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Keep Quiet
When Jake Buckman decides to let Ryan, his sixteen-year-old son, practise driving home along a deserted street, he has no idea of the deadly consequences.
But in the darkness of night, a runner comes from nowhere and the hit is fatal.
Now Jake and Ryan have two options: admit Ryan's responsibility...or drive home as though nothing happened. What follows is not a clear-cut hit and run, but a split-second decision by a father who will do anything to protect his son.
But in the darkness of night, a runner comes from nowhere and the hit is fatal.
Now Jake and Ryan have two options: admit Ryan's responsibility...or drive home as though nothing happened. What follows is not a clear-cut hit and run, but a split-second decision by a father who will do anything to protect his son.
356 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
1428 people are currently reading
14738 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Scottoline
137 books15.6k followersLisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 33 novels. Her books are book-club favorites, and Lisa and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party for over a thousand readers at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America, and her reviews of fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also writes a weekly column with her daughter for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled Chick Wit, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective, which have been collected in a bestselling series of humorous memoirs. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,996 reviews
April 21, 2014
Ugh. This book was a huge disappointment for me. I WANTED to like it, and I really wanted to care about the story line. It didn't happen at all. After the first couple of chapters I was trying to push through, hoping it would get better. It didn't. I hope that there are others that enjoy this book. I typically like her stories, but the dialogue in this one was AWFUL. The writing seemed very unpolished and awkward. I made it to page 160 and I finally decided to give it up. Life is too short for bad books.
June 25, 2021
Wanting to get closer to his son Ryan, Jake Buckman unwisely lets the underage teen take the wheel of his Audi.
Taking his eyes off the road for an instant Ryan hits and kills a female jogger.
Wanting to protect Ryan - a good student and star basketball player with a promising future - Jake decides to leave the scene of the crime.
This unfortunate decision has dire consequences. For one thing Ryan can't live with the lies and starts to fall apart.
For another, it seems that someone might have witnessed the accident.....and may want to cash in.
As events proceed Ryan's mother Pam, a local judge, is nominated to ascend to the federal bench.
This requires a thorough investigation by the FBI and Jake fears that Ryan won't withstand the questioning.
Jake desperately tries to 'fix' the situation but it spirals out of control and threatens to destroy the family.
Events rush toward a dramatic resolution that's not quite believable. Still, the book is a page turner that imparts a good lesson: take responsibility for your actions.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
April 19, 2014
I flew through this book, it was so hard to put down. I had read a few reviews before hand where people had described it being hard to read. I didn't get it until I was into the book. While I loved it, it was hard to read. Besides the whole fact of the main plot, I found I didn't like very many of the characters and it was a little difficult to relate. It was hard not to be judgy because after all, as horrible as it was, who knows what we would do in that situation to protect our children. Everyone thinks they would do the right thing. But would they?
It was difficult to watch Ryan fall apart, when the guilt was eating at him. During the book several times I was mentally telling Jake that they had to come clean, it was going to destroy Ryan. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for Ryan, after finding out who was on pike road, going to the same school and being reminded of it constantly
And Pam just really annoyed me. She was such a nag, had to know everything including checking on the student portal constantly and knowing Ryan wasn't in class. When the truth about her relationship with Dr Dave came out, she had just found out about the accident, and while the focus was on that, she swept that whole part with Dave under the rug and was so judgemental with Jake. And then she was all for keeping it a secret so how did that make her any better? And then after being so nasty, the second the truth comes out about Dave, she all of a sudden wants to be married again, with babe and honey, when the day before, she wanted nothing to do with Jake.
When Jake was needing to find the money for Andrew I had such a feeling of dread, that he would take it from gardenia. I didn't feel much better about him, I think he didn't take it because he wasn't able to, not because he knew it was wrong. I was concerned with the whole message Ryan was being given by hiding the truth. How could you live the rest of your life with what you did? How could you fault him in the future for any wrongdoing he did? While I know Jake made a spur of The moment decision that he thought he was doing to save his son, there were so many after affects.
And how do you keep up with the lies? When Jake finds out that someone else knows, he gets in deeper trouble. The panic and helplessness he must have felt, but thought he had no choice but to give in to Andrews demands. He had to know that someone else knowing changed things drastically, it was never going away.
I did suspect the real circumstances of the accident before it was revealed. Nonetheless, even though they weren't guilty of what they thought they were, the fact still remains that they didn't know that. It doesn't make them any less guilty morally.
Very thought provoking book, different kind of novel than previous ones of this author's that I have read with more of a story line and less of a legal case. I have always enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's books, this was no exception, really good fast paced mystery/drama.
It was difficult to watch Ryan fall apart, when the guilt was eating at him. During the book several times I was mentally telling Jake that they had to come clean, it was going to destroy Ryan. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for Ryan, after finding out who was on pike road, going to the same school and being reminded of it constantly
And Pam just really annoyed me. She was such a nag, had to know everything including checking on the student portal constantly and knowing Ryan wasn't in class. When the truth about her relationship with Dr Dave came out, she had just found out about the accident, and while the focus was on that, she swept that whole part with Dave under the rug and was so judgemental with Jake. And then she was all for keeping it a secret so how did that make her any better? And then after being so nasty, the second the truth comes out about Dave, she all of a sudden wants to be married again, with babe and honey, when the day before, she wanted nothing to do with Jake.
When Jake was needing to find the money for Andrew I had such a feeling of dread, that he would take it from gardenia. I didn't feel much better about him, I think he didn't take it because he wasn't able to, not because he knew it was wrong. I was concerned with the whole message Ryan was being given by hiding the truth. How could you live the rest of your life with what you did? How could you fault him in the future for any wrongdoing he did? While I know Jake made a spur of The moment decision that he thought he was doing to save his son, there were so many after affects.
And how do you keep up with the lies? When Jake finds out that someone else knows, he gets in deeper trouble. The panic and helplessness he must have felt, but thought he had no choice but to give in to Andrews demands. He had to know that someone else knowing changed things drastically, it was never going away.
I did suspect the real circumstances of the accident before it was revealed. Nonetheless, even though they weren't guilty of what they thought they were, the fact still remains that they didn't know that. It doesn't make them any less guilty morally.
Very thought provoking book, different kind of novel than previous ones of this author's that I have read with more of a story line and less of a legal case. I have always enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's books, this was no exception, really good fast paced mystery/drama.
February 3, 2019
I want to give some thought as to the review to this book. So far I can say that I am very disappointed in how far away this book varies from Scottoline's normal writing quality. This book was also EXTREMELY repetitive. I would say the first half of the book was based on the 2 lines...Jake (the dad)- "Ryan, I know you are worried. I will take care of it." Ryan (the son)- "Dad I'm so worried. We need to go to the police." The entire first half of the book was based on those 2 lines or variations of those 2 lines. I got to the point where I skimmed. Then the middle got so crazy and far fetched in the plotline it drove me crazy. Then the ending was just the final straw. I was hoping the author would redeem herself but she went nuts with the plot. She threw in some really outlandish ending that was entirely unbelievable that I was just so glad when the book was over. I usually love Scottoline, even her early books are better than this waste of reading time. The thing that pissed me off the most was that I pre-ordered this book for Amazon and paid full price for this book! I will take some time to think about adding more description but this was the worst Scottoline book I have ever read. It also is one of the worst books that I have ever read period, and that's including self published freebies on Kindle. So if you feel like you really need to read this book, get it at the library. Please don't pay anything for this book. There are so many better books out there, even by this author. If you haven't read this author, don't start with this one! 1 star. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
March 19, 2014
After I began reading this book and discovered it involved a hit and run death, I thought—not again. I’d just read a book with a similar plot line a week or so ago and was frustrated at the thought of another character not facing up to their moral responsibility—it was just too much. Scottoline’s characters, Jake and Ryan Buckman, a father and son, find themselves having to tell lie upon lie to keep their secret hidden from wife and mother Pam, school friends and business associates, etc. Anyway, I don’t remember at what point Scottoline grabbed my interest, but the plot began to thicken and suddenly I was turning pages and reading into the midnight hours. Although Pam is a real bitch, I cared about Jake and Ryan and wanted them to figure a way out of this mess. “Keep Quiet” is a good read with some surprising twists and some characters you care about. I guess the moral of Scottoline’s tale can be summed up in Walter Scott’s saying: “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
October 22, 2023
Here we have another fairly chunky book, full of promise, but let down by clunky writing, poor punctuation, horrid characters and as much padding as a Tog15 goose down duvet.
The premise is good – Jake, wanting to rekindle a failing relationship with teenage son Ryan, allows him, against his better judgement, to drive his racy Audi. The fact that Ryan is not permitted to drive after eleven o' clock at night and it's a foggy, drizzly night, is an irelevance. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot actually – idiot Ryan runs over what he thinks is a deer; on closer examination it turns out to be a young jogger. Can things get any worse? Oh yes, hang on a minute - Ryan has a bag of marijuana on him – he's smoked some earlier. Ryan wants to call the police, but Jake, being a responsible adult, decides against this and so they concoct a story as they drive home, leaving the body on the road – as you do. Once home Ryan shuffles off to bed red-eyed from crying, which causes raised eyebrows from Pam, his mother, who immediately starts interrogating Jake – oh, forgot to mention one tiny detail: Pam happens to be a highly intelligent Judge (she even has the necessary “intelligent blue eyes" to prove it). Does this actually make the moral dilemma worse?
The characters are so unsympathetic and unlikeable, I could have given them all a good slap. Pam has to know every little detail (and, apparently so do we) of every minute of every day; Ryan is a whingey-whiney six year old – ooops, sorry, sixteen year old - but maybe I was right the first time. And as for Jake, who does a lot of shuddering, going over and over and over thee events of the night, constantly thinking about what he's done, what he's doing, what he's going to do, what he should have done....aaaargh!
Having read the blurb I was expecting a really good thriller, tightly written, full of tension; what I got was a lot of slushy stuff, Perfect All-American-Family-Endures Tragedy-Jodi-Picoult type thing. Every page is so overladen with irrelevant rubbish: the colour of filing cabinet, the names of all the shops lining a particular street – yes, really; I could list them all page by tortuous page. Absolutely nothing is left to draw you in, it's all there, laid bare as though the author doesn't trust her readers to use their imagination.
I'm almost a third of the way in and already irritated by the style of writing: the book is absolutely stuffed with words – another author who thinks More is Better, and so full of annoying American phrases I'm cringing with every turn of the page. If I read once more of a car being “fed gas”, I'll hurl the book out the window. What is wrong with “accelerate”? Slang and teenage idioms are fine, sometimes necessary, but not in the narrative, which is far from “gripping” or “emotional”, unless you like families which are constantly hugging, sobbing and declaring love for each other. That Ryan “felt awful” at the thought of killing someone his own age, or Jake “felt awful” that he'd killed someone else's child just does not convey the dreadful situation. Awful? Come on Ms Scottoline, surely you can do better than this. Some bits of this actually had me laughing out loud, but for all the wrong reasons. This is the first of her books I have attempted - it will be the last.
I really don't know if I'll see this through to the end.......I will update if I do....but right now I've lost the will to continue – with this book, that is.
The premise is good – Jake, wanting to rekindle a failing relationship with teenage son Ryan, allows him, against his better judgement, to drive his racy Audi. The fact that Ryan is not permitted to drive after eleven o' clock at night and it's a foggy, drizzly night, is an irelevance. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot actually – idiot Ryan runs over what he thinks is a deer; on closer examination it turns out to be a young jogger. Can things get any worse? Oh yes, hang on a minute - Ryan has a bag of marijuana on him – he's smoked some earlier. Ryan wants to call the police, but Jake, being a responsible adult, decides against this and so they concoct a story as they drive home, leaving the body on the road – as you do. Once home Ryan shuffles off to bed red-eyed from crying, which causes raised eyebrows from Pam, his mother, who immediately starts interrogating Jake – oh, forgot to mention one tiny detail: Pam happens to be a highly intelligent Judge (she even has the necessary “intelligent blue eyes" to prove it). Does this actually make the moral dilemma worse?
The characters are so unsympathetic and unlikeable, I could have given them all a good slap. Pam has to know every little detail (and, apparently so do we) of every minute of every day; Ryan is a whingey-whiney six year old – ooops, sorry, sixteen year old - but maybe I was right the first time. And as for Jake, who does a lot of shuddering, going over and over and over thee events of the night, constantly thinking about what he's done, what he's doing, what he's going to do, what he should have done....aaaargh!
Having read the blurb I was expecting a really good thriller, tightly written, full of tension; what I got was a lot of slushy stuff, Perfect All-American-Family-Endures Tragedy-Jodi-Picoult type thing. Every page is so overladen with irrelevant rubbish: the colour of filing cabinet, the names of all the shops lining a particular street – yes, really; I could list them all page by tortuous page. Absolutely nothing is left to draw you in, it's all there, laid bare as though the author doesn't trust her readers to use their imagination.
I'm almost a third of the way in and already irritated by the style of writing: the book is absolutely stuffed with words – another author who thinks More is Better, and so full of annoying American phrases I'm cringing with every turn of the page. If I read once more of a car being “fed gas”, I'll hurl the book out the window. What is wrong with “accelerate”? Slang and teenage idioms are fine, sometimes necessary, but not in the narrative, which is far from “gripping” or “emotional”, unless you like families which are constantly hugging, sobbing and declaring love for each other. That Ryan “felt awful” at the thought of killing someone his own age, or Jake “felt awful” that he'd killed someone else's child just does not convey the dreadful situation. Awful? Come on Ms Scottoline, surely you can do better than this. Some bits of this actually had me laughing out loud, but for all the wrong reasons. This is the first of her books I have attempted - it will be the last.
I really don't know if I'll see this through to the end.......I will update if I do....but right now I've lost the will to continue – with this book, that is.
February 15, 2014
This had lots of good twists and turns but reading it was a little eerie as the plot line (leaving the scene of a hit-and-run and hiding it from the family) and theme (how far do you go to protect your children) were very similar to Carla Buckley's THE DEEPEST SECRET, and if they weren't published at about the same time of the year I would say one author would have a case for plagiarism. And even though it was the third book I've read this year about protecting your family by hiding a heinous event (THE DINNER by Herman Koch was the other), it was well done and I had hard time putting it down.
Scottoline's turn from legal thrillers to family dramas with moral and ethical dilemmas should attract fans of Jodi Picoult. This could also be a good book for older teens.
Scottoline's turn from legal thrillers to family dramas with moral and ethical dilemmas should attract fans of Jodi Picoult. This could also be a good book for older teens.
May 3, 2014
I'm such a fan of Scottoline but I almost didn't finish this book. It was repetitive and I figured out the ending about a third of the way through. On top of that, it was very depressing. A father, who had never been close to his teenage son, makes a decision that will change the lives of his whole family and several others, and then covers it up. The story is about the changes that take place in these people. An OK read but Scottoline has written much better.
September 18, 2014
I nominate this book for the prize of Most Terrible Book I've Read This Decade. Flat, predictable characters and terrible writing.(Is "ahold" even a word you can use in written literature?) But it does have suspense. And once the mystery got ahold of me, I just kept going back...much like getting a bad case of the flu and steeling myself to persevere until the end. I made it. Now I just need to get ahold of a light & fluffy but well-written novel and I can quickly put this one out of my head.
March 22, 2021
Three and a half stars,
Jake's relationship with his 16 year old son Ryan , is far from ideal. His wife Pam who is a judge urges Jake to go and pick his son up from the movies. On the way home Jake makes a decision that proves fatal. That one decision results in more decisions that only increase tension and problems within the Buckman family. Guilt and lies become the norm of Jake and Ryan’s days and nights. Can they maintain their silent stance? If the truth comes out what will that mean for the Buckmans and for the future?
Initially I was not sure about this book as some of the early dialogue seemed clunky and repetitive. But then given the circumstances that had just happened in the story, I made allowances and kept reading. It soon drew me in to the dilemma created by one wrong decision that spiralled out of control. It does make a person think how they might react in a similar situation.
I mostly enjoyed this and thought it was a rather gripping read, although some aspects towards the end didn’t hang together as well as they should. So the beginning and the end pulled the rating down a little. Overall though, an intriguing read that should please many readers.
Jake's relationship with his 16 year old son Ryan , is far from ideal. His wife Pam who is a judge urges Jake to go and pick his son up from the movies. On the way home Jake makes a decision that proves fatal. That one decision results in more decisions that only increase tension and problems within the Buckman family. Guilt and lies become the norm of Jake and Ryan’s days and nights. Can they maintain their silent stance? If the truth comes out what will that mean for the Buckmans and for the future?
Initially I was not sure about this book as some of the early dialogue seemed clunky and repetitive. But then given the circumstances that had just happened in the story, I made allowances and kept reading. It soon drew me in to the dilemma created by one wrong decision that spiralled out of control. It does make a person think how they might react in a similar situation.
I mostly enjoyed this and thought it was a rather gripping read, although some aspects towards the end didn’t hang together as well as they should. So the beginning and the end pulled the rating down a little. Overall though, an intriguing read that should please many readers.
July 3, 2024
Ryan was too sensitive a kid to get past this, ever. Jake feared for his son's sanity, maybe even his very life. (PG 45)
This was my first Scottoline read and I think it put me off. I have a couple more and I hope those are better than this. She reminds me of Jodi Picoult, very much so.
So if my son did a very horrible thing would I be one of those parents that turned him in? YES, I would be that parent. Jake is not that parent. Ryan was a pothead teenager that eventually got turned into an adolescent. He was whiny... Daddy, Daddy, Mommy, Mommy! In a very predictable storyline Jake actually makes things worse. His wife, the most normal of characters, turns out to be equally nasty. It doesn't matter that we are talking about well educated people, Jake having his own business and Pam being a Federal Judge. No, we will be those well off people that can fix things through money, cheating, and lies.
I hate how authors write about strong, supportive couples and then normalizes one of them cheating. The partner quietly accepts it and takes them back. All it took was a bad time in the marriage. Glossy gloss happy!
All in all, I didn't enjoy the book. It was predictable, boring, cliche, and ran on way too long.
KEEP QUIET about this book! JK. Someone that's not me will like it.
This was my first Scottoline read and I think it put me off. I have a couple more and I hope those are better than this. She reminds me of Jodi Picoult, very much so.
So if my son did a very horrible thing would I be one of those parents that turned him in? YES, I would be that parent. Jake is not that parent. Ryan was a pothead teenager that eventually got turned into an adolescent. He was whiny... Daddy, Daddy, Mommy, Mommy! In a very predictable storyline Jake actually makes things worse. His wife, the most normal of characters, turns out to be equally nasty. It doesn't matter that we are talking about well educated people, Jake having his own business and Pam being a Federal Judge. No, we will be those well off people that can fix things through money, cheating, and lies.
I hate how authors write about strong, supportive couples and then normalizes one of them cheating. The partner quietly accepts it and takes them back. All it took was a bad time in the marriage. Glossy gloss happy!
All in all, I didn't enjoy the book. It was predictable, boring, cliche, and ran on way too long.
KEEP QUIET about this book! JK. Someone that's not me will like it.
February 24, 2014
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and I am so excited, happy, and thankful that I did. This novel was not only a quick read which held my attention, but also explored the deeper ties of family relationships. However, being that this book am advanced readers edition and NOT the final piece of work, there are a few things that could be taken into consideration for improvement.
One thing that made me pause was the dialogue of the son early in the novel. At points it almost felt forced, like Scottoline was trying too hard to sound like a cool teenage boy. For me, this had the affect of making me question, "Boys don't really talk like this, do they?"
Another thing was that the scene of the crash seemed very similar to that of a novel I recently read this past year by Barbara Delinsky. In Scottoline's book, the father let the son drive (who had smoked pot but wasn't high) and the son ended up killing a girl from school. Similarly, in Delinsky's book a mother lets her daughter (who drank a beer but wasn't drunk) drive home where she hit and killed a man she knew from school. However, once Scottoline had her characters try to cover up what they did, this novel really does take a step in a different and captivating direction.
Being that this is not a finished publication, there were also some typos that may want to be fixed:
---Page 62-63 reads "did you tell me had a hamburger last night?" Instead of "he had a hamburger."
---Page 92 reads"your father as legally more culpable than you." Instead of "your father is legally."
----Page 107 reads "They FBI wants" instead of "The FBI wants."
---Page 161 Jake is being blackmailed for 250k but on page 171 it says "He asked for $25,000." This can come off as a typo, but at the same time could be a lie Jake is telling his son in order to protect him from the full extent of the truth.
---Page 210 reads "she said yes and Ryan opened the door" but really Jake should be opening the door.
Overall, I really enjoyed and felt myself to be deeply immersed by this novel. I will definitely recommend it for others to read once it is released!
One thing that made me pause was the dialogue of the son early in the novel. At points it almost felt forced, like Scottoline was trying too hard to sound like a cool teenage boy. For me, this had the affect of making me question, "Boys don't really talk like this, do they?"
Another thing was that the scene of the crash seemed very similar to that of a novel I recently read this past year by Barbara Delinsky. In Scottoline's book, the father let the son drive (who had smoked pot but wasn't high) and the son ended up killing a girl from school. Similarly, in Delinsky's book a mother lets her daughter (who drank a beer but wasn't drunk) drive home where she hit and killed a man she knew from school. However, once Scottoline had her characters try to cover up what they did, this novel really does take a step in a different and captivating direction.
Being that this is not a finished publication, there were also some typos that may want to be fixed:
---Page 62-63 reads "did you tell me had a hamburger last night?" Instead of "he had a hamburger."
---Page 92 reads"your father as legally more culpable than you." Instead of "your father is legally."
----Page 107 reads "They FBI wants" instead of "The FBI wants."
---Page 161 Jake is being blackmailed for 250k but on page 171 it says "He asked for $25,000." This can come off as a typo, but at the same time could be a lie Jake is telling his son in order to protect him from the full extent of the truth.
---Page 210 reads "she said yes and Ryan opened the door" but really Jake should be opening the door.
Overall, I really enjoyed and felt myself to be deeply immersed by this novel. I will definitely recommend it for others to read once it is released!
September 22, 2014
Accountant Jake Buckman had let his relationship with his sixteen year old son, Ryan go. He had let his wife, Pam, take over while he built up his accounting business. Pam was a state judge but she was the one to take the boy to his games, appointments and bond with him. They had been through marriage counseling and a product of that was that Jack was supposed to strengthen his ties with Ryan. Jake decided to be the one to pick up his son at the movies. Ryan, 6’5” and a varsity basketball player begged him to let him drive part of the way home. Ryan had a learner’s permit and was not allowed to drive late at night. His father, Jake relents out trying to gain favor with his son. At eleven at night and they were talking as Ryan makes a turn at a curve, he glances over at his dad and they both hear a thump.
Jake gets out and finds that it was a woman who has been hit and despite his efforts to give CPR, it was too late, she was already dead. He keeps yelling for Ryan to call 911. Jake is in shock and keeps saying that he killed her, he killed her. He confesses to his father that he had been smoking pot with one of his friends. Jack realizes that his son’s life will be ruined, he won’t be able to go to college, get a good job if he calls the police. Ryan wants to accept responsibility and but his father insists them keeping what happened secret. That is how this tortuous story of guilt and panic starts.
Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline starts with a little background and then plunges the reader in to the moral dilemmas raised by the accident. The whole book is intense and riveting. It deals with relationships, morality, guilt and a need for justice. It is plainly written and keeps you reading. After reading it, I was wanting to set aside a whole month just for reading Lisa Scottoline’s books. It was not complicated and only used as much flashbacks as needed. It causes you to try figure out what you would do if you were in the same situation. Would you protect your child no matter what or let him face the consequences of the law?
It was very difficult to lay this book down. I highly recommend it to all readers who love family stories, mystery and suspense.
I received this ARC as a win from FirstRead but that in no way influences my thoughts and feelings in this review.
Jake gets out and finds that it was a woman who has been hit and despite his efforts to give CPR, it was too late, she was already dead. He keeps yelling for Ryan to call 911. Jake is in shock and keeps saying that he killed her, he killed her. He confesses to his father that he had been smoking pot with one of his friends. Jack realizes that his son’s life will be ruined, he won’t be able to go to college, get a good job if he calls the police. Ryan wants to accept responsibility and but his father insists them keeping what happened secret. That is how this tortuous story of guilt and panic starts.
Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline starts with a little background and then plunges the reader in to the moral dilemmas raised by the accident. The whole book is intense and riveting. It deals with relationships, morality, guilt and a need for justice. It is plainly written and keeps you reading. After reading it, I was wanting to set aside a whole month just for reading Lisa Scottoline’s books. It was not complicated and only used as much flashbacks as needed. It causes you to try figure out what you would do if you were in the same situation. Would you protect your child no matter what or let him face the consequences of the law?
It was very difficult to lay this book down. I highly recommend it to all readers who love family stories, mystery and suspense.
I received this ARC as a win from FirstRead but that in no way influences my thoughts and feelings in this review.
September 10, 2015
Estava com grandes expectativas neste livro e não me desiludiu.
Agarrou-me de início e foi-me mantendo sempre interessada!!
Gostei mesmo imenso, havia cada reviravolta!!
Aconselho sem reservas :)
revisto em 10/09/2015: Se pudesse daria 4,5* pelo entusiasmo com que o li.
Agarrou-me de início e foi-me mantendo sempre interessada!!
Gostei mesmo imenso, havia cada reviravolta!!
Aconselho sem reservas :)
revisto em 10/09/2015: Se pudesse daria 4,5* pelo entusiasmo com que o li.
January 28, 2018
Well...I found this book to be just okay. It was one of those reads that I felt compelled to finish because I wanted to know how it ends. I was initially drawn to it because of the description but it was one of those books that sounded better than it actually was. On the one hand, it had moments when I was glued to the pages but there were also times when the plot droned on or felt contrived.
The book revolves around the following dilemma: As a parent, to what lengths would you go to protect your child? Would you break the law to protect your child even if it meant having to live a terrible lie for the rest of your life? The book follows the aftermath of Jake's decision to do just that. In a moment of trying to be "fun dad," Jake allows his son Ryan to drive the car one night despite it being outside of the regulated learner's permit hours. In a second of sudden tragedy, Ryan hits and kills a person. Jake's decision-making becomes even more desperate when he learns that Ryan may also be impaired. He realizes this accident could erase his son's promising future and land him in jail. He feels responsible and wants to protect his son. The plot delves into the emotional impact of living with a lie of this magnitude and the catastrophic down slide of normalcy.
About half way through, the plot takes an unexpected turn and becomes more of a thriller than character driven drama. I felt the story picked up at this point and was much more engaging. There were a few twists that kept me going and keen to get to the end. I have to admit, I was very curious to know how the author would end this story. It seemed like a difficult plot line to resolve. However I was a little disappointed with the ending. Again, it felt contrived and rushed - as though the author suddenly realized she needed to FINISH THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW...I think I may have rated the book higher had the ending been better.
Was it worth the read? Hmmm....to be honest I'm still not sure. It certainly made me think and promise myself to follow driving regulations to a tee when it comes to my kids. It was also heartbreaking to witness the pain and stress of the situation. The character development certainly could have better and some of the dialogue just seemed unbelievable. It's one of those books that is probably best rated by the individual reader.
The book revolves around the following dilemma: As a parent, to what lengths would you go to protect your child? Would you break the law to protect your child even if it meant having to live a terrible lie for the rest of your life? The book follows the aftermath of Jake's decision to do just that. In a moment of trying to be "fun dad," Jake allows his son Ryan to drive the car one night despite it being outside of the regulated learner's permit hours. In a second of sudden tragedy, Ryan hits and kills a person. Jake's decision-making becomes even more desperate when he learns that Ryan may also be impaired. He realizes this accident could erase his son's promising future and land him in jail. He feels responsible and wants to protect his son. The plot delves into the emotional impact of living with a lie of this magnitude and the catastrophic down slide of normalcy.
About half way through, the plot takes an unexpected turn and becomes more of a thriller than character driven drama. I felt the story picked up at this point and was much more engaging. There were a few twists that kept me going and keen to get to the end. I have to admit, I was very curious to know how the author would end this story. It seemed like a difficult plot line to resolve. However I was a little disappointed with the ending. Again, it felt contrived and rushed - as though the author suddenly realized she needed to FINISH THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW...I think I may have rated the book higher had the ending been better.
Was it worth the read? Hmmm....to be honest I'm still not sure. It certainly made me think and promise myself to follow driving regulations to a tee when it comes to my kids. It was also heartbreaking to witness the pain and stress of the situation. The character development certainly could have better and some of the dialogue just seemed unbelievable. It's one of those books that is probably best rated by the individual reader.
January 1, 2018
Have you ever done some little thing that woulda-coulda-shoulda turned into some great big HUGE deal? Like slipping something bright and shiny👑🔔🏆 into your pocket in the Dollar Store💵 and just happening to forget about it (OPPS!😨) until you were already outside in the parking lot. And you’re looking back to see if the store detective🚔🚓 is rushing out to apprehend you. Holey smokems! Better get outta heah . . . FAST! 🚀
Then whaddaya gonna do? Huh? ‘Cause things are about to get a whole lot worse than you can possibly imagine. Well this month’s Goodreads Psychological Thrillers Book of the Month (BOTM)— KEEP QUIET by LISA SCOTTOLINE—is about something more serious than pinching some toy. Get the book, get reading and find out. Then join the BOTM discussion 👼and tell us what you think. See ya there! 😎www.botm.blackdogebooks.com
Then whaddaya gonna do? Huh? ‘Cause things are about to get a whole lot worse than you can possibly imagine. Well this month’s Goodreads Psychological Thrillers Book of the Month (BOTM)— KEEP QUIET by LISA SCOTTOLINE—is about something more serious than pinching some toy. Get the book, get reading and find out. Then join the BOTM discussion 👼and tell us what you think. See ya there! 😎www.botm.blackdogebooks.com
April 25, 2014
Terrible. Was looking for a quick beach read, something easy and simple. This was too easy and simple. The characters were not well developed, the dialogue not believable, and I could not stand the wife (who I think was supposed to be a *good* character). Because I disliked this character so much, it made me dislike all of the interactions w her family and the way they viewed/worshipped her. 2 stars instead of 1 because it made me think, once or twice, 'what would I do in a similar situation?'.
February 6, 2017
3.5 stars
This is my first time reading a book from Lisa Scottoline and I am impressed! This book follows a man named Jake and his son Ryan and they are out one night, and Jake lets Ryan drive even though he's underage and unlicensed, and while driving Ryan hits and kills a woman who's on a run. In a moment of panic and thinking about how this would affect Ryan's future, they flee the scene of the accident. We get to watch as this hit and run incident starts to consume their lives and lying to everyone about what they did starts to weigh on their conscience.
This story had a lot going on and I was surprised by the amount of plot twists and how many times they were almost caught. It was very exiting to read about, and I enjoyed the father/son relationship between Jake and Ryan. This book is very easy to read, and I listened to the audiobook and I thought the audiobook was great, I loved the narrator's voice and he really brought these characters to life.
I gave it 3.5 stars because it wasn't necessarily one of the best thrillers I've ever read and this sin't something I'm going to remember in a couple of years, but it was entertaining enough for me to want to finish it, and I enjoyed most of the story line. Even though I thought the ending was a little too convenient, I still enjoyed the story as a whole. Lisa Scottoline's writing reminds me of Sandra Brown meets Nicholas Sparks.
This is my first time reading a book from Lisa Scottoline and I am impressed! This book follows a man named Jake and his son Ryan and they are out one night, and Jake lets Ryan drive even though he's underage and unlicensed, and while driving Ryan hits and kills a woman who's on a run. In a moment of panic and thinking about how this would affect Ryan's future, they flee the scene of the accident. We get to watch as this hit and run incident starts to consume their lives and lying to everyone about what they did starts to weigh on their conscience.
This story had a lot going on and I was surprised by the amount of plot twists and how many times they were almost caught. It was very exiting to read about, and I enjoyed the father/son relationship between Jake and Ryan. This book is very easy to read, and I listened to the audiobook and I thought the audiobook was great, I loved the narrator's voice and he really brought these characters to life.
I gave it 3.5 stars because it wasn't necessarily one of the best thrillers I've ever read and this sin't something I'm going to remember in a couple of years, but it was entertaining enough for me to want to finish it, and I enjoyed most of the story line. Even though I thought the ending was a little too convenient, I still enjoyed the story as a whole. Lisa Scottoline's writing reminds me of Sandra Brown meets Nicholas Sparks.
November 12, 2014
A quick read for me, this was an intriguing enough story but for some reason was not really hitting the mark for me on several levels.
The premise is an interesting one – how far would you go to protect your children? Jake takes a fast decision to try and cover up a terrible accident in order to protect his son’s future – but keeping this secret is far from easy as Ryan falls apart and the tangled web gets ever more invasive.
What I did like about this one was the moral choices, how the characters handled them, for the most part this was done really well, with perhaps slightly too much unrealistic angst, but generally speaking gives you pause for thought on what you might do in this situation. The relationship between Jake and Ryan is well drawn for the most part and you can easily get emotionally involved with them.
What I was not so fond of was Ryan’s Mum Pam. A bit too caricature for me, also I got a bit too tangled up in the twists and turns of the tale which led to what was, for me, a rather improbable ending.
Ultimately I would say this is a solid 3* read and I think fans of Jodi Picoult would like it a lot more than I did – as it was, for this reader it was an enjoyable but not mind blowing moral dilemma tale.
Happy Reading Folks!
The premise is an interesting one – how far would you go to protect your children? Jake takes a fast decision to try and cover up a terrible accident in order to protect his son’s future – but keeping this secret is far from easy as Ryan falls apart and the tangled web gets ever more invasive.
What I did like about this one was the moral choices, how the characters handled them, for the most part this was done really well, with perhaps slightly too much unrealistic angst, but generally speaking gives you pause for thought on what you might do in this situation. The relationship between Jake and Ryan is well drawn for the most part and you can easily get emotionally involved with them.
What I was not so fond of was Ryan’s Mum Pam. A bit too caricature for me, also I got a bit too tangled up in the twists and turns of the tale which led to what was, for me, a rather improbable ending.
Ultimately I would say this is a solid 3* read and I think fans of Jodi Picoult would like it a lot more than I did – as it was, for this reader it was an enjoyable but not mind blowing moral dilemma tale.
Happy Reading Folks!
April 25, 2014
Wow. I am very tempted to only give this 2 stars so maybe it should be 2.5 stars. I listened to this on Audible and it was read by Ron Livingston (Office Space) so he is the image I had of the dad (which was actually kind of fitting).
I know the purpose of this book was to purely entertain - but I swear the more historical fiction I read, the less I like pure fiction. I want to take away something after reading a book - and this book was so unbelievable and so un-real that what I took away from it was frustration. I have no problem quitting a book 1/2 way but this book had so many twists and turns that is would have been impossible to just skip to the end because it wouldn't have made sense. Therefore, I had to actually read this book in its entirety (ok, I did skip a bunch) and that just pisses me off. Ha!
Here is why I would read this book: if you are looking for a mindless, not-ever-going-to-happen, neatly-packaged-ending book then this one is for you. If you have started it and want me to tell you how it ends to save you the misery, call me.
I know the purpose of this book was to purely entertain - but I swear the more historical fiction I read, the less I like pure fiction. I want to take away something after reading a book - and this book was so unbelievable and so un-real that what I took away from it was frustration. I have no problem quitting a book 1/2 way but this book had so many twists and turns that is would have been impossible to just skip to the end because it wouldn't have made sense. Therefore, I had to actually read this book in its entirety (ok, I did skip a bunch) and that just pisses me off. Ha!
Here is why I would read this book: if you are looking for a mindless, not-ever-going-to-happen, neatly-packaged-ending book then this one is for you. If you have started it and want me to tell you how it ends to save you the misery, call me.
April 13, 2014
I love Lisa Scottoline's books and this was written with her typical brilliance of plot twists and turns. I gave this only 1 star because I almost put this down several times. I was very upset and angry that Jake left the scene of the hit and run and put his son's future ahead of what is right and at every turn was teaching Ryan not to taking responsibility for his actions which is exactly what Ryan wanted to do. Every day I see parents teaching this same lesson and unfortunately most kids learn to not take responsibility for their actions and not learn to handle the consequences of their actions. Anyway my personal thoughts and opinions got in the way of reading and enjoying a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2017
The characters in the story make one bad decision after another. It made this a hard book for me to read. That being said, I seemed to read it very quickly. The writing itself was good. Just didn't like the intensity of the story.
June 3, 2015
Ryan and his dad, Jake were not particularly close and although he loved his son dearly he somewhat resented the closeness he shared with his mom, Pam his wife.
At his wife's suggestion he goes to pick up Ryan at the movies. Jake is driving him home when Ryan asks if he could drive the rest of the way. Knowing he has a permit and cannot drive at night Jake figures they are less then five minutes from home and he is in the car with him, so why not??? Maybe Ryan would actually think of his dad as cool.
How in less then the blinks of an eye will there families lives change forever? When a tragic accident occurs, Jake makes a quick decision and cannot look back. How can Jake tell his wife? Would Ryan be able to live with this secret? Jake decides he will take the blame and not involve his son or there would be no college scholarship and possibly a criminal record that would follow him forever and his life would be ruined. Pam, his wife is a judge and she knew right from wrong so how would they make this work?
While deciding on what they should do Jake uncovers a shocking surprise about his wife that could tear their marriage apart. Is it possible to forgive, forget and possibly start over?
This is by far one of the most fascinating books Ms Scottoline has written. The suspense and drama are reflected on each and every page. Will the family be able to stick together? How much can they keep a secret? Will Ryan end up with a record? Will Jake be sent to jail? You will not be able to put this book down and even more shocking are the results of the investigation and just what really was behind the tragic death. I recommend it highly and am sure you will want to recommend it to any and all of your friends. A great read.
At his wife's suggestion he goes to pick up Ryan at the movies. Jake is driving him home when Ryan asks if he could drive the rest of the way. Knowing he has a permit and cannot drive at night Jake figures they are less then five minutes from home and he is in the car with him, so why not??? Maybe Ryan would actually think of his dad as cool.
How in less then the blinks of an eye will there families lives change forever? When a tragic accident occurs, Jake makes a quick decision and cannot look back. How can Jake tell his wife? Would Ryan be able to live with this secret? Jake decides he will take the blame and not involve his son or there would be no college scholarship and possibly a criminal record that would follow him forever and his life would be ruined. Pam, his wife is a judge and she knew right from wrong so how would they make this work?
While deciding on what they should do Jake uncovers a shocking surprise about his wife that could tear their marriage apart. Is it possible to forgive, forget and possibly start over?
This is by far one of the most fascinating books Ms Scottoline has written. The suspense and drama are reflected on each and every page. Will the family be able to stick together? How much can they keep a secret? Will Ryan end up with a record? Will Jake be sent to jail? You will not be able to put this book down and even more shocking are the results of the investigation and just what really was behind the tragic death. I recommend it highly and am sure you will want to recommend it to any and all of your friends. A great read.
June 17, 2015
I was going through my books and came across this one. It has been a while since I have read anything by Lisa. So I decided to pick this book up and start reading it. Wow. I knew Lisa could write but I did not expect to like this book as much as I did.
I hate to say this but if it was not for the terrible event that brought Jake and Ryan together, I probably would have not found the family that interesting. It is because of this event that bonded the whole family and brought out the fighter in each of them. Although, Jake was the strongest of the three. The most surprising was the ending. It totally came out of left field. After you read this book you will not want to "Keep Quiet".
I hate to say this but if it was not for the terrible event that brought Jake and Ryan together, I probably would have not found the family that interesting. It is because of this event that bonded the whole family and brought out the fighter in each of them. Although, Jake was the strongest of the three. The most surprising was the ending. It totally came out of left field. After you read this book you will not want to "Keep Quiet".
April 26, 2014
I actually went back to read reviews of other Scottoline books I have read - all two stars! Why do I keep attempting to enjoy her books? This story is barely "fine." The clichés and poor writing style got comical after a while. My favorite groan came when the main character decided he was "recalibrating a new route" in life, just as he recalibrated his GPS system in his car. Ugh!
February 25, 2016
Valeu somente pelo final que tem uma reviravolta!
April 3, 2018
A little slow in developing and I was overwhelmed by the initial situation. However, true to the skill of Lisa Scottoline's ability to write - I was soon "hooked". A book to discuss - deals with right and wrong, standards of moral, and ultimately the love for your child and family. Begs the question . . . just how far would you go to protect a loved one? Scottoline has done it again!
September 28, 2019
Lisa Scottoline delivers every time I was on the edge of my seat listening to this book!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽
February 14, 2022
Trying to get close to his son Jake allows sixteen-year-old Ryan to drive part way home one night even though he only had his permit and even though it was after the hours the permit allowed. Ryan hits a jogger. After unsuccessful attempts to revive the woman, and learning that Ryan had weed in his possession and had smoked earlier that day. Though Ryan protests, Jake then decides to leave the scene of the accident and lie to his wife Pam, who happens to be a judge, and hide what happened. What could possibly go wrong?
This book might be better described as A Tale of Two Halves, the first repetitive, the second preposterous. Ryan was the only character whom I sympathized with, Jake's priorities and morals were MIA from the get go and Pam's controlling behavior turned me off. Plot wise, the first half of the book would have been better with just a few chapters, because the storyline at that point was still believable and relatable. Nothing could make the second half salvageable, with do many coincidences, events convenient to the plot, scenarios. In the other Lisa Scottoline novels, she uses her experience as an attorney to create believable, true to life plots. I'm not sure what happened with thus one.
The reason for three, rather than two stars, the pace of the second half was tension filled and engrossing.
If you want to read a good book about a parent trying to protect a child from the repercussions of a car accident, Barbara Delinski's The Secret Between Us is more interesting and believable.
This book might be better described as A Tale of Two Halves, the first repetitive, the second preposterous. Ryan was the only character whom I sympathized with, Jake's priorities and morals were MIA from the get go and Pam's controlling behavior turned me off. Plot wise, the first half of the book would have been better with just a few chapters, because the storyline at that point was still believable and relatable. Nothing could make the second half salvageable, with do many coincidences, events convenient to the plot, scenarios. In the other Lisa Scottoline novels, she uses her experience as an attorney to create believable, true to life plots. I'm not sure what happened with thus one.
The reason for three, rather than two stars, the pace of the second half was tension filled and engrossing.
If you want to read a good book about a parent trying to protect a child from the repercussions of a car accident, Barbara Delinski's The Secret Between Us is more interesting and believable.
October 23, 2017
I have read a lot of this author’s books which I find quite enjoyable. This book takes a turn on what the author usually writes. Instead of focusing on the women in the book she is basing the story around the male. The story is about Jake, Pam and Ryan. Pam wants Jake to pick Ryan up from the movies since father/son haven't been getting along and Pam is hoping that they can bond. While on their way home, Jake lets Ryan get behind the wheel thinking that this will be a bonding experience but little did they know the outcome of the night. Ryan hits someone and while they are trying to revive the person Ryan tells his father that he has weed in his pocket which starts the deception. How far will a parent go to protect a child and this is the author’s intent of the story. You will question yourself all through the book until the end on whether the father did the right thing.
While reading the book would I do the same thing as what Jake did, probably because parents will do anything to protect their children. Every time Jake took care of a problem things just got worse. I didn’t figure out the whole book but I did figure part of the book out which helped Jake and his family in the end. I can honestly say I didn't not see the ending coming.
While reading the book would I do the same thing as what Jake did, probably because parents will do anything to protect their children. Every time Jake took care of a problem things just got worse. I didn’t figure out the whole book but I did figure part of the book out which helped Jake and his family in the end. I can honestly say I didn't not see the ending coming.
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