Keeping Silent

Caleb Knowles #1

by Carla Damron

When Sam Knowles, a deaf sculptor, is accused of killing his fiancee, he calls on his brother Caleb, a social worker and therapist, for help, and Caleb's investigation turns up a connection between one of his clients and the murdered woman. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[James Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This strong debut to the Caleb Knowles series provides the reader with a multi-layered mystery. Caleb Knowles is a therapist. Sam, his brother deafened in a childhood accident, sculptures wood. When Sam's financé is murdered, he is the primary suspect. As with most amateur sleuth stories, Caleb believes the police are wrong and must prove his brother's innocence.

The search for truth by trying to understand motive, the rich cast of characters as seen through the eyes of a therapist and small-town Southern setting make this an enjoyable read.

I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series: Spider Blue

[Hope Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeping Silent is the first installment of the Caleb Knowles series. The book is a fun jaunt through SC and an eager investigator/social worker. The characters are well developed, fun, and enjoyable. Carla successfully maneuvers the reader through the twist and turns of a who-dun-it. Leaving the right amount of curiosity and surprise for the finale. Looking forward to the second book with Caleb Knowles at the helm.

[Bonnie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I posted a review, on this site, about this book. I met Carla Damron, the author, at a book signing, here in Sumter, SC. She is a native of Sumter and came to a friends of the library meeting where she did a talk on writing and signed her books for us.

I have equated her style with that of Janet Evonovich - the humor of her characters and situations - and totally enjoyed the book. Her characters are so real they become a part of your life and you care about what happens to them. She uses her work as a social worker to bring out some of the issues we have with mental illness while not shoving it in your face. Nothing preachy. Her characters are all an integral part of the storyline. This is a must read for any mystery lover.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good for the author's debut novel. The social worker perspective was interesting, but the random cast of therapy-seeking characters were a little distracting. While I like that it had an involved, complex plot, part of me had to stop and think of who this character was and why they were there after they disappeared for several chapters at a time. The deafness aspect was handled okay, but the author didn't go into it very much. It felt like the author just found some basic info on the topic from tv or the internet and did not research it fully to develop that part of the character more. But overall, a very enjoyable read that I will recommend to others!

[Lhenry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery, likable characters. I loved the interaction between Caleb and his brother Sam, the suspect. Caleb being a social worker makes for an unusual amateur sleuth.