The Quiet Ones Die First

by Ayman Hamadeh

In Pinewood, the children don't speak. And the last teacher who asked why never left.

When Leah Mercer accepts a teaching position in the remote mountain town of Pinewood, she's looking for a place to disappear. After losing everything—her career, her reputation, her home—for daring to report abuse at her Boston school, a six-month contract in a town too small for GPS seems like the fresh start she desperately needs.

But from the moment Leah steps into her classroom, she knows something is wrong.

Nine students. Nine desks. And not a single voice.

The children of Pinewood don't speak. Not to her. Not to each other. Not even by accident. They communicate through gestures, through glances, through a secret language of the body that Leah can see but cannot read. When a pencil drops, the room freezes. When a child coughs, fear flickers across every face.

The principal calls it composure. The townspeople call it tradition.

Leah calls it what it terror.

As winter deepens and the roads become impassable, Leah uncovers a conspiracy that stretches back seventy years—a pact signed in blood by the founding families, renewed every decade with a sacrifice. The missing teachers. The graves in the forest. The children's teeth, kept in drawers like trophies.

And this March, Leah is the one who's been chosen.

With time running out and no way to call for help, Leah must decide how far she's willing to go to protect children who have been taught that silence is the only way to survive—and whether the courage of one voice can break a cycle of violence that has held this town captive for generations.

Genres: Horror

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2025

About the author

I write dark, intense fiction. The kind that crawls under your skin and stays there. Psychological thrillers, dark fantasy, and the occasional story that doesn't fit neatly into any box. But I don't like staying in one lane. I write a bit of everything, and I go wherever the story takes me.

What I care about most is making every page earn your time. I want you hooked from the first line and still thinking about the ending days later. That's the standard I hold myself to.

If you're here, you probably like stories with teeth. Pull up a chair. I think we'll get along.

X: @ayman_writes
Instagram: @author.ayman
Website: Aymanwrites.com

Reviews

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. I just could NOT put the book down. It was pretty fast.


As a teacher, I found myself often in the main character’s shoes.

4 stars because the ending was a bit confusing for me.

[Roseen Faragher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts out massively intriguing, keeping the reader turning the pages. I couldn't wait to discover the mystery behind the town, behind the childrens' creepy silence. When I did, it was underwhelming. I felt the writer ended the novel too quickly and the superstitions and supernatural elements could have been explored better, more in depth.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and wonderful

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply unsettling story set in a small town in the middle of nowhere, full of sinister residents and creepy children who never speak. I had expectations but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Twelve short chapters flew by and the ending left me wanting more. This was beautifully written and underrated.

[Kara Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read, extremely engaging- this book had me on the edge of my seat since page one. The development and twists in the plot are incredibly written within a compact book. I didn’t expect so much development in a 160 page book, and it certainly did not disappoint. The ending keeps the story open for later thought

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

so i randomly discovered this book and it is a psychological thriller, will count for my "Q" pick for my A-Z challenge, and is not even very long because i was able to read it all in one sitting. it is definitely on the creepier side of horror/ thriller with a good amount of suspense. this is a short story about a teacher named Leah who comes to a small town as a substitute for another teacher, only to find that these townspeople are very quiet and keep to themselves, do not want her to go to the neighboring town for food or supplies, and none of the nine children that she is responsbible for teaching talk. Leah is determined to find out why, and she eventually comes across some horrifc information: every so often all of townspeople participate in a cultlike sacrificial ritual and if any of the children attempt to speak of it, they suffer the consquences. this was a good short read but ended kind of abruptly with a bit of a cliffhanger so i guess it is possible there might be more story.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!

definitely worth the read! i wasn’t sure at first but it ended up being a very very good read and i’d love if this were like turned into an adaption or something

[Dana MacKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique, well written story

I had no expectations when I chose this book but the reviews, which were all good, had piqued my interest. It's a fast read and creepy mystery. I did not see the end coming. I highly recommend!

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow. This book was awesome. Creepy, cultish tropes. It was so atmospheric I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like I was there. And the ending 😳. I just bought 5 more of this authors books. I hope they’re all half as good as this.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silence Is Deep

This is the first book from Ayman Hamadeh I have read. And boy oh boy, I sure am glad to have discovered him! This story will stay with me for a very long time. Silent children alone is enough to creep me out. This is just the start, my friend.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

I was intrigued by the end of Chapter 1. Although this is short, it didn't lack in suspense, drama and action. Leaves you thinking. What if this is really happening in towns.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please tell me there is more

I absolutely loved reading this book. It is quick paced and keeps your attention till the very end! I will definitely be reading more from him!

[Mary Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a shelf for a horror subcategory that I've called “horror with kids.” It's the kind where the horror is caused by or stems from children. After becoming a mom, that shelf was a red flag for me, because motherhood changes you whether you want it to or not. As I read Hamadeh's excellent book, I remembered all the times I complained because my daughter was running around, screaming, or wouldn't stop talking.
Well, no more.
Gripping, chilling, credible, horrifying, well-written, well-plotted. I devoured it in one go. If you like psychological horror, cults, or 'horror with kids' this book is a must-read

[Avery Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5! The title of this book is definitely a little jarring lol, but I was in the mood for something creepy, and it was exactly that. The town had such an eerie atmosphere that kept me on edge the whole time. It also follows a teacher dealing with a creepy school and even creepier students, which definitely added a layer for me. It was pretty short, so the story jumped around a bit and not everything was as developed as it could have been. I would’ve loved another 100 pages to bring the characters to life more and build on the unsettling atmosphere, but I still enjoyed it for what it was!

[Laeti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable and repetitive

Predictable and not really exhilarating, I don’t think I’d read it again. I appreciate the ending and the theme, which reminded me of an interesting conversation I had with my boyfriend about religion (though it doesn’t involve religion).
This book is quite repetitive. As I read, I often found myself saying, “You said that already” or “Yes, I know, the town is…”

[Patt · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok. I like it.

So I started this book with the notion it was gonna be a quick read so I knew the depth was gonna slack some. I also am use to supernatural type books so I fully believe I knew how this book was gonna end.
Plot twist, I couldn't put it down. I was so invested. Page turner. Ending is irksome but definitely a good read.

[Ellie Reefer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the suspense that this book displayed. The author gives you little bits of information at a time and leaves you to interpret them for a while. The plot twists were also extremely interesting, you never knew what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the cliffhanger ending and the buildup that leads to it. Overall, it was a good book and I almost wish it was longer.

[Jalyn Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read. Don’t think I’d really consider this horror, but it was entertaining. The length was perfect for the story, enough detail but not drawn out. I did not predict the ending at all, solid book.

[Maddy Safford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and pleasant read. There were a few plot holes that were hard to see past. I think it possibly should have been a bit longer because the entire book only spans across 3 weeks. Lots of questions for the ending, which makes me wonder if there will be a second.

[Luci Maples · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, a bit repetitive

I thought the story was good, but I do think it could have been more. The end felt rushed to me. There was a point where the school was described almost the same way, twice in a matter of a few pages.

[Jane Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tooth

The Quiet Ones Die First is a crazy psychological thriller that could be a true story! I could see this happening in the US! Leah Mercer is the new school teacher. The school children don't talk. They do communicate though. You have to read this book?

[jd & angie grafton · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good story.

Wow what a town would do to save their children. I won't spoil the storyline, but I thought it was done. Will keep reading your stories.!

[Kayla Flatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Quick and easy read. It kept my attention just thought it was a little anticlimactic.

[alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun ending but man is it a thriller and not a horror novel 💔(i don’t care for thrillers tbh)

[Charly Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually pretty good. Fast read (123 pages so obviously) but it was nicely paced. I would lowkey like to see a movie adaptation THAT FOLLOWS THE BOOK

[Lauren Slezak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars because I wanted more! This definitely had potential to be a chonky novel instead of a novella.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was great until it simply wasn't. What is it with these endings? Can we not have an unambiguously happy one? Or dare I say, can't we have a definitive ending?

[KellyM.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
Leah accepted a teaching position, in Pinewood, but quickly found that something was wrong.. Leah was an excellent FMC, and I really enjoyed following her through the mystery. This was an entertaining thriller with an eerie premise, constant tension, and characters I was genuinely rooting for. I was so hopeful for them the entire time, which made the suspense hit even harder.
The reason behind the silence and sacrifices wasn't what I expected, but I still enjoyed the book as it truly kept me on edge.