewing Historical fiction can be challenging, especially when the significant past event is one of tragedy and trauma. So, instead of evaluating quality based on story, it's best to determine quality based on storytelling.

By no means was the writing poor--aside from a dozen or so typos in the eARC--the story still held my attention and interest enough to finish reading it. Which, during this incredibly awful time in my life, is a feat in and of itself. My only qualm really was pages and pages of info dumping character backstory...it's the surest way of seeing a reader develop a serious case of boredom.

I did thoroughly enjoy the Faith elements woven into the narrative. It was a welcome surprise. Not to mention, having gone into this tragedy with little knowledge of the corresponding real life events, it was nice to be educated while still maintaining surprise and suspense.

That's all I've got.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fictionalized version of the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersey Shore. The author used the real victims and settings and crafted a richly detailed narrative that was part thriller, part historical fiction. It felt very accurate and based on the online research I did to learn more about the events, I believe it is a pretty true representation of what occurred with some creative license of course. The novel also covers the polio epidemic that was occurring at the same time and even touches on the Spanish flu epidemic also. I appreciated the authors slight tongue in cheek references to the way people responded to these events then in a way that perhaps mirror the way people responded to recent tragedies and epidemics. My only criticism is that it was a harder read with a slow pace that didn’t match some of the thriller aspects to the story. But overall, I really liked it.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Silent Came The Monster” is a thrilling and suspenseful plunge into the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersey Shore! I had never heard of this historical event before reading this book, or how it acted as the inspiration for “Jaws!” I was immediately hooked by the detailed immersion into the time period; I loved all the 1900s trends, politics, technology, and ways of speaking throughout the story. The summer atmosphere was especially well-written, which made the terror of the attacks even more startling. It was fascinating to read how people reacted to these attacks, based on how little was known about sharks back then. I would classify it as semi-fictionalized; it reads just like a fiction novel with some original characters included, but it is interwoven with true facts and events of the time, as well as the actual people affected. Highly recommend for a great summer read with little proximity to the ocean, haha!

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something was terrorizing the coast and inter waters of New Jersey in the summer of 1916. It was a predatory shark. Based on actual events, Hearth captures fictionalized account of the doctors, community, and victims.
After the first attack, the scene with the mayor was almost like Jaws.
I also laughed at people insisting the attacks were done by a big sea turtle.
I’ve been interested (and terrified) of sharks since watching Jaws over 45 years ago.
It was also interesting to read about people’s reactions in a less informative era.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the early read.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance review copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars. This is a REALLY good summer historical fiction thriller-y read. It’s primarily about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916 which is reminiscent of Jaws, but it also touches on other things that were happening that summer like an early polio epidemic and the lead up to the US involvement in WW1. I’m not sure if I’ve ever read this particular hybrid of genres and it’s fun. Recommended for any historical fiction fan, especially one who doesn’t mind a slow burn thriller mixed in. Just maybe don’t read it at the beach!

[Bridgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a strange book. It is a historical fiction about the shark attacks on the Jersey Shore that inspired Jaws. It read exactly like a non-fiction book, so knowing it was historical fiction was just weird. I don't know what was real and what wasn't and that honestly took a lot away from it. It was TOO factual. I don't think I have read anything like this before, but it would have been helped by making this more of an obvious novel.

Now i am going to go read the non-fiction, Close to Shore, and I am sure it will be nearly redundant.

That said, it was very cool reading about exact places where I have been and know well, so that added a lot of depth and appreciation to this.

[Peter Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wherever Amy Hill Hearth turns her attention, history comes alive. In this novel, we discover the sun-splashed beauty of the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1916, when the threat of war, a polio epidemic, and a dangerous great white shark threaten the residents and tourists, and the fear of these threats hang above ocean like storm clouds. Silent Came the Monster is a thrilling, unforgettable journey into the past.

[Alicia Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book to read on July 4th weekend. a wonderful novel based on the real events including real details of the Jersey Shore shark attacks that changed the coastline forever and spawned the book/movie Jaws. Hearth does an excellent job at creating fictional characters with depth while maintaining the true tineline and details of the events and weaving them into a perspective told by the ones who experienced the events. This was fast paced from start to finish, hard to put down.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictionalization of the historical inspiration for Jaws. This was a delightfully spooky beach read. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and I just got to read it now. I thought the writing made this story sympathetic and emotional and I was enthralled from the start.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is different. I find the historical story that inspired Jaws loosely interesting but the writing and chracters were simplified and randomly all over the place with personal details. It was interesting enough to keep reading but hard to stay absorbed into.

[Gerry Durisin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, exciting read based on events that occurred at various points along the New Jersey shoreline in 1916, when a killer shark attacked and killed at least four individuals. Not great writing, but an interesting story about events I'd never heard about before this.

[Ella Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

CHOMP CHOMP

[Jade Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super interesting as it explored the shark attacks in a setting without general knowledge of sharks

[clumsyplankton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this but honestly the multiple povs just made it less suspenseful

[Maureen K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything sharks is so fascinating. fun read